Instant Pod VORTEX MINI - 2-quart Air Fryer Manual

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

To avoid injury, read and understand the instructions in this user manual before attempting to use this appliance.

Electrical shock hazard. Use grounded outlet only.

• DO NOT remove ground.
• DO NOT use an adapter.
• DO NOT use an extension cord.

Failure to follow these instructions may result in electric shock and/or serious injury.

THE FAILURE TO FOLLOW ANY OF THE IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS AND/OR THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAFE USE IS A MISUSE OF YOUR APPLIANCE THAT CAN VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND CREATE THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.

Special cord set instructions

As per safety requirements, a short power supply cord (0.6 m to 0.9 m / 24" to 35") is provided to reduce the hazards resulting from grabbing, entanglement and tripping.

This appliance has a 3-prong grounding plug. To reduce the risk of electric shock, plug the power cord into a grounded (earthed) electrical outlet that is easily accessible.

Product specifications

Models: Vortex Mini RE Vortex Mini AQ Vortex Mini BL Vortex Mini WH	1300 W	120 V ~ 60 Hz	2 Quart	7.28 lb/ 3.3 kg	in: 11.26D x 9.02W x 11.73H cm: 28.6D x 22.9W x 29.8H

Find your model name and serial number

Find both of these on the rating label on the back of the air fryer, near the power cord.

Read this manual carefully and completely and retain for future reference.
Failure to adhere to safety instructions may result in serious injury or damage.

Product, parts and accessories

Before using your cute new air fryer, make sure that everything is present and accounted for.

Air fryer

Illustrations in this document are for reference only and may differ from the actual product. Always refer to the actual product.

Get started

Initial set up

"Notice the small things. The rewards are inversely proportional." – Liz Vassey

1. Pull that Vortex Mini out of the box!
2. Remove the air fryer basket and check the cooking chamber for loose packing material before first use.
   Don't remove the silicone supports from the removable cooking tray.
3. You may be tempted to put the air fryer on your stovetop — but don't do it! Place it on a stable, level surface, away from combustible material and external heat sources. Do not place your air fryer on top of another appliance.
   Make sure to leave at least 13 cm / 5" of space above and around all sides of the appliance.
4. Follow the Care, cleaning and storage instructions to wash your new air fryer before using it.
   Don't remove the safety warning stickers or the rating label from the air fryer.

Is something missing or damaged?

Get in touch with a Customer Care Advisor through our chat widget at instantappliances.com/#chat, by email at support@instantappliances.com or by phone at 1-800-828-7280 and we'll happily make some magic happen for you!

• Read the Important Safeguards before using the appliance. Failure to read and follow those instructions for safe use may result in damage to the appliance, property damage or personal injury.
• Do not place the appliance on a stovetop, on another appliance, or in a heated oven. Heat from an external source will damage the appliance.
• To avoid the risk of fire, property damage, and/ or personal injury, do not place anything on top of the appliance, and do not block the air vents.

Get started

Initial test run

Do you have to do the test run? No — but getting to know the ins and outs of your Vortex Mini prepares you for success in the kitchen! Take a few minutes to get to know how this little guy works.

Stage 1: Setting up the air fryer for cooking

1. Connect the power cord to a 120 V power source. The air fryer is in standby mode and the display shows OFF.
2. Remove the air fryer basket from the cooking chamber.
3. Place the cooking tray on the bottom of the air fryer basket (if it is not already installed).
4. Insert the air fryer basket back into the cooking chamber.
5. Touch Air Fry.
6. Touch Time, then turn the dial to adjust the cook time to 20 minutes (00:20).
   Each Smart Program automatically saves the adjustments you make to the time and temperature when you touch Start.
7. Touch Start to begin!
   The display shows On and the cooking status shows Preheat.
   The first few times you use your air fryer, you may notice a strong plastic smell. This is normal, non-toxic, and goes away quickly.

Stage 2: "Cooking" (...but not really, this is just a test!)

1. When the air fryer is hot enough, the display shows Add Food.
   For this initial test, do not add food to the air fryer basket. Carefully remove and re-insert the air fryer basket. The display shows the cooking time and temperature, and the cooking status shows Cook.
2. Part way through cooking, the display shows turn Food.
   Wait 10 seconds for the program to resume automatically, or, remove and re-insert the air fryer basket to pause and resume the program manually.
3. When 1 minute remains, the display counts down the remaining cooking time in seconds.
   When the Smart Program completes, the display shows End and the fan blows for a little while to help cool the air fryer.
4. Press the dial or remove and re-insert the air fryer basket to return to standby mode and start cooking for real!
   If you forget this last step, the air fryer will beep to remind you about it after 5, 30, and 60 minutes.

