I'm the chef of the family. I enjoy cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, and everyone agrees that they like the results. So for my recent birthday, I received the InstaPot Vortex Air Fryer as a gift, and today, after cooking with it all month, I'm going to give you my thoughts on this handy appliance. Previous experiences with air fryers have left us with a bad taste in our mouth, so the Vortex Air Fryer was already at a disadvantage. Read on to see 8 items we cooked experimenting with the airfryer, or skip to the end for my summary.
Night One: Roast Chicken
I have a recipe for grilled chicken that Danielle got years ago in an online recipe exchange with some other Primitive Baptist sisters. Over the years, I have tweaked it a bit and we eat it nearly once a week. The son of good friends in Pennsylvania refer to it as Mr. Gary's Chicken, and tell me I should sell the recipe to Chickfila. So Sunday night the 2nd, when I ran out of propane on the grill, I decided to try it in the Air Fryer. I soaked the chicken in my usual marinade, then went through the initial steps to prep the machine. After letting the chicken soak and engaging it in a test run, I put the boneless chicken thighs in for 15 minutes on roast at 375. The chicken was adequate, a little juicier than when we grill it, but it miss out on the flavor and crispiness of the grill. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 4. Much better than I expected, but not quite what I was hoping for.
Roast at 375
15 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Day Two: Chicken Nuggets and Checkers Fries
It is an air fryer, so I decided one day on my lunch break to throw in some chicken nuggets and Checkers fries from Sam's Club. They were precooked and battered frozen chicken nuggets from Sam's that we had picked up to try out. I baked them for 10 minutes on 375. The chicken was adequate, tender on the inside but not crispy on the outside. For the fries I used the air fryer setting for 8 minutes on 385. Some were crispy on the outside and some where nnot. I have determined that it's going to take some experimentation to get the crispiness in food. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 3 on both. Average results, it was ok. Definitely cooks quicker than the oven does. Tweaking the timing and temperature we have cooked chicken nuggets several more time but all with the same results.
Chicken Nuggets
Bake at 375
10 minutes
Rating: 3 stars
Checkers Fries
Bake at 385
8 minutes
Rating: 3 stars
Day Three: Chocolate Chip Cookies?
I have keep a tub of ready made cookie dough in the fridge. I love cookies but only when they are hot, and I have a cold cup of milk. Since it has a bake function and I'm trying it out, when Rebecca wanted cookies one afternoon I said, sure. I spooned out enough cookies for all of us, and baked it for 10 minutes on bake at 350. The cookies were a little dark on the outside, but the insides were the gooey deliciousness I expect. On another note, I might should have sprayed the tray that fits in the air fryer as the stuck a bit on the bottom. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 4. Ok, I mean are there really any bad cookies, but still better in the oven.
Bake at 350
10 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Late Night Four: Corn Dogs
I keep a box of frozen corn dogs on hand for snacks for me when I want something quick for lunch or before bed long past supper. The goal is quick and easy, so I thought lets try the air fryer one night. I baked it for 10 minutes on air fry at 350. It turned out fantastic, much faster than the over, much better taste and texture than the microwave. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 5. I turned out exactly as a wanted, reminiscent of fair food.
Air Fry at 360
11 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
Night Five: Onion Rings
Danielle loves onion rings, and so every so often I pull out the grease, stand in the kitchen for half an hour and fry a bag of them for us for supper. It is a messy and time consuming process, that leaves a ton of oil left over that is too good to throw out but obviously can't be added back to the container. Air Fryer to the rescue. The first night, I dumped a bag in, I set the timer for 10 minutes on air fry at 350. All I can say is they tasted like soggy sweet onions, a rating of 1.5 would have been generous. Not deterred on another night I tried again. This time for 10 minutes on air fry at 375, but I made sure to place them in a single layer. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 5 (Danielle said 4.5). Fast, easy, no mess, and this time crispy like they should be.
Air Fry at 375
10 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
Night Six: Porkchops
Sorry, no picture tonight. Figuring it was time to try another main dish in the air fryer, I decided to fry porkchops in there next. Usually I would grill it, but there is something to be said for the easy of dropping them in the and walking away. They were tender but a little dry. In the air friers defense they were a thinner cut than I normal get, and they would have most likely been drier on the grill. When I took them out, I garnished them with BBQ sauce and we enjoyed them with potatoes and green beans. I set the timer for 10 minutes on air fry at 350. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 4. Tender if not juicy, and what you would expect.
Air Fry at 350
10 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Night Six: Air Fry Chicken
Tonight I fixed the chicken the same way I did the first night, how ever I decide to try the air fryer setting instead. Comparing it to the roasted setting the chicken tasted even better. It was very tender and juicy but with crispy edges. It was ever bit as good as when we normally grill it. The only knock I can give it is for a family oursize I neded to cook it in two batches, since I couldn't fit it all in the air fryer for a single layer. I set the timer for 10 minutes on air fry at 350. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 5.
Air Fry at 375
13 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
Day Seven: French Fries
A couple of times I have tried french fries, but today for lunch I hit on the perfect combination. I set the timer for 12 minutes on air fry at 360. I only fry half a bag at a time, any more than that and they don't get crispy. Also, around 5 minutes before they finish cooking, you pull the basket out and shake and pop the fries, so that they mix. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 5.
Air Fry at 360
12 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
Day Eight: Bacon
Twice now, I had to repeat the experiment to be sure that it wasn't a fluke, we have cooked bacon in the airfryer. It is easy to layer the pieces side by side so that you can fit a good half pound in there at a time. It's also simple to set and go, eliminating bacon splatter and grease burns while cooking. I set the timer for 10 -12 minutes depending on the thickness on air fry at 360. With 3 minutes left open the machine and flip the pieces, if you want it crispier you can cook it a little longer. 0ver all I still prefer cooking it on the stove, but it does eliminate most of the mess or streamline the process when you are cooking a breakfast supper, since it's the item that takes the longest to cook. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a 4.
Air Fry at 360
10-12 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
The Verdict
Overall, I will be carrying this in the camper, and placing it in the outdoor kitchen. In many ways, this is a great device for convenience. I can put it on a picnic table, plug it in, put items in, push start, and it takes very little effort to cook with. It is particularly nice for side dishes, as it cooks most items in 10 to 15 minutes, and I can set it and go while I work on the main dish. It is also easy to clean. The disadvantage with the air fryer for a family of our size is the size limit that I can cook at once. For example, when cooking fries I need to make two batches. Even when cooking items that aren't healthy like onion rings or fries, it is healthier, making me feel less guilty about the occasional splurges. It fits a niche like our rice cooker in that it does a good job and can be set up and not minded, but can be used in far more ways.
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