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Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer vs Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Which one has the downsides you can live with?
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The short answer
Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer ranks higher (#3 vs #4 of 12) and scores better on crispiness, easy cleaning. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro wins on capacity, build & durability.
The biggest complaint about the Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer is durability and plastic smell (shared reviews); for the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro it's very expensive. Pick the one whose catch bothers you less.
Good for: Crispy fries and wings fast
Its catch: durability and plastic smell (shared reviews)
Check price on AmazonGood for: Replacing both a toaster oven and an air fryer
Its catch: very expensive
Check price on AmazonPaid links. We don't list prices — they change daily. Neither one feels right?
Side by side
| Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer | Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank in air fryers | #3 | #4 |
| Price tier | $$ | $$$ |
| Type | Basket | Oven-style |
| Amazon 1–2★ share | 5% | 9% |
| Overall score | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| Crispiness | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Capacity | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Easy cleaning | 4.0 | 2.5 |
| Quietness | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Build & durability | 2.5 | 3.0 |
Price tiers: $ under $80 · $$ $80–150 · $$$ over $150. Highlighted = clearly better (a score gap of 0.3 or more, or a 1–2★ share at least 3 points lower). Scores are explained, with sources, on each product's page.
Top complaints
Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer
- Durability and plastic smell (shared reviews)
Amazon's review summary for this listing says multiple customers report it breaking after a year and complain of a plastic smell. The listing shares its ratings with other Instant Vortex 6 qt models, including the ClearCook.
- Built-in preheat
Serious Eats says the roughly four-minute preheat runs again if you add a few minutes after a cycle ends.
Source: Serious Eats - Loud fan
Serious Eats calls it moderately noisy, and Food Network measured the fan at up to 66 dB.
Source: Serious Eats, Food Network
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
- Very expensive
Wirecutter calls it very expensive and says a cheaper Cuisinart gets similar results more slowly. Value for money is mixed on Amazon, with some owners saying it isn't worth the high price.
- Durability: shattered glass, failed elements
Durability is a negative aspect in Amazon's review summary (413 mentions), citing glass doors shattering and heating elements breaking.
- Uneven toast, hot exterior, loud fan
Wirecutter, Serious Eats and Tom's Guide all found it toasts less evenly than the best options. Tom's Guide notes the exterior gets hot, and Wirecutter calls the super-convection fan loud.
Who should pick which
Pick the Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer if
Crispy fries and wings fast
Families of 3-4
Precise 5-degree temperature steps
Skip it if: You want a quiet machine; You hate preheat cycles; You want long-term durability data
Pick the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro if
Replacing both a toaster oven and an air fryer
Cooking for 4-6 or on a 9x13 pan
Roasting and baking
Skip it if: You only air-fry occasionally; You have little counter space; You want perfect toast
We don't list prices — they change daily. Paid links.
Neither one feels right?
If both catches are deal-breakers, start here.
A roomy, quiet, well-liked all-rounder that crisps nearly as well as the Ninja Pro, but the coating type and the lack of replacement parts are worth checking.
Its catch: coating and no replacement partsA third option · #2Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1, 5 QtThe crispiest, simplest basket fryer in Wirecutter's tests, but it is one of the loudest and runs hot, so delicate food needs watching.
Its catch: loud fanAll 12 comparedSee every air fryer, rankedEach one's biggest complaint at a glance, with the full ranking and a 3-question quiz.
Browse air fryers →Not sure which downside you can live with? Take the 3-question quiz →
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