Monday 17 January 2011

Philips AirFryer Review

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to review the Philips AirFryer, something I have really wanted to try out.

The AirFryer makes it simple to give food a "deep fried" taste without using a lot of oil. The instructions say that, if you are using convenience food (like frozen chips (french fries) or chicken nuggets for frying), you don't need to add any oil to it at all. When using fresh, homemade ingredients, such as potatoes that you've peeled and sliced yourself, you need to add a very small amount of oil. For 500g of potatoes, you only need to add 1/2 a tablespoon of oil.

According to the materials that came with it, the Philips AirFryer will save you 80% of the fat in your "frying."

The Philips AirFryer arrived encased in a lot of packaging, but I was thankful to see that it didn't contain any styrofoam in its packaging.




I was given this Philips AirFryer in exchange for my reviewing it, so I figured I had better try out both methods of cooking with it. First, I cooked up some "fry chips" from the freezer section of the grocery store.

It was really easy to make them. First you set the temperature.



Then you put the chips in the AirFryer.


And then you set the timer.

Halfway through the cooking, you take them out and shake them up and put them back in. It was a very simple process, and by the end, my kids had some delicious chips (french fries) that tasted, as my five year old kept telling me "absolutely delicious!" (She also told me that she really likes my new "thingy" that helped me make them.) Chicken nuggets and chips (french fries)ar enot the healthiest of foods, in general, but if you must serve them up, then cooking them without any added oil is a good thing. And the Philips AirFyer lets you do that while retaining that "deep fried" taste that you won't get from oven baking.

Having made the chips for their dinner in just 13 minutes, I then added some chicken goujons to my AirFryer. The chicken goujons came out perfectly too, and they were just as easy to "fry".

Having cooked convenience food in the AirFryer, I then had to see how well it worked with fresh food, so I peeled and sliced up some potatoes and went through the very simple process again. The chips (french fries) made with the AirFryer came out really well, although I may have cooked them a few minutes too long. They did have a taste very much like they had been fried, and I only had to use a fraction of the oil I would have had to use without it.


After I'd done all of the food for the night, I realized that the machine had come with a metal divider to be used when cooking two things at once, so I could have "fried" the chips at the same time as the goujons.

The Philips AirFryer also came with a recipe book. I love recipe books, and this one had some great recipes in it! I found out I can even make brownies in the machine, but I will more likely use it to make some of the healthier recipes that the cookbook contained. It has recipes in it such as "fish and chips," "crispy curry potato cubes with coriander salsa," "feta triangles" and "meatballs with feta," just to name a few. All of the recipes in the recipe book contain the nutritional values of the dishes.

Overall, I am really happy with the Philips AirFryer, and I am looking forward to making many more meals using it.

34 comments:

  1. Hello good review but can you tell me whether you have tried things like falafels and spring rolls?

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  2. Exellent airfryer review. I was considering buying one. I just want to be able to have chips and fries now and then but with less cholestoral than deep frying.

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  3. Anonymous - I must admit that I haven't tried making falafels or spring rolls in it yet.

    Rob - I use my airfryer almost every evening now. I make everything in it - sausages, bacon, battered fish, fish fingers... It is my mpst useful kitchen appliance.

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  4. what size fryer did you have the 20 or 40 or 50. what size fryer do I need for a family of 4

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    Replies
    1. HD 9220/40 will do as i have usually a lot of chips and the baskets holds quite a few
      hope this helps
      Fred

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  5. Thanks for the review.
    I just order one airfryer but I have to wait 1 month before it is shipped...
    (It is sold out very soon in Taiwan where I live.)

    Here is a question.
    I find many people soak fresh sliced potato and make it dry before it is put in the airfryer.

    Do you soak the sliced fresh potato? (maybe for about 20min~2hrs)

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the review.
    I just order one airfryer but I have to wait 1 month before it is shipped...
    (It is sold out very soon in Taiwan where I live.)

    Here is a question.
    I find many people soak fresh sliced potato and make it dry before it is put in the airfryer.

    Do you soak the sliced fresh potato? (maybe for about 20min~2hrs)

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't know what size it is, but I think it's the big one. I would recommend it for a family of four or more.

    I do parboil the sliced fresh potato wedges before putting them in the airfryer. I boil them for 4 to 9 minutes, drain the water, shake them in the pan with the lid on and then add them to the airfryer.

