Instant Omni vs Omni Plus: What’s the same and what’s different for these Air Fryer Toaster Ovens
Instant, the makers of the Instant Pot among other small kitchen appliances, sells two air fryer toaster ovens: the Omni and Omni Plus. And if you’re struggling to figure out the difference between the two versions besides price, here’s a review of the features of each model.
And one more note: this post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you buy through my link. You won’t pay any more if you use this link.
What is the Instant Omni Air Fryer Toaster Oven?
Instant® sells many different small kitchen appliances that they design to be dependable, safe, and convenient. While you may know them for the Instant Pot electric pressure cookers, they also make air fryers, another option for cooking healthy food fast.
An Air Fryer Toaster Oven combines an air fryer, toaster oven, and convection oven into one small kitchen appliance. Air frying along with convection cooking circulates hot air to speed up cooking. This oven has two heating elements. You get crispy results without the amount of oil you’d use in traditional frying, which is why it’s considered a healthier cooking method.
The Instant Omni Air Fryer Toaster Oven is available in two versions. The company also makes two basket-style air fryers along with two air fryer ovens. This comparison will focus on air fryer toaster oven models.
Check out the current deal on the newer Omni Pro option.
Instant Omni vs Omni Plus side-by-side view of combined appliances
The two Instant Omni air fryer toaster ovens can replace multiple appliances in your kitchen. If you have small kitchen counters or limited storage space, this is a great benefit. By combining appliances you also save money by buying fewer small kitchen appliances.
And also to note, Instant Omni might be updated with a new model version in the future so the features included in a past version may change at some point. Double check the actual Instant Omni air fryer toaster oven before you buy one to make sure it has the features you’re expecting!
Here’s a quick view of the combined appliances for the Instant Omni vs Omni Plus.
| Kitchen Appliance | Instant Omni | Instant Omni Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Appliances Combined | 8 | 10 |
| Air Fryer | Yes | Yes |
| Roaster | Yes | Yes |
| Baker | Yes | Yes |
| Broiler | Yes | Yes |
| Reheater | Yes | Yes |
| Dehydrator | Yes | Yes |
| Rotisserie | Yes | Yes |
| Toaster | Yes | Yes |
| Slow Cook* | Yes | |
| Proofer | Yes |
* Slow Cook is an oven-based low-temperature cooking method, not the slow cooking method you may be familiar with using a Crockpot.
Check out the current deal on the newer Omni Pro option.
Instant Omni air fryer toaster oven smart programs
The Instant Omni air fryer toaster oven is designed with smart programs to help you home cook dishes a the push of a button. Instant created smart programs to control temperature and time automatically. If you struggle with trying to figure out how to convert traditional oven cooking time and temperature to convection or air fryer cooking, this will help.
Overview of the Instant Omni Smart Programs
Across both versions of the Omni Air Fryer oven, there are 10 smart programs. Here’s a quick summary of the cooking options.
Air Fry
The Air Fry smart program is used for creating dishes such as fries, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks without the oiling of deep-frying.
- On the Omni, it starts at 18 minutes of cooking time with a temperature of 400F. You can adjust the time from 5 to 60 minutes within 180F to 450F degrees.
- On the Omni Plus you can choose from one of the eight presets, which have time range from 5 to 45 minutes with a temperature range of 180F to 450F. The presets let you choose the type of food you’re air frying.
Roast
The Roast smart program is used for cooking both meat dishes, vegetable dishes, and more.
- The Omni starts at 40 minutes of cooking time with a temperature of 365F. You can adjust the time from 20 minutes to 4 hours within 180F to 450F degrees. You can also set the fan to either low or high.
- The Omni Plus has 6 preset options that set the time and temperature ranges. The ranges are within 5 minutes to 60 minutes depending on the preset with temperatures as low as 280F up to 450F. You can also set the fan to either low or high. If you’re looking for longer cooking time, check out the Slow Cook preset for this model. The presets let you choose the type of food you’re roasting.
Slow Cook
The Slow Cook smart program is used for cooking tough or fatty cuts of meat including brisket, flank state, and some game meats. This preset is only available on the Omni Plus. It allows you to cook for 2 to 20 hours at a temperature of 210F with a low fan.
Bake
The Bake smart program is used for making cakes, cookies, and other desserts.
- On the Omni, it starts at 40 minutes of cooking time with a temperature of 350F. You can adjust the time from 1 minute to 4 hours within 180F to 450F degrees. You can set the fan to either low or high.
- On the Omni Plus, you can choose one of six smart program presets which will determine the max time and temperature ranges. The presets let you choose the type of food you’re baking. 1 to 60 minutes at 350F to 450F range for most of the presets. Cake allows for 1 minute to 4 hours and temperatures ranging from 180F to 450F. You can set the fan to either low or high.
Broil
The Broil smart program is used for top-down heating, similar to what you’d do in a regular oven.
- The Omni starts at 10 minutes of cooking time with a temperature of 450F. You can adjust the time from 2 to 20 minutes within 350F to 450F.