The air fryer and air fryer basket will be hot during and after cooking. To avoid the risk of burn injury, DO NOT touch hot surfaces. Allow the air fryer to cool to room temperature, then clean the appliance according to Care, cleaning and storage instructions.

Control panel

Illustrations in this document are for reference only and may differ from the actual product. Always refer to the actual product.

Settings

To do this...	Do this!
Wake the air fryer.	Touch any button, press the dial, or remove and re-insert the air fryer basket to wake the air fryer. The display shows OFF to let you know that it's in standby mode and ready for action.
Turn sounds on and off.	In standby mode, touch and hold both the Time and Temp) for 3 seconds. The display shows S On when the sound is on, and SOFF when the sound is off. Error alerts cannot be silenced.
Change temperature scale (ºC or ºF).	In standby mode, touch and hold the Temp key for 5 seconds to toggle between °C and °F.
Save a custom cooking time.	Select a smart program, then touch Time, and use the dial to adjust the time as you like. Touch Start to save the change to memory.
Reset an individual smart program.	In standby mode, touch and hold the smart program key you want to reset (for example: Air Fry) for 3 seconds. The cooking time and temperature for that Smart Program are restored to the factory default settings.
Reset all smart programs.	In standby mode, press and hold the dial for 3 seconds. The cooking times and temperatures for all Smart Programs are restored to the factory default settings.

Cooking status

1. The air fryer is heating up to the perfect temperature to cook your meal.
   Not applicable to Reheat.
2. Cooking is in progress.
3. Food is ready to be flipped or tossed, as required by your recipe.
   Not applicable to Bake or Reheat.

Status messages

	The air fryer is in standby mode.
	A smart program is in the Preheat stage. Not applicable to Reheat.
	This message appears to let you know that the air fryer has reached the perfect cooking temperature and food can be added to the air fryer basket (if it hasn't been already). Not applicable to Reheat.
	May indicate that the air fryer basket has been removed or is not fully inserted.
	The display shows the cooking time, and on-screen messages.
	Food is ready to be turned or tossed, as recommended by your recipe. Not applicable to Bake or Reheat.
	The Smart Program has finished.

Cooking

Cooking in the Vortex is quick and easy — food goes in, crispy deliciousness comes out!
Check out the cooking timetables for guidance, or visit our recipe site for fun, easy-tofollow recipes with big crunch. You can also download the free Instant Pot app to search recipes, save favorites, make notes and more!

When cooking meat, always use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches a safe minimum temperature. Refer to the USDA's Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart or Health Canada's Cooking Temperatures Chart for more information.

Air Fry, Roast and Bake

These programs give your meals all the rich, crispy flavor of deep frying with little to no oil, so you can say, "See ya!" to the greasy mess and extra calories! The presets are a starting point that you can experiment with to get the results you like best.

Stage 1: Setting up for cooking

1. Follow steps 01 to 04 in the Initial test run: Stage 1 to set up the air fryer.
2. Touch the smart program you want to use: Air Fry, Roast or Bake.
3. Touch Temp, then turn the dial to adjust the temperature.
4. Touch Time, then turn the dial to adjust the time.
   Smart Programs automatically save adjustments to temperature and time settings when you touch Start.
5. Touch Start to begin!
   The display shows On and the cooking status shows Preheat.

Stage 2: Cooking

1. When the display shows Add Food, remove the air fryer basket and carefully place your food items inside the hot cooking chamber.
   You can put food directly on the cooking tray or within any ovensafe baking dish.
2. Carefully re-insert the air fryer basket. The display shows the cooking time and temperature, and the cooking status shows Cook.
3. Part way through cooking, the display shows turn Food.
   Not applicable to Bake. If you want to toss or turn your food, remove the air fryer basket and take care of business, then re-insert the basket into the air fryer. Cooking pauses and resumes automatically.
   If your food does not need to be flipped, wait 10 seconds for the program to resume automatically.
4. When the display shows End, carefully remove your food from the hot cooking chamber.

• The air fryer oven and air frying accessories will be hot during and after cooking. Do not touch hot surfaces with unprotected hands. Allow all items to cool to room temperature, then clean them according to Care, cleaning and storage instructions.
• Always use proper hand protection and exercise extreme caution when adding or removing food from the hot cooking chamber.

Cooking

Cooking tips

Give all your favorite fresh and frozen oven-baked and deep-fried snacks a fighting chance!

• Preheating is an important step! Wait for the Add Food message to appear before adding food to the air fryer basket.
• When baking muffins, buns, quiche, and other treats, use an oven-safe baking dish covered with foil (or an oven-safe lid) to prevent the top from overcooking.
• For coated food, like onion rings or deep-fried pickles, use an egg wash with breadcrumbs rather than liquid-based batters to make sure that batter sticks to the food.
• Spray food items with cooking oil before adding seasoning to get the seasoning to stick well.
• For super crispy fries, soak your fresh-cut potato sticks in ice water for 15 minutes, then pat them dry and spray them lightly with oil before cooking.
• Patting dry moist food items before cooking to prevents excess steam and splatter and gives you crispier results.
• Air frying can cause oil and fat to drip from foods. To prevent excess smoke, carefully remove and drain the air fryer basket as needed.