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  8. Tried it for the first time tonight, did two pork chops and chipped some real spuds. Result first class. Problem, says in the rules that the parts you cook with will do in the dishwasher. Does it affect the plastic handles or the non stick surface. Anyone tried it yet?

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  9. I don't have a dishwasher so I can't say I've tried it, but I imagine if it says dishwasher safe, then the handles should hold up.

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  10. Hi, is it easy to clean? I mean is it easy to handwash the part where you put the food? Is it very oily or depends on the type of food you are cooking?

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  11. It's not the easiest to clean, but it does depend somewhat on the type of food you are cooking. If you wipe it down, clean out any residual oil after each use, it is easier.

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  12. Great review, very tempted to get one for myself now.
    I've read somewhere that it's very noisy when in use though. Would you agree?

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  13. Anonymous - It's a little noisy but not overly so. It's about as "loud" as my microwave oven.

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  14. The photo of the "real" chips didn't look particularly tempting??? Do chips not crisp up ????

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  15. Anonymous - They tasted great and crisped up just fine. It all depends on how long and at what temp. you cook them for and shaking them up part-way through the cooking helps too. I prefer mine a little less crispy, but I often let them get crispier to suit my husband's tastes.

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  16. Brian Twinney living in Spain, bought the machine christmas 2011. The Airfryer is amazing use it nearly every night ! Frozen chips, Spicey wedges From frozen onion bahjis, fishcakes from frozen i could go on and on it,s brilliant and the massive plus no smell whatsoever and much cheaper to buy in the UK than Spain.

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  17. Did you guys really pay $440.00 dollars for this?

    Is there somewhere to get it cheaper?

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  18. rickysyfee - You can find them at various prices in different stores. The UK Philips site has it listed at £180 (which is about $284.10 as of today). I got mine for free in exchange for reviewing it. I've had it for a year and a half now and I still use it several times a week.

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  19. Thank you, you've pursuaded me that this is the best of the bunch. Just one thing, though; chips are cooked in fat whereas french fries are cooked in oil. They're not the same thing.

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  20. Hi there, I am just about to buy one today, where it says use half a teaspoon of oil to freshly cut potato, do you have to do this? I am wanting chips/potato slices with no fat at all other than natural. Is this possible or will they just not cook?
    Thank you

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  21. hi I purchased one today but when I unpacked it I cannot find the divider does anyone is it hidden away anywhere

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    Replies
    1. It's just a long black metal piece. It should be within the packaging. Hope you find it!

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    2. Have you thoroughly read the manual?

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    3. Hi. It happened with me as well. I just went back to the shop i bought it from and they replaced the whole unit for me.

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  22. Have anyone tried fry wanton or dumpling?

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    Replies
    1. I did try dumplings. Sprayed it with oil and air fried them. They taste great, but be aware that they turn out crisp, not soft like the steamed.

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  23. Thanks for share PHILIPS Airfryer Recipe: 10-minute Chicken Wings . This fryer is always ideally simple to use too; it does not need pre-heating like an stove and it has a clock. It is also simple to fresh up after use as its sink, stirrer and lid can securely be jumped into the dish washer.

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  24. Good review! Thank's for sharing. I am the owner of a Philips AirFryer and french fries, fried plantains, chicken wings, chicken fried steak to enjoy using it often, homemade sweet potato Tater Tot, you name it! It's amazing! Everyone should have one! So guys ...

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  25. I own a Philips AirFryer and use it often to enjoy French Fries, Fried Plantains, Chicken Wings, Chicken Fried Steak, Homemade Sweet Potato Tater Tots, you name it! IT'S AMAZING! Everybody should have one! Just saying...

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  26. I had an "AirFryer" for Christmas, have done frozen fries in it and 2nd time came out perfect, Have also boiled new potatoes before hand, let cool, clice and put in fryer, they were perfect yum yum. Have cooked Pork Loin steaks, they were perfect to. Also done frozen Burgers i over cooked them so will will cook for less time next time.
    I am more than happy with my product at the moment, just need to try other things out.

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  27. Great review! Thank's for sharing. I am the owner of a Philips AirFryer and french fries, fried plantains, chicken wings, chicken fried steak to enjoy using it often, homemade sweet potato Tater Tot, you name it! It's amazing! Everyone should have one!

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  28. This is often not the case with standard fryers wherever the utilization of oil will increase the saturated fat content and for a few WHO find it irresistible double cooked, the proportion of fat conjointly doubles.

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  29. These are great tips. My impression has always been that centre parcs is expensive but I might consider it now I've read this! Thanks very much!

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