Though air fryers have been all the rage in the US for quite some time now, us Brits are just about getting into the thick of the home-cooking revolution. Adored by many as a healthy alternative to traditional cooking methods such as frying and oven baking, air fryers require little to no oil, yet produce the crispiest of veggies, meat filets, buffalo bites and snacks.
The team here at ES Best are huge air fryer fans, cheering for their corner at every available opportunity. As a culinary enthusiast and air fryer novice myself, I’ve been keen to join in on the fun and get my hands on one of these coveted kitchen devices for a while now -so I was thrilled when the idea of testing the Instant Vortex crossed my lap.
What are air fryers and how do they work?
A small, countertop kitchen appliance, the air fryer has replaced the need for microwave ovens, traditional ovens and deep fat fryers in many homes. Using innovative convection heat technology, air fryers cook with the help of hot air which circulates at high speeds. Thanks to these Speedy Gonzalez fans, they are able to do so incredibly quickly without burning. However, the USP of air fryers and the main quality that keeps users coming back for more is their ability to create a crispy, deep fried-esque finish on your favourite foods and in record timing.
What’s different about the Instant Vortex Plus VersaZone?
According to my research, the most significant selling-point of this air fryer is its large size capacity. With most air fryers boasting a maximum of around 4.5L, the Instant Vortex Plus VersaZone has an 8.5L capacity across two baskets, which are separated by an easily removable divider. This does, however, result in a relatively heavy build, with the InstantVortex weighing in at a considerable 7.1kg.
Without further ado, let’s get into the hot and spicy details…
Buy now: Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer Air Fryer with ClearCook - £159.99, Lakeland
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Specifications
Capacity: 8.5L (two 4.2L baskets)
Size: 38.5 x 40.5 x 31.5cm
Weight: 7.1kg
Power: 1700W
User friendliness
As many reviewers on Lakeland’s website have pointed out, the air fryer itself doesn’t come with much in the way of literature. Whether this pointed to the incredibly intuitive, user-friendly nature of the Instant Vortex, or simply reflected laziness on the manufacturer’s part, I was yet to find out. Pretty much void of instructions, I embarked on my first culinary journey with the air fryer: tandoori-spiced cauliflower bites.
Once turned-on, the otherwise blank looking surface of the air fryer lights up with an array of cooking functions – eight, to be exact – including: air fry, bake, grill, roast, dehydrate, reheat, SyncCook and SyncFinish. The latter two functions are for controlling the sections (note, these are not seperate baskets) so you are able to program at different temperatures and for different foods. This is particularly useful when you’re catering for larger groups.
Functionality
This air fryer is wonderfully easy to programme, especially for a first-time user. After simply whacking on the air fry function and using the knob to set the correct time and temperature, I hit start and immediately heard the in-built fans whizzing away. Thanks to the EvenCrisp technology, I also found that – despite my machine prompting me to give my veggies a toss halfway through the cooking time – my cauliflower bites and onions were crunchy, crispy and tasty.
As a novice, what I found most astonishing about the air fryer was its incredible speed. I couldn’t believe how quickly a meal with an already limited preparation time was ready to serve and piping hot.
Variety of cooking settings
Firstly, I’d argue that this air fryer is not an 8-in-1. As previously mentioned, SyncCook and SyncFinish are relative non-settings. When first using the air fryer, I was admittedly not aware that each areas in the basket could be programmed to a different temperature and setting (instructions might have helped). Alas, it seems my Instant Vortex wasn’t aware of this either, as I simply removed the divider, evenly spread out my seasoned cauliflower and green onions, closed the drawer and pressed start on the air fry function. After a mere 15 minutes, I was greeted with perfectly crispy cauliflower bites all-round – no SyncCook or SyncFinish necessary.
Likewise, after working out the nifty fact that the baskets can be used separately, I found it more of a task to programme each basket to function independently than just frying the items separately – the air fryer being as speedy and oil-free as it is.
Nevertheless, though I’m yet to use all eight (or six, based on my criticisms) functions that this air fryer comes equipped with, I certainly have ambitions to put each and every one to the test. Indeed, the ability to dehydrate foods is only useful for quite a select niche of people, yet the simple fact that I’m able to give it a go means that I might just become a dried fruit buff.
Verdict
Overall, I’d say I’m a veritable air fryer convert. The speedy, healthy and oh-so-crispy results are simply delicious. However, I am thoroughly against the whole ‘multi-cooker’, ’27-in-one’ marketing fad that we’re witnessing within the air fryer community as of late. Most of the time, these functions are unnecessary, a waste of buttons and far too difficult to put to use. All a girl needs are an air fry, grill and baking function (maybe a dehydrate setting) – ta, very much.
Buy now: Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer Air Fryer with ClearCook - £159.99, Lakeland
