The Instant Vortex Plus is a six-function countertop air fryer, covering air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat and dehydrate, built around a 6-quart basket and a 1500W element. Tom's Guide and TechGearLab both rate it in the mid-4s out of 5 for how much it does for the money and how little cleaning it demands. The preheat is slower than rivals, the basket tray slides out when the food is tipped, and the fan is audible from the next room.
Full review
Six functions, one basket, one dial
The Vortex Plus air fries, roasts, broils, bakes, reheats and dehydrates from a digital screen with a central knob, and preset icons handle the common jobs without anyone reading a manual. Time and temperature stay adjustable after a preset is chosen, which matters because presets are calibrated for a full basket and will overcook a small one. Dehydrate is the function most buyers forget they paid for and the one that justifies the extra size over a basic fryer.
1500 watts into a 6-quart basket
The element draws 1500W and the basket holds 6 quarts, enough for a family portion of fries or four chicken pieces in a single layer. The unit is 10.2 inches deep, 13.03 wide and 11.02 tall, so it needs a permanent stretch of worktop and clearance behind it for the exhaust. Crisping is even across the middle of the basket and slightly weaker at the corners; shaking halfway through, as the manual asks, closes most of that gap.
A five-minute preheat you cannot skip
Preheating takes about five minutes, longer than several competitors, and it is the one part of the routine that feels slow. On a weeknight that is five minutes before anything starts cooking, which erodes the time advantage over a conventional oven for small portions. Good Housekeeping and T3 both rate it 4 out of 5, a notch below the other two scores on the page.
The tray slides out when you tip the basket
The basket splits into an outer pan and an inner tray, and the tray is not latched, so tipping the basket to empty it brings the tray along unless a thumb holds it back. It is a small design annoyance that shows up at every meal. The non-stick coating on both parts cleans easily by hand and is best kept away from metal utensils and hard scrubbing; the chamber itself collects grease spatter that wants wiping every few uses.
Loud enough to hear from the next room
The fan is the price of convection at this speed. It is not painful, but in an open-plan kitchen it is audible throughout a roast and more so through a long dehydrate cycle. Heat vents from the back and sides, so the unit should not be pushed against a wall or wedged under a cabinet. TechGearLab's 4.6 out of 5 is the highest score on the page, and it describes a machine that does its job well and makes itself heard doing it.
Strengths
- +Impressive versatility with six preset functions including air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, and dehydrate
- +Easy to clean with dishwasher-safe parts and a dedicated how-to video on the website
- +Intuitive digital touch controls combined with a central dial make operation effortless
- +Large six-quart capacity allows for preparing larger meals or bigger batches
Watch-outs
- −Preheat runs about five minutes, slower than several rivals
- −Inner tray is unlatched and slides out when the basket is tipped
- −Fan is audible from the next room through longer cycles
- −Needs clearance at the back and sides for the exhaust
How it compares
The Vortex Plus offers the only air frying capability among all models, making it unique compared to the Duo Plus, Pro Plus, and RIO Wide. While it's more expensive than the standard 10-in-1 and has a longer preheat time, it provides six preset functions and a large 6-quart capacity that the others don't match. Unlike the Pro Plus, it lacks Wi-Fi features but compensates with more versatile cooking options, making it ideal for users wanting a multi-functional appliance with air frying.
Rating sources
“The Instant Pot Vortex Plus ClearCook impressed our Lab pros with its bells and whistles at a budget price.”
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
