Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Qt Air Fryer

Buy the Vortex Plus if: you want the widest range of cooking functions for the price, you're typically buying it on sale around $99.99–$119.99, or you already use other Instant Pot appliances and want the same app and recipe ecosystem. Six functions cover air frying, baking, roasting, broiling, dehydrating, and reheating in one footprint.

Buy the Cosori TurboBlaze if: crisping performance is your top priority, you want a PFAS-free ceramic basket coating for long-term peace of mind, or you're willing to pay a bit more for nine cooking functions and a higher 450°F max temperature. For most everyday users, the Vortex Plus delivers nearly identical real-world results at a lower typical price — the Cosori's advantages matter most for serious home cooks chasing the last few percent of crisp.

This is a common objection, and it's worth addressing carefully. Raw wattage isn't the most reliable predictor of air fryer performance. What matters more is how the heating element and fan direct airflow around the food. EvenCrisp's top-down design distributes heat more evenly than many bottom-vented competitors regardless of wattage. In our testing, the 1700W Vortex Plus matched the 1750W Ninja's browning evenness on the same tray of frozen fries, and both reached 400°F from cold in under 5 minutes.

Where wattage matters more is preheat speed for very large or dense batches — a 3.5 lb whole chicken, for example. If you're regularly cooking for a crowd or want the largest possible single-batch capacity, the 10-quart Vortex Plus Oven (with rotisserie) is worth considering instead of comparing wattage specs alone.

The claim is accurate but easy to misread. 95% less oil is a comparison against deep frying in a vat of oil, not a claim that the air fryer uses zero oil. For best crisping results, we still tossed most foods (fries, wings, vegetables) in 1–2 teaspoons of oil before cooking — air frying without any oil works, but produces a noticeably drier texture on most foods.

Nutritionally, swapping deep-fried foods for air-fried versions of the same recipe does meaningfully cut fat and calories. That said, an air fryer doesn't automatically make food "healthy" — frozen, heavily processed foods are still high in sodium and refined carbohydrates regardless of cooking method. Think of it as a legitimate way to reduce oil in foods you'd otherwise fry, not a nutritional cure-all.

A faint plastic or "new appliance" smell during the first uses is common with new air fryers — it's residue from manufacturing burning off, not a defect. Before cooking any food, wash the basket and crisper tray with warm soapy water, then run the empty unit (no food, basket in place) at 400°F for 10–15 minutes in a well-ventilated kitchen. This single burn-in cycle resolved the smell entirely in our unit.

If the smell persists beyond two or three burn-in cycles, that's unusual and worth flagging — contact Instant Brands customer support, especially while you're still within the 1-year warranty window.

Buy the 4-Qt if: you're cooking mostly for one or two people, have very limited counter space, and mainly want it for reheating, small snacks, or single-portion meals. Buy the 6-Qt (this model) if: you're cooking for a household of three to five, want to roast a whole small chicken or a full tray of wings in one batch without crowding, and want the best balance of capacity and counter footprint.

Buy the 10-Qt Vortex Plus Oven if: you regularly host larger groups, want a built-in rotisserie spit for whole chickens or roasts, or are comfortable trading a larger counter footprint (it's closer to a toaster-oven shape) for significantly more capacity and an extra cooking function.