Frequently Asked Questions
Instant Vortex Air Fryers
Why choose the Instant Vortex Air Fryer?
The Instant Vortex range has been voted Best Air Fryer across over 10 international websites; including the Good Housekeeping Institute, New York Times, Food Network and Cooks Illustrated. Vortex Air Fryers are exceptional because they offer superior performance with a fantastic price tag. The famous technology behind the Instant Pot has been incorporated into the Vortex air fryer range to ensure the best results every time.
- Fastest heat-up and cooking performance - reaches over 200C in just 2 mins.
- Family size drawer design maximises cooking area (not volume), to ensure best capacity and performance.
- Easiest to clean with removable tray.
- Intuitive touchscreen panel with control dial for quick programming, plus smart programs that save your settings.
- Hundreds of local recipes and videos available on website and social media community
- Best customer care with after sales service response within 48 hours
No, the black rubbers are feet (not photographed in the manual) that protect the basket from being scratched by the tray. Always make sure the two arrows are pointing to the back of the basket, this gives the tray a better fit. Silicone feet are sold as part of a new air fryer tray set, so you can contact Customer Care (info@instantpot.co.za) if you’d like to buy this.
When the timer shows 01:00, this means one hour (not one minute), which is the maximum time you can set on your Vortex air fryer. You need to turn the dial to the left and keep going until you get to 00:01, which is one minute, or 00:10, which is ten minutes.
Non-stick sprays are not recommended. Oil spritzer works well.
Cooking tray
The cooking tray can be washed in your dishwasher. The instruction manual says not to submerge the basket or put it in the dishwasher, but you can wipe the basket with a paper towel and then wash it with warm soapy water with a soft cloth. If the basket is very dirty, you can put warm soapy water in the basket and run it for five minutes to help lift some of the dirt, then wipe with a soft cloth.
Note that there will be wear and tear on the cooking tray after a while. The cooking trays are sold as spare parts, email Customer Care for pricing info@instantpot.co.za.
Cleaning the cooking chamber/element
Run the Vortex air fryer for 20 minutes at 205°C with two cups of water and half a cup of white spirit vinegar to give the unit a good steam.
Unplug the unit.
When the element has cooled down, gently wipe around the element and the surrounding areas with a soft cloth.
Allow the unit to air dry thoroughly without the drawer inserted before using it again.
Please note:
- Do not spray cleaning solutions on or around the element.
- Do not turn your unit upside down and spray water or cleaning solutions in or around the element, this will damage the electronics.
In our experience, air fryers can have a “new appliance” smell or residual smell from storage and packaging, which sometimes takes time to dissipate. Most people don’t even notice this smell after the first use, but others are more sensitive to the smell.
The global head office has advised these tips to help dissipate the smell faster:
- Leave the silicone feet on the air fryer tray and place them gently into the drawer.
- Keep the back of your Vortex air fryer positioned at least 10 cm away from a wall (to allow the vents to work properly).
If you have a dishwasher:
- Carefully place the entire drawer in the bottom section of a dishwasher and run on a short cycle, then remove and place on a towel upside down.
- Allow to air dry overnight next to the unit.
- Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup white spirit vinegar, and a cut-up lemon to the drawer and run cycle on highest temperature for 20 minutes.
- Leave the vinegar and lemon water mixture to cool overnight in the drawer.
- Rinse and wipe down the next morning.
- Store the drawer next to the unit overnight after use for 2-3 nights (i.e., not in the machine)
If you don’t have a dishwasher:
- Submerge the entire drawer (with air fryer tray inside) in a sink with soapy water overnight.
- Rinse with clean water then allow to dry on a towel, placed upside down.
- Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup white spirit vinegar, and a cut-up lemon to the drawer and run cycle on highest temperature for 20 minutes.
- Leave the vinegar and lemon water mixture to cool overnight in the drawer.
- Rinse and wipe down the next morning.
- Store the drawer next to the unit overnight after use for 2-3 nights (i.e., not in the machine).
Additional tips to try:
- You can also try cooking an onion and some garlic for 15 minutes at 180°C.
- Or make toast with a few slices of bread – let them char.
Please note:
- These tips should help clear any new appliance smell quickly and you can repeat some steps if necessary.
- Once the smell has gone, it will not return.
- We do not recommend using a dishwasher regularly, and it should be done with care so the non-stick coating is not scratched.
- Only use non-scratch, gentle scorers to clean all parts of the Vortex.
The cooking tray has a PFOA-free PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) coating and is not suitable for use around birds and small pets.
The Vortex has a non-stick coating that contains PTFE (or Teflon). This coating is safe for normal home cooking, as long as temperatures do not exceed 300°C. The Vortex top temperature is 205°C.
It’s important to note that the “Litre Volume” information provided by many air fryer manufacturers is not a fair reflection of cooking capacity because they measure the inside cavity (with the basket or drawer removed). The cooking area (base of basket) is more important than the height/volume, as you need to cook items in a single layer for best results.
The Instant Vortex air fryer range features drawers designed to maximise the cooking area, without negatively affecting cooking performance. Our Vortex 5.7L models have a basket area of 240 x 245mm which is big enough for a 1.6kg whole chicken, plus roast potatoes. This is ample size for a family of 4. The Vortex Versazone model basket comfortably fits two roast chickens, plus sides. The dimensions as one single drawer are 320 x 240mm, and as two separate drawers, 160 x 240mm each.
