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The New Coffee Room

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  3. The case of the insanely designed air fryer

The case of the insanely designed air fryer

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  • M Mik
    27 Apr 2022, 16:44

    I'd just return it and post a one star. They pay attention cumulatively. If enough people don't like it they'll change.

    H Online
    H Online
    Horace
    wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 16:47 last edited by
    #7

    @Mik said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

    I'd just return it and post a one star. They pay attention cumulatively. If enough people don't like it they'll change.

    Yes, I am returning it. I don't think there's any "if" as to whether people will or will not like this design. My only question is to what degree this was intended. It is not documented, and the reviews on Amazon, for previous models, indicate that this is a new 'feature'. I suspect this feature was invented by liability lawyers, if I had to guess at anything resembling reasoning behind it.

    Education is extremely important.

    1 Reply Last reply
    • M Offline
      M Offline
      Mik
      wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 16:54 last edited by
      #8

      I sure wouldn't like it. I can see there being a timer if no food can be detected in the fryer, or it is not touched for an hour or two. But to extend cooking time? Nah. We have lots of sensors that can do that.

      "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

      1 Reply Last reply
      • H Online
        H Online
        Horace
        wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 16:59 last edited by
        #9

        This is clearly in a grey area between insane feature which may as well have been a mistake, and actual bug. I posted the behavior to the Amazon product page Questions and Answers section yesterday, and Instant replied just now:

        Q: How long do I have to wait to use the fryer again, after a program ends? It stays on the "end" screen, and no button is functional except "light"

        A: Thank you for your question! When using the Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart 6-in 1 Air Fryer with ClearCook™, the display will read END when a program has ended. Once the basket has been removed and then replaced you will then be able to select the functions. If you are unable to select any functions, please reach out to our support team via the Instant Home website and we will be happy to assist you.

        Instant Brands Support Manufacturer · April 27, 2022

        Meanwhile, this is the response I got from tech support:

        Thank you for sending the requested information, it is appreciated.

        Based on the video, your unit is working as intended. Please be advised that it will take a maximum of 10 minutes for the unit to cool down before you can proceed to the next food. If the buttons did not work or show for more than 10 minutes after the cooking, it means the control panel is defective.

        Education is extremely important.

        1 Reply Last reply
        • M Offline
          M Offline
          Mik
          wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 17:18 last edited by
          #10

          Well, now. That sounds like bullshit.

          "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

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          • H Online
            H Online
            Horace
            wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 18:31 last edited by
            #11

            Email support's final word on the matter:

            We appreciate your thought about the matter.

            We do acknowledge your opinion. The cool-down time is designed for the safety of our customers so they won't get burnt after Air frying.

            Uh huh. We take the food out immediately after it's done cooking, but we can't put new food in, because we might get burnt. Uh huh. Oh god, burnt? Is Instant a British company? That would explain it. Well, more likely the support person is from India.

            Education is extremely important.

            1 Reply Last reply
            • H Online
              H Online
              Horace
              wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 19:04 last edited by
              #12

              I uploaded two videos to youtube, one 15 second one where I start the fryer, and one longer one where I show the cook ending and the buttons becoming unresponsive. The 15 second video now has 1400 views and 5.5 hours total watch time, with 36 likes. It contains no context about why it exists. The longer one, uploaded at the same time, has 7 views.

              Education is extremely important.

              1 Reply Last reply
              • M Offline
                M Offline
                Mik
                wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 19:57 last edited by
                #13

                We share a common delusion, that the world should, at least to some degree, make sense.

                "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

                1 Reply Last reply
                • K Offline
                  K Offline
                  kluurs
                  wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 20:38 last edited by
                  #14

                  Like you, I use the air fryer - 2-3 times a day. Of course we will sometimes restart the unit after the cycle or add time during the cycle. I would not purchase a piece of equipment that didn't allow an immediate use following the completion of a cycle for the reasons you outlined. I suspect we will replace our air fryer every couple of years based on heavy usage. it is still less expensive than using our gas grill. We're saving money overall.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • G Offline
                    G Offline
                    George K
                    wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 20:48 last edited by
                    #15

                    I've had mine for a couple of months now. I have the Instant Vortex as well.

                    Overall, it's a good, but somewhat limited gadget.

                    Baked potatoes? Perfect.
                    Asparagus? Perfect.
                    Bacon? Perfect, but a PITA to cook and clean up after.
                    Cornish Hens were good - but small. Gonna try a chicken in the rotisserie.
                    Frozen Pizza? Perfect.
                    French Fries? Put them in the rotisserie basket - perfect.
                    Grilled Cheese? Perfect.

                    It's sort of like the Instant Pot. What it does well, it does VERY well. But, for meats (steak, pork chops, etc) I'm not sure.