Check out the cooking timetables, download the Instant Pot app, or visit our recipe site for fun, easy-to-follow recipes.

To avoid the risk of fire, property damage and personal injury, DO NOT spray cooking oil into the cooking chamber

When cooking meat, always use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches a safe minimum temperature. Refer to the USDA's Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart or Health Canada's Cooking Temperatures Chart for more information.

Reheat

1. Follow steps 01 to 04 in the Initial test run: Stage 1 to set up the air fryer.
2. Remove the air fryer basket and place your food items inside, then carefully re-insert it.
3. Touch Reheat.
4. Touch Temp, then turn the dial to adjust the temperature.
5. Touch Time, then turn the dial to adjust the time.
   Smart Programs automatically save adjustments to temperature and time settings when you touch Start.
6. Touch Start to begin reheating. The time begins to count down right away.
7. When the display shows End, carefully remove your food from the air fryer.

• The air fryer oven and air frying accessories will be hot during and after cooking. Do not touch hot surfaces with unprotected hands. Allow all items to cool to room temperature, then clean them according to Care, cleaning and storage instructions.
• To avoid a burn injury, always use proper hand protection and exercise extreme caution when adding or removing food from the hot cooking chamber.

Care, cleaning and storage

Clean your air fryer and accessories after each use.

Always unplug the air fryer and let it cool to room temperature before cleaning. Never use harsh chemical detergents, scouring pads, or powders on any of the parts or components.

Let all surfaces dry thoroughly before use, and before storage.

• To avoid risk of electrical shock and personal injury:
  • Do not immerse the appliance in water.
  • Do not rinse the appliance under a tap.
  • Do not wet prongs of the power cord.
• Without proper cleaning, food and grease splatter may build up around the heating element, causing the risk of smoke, fire, and personal injury.
• If you see or smell smoke, touch Cancel, unplug the appliance, and allow it to cool. Remove food splatter or grease with a soft cloth and dish detergent.

Troubleshooting

Register your air fryer today!

If your problem persists or if you have questions, get in touch with a Customer Care Advisor through our chat widget at instantappliances.com/#chat, by email at support@instantappliances.com or by phone at 1-800-828-7280.

Problem		Possible reason	Solution
Black smoke is coming from the air fryer.		Stop cooking immediately. Cancel the Smart Program, then unplug the air fryer and allow it to cool to room temperature.
		Using an oil with a low smoke point.	Touch Cancel, unplug the air fryer, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as Avocado, Canola, Soybean, Safflower, or Rice Bran oil.
		Food residue on the heating coil, in the cooking chamber or on accessories.	Touch Cancel, unplug the air fryer, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Clean the cooking chamber and accessories thoroughly.
		Faulty circuit or heating element.	Touch Cancel, unplug the air fryer, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Contact Customer Care. Note: Do not attempt to repair the appliance.
White smoke is coming from the air fryer.		Cooking foods with a high fat content, such as bacon, sausage, and hamburger.	Avoid air frying foods with a high fat content.
			Check the air fryer basket for excess oil or fat and carefully remove as needed after cooking.
		Water is vaporizing, producing thick steam.	Pat dry moist food ingredients before air frying and do not add water or other liquid to the cooking chamber when air frying.
		Seasoning on food has blown into the element.	Be mindful when seasoning food. Spray vegetables and meats with oil before seasoning to help the seasoning stick.
The air fryer is plugged in but will not turn on.		The appliance is not properly plugged in.	Make sure the power cord is in good condition, and is plugged into the outlet firmly.
		Outlet is not powered.	Plug another appliance into the same outlet to test the circuit.
			Plug the air fryer into another outlet.
		Air fryer basket is not fully inserted into the cooking chamber.	Make sure the air fryer basket is fully inserted into the cooking chamber.
All lights flash and a code appears on the display.	E1	Temperature sensor broken circuit.	Contact Customer Care.
	E2	Temperature sensor short circuit.	Contact Customer Care.

Any other servicing must be performed by an authorized representative.

support@instantappliances.com | 1-800-828-7280

Download the Instant Pot app with 1000+ recipes at instantappliances.com/app.

Documents / Resources

References

• Instant Pot® | Instant Home

Download manual

Here you can download full pdf version of manual, it may contain additional safety instructions, warranty information, FCC rules, etc.

Download Instant Pod VORTEX MINI - 2-quart Air Fryer Manual