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The Instant Vortex Mini is the cutest and most affordable product from the brand’s line of air fryers. It’s the perfect multicooker for college students or those living independently.
Design-wise it still has the looks of the original Instant Vortex Air Fryer. The cooking functions are also identical. It’s also a 4-in-1 multicooker with the following functions—air fry, roast, bake and reheat.
The beauty of this compact air fryer is that it’s available in four color finishes: aqua, black, red, and white. I’m quite sure you’ll find something there that will match the overall theme of your kitchen.
Award: 9th Best Instant Air Fryer
Should you need a bigger cooking capacity, you could also check the 5.7-Quart Instant Vortex or the 6-Quart Instant Vortex Plus, or you can go as big as 8 quarts with the Instant Vortex Dual Air Fryer.
By the way, these are all basket-type air fryers. The brand also has air fryer ovens like the 10-Quart Instant Vortex Plus and pressure cookers that double as air fryers.
With that said, let’s take things up a notch by checking out Vortex Mini Air Fryer’s pros and cons.
PROS
- Incredibly affordable
- Colorful choices
- Touchscreen control panel with a dial
- Space saving design
- Basket air fryer type is the easiest to use
- Square basket fits more food compared to round
- 4 core cooking functions: Air fry, roast, bake, reheat
- Quick preheating time
- PFOA and BPA Free
- Dishwasher safe tray
- 1-year warranty
CONS
- 2 quarts is usually only enough for 1 person (fries-wise)
- Non-stick are usually not long lasting
What can you cook in the Instant Pot Vortex Mini Air Fryer?
Don’t let the Instant Vortex Mini’s size fool you. What I mean is that it’s small, but it isn’t inferior to its bigger sibling—Instant Vortex Air Fryer. In fact, they only differ in size and price.
In other words, for a lower price and space-saving design, you still get the crucial features of the full-sized air fryer. You can never really lose with that.
Anyway, here are the capabilities of the Vortex Mini Air Fryer.
By now, you already know what makes an air fryer an air fryer, right?
If not, essentially, it’s a healthier and cheaper alternative to deep frying. Plus, it’s faster and more efficient than traditional ovens. That’s why air fryers are must-have kitchen equipment nowadays.
Other than frying, I believe the simple reheat function is a noteworthy feature of this 2-Quart Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer.
Think about it:
When reheating leftovers, you either use the microwave or the full-sized oven. While the microwave is undeniably useful, it’s simply not ideal for fried foods. That’s why I use my full-sized oven for that.
But then, another problem arises. A small snack in the full-sized oven isn’t efficient. Not to mention, it takes some time.
The solution?
The Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer’s reheat function. By having so, you can effortlessly reheat your leftovers. It won’t sacrifice the quality, and it consumes less energy than the full-sized oven.
Here’s more: While it’s only ideal for 1 – 2 servings, it certainly won’t take that much space. As a result, it’s perfect for apartments, small houses, etc.
See the 4-in-1 Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer in action
Don’t take my word for it, here’s a short video demonstration from John Sanders.
The Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer is an excellent 1300W compact air fryer great for small spaces. It features a 2-quart (1.9L) capacity making it perfect for preparing 1-2 servings of food. Apart from air frying, the Mini Instant Vortex can also roast, bake and reheat.
Is the 2-Quart Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer easy to use?
Yes, the Vortex Mini has excellent usability to get straight to the point.
For starters, it’s a basket-drawer-type air fryer. If you must know, this category is the best out of any air fryers—pressure cooker, grill, oven.
Picture it:
Retrieving food with the basket drawer primarily includes two steps. One, pull the basket. Two, dump the food onto your plate.
Compare that to a pressure-cooker air fryer. One, remove the lid. Two, get oven mitts. Three, get the basket. Four, dump the food onto our plate.
While these are minor inconveniences, the Instant Vortex Mini definitely wins this round.
As if that’s not enough:
The controls are also simple, with only 8 buttons and a dial. As a result, it’s less daunting than an air fryer with 17 buttons.
The Instant Vortex Mini also hallmarks a status indicator. You see, this indicator includes a prompt for turning/shaking. In other words, that’s one less guesswork for you. Pretty helpful, don’t you agree?
Note: it isn’t perfect, so it’s still ideal to keep track of your cooking.
On a slightly different point:
The machine is, sadly, not dishwasher safe. Regardless, it’s easy to maintain.
For instance, it’s small, so there’s technically less area to clean than full-sized ovens. Especially when you take big trays into consideration. Or even compared to full-sized air fryers.
Secondly, non-stick accessories clean like a dream. If you have a non-stick pan, then you know what I’m talking about.
Thus, cleaning the Instant Vortex Mini is a piece of cake.
*Product Images Courtesy of Instant Brands
Technical Specifications
| Type | Air Fryer |
| Brand/Series | Instant Air Fryer |
| Model # | Vortex Mini RE (Red): 140-3011-01 Vortex Mini AQ (Aqua): 140-3013-01 Vortex Mini BL (Black): 140-3009-01 Vortex Mini WH (White): 140-3012-01 |
| Price | $ |
| Rating | 4.2 out of 5 |
| Wattage | 1300 Watts |
| Functions | 4-in-1: Air Fry, Roast, Bake, and Reheat |
| Air Fryer Type | Basket / Drawer-type |
| Basket Shape | Square |
| Basket Material | Nonstick coated (Teflon) |
| Capacity | 2 quarts (1.9 L), fit about 4 cups of fries |
| Dishwasher safe | Only the tray |
| PFOA, BPA Free | Yes |
| Colors | Black, Red, Aqua, White |
| Dimensions | 11.26 x 9.02 x 11.73 inches (28.6 x 22.9 x 29.8 cm) |
| Cord Length | 35 inches (88.9 cm) |
| Application | Personal Use |
| Warranty | 1 Year |
| Related Products | Instant Vortex Air Fryer, Instant Vortex Plus, Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer, Vortex Pro Air Fryer, Instant Pot Omni Plus Toaster Oven, Instant Pot Air Fryer Toaster Oven, Instant Vortex Plus Double Basket Air Fryer |
