Instant Pot - Vortex 5QT ClearCook

we have the ninja side by side. it works fine. you can operate both sides as one, if you want. and you can set both sides to finish at the same time if they have different settings. i don't like that you have to manually pause it if you don't want hot air just blowing out when you open a basket and it doesn't have a reminder to flip like our single basket Instant Vortex does.

Some personal feedback on this as I spent the last week picking an air fryer. Size of the fryer was a big factor in our search. First I bought the Ninja Pro XL 6 in 1. I liked that it would get to 450 degrees. We ended up returning it because it was so loud it sounded like a plane taking off. Second we got the Instant Pot, due to the positive online and Americas Test Kitchen reviews from a few years ago. We got the updated version with the window. That one got returned because one, it smelled absolutely awful when heated. Second, the bottom plate would pop up and sit at an angle as soon as it started to warm up. This is a safety issue because it would fly out when trying to dump out hot food. After looking back at the "positive" reviews, I realized they are almost all incentivized. Third and final one we got is the Ninja Foodi 8qt two basket fryer. So far so good. It's still kind of noisy, but it's tolerable. The dual basket is a nice option. Also even though it's dual, the dimensions are still surprisingly compact. It's slightly wider than a single basket model, but it wasn't any deeper. We also considered a Midea because Sam's has some, but they are huge.

I purchased the same Vortex Plus with front window from a thrift store with the "Close Basket" error. The only solution for me was to open the unit and replace the micro switch.  When you close the door, a cone shaped extension, visible on the top front center housing, gets pushed up to the micro switch.  If the micro switch is faulty, you'll always get the "Close Basket" error.  This used unit has been working for close to 2 years.

Philips, Instant Pot/Vortex, and Cosori are all better than Ninja. Ninja has bad non-stack and low power.

I’ve had both: a really fancy Cuisinart and a much cheaper and better basket-style one from Instant Pot. The Instant Pot one is simpler. You set time and temp, it preheats, beeps when it’s time to put the food in, beeps when it’s time to flip it, and beeps when it’s done. It simple and I burn things less often.

Instant pot vortex and I love it! My tray does not fly out when tipped upside down. Easy peasy to clean. Gets blazin hot and fast!

My instant pot vortex is a breeze to clean, often times I can use just a paper towel.

> this was a big issue when they first came out; I assume they've fixed it by now Can confirm - it had a smell the first time I ran through a 15m air fryer cycle (empty, per the quick start instructions) and I haven't smelled anything since.

Thanks for your input! We have one of those instant pot vortex air fryers, just with a different label on the front. The house we are moving into has fairly new appliances. They were bought in '22 I believe but it's just the two of us and a dog so we don't often like using the oven if we can help it. I'll take a look at the Bella air fryer! I guess air fryers themselves aren't that expensive. If I'm going to spend $500 on appliances, I might as well look at a combi oven too 😂

Mine is the Instant Vortex. Slightly smaller than a standard microwave. Has two shelves. I use it for so much. Its great for chicken thighs, sausages, raw vegetables, making toast. And of course also from freezer to plate items. It heats up leftovers 10x better than a microwave. Pizza and fries especially.

Ours just died after using it almost every day for two years, which is why I’m in this thread. We liked it quite a bit, but agree with Wirecutter’s criticism that the Instant Vortex’s user interface is crap - it’s just a cheap touchscreen with poor sensitivity. I’m looking at other models now - the Instant Vortex was a lovely gift but I don’t think I want to buy another.