The Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer is a chunky unit that offers plenty of flexibility. With enough space to cook 2.7kg of chicken or 1.8kg of chips at a time, you won’t be lacking in cooking capacity. But, beyond that, it gives you six pre-set cooking options and the choice between one large cooking zone or two smaller ones which can be run independently with separate controls. From air frying to grilling to baking, all in a convenient package, it talks a big game. But does it deliver?
The Instant XXL Vortex Versazone Air Fryer provides handy alternative cooking methods
So, I have admittedly taken a bit of time with this review (Sorry Instant!). Besides a trip away for work, well, I’ve been a bit too busy using the thing to worry about reviewing it… I have air fried, I have baked, I have grilled, and I have reheated. I’m yet to roast or dehydrate, but that may get a run in the future sometime in the future, too. Before I get into specifics, why? Why have I been using this unit so much since receiving it?
I guess the main reasons for me loving the air fryer is my new living situation. Any way that can help make cooking for one quicker and easier is a great thing. Using an air fryer is healthier than frying in oil, too. And, well, unlike cooking in a fry pan, put your food in here and it is pretty much set and forget.
The other reason is that I am living in a rental right now and my oven, while it works, is not the greatest. (Chips in the oven should take 20 minutes at 200? How about 35+ minutes at 220…). So, the air fryer provides a convenient and reliable alternative.
Finally, going from my power bill, which has seen a noticeable decrease, running the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer is much more power efficient than cooking in my oven. Never say no to saving money!
The unboxing and set up
Similar to my experience with the Instant Pot Pro Plus 5.7L Multi-cooker, opening the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer and set up is pretty easy. You need a bit of clearance around the unit for ventilation, and I personally put mine on a wooden board just to ensure no impact to the countertop while I’m renting (but, again, the outside doesn’t seem hot in use, but I like to be cautious).
Out of the box, this is not a small unit. It’s also not going to be a feature piece in your kitchen. It’s a sizeable black box and it ain’t overly pretty. About 40cm in width, 32cm in height and almost 40cm in depth, featuring nothing but black except the silver dial on the front, with a requirement for some space around it while cooking, if you have to leave yours out on your bench, it’s going to be hard to miss. I’ve seen smaller air fryers, but, naturally, they can’t cook nearly as much as this unit.
Once it’s out the box, follow the instructions, give a few bits a wash (see commentary below) and a wipe, and run it through a quick test outlined in the instructions. And you’re away.
A few notes on functionality of the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer
As mentioned above, there’s six (6) different preset cooking modes. You can air fry, bake, roast, grill, reheat or dehydrate. Each cook in a different way. I’m sure there’s plenty of science behind each cooking method — fans go this way or that way, etc — but I just know it works. Press the button for the cooking method you want to use, press the touchscreen temperature button and use the dial to adjust your temperature, and press the touchscreen time button and use the dial to adjust your time. It’s pretty much that simple. Press the start button (or cancel button while cooking if needed), and follow the on-screen prompts as to when to add or turn your food.
As mentioned, the drawer can be used as a single cook zone or in dual cooking zones. One big cooking zone can be handy if you want to spread things out over the whole bottom of the cooking chamber or you want to cook something large (say, roast some meat and vegetables all at once). Also good if you’re baking and want to put a baking tray in the bottom of the drawer.
But, slide in the divider, and you now have two different spaces. Double press the dial in and you can suddenly cook in each chamber separately. And I mean separately. Want to air fry on both sides, but at different temperatures and different lengths of time? No problem. Want to air fry on one side, but grill on the other? You can do that.
Only cooking a few chips and want to save some power and only cook in half the cooking chamber in one zone? Not a problem, either.
An extra nice function with cooking in dual zones is the SyncFinish function, which just automatically finishes two different cooking programmes at the same time. Really handy when you don’t want to be juggling things.
Cranking up the air fryer for some crumbed chicken
My very first cooking experience couldn’t have been easier. With a guest for dinner, there’s nothing like a test under pressure. Cooking some HelloFresh tacos, I did all the prep work, which included flouring, egging and crumbing some chicken. I removed the divider to make a single cook zone and turned it on.
A double press on the dial easily switches the cooking zone from a dual zone to a single zone and vice versa. I pressed “Air Fry” on the touch screen. I pressed “Temperature” and turned the dial to the required temp and repeated the same steps for time.
Thankfully, HelloFresh have adapted well over my time with them and now include really handy instructions for using air fryers for a fair chunk of their meals.
Then what? Well, just hit start. The air fryer whirs to life and starts to preheat.
After a few moments of preheating, you’ll hear a nice little chime and a prompt on screen to tell you to add your food. So, open the drawer and do just that.
And after it’s cooked for about half the time required, another chime will sound to and a prompt telling you to turn your food. So, open the drawer and do just that.
Finally, once it’s finished cooking, you’ll hear a longer chime and you’ll be told your food is ready.
And, boy howdy, was it ready.