The Vortex air fryer range also has a unique single drawer square and rectangular design, without the basket / clip system on other air fryer brands. This all means it can fit a lot more in and it is easier to clean. The Vortex Air Fryer Oven features a glass door with interior light, so checking your food’s progress is simple and convenient.
Cooking area size (in mm):
Vortex Air Fryer: 5.7L, 105 H x 240 W x 245 L
Vortex Plus Air Fryer: 5.7L, 105 H x 240 W x 245 L
Vortex Air Fryer Oven: 9.5L,
Vortex Versazone: 8.5L 105 H x 320 W 240 L (single drawer), 105 H x 160 W x 240 L (two drawers)
Vortex ClearCook: 5.7L, 105 H x 235 W x 245 L
Vortex ClearCook DUAL: 8.5: Each drawer is: 105 H x 150 W x 245 L
It really depends on your preferences. Some people with less kitchen space prefer an all-in-one product as they like cooking everything in one pot. For example, for a roast chicken, you would start it with the pressure cooker lid, then finish it off with the air fryer lid, leaving you with a juicy, succulent inside and crispy roast outside.
Others prefer having two appliances so they can cook more than one thing at a time. The Vortex has a unique square-shaped drawer offering optimum cooking space with a large flat area within the draw. The Vortex Versazonel has the ability to change between one huge cooking drawer, or two separate cooking zones., and the Vortex oven has a large 9.5L capacity with multi-level cooking trays. This differentiates the Vortex range from other brands with limiting air fryer baskets.
The Vortex pre-set programs are designed to optimise cooking times and temperatures for each program. If you choose Air Fry, the ideal time and temperature will come up for frozen foods like French fries. If you adjust the time and temperature, the Vortex will save this for the next time, making it easier (one-touch) cooking. The ideal time and temps are set for Bake, Roast, Air Fry and Re-heat. (plus Grill and Dehydrate on Vortex Plus).
To reset to factory settings, hold the silver central dial in for five seconds.
- Cooking / Drip tray: Aluminised steel with a non-stick coating, the tray has a PFOA-free PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) coating.
- Door: Heat-resistant tempered glass.
- Interior coating: Aluminised steel.
- Outer casing: Polypropylene.
- Rotisserie basket: Stainless steel 430
- Rotisserie fetch: 18/8, food-grade stainless steel 304
- Rotisserie forks and screws: 18/8, food-grade stainless steel 304
Bird Safety: The cooking tray has a PFOA-free PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coating and not suitable for use around birds and small pets.
The OdourErase filter is designed to last approximately 900 minutes or 45 cycles of 20 minutes each (excluding Dehydrate mode), after which the light will come on. You can continue to use the appliance, even after this notice, it will work the same as regular Vortex air fryer. If you wish to clear the light, push “Bake” and “Reheat” together for 10 seconds. This will clear the indicator.
To change the filters:
- Unplug the Vortex ClearCook from the electrical outlet.
- Lift the filter housing up, from the top of the unit.
- Remove the old filters and dispose of them properly. The filters are not recyclable.
- Remove two (2) new filters from packaging and insert them into the filter housing.
- Insert the filter housing back into the unit and plug the cooker pack into the electrical outlet.
- Press the “Bake” and “Reheat” buttons together for about 10 seconds to reset the filter. The filter LED on the top panel of the machine will turn off. Now you’re ready to cook.
For stockists of filters email customer care, info@instantpot.co.za
The Versazone model has been designed for use with the innovative single large drawer with partition. Unfortunately the single large Versazone drawer will not be compatible with the original Vortex Dual air fryer design.
Recipe book & cooking timetables, All Vortex air fryer cooking timetables and recipes are on our website:
Air fryer cooking timetable | Recipes
(Use the Search, top left, to sort by Air Fryer)
We’ve received many queries on whether an air fryer can be used to bake—the answer is yes. If you do not have an oven at home, you can use an air fryer to create delicious baked goods too!
The recipes you get online are usually for conventional ovens, so if you’re baking with an air fryer, you’ll need to do some slight tweaks.
Biscuits/cookies
Make sure to coat the drawer and trays with butter or oil spray to prevent sticking. You can also line the base with parchment (baking) paper.
Doughnuts
Bake healthier doughnuts at home by adjusting the time and temperature. Make sure there’s enough space between each doughnut.
Chiffon and sponge Cakes
Cakes made from batter that is relatively thin can be quite tricky to bake in an air fryer since the batter can get scattered during baking and create a mess. However, you can prevent this from happening by baking them in a taller, sturdy metallic cake tin. Cover the batter-filled pan with aluminium foil and poke some holes in it. After the cake’s done, remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes. The result will be just as fluffy as the ones made using an oven!
Overall tips for baking with Vortex air fryers
- Reduce the suggested temperature by 10-15°C
- Reduce the baking time by 15-20%
- Always use the pre-heat for baking
- Check for doneness periodically
- Don’t overcrowd the drawer/trays
- You still need some oil/butter