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Kitchen · Instant Brands · 2021

Instant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer

Six functions in one box from the Instant Pot company, with the compromises that implies.

Cheap kitchen machines all cut the same corner — #4

Overall

7.7

out of 10

Axis scores

Kitchen is scored on these 5 axes. The total is their plain average — nothing is weighted.

Instant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Instant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer: Performance 8.0, Value 8.2, Durability 7.6, Ease of use 8.2, Quietness 6.6.PerformanceInstant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer — Performance 8.0 out of 108.0ValueInstant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer — Value 8.2 out of 108.2DurabilityInstant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer — Durability 7.6 out of 107.6Ease of useInstant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2QuietnessInstant Vortex Plus ClearCook Air Fryer — Quietness 6.6 out of 106.6Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Quietness — Operating noise — a higher score means quieter

Specs

Capacity
6 quart basket
Functions
Air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate
Window
Viewing window with interior light

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • You want one appliance instead of three on the counter
  • Watching food through a window rather than pulling the basket
  • You already run Instant appliances and know the interface

Skip it if

  • You want any single function done excellently
  • The fan noise will be an issue in a small flat

Six functions — air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate — cut the number of appliances a counter has to hold, and anyone who already owns an Instant Pot will recognize the panel immediately. Presets adjust, and the machine remembers the last settings used for each function.

The window and its interior light change how you cook more than a feature list suggests. Without one, checking progress means pulling the basket, which drops the temperature and adds minutes. With one, you look. Consolidation plus that window covers most of the appeal here.

Each function comes out competent, not excellent. Element power caps the broiling, cavity size caps the baking, and dehydrating runs longer than it would in a dedicated unit. Those are the terms of the multi-function bargain, and for most households they are reasonable terms.

Noise is the weakest point here, and this is the loudest machine in the group. The end-of-cycle alert is equally unsubtle, though holding Temp and Time together in standby toggles it off. Nothing on the panel tells you that. Error alerts still sound regardless.

The basket carries a nonstick coating, so coating wear ends its service life long before any mechanical failure does. Replacement baskets are available.

During the first few minutes of any cook the window fogs, then clears once the interior comes up to temperature. It surprises people the first time.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.