- The Omni Plus has 5 presets which range from either 1 to 10 minutes or 10 to 30 minutes. The presets let you choose the type of food you’re broiling. You can adjust the temperature within 350F to 450F and set the fan to either low or high.
Reheat
The Reheat smart program helps you heat up your leftovers without drying out or overcooking them. Instead of having soggy microwaved leftovers, you can reheat them in an air fryer toaster oven.
- The Omni starts at 10 minutes with a temperature of 300F. You can adjust the time from 5 to 60 minutes within 120F to 360F. The fan is set to low.
- The Omni Plus has 8 presets within the reheat smart program that covers everything from fries to wings to fish to pizza. Depending on the preset, the time will go as low as 2 minutes up to 60 minutes. For all presets the temperature ranges are 120F to 450F. And you can adjust the the fan speed to be low or high.
Dehydrate
The Dehydrate smart program can be used to make your own dried veggies chips, jerky, and fruit leather. It’s a low heat, extended cooking time method.
- On the Omni, it starts at 8 hours with a temperature of 135F. You can adjust the time from 30 minutes to 72 hours within 85F to 175F. You can set the fan to low or high.
- On the Omni Plus, you can choose from 2 presets which have a range of 30 minutes to 72 hours with a temperature range of 85F to 175F. The presets let you choose the type of food you’re dehydrating. You can set the fan to either low or high.
Proof
The Proof smart program can be used to rise and rest the dough for bread. Proof is currently only available in the Omni Plus model. The time ranges from 1 minute to 4 hours with temperature ranges of 70F to 100F.
One thing to note, if your kitchen temperature is above the temperature range of this smart program, the air fryer oven won’t work as expected.
Toast
The Toast smart program has 5 levels of darkness (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5). On both air fryer toaster ovens, the time is determined by the number of slices you’re toasting, up to 6. And you can adjust the time after the toasting begins.
The Omni Plus also includes a smart program preset to choose between bread and bagel.
Smart Programs included with the Instant Omni and Omni Plus
As there are two models of the air fryer oven, there are a few variations in the smart programs included. There are a set of core programs for both models, with a few additional programs along with presets included in the Plus.
| Smart Program | Instant Omni | Instant Omni Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Smart Programs* | 7 | 9 |
| Air Fry | Yes | Yes |
| Roast | Yes | Yes |
| Bake | Yes | Yes |
| Broil | Yes | Yes |
| Reheat | Yes | Yes |
| Dehydrate | Yes | Yes |
| Toast | Yes | Yes |
| Slow Cook | Yes | |
| Proof | Yes |
Rotisserie Cooking in the Omni
The Rotisserie function isn’t a separate smart program. It is turned on using the Rotate button. On the Omni you can use it with the Air Fry or Roast programs. On the Omni Plus you can use it with the Air Fry, Roast, Broil, and Reheat smart programs. For both models you can choose the low or high fan speed, except for the Air Fry program which will run with a high fan.
Instant Omni Air Fryer Oven Dimensions
From a size perspective, Instant Omni and Omni Plus will take up the same space on your counter. The Omni weights about 2 and half pounds less. The control panels are different between the two models as the Omni Plus has additional presets to help you fine-tune your cooking.
| Spec | Instant Omni | Instant Omni Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 27 Quarts | 27 Quarts |
| Heating Element | 1800W | 1800W |
| Dimensions (in inches) | 17.68 long x 16.34 wide x 14.39 high | 17.68 long x 16.34 wide x 14.39 high |
| Weight | 21.38 lbs | 24.1 lbs |
| Power | 120V – 60Hz | 120V – 60Hz |
| Power Cord | Hardwired, grounded polarized plug | Hardwired, grounded polarized plug |
| Exterior | Stainless Steel with black touch screen | Stainless Steel with black touch screen |
| Removable Oven Door | Yes | Yes |
5 ways the Instant Omni and Omni Plus are different
Overall, after looking at all of the specs and cooking functions these two air fryer toaster ovens are similar with a few differences that will result in a slight price difference.
- The Omni Plus has additional smart programs for slow cooking and proofing dough.
- The two models have slightly different cooking specifications even in the smart programs they both have. Depending on the program, you can cook things a little longer or a little hotter in the Omni Plus.
- The Omni weighs a little less than the Plus even though the dimensions are the same.
- The control panels between the models are different because the Omni Plus has additional preset options within each smart program.
- The Omni Plus retails for a slightly higher price given the added features.
There’s an updated Omni Plus available. Check it out here
Based on all that, what features do you prefer in the Instant Omni vs Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven?
When you consider buying an air fryer toaster oven, you’ll need to think about the features that fit your cooking needs along with the price that works for your budget. Take a closer look at each model as you’re researching your options based on the types of dishes you plan on making.
Which features are helping you decide which Instant Omni air fryer toaster oven to buy?
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Cara, thank you for this article. Very helpful in understating the differences between the Omni and the Omni Plus. Much appreciated.
Thanks for stopping by Stephen. Glad to hear it was helpful!