                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                    H 1 Reply Last reply 27 Apr 2022, 20:54
                    • G George K
                      27 Apr 2022, 20:48

                      I've had mine for a couple of months now. I have the Instant Vortex as well.

                      Overall, it's a good, but somewhat limited gadget.

                      Baked potatoes? Perfect.
                      Asparagus? Perfect.
                      Bacon? Perfect, but a PITA to cook and clean up after.
                      Cornish Hens were good - but small. Gonna try a chicken in the rotisserie.
                      Frozen Pizza? Perfect.
                      French Fries? Put them in the rotisserie basket - perfect.
                      Grilled Cheese? Perfect.

                      It's sort of like the Instant Pot. What it does well, it does VERY well. But, for meats (steak, pork chops, etc) I'm not sure.

                      H Online
                      H Online
                      Horace
                      wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 20:54 last edited by
                      #16

                      @George-K said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                      I've had mine for a couple of months now. I have the Instant Vortex as well.

                      Overall, it's a good, but somewhat limited gadget.

                      Baked potatoes? Perfect.
                      Asparagus? Perfect.
                      Bacon? Perfect, but a PITA to cook and clean up after.
                      Cornish Hens were good - but small. Gonna try a chicken in the rotisserie.
                      Frozen Pizza? Perfect.
                      French Fries? Put them in the rotisserie basket - perfect.
                      Grilled Cheese? Perfect.

                      It's sort of like the Instant Pot. What it does well, it does VERY well. But, for meats (steak, pork chops, etc) I'm not sure.

                      Does yours have this "feature" where the touchscreen goes dead for 8 minutes after a program ends?

                      Education is extremely important.

                      G 1 Reply Last reply 27 Apr 2022, 21:02
                      • H Horace
                        27 Apr 2022, 20:54

                        @George-K said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                        I've had mine for a couple of months now. I have the Instant Vortex as well.

                        Overall, it's a good, but somewhat limited gadget.

                        Baked potatoes? Perfect.
                        Asparagus? Perfect.
                        Bacon? Perfect, but a PITA to cook and clean up after.
                        Cornish Hens were good - but small. Gonna try a chicken in the rotisserie.
                        Frozen Pizza? Perfect.
                        French Fries? Put them in the rotisserie basket - perfect.
                        Grilled Cheese? Perfect.

                        It's sort of like the Instant Pot. What it does well, it does VERY well. But, for meats (steak, pork chops, etc) I'm not sure.

                        Does yours have this "feature" where the touchscreen goes dead for 8 minutes after a program ends?

                        G Offline
                        G Offline
                        George K
                        wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:02 last edited by
                        #17

                        @Horace said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                        Does yours have this "feature" where the touchscreen goes dead for 8 minutes after a program ends?

                        Never noticed it, but, OTOH, I've not tried to cook things in sequence.

                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                        H 1 Reply Last reply 27 Apr 2022, 21:07
                        • G George K
                          27 Apr 2022, 21:02

                          @Horace said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                          Does yours have this "feature" where the touchscreen goes dead for 8 minutes after a program ends?

                          Never noticed it, but, OTOH, I've not tried to cook things in sequence.

                          H Online
                          H Online
                          Horace
                          wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:07 last edited by
                          #18

                          @George-K said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                          @Horace said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                          Does yours have this "feature" where the touchscreen goes dead for 8 minutes after a program ends?

                          Never noticed it, but, OTOH, I've not tried to cook things in sequence.

                          I suspect it is a recent version of the firmware. I found two complaints about it in Amazon reviews, both from the past two months. Both reviews are buried and ignored, but Instant will have to address this at some point. When I asked the question about it in the Q&A section of Amazon's product page, I got two responses, one from Instant indicating it is not intended behavior, and one from an owner of the product indicating that they often re-use it immediately after a program ends. So, I suspect this a recently unveiled 'feature', encouraged by liability lawyers. I can't think of any other possible reason why. This 'feature' makes no appearance in the user manual.

                          Education is extremely important.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • Doctor PhibesD Offline
                            Doctor PhibesD Offline
                            Doctor Phibes
                            wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:08 last edited by
                            #19

                            It's possible that they had a problem with it overheating if used twice in quick succession, and this was their solution. Pretty nasty engineering, if it is the case.

                            I was only joking

                            H 1 Reply Last reply 27 Apr 2022, 21:08
                            • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes
                              27 Apr 2022, 21:08

                              It's possible that they had a problem with it overheating if used twice in quick succession, and this was their solution. Pretty nasty engineering, if it is the case.

                              H Online
                              H Online
                              Horace
                              wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:08 last edited by
                              #20

                              @Doctor-Phibes said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                              It's possible that they had a problem with it overheating if used twice in quick succession, and this was their solution. Pretty nasty engineering, if it is the case.

                              Yes, I suspect a fear of lawsuits is behind this.

                              Education is extremely important.