The chicken pieces came out beautiful. Lovely and crisp crumbs on the outside. Beautiful, moist chicken on the inside. And, in the tacos, it was delicious.
And this was my very first time using an air fryer. To be honest, I never would’ve thought of cooking chicken like this, but would have done it in a pan (and probably burned the crumb in the process). Air frying has been a bit of a revolution for me!
Fish and Chips: Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer dual zone cooking
Next up was cooking some fish and chips. This involved using the dual zone cooking, running things at different temperatures for different times. The fish did not have clear instructions for air fryers (which I’ll give a few tips below on), but the chips I followed the packet instructions.
Once I set up the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer to cook with dual zones and had all my times and temperatures set, I clicked “SyncFinish” and hit start.
Now, this isn’t exactly a quiet cooking appliance. You’ve a bunch of fans blowing around lots of heat to cook things faster than your oven. So, yes, this is going to make some noise. Is it deafening? No. But, as a result, you may need to crank up the volume on your music a little.
Followed the prompts and added my food as instructed. And, again, food came out beautiful.
I will at this point note that when cooking chips (or some diced potatoes, even) in the air fryer, I’ve found I’ve had to cook them for a minute or two longer than what is recommended on the packet or general cooking instructions to ensure that they come out crispy. But, worth noting, cooking time is also significant less than cooking in a GOOD oven, never mind the oven in my rental.
When there’s no instructions for air frying…?
Yeap, this is a thing.
You find some oven fried fish, or chips, or lasagne, or whatever it may be, and there are oven instructions (or even, microwave instructions…), but nothing clear on how to cook in the air fryer.
Well, after a bit of research, I’ve found the trick is simple.
Knock 20 degrees off the temperature and about 25% of the time.
So, that garlic bread that needs to be in the oven at 210 degrees for 8-10 minutes? Air fryer, 190 degrees, 6-7 minutes. Done.
Baking mode: delicious chocolate brownies
I’ll also just say that baking has been a thing added to my repertoire as a result of the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer.
It said it had a bake mode, so I got curious.
My uncle is gluten intolerant, so I picked up some gluten free brownie mix. A quick bit of prep time and setting the oven to “Bake” mode, and away I went.
In just 20 minutes (with the temperature set to 160 degrees), I had lovely smell through the house and a tray of delicious, gooey chocolate brownies ready to eat. Yes, still delicious even while gluten free.
I’ve also had the simple life pleasure of fresh cooked chocolate chip cookies. Admittedly, pre-made, frozen cookies. But straight out the air fryer and warm, they are delicious.
Looking forward to trying to cook some fresh bread in this beast at some point in the future!
Reheating and grilling food
Again, lack of decent oven? Means I’ve been relying solely on the microwave to reheat food and just living without a decent grilled cheese for a while. Yeah, the microwave serves a function. But some things just heat better in an oven. Left over pizza, for example, is always better out of the oven where the crust crisps back up.
The Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer has been used in recent times beyond cooking and baking as mentioned above. Taking me back to my childhood in a moment of introspection, I’ve made some cheese fingers using the grill mode; I’ve also used the grill mode to toast some hamburger buns for homemade burgers. Very useful and much quicker and easier than waiting for the oven to warm up.
Besides this, the reheat mode is super easy. What does the reheat mode do different to air frying or baking? Well, I’ve no idea. But, 5 minutes later, my pizza was warm with crunchy crust and my dinner before I had to go out was done in no time.
Or, you know, after air frying up your home made potato chips, just switch it oven to grill mode to melt some parmesean cheese.
Cleaning the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer
One of the great things about the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer is cleaning it.
Well, you know, if you enjoy cleaning things. This air fryer is a breeze to clean.
Pull the draw out, pull the divider and the bottom tray out, and it can all be washed super easily. In fact, you can throw them in the sink or even the dishwasher (though, while dishwasher safe, it does come with a warning that it may cause some discolouration of the product, but no issues otherwise).
Otherwise, just use a slightly damp cloth to wipe the inside walls and the heating coil (when cool, obviously), and it’s all done.
This thing takes zero time to clean. Perhaps even less than my Instant pressure cooker. When you’re cooking food fast, it’s nice to also clean up fast at the end of a meal.
Final Thoughts
Is this a small unit? Definitely not. It is very much something that stands out on my counter. And, as a bit of extra consideration, if this a cooking unit that will sit on your counter top all the time, it does seem to attract finger prints and dust pretty well.
But the Instant Vortex Versazone XXL Air Fryer is fast becoming a staple in my kitchen. I am loving the flexibility of the unit and the speed in which it can cook things. Whether for a family or an individual, this can provide you plenty of cooking options and, in the process, cut down your power usage.
If you’re in the market for an air fryer, this is one that should definitely be on your short list. You can pick one up at Myer’s and a few other places. But, if you’re keen, consider buying one over on Amazon via our affiliate link, which helps us pay to keep the servers running.
Thank you, again, to Instant for making my cooking life easier once again!