                              Doctor PhibesD 1 Reply Last reply 27 Apr 2022, 21:12
                              • M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Mik
                                wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:09 last edited by
                                #21

                                I just looked at the 10 qt one, mostly interested in the rotisserie feature, but it can only handle a 2.5 lb chicken. Most fryers are 3-3.5 lbs.

                                "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

                                G 1 Reply Last reply 27 Apr 2022, 21:12
                                • H Horace
                                  27 Apr 2022, 21:08

                                  @Doctor-Phibes said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                  It's possible that they had a problem with it overheating if used twice in quick succession, and this was their solution. Pretty nasty engineering, if it is the case.

                                  Yes, I suspect a fear of lawsuits is behind this.

                                  Doctor PhibesD Offline
                                  Doctor PhibesD Offline
                                  Doctor Phibes
                                  wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:12 last edited by Doctor Phibes
                                  #22

                                  @Horace said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                  @Doctor-Phibes said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                  It's possible that they had a problem with it overheating if used twice in quick succession, and this was their solution. Pretty nasty engineering, if it is the case.

                                  Yes, I suspect a fear of lawsuits is behind this.

                                  It could be that the overheating caused them to fail prematurely, and this was an ugly fix, or there could be legislative requirements for electrical products needed to avoid 'burn hazard' for unwary users, and it failed the testing, so they bodged it before a real solution could be found.

                                  The fact that it's not mentioned in the instructions would imply that it was a hurriedly implemented bodge.

                                  I was only joking

                                  H 1 Reply Last reply 27 Apr 2022, 21:34
                                  • M Mik
                                    27 Apr 2022, 21:09

                                    I just looked at the 10 qt one, mostly interested in the rotisserie feature, but it can only handle a 2.5 lb chicken. Most fryers are 3-3.5 lbs.

                                    G Offline
                                    G Offline
                                    George K
                                    wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:12 last edited by
                                    #23

                                    @Mik nope. Mine will do 4 lb.

                                    In fact, I just got a 4 pounder the other day. Gonna try it in the next week or so.

                                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    • X xenon
                                      27 Apr 2022, 16:28

                                      That can't be the design - those idiots are probably just trying to close their support tickets.

                                      Speaking of Cosori - I just picked up this one. We're new to the Air Fryer game - but pretty good so far:

                                      6.8 qt heats from above and below

                                      H Online
                                      H Online
                                      Horace
                                      wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:23 last edited by
                                      #24

                                      @xenon said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                      That can't be the design - those idiots are probably just trying to close their support tickets.

                                      Speaking of Cosori - I just picked up this one. We're new to the Air Fryer game - but pretty good so far:

                                      6.8 qt heats from above and below

                                      That looks like a good one. I've ordered it as a replacement for this one. Thanks for the recommendation Xenon.

                                      Education is extremely important.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes
                                        27 Apr 2022, 21:12

                                        @Horace said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                        @Doctor-Phibes said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                        It's possible that they had a problem with it overheating if used twice in quick succession, and this was their solution. Pretty nasty engineering, if it is the case.

                                        Yes, I suspect a fear of lawsuits is behind this.

                                        It could be that the overheating caused them to fail prematurely, and this was an ugly fix, or there could be legislative requirements for electrical products needed to avoid 'burn hazard' for unwary users, and it failed the testing, so they bodged it before a real solution could be found.

                                        The fact that it's not mentioned in the instructions would imply that it was a hurriedly implemented bodge.

                                        H Online
                                        H Online
                                        Horace
                                        wrote on 27 Apr 2022, 21:34 last edited by
                                        #25

                                        @Doctor-Phibes said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                        @Horace said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                        @Doctor-Phibes said in The case of the insanely designed air fryer:

                                        It's possible that they had a problem with it overheating if used twice in quick succession, and this was their solution. Pretty nasty engineering, if it is the case.

                                        Yes, I suspect a fear of lawsuits is behind this.

                                        It could be that the overheating caused them to fail prematurely, and this was an ugly fix, or there could be legislative requirements for electrical products needed to avoid 'burn hazard' for unwary users, and it failed the testing, so they bodged it before a real solution could be found.

                                        The fact that it's not mentioned in the instructions would imply that it was a hurriedly implemented bodge.

                                        Yeah those sound like reasonable possibilities as well. Definitely a rush job, and not something done in the interest of their customers.

                                        Education is extremely important.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • H Online
                                          H Online
                                          Horace
                                          wrote on 14 Jul 2022, 05:05 last edited by
                                          #26

                                          The first few months of my one star review saw a slow creep up to 20 helpful votes. Then the auto-sorter must have started presenting it more prominently, and in the past week its helpful vote count has hit 50. It has reached escape velocity. It's sad that Instant forced me to do this. I take no pleasure in this sweet, sweet revenge.

                                          Education is extremely important.

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