You’ve read many gadget reviews on this blog over the years and today I bring you a kitchen gadget review. I attended the launch of the Philips Airfryer a couple of weeks ago, and if you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen my updates and the stuff that was made using it on the day.

Before I go any further, I want to state two things: a) I received the Airfryer to keep at the launch event; and b) I was not asked to review it. Halfway through the presentation at the media event before the cooking demo I made up my mind that I would buy one so I was completely surprised (and excited) to receive it.

I’ve been using it for just under 3 weeks now, and thought I’d share a quick bullet style review of it, and why I think it’s worth buying. Let me take you through the new features quickly, compared to the previous model:

It uses a new TurboStar technology, which is the way the air is circulated and ensures quick and even cooking. If you want to see it in action, check out this cool video [here]. It has a cord storage; on/off switch; power on light; quick clean feature that also goes into the dishwasher; no need to preheat; time control is up to 30 minutes now and not 60; and is shrunk down by 20% in size to 5.3kgs (compared to the 7kgs of the first model but the basket is the same size). Oh, there are some pretty new colours, like red and pastel green.

– I love that you don’t have to pre-heat. If you want to cook anything, you just open the basket, place your (frozen) food into it, turn the temperature dial to whatever suits you (there’s a quick guide on the top) and put the timer on. 

– You can open and close the basket at any time during cooking, and it won’t affect whatever is inside (unlike a regular oven). I use this often to check the colour of what I have cooking, to make sure I am not over cooking stuff. Like sweet potato fries. It is also a great way to learn by trial and error if you are unsure how long to cook stuff.

– Don’t think of it as a substitute to deep frying foods, think of it as a new way to cook food. If you have a healthy relationship with food, I think you will love it, and not have a limiting mindset. If you can put it in the microwave, oven or stove, you can put it in the airfryer. I’ve cooked trout, veg sausages, eggs, veggies, samoosas, and made mug cakes in it (using ramekins). I didn’t take as many photos as I wanted to after cooking because I went straight to eating, but I’ve cooked a bunch of other stuff too. My salmon trout got done in FIVE MINUTES. Why would I want to fry salmon ever again? Here are some pics from my phone, sorry they aren’t very good.

– I understand they kept the size of the basket the same as the original fryer, and it is recommended for a family of four, two adults and two kids, but it feels more suited for 1-2 people. I usually put my stuff straight into the basket, and for the cakes and eggs, I used ramekins. I attempted making breakfast for 5 by putting the eggs in two ramekins and realised it wasn’t efficient for such a ‘large’ group. The initial eggs were getting cold by the time the third batch was in. I make sure the dishes I put inside it are oven-safe.

– You can make cupcakes in it with silicon cups. I have star-shaped ones but they are annoying to clean so I haven’t used them, but I have put a mug cake premix into ramekins and they came out delicious. They get done 50 seconds in the microwave, so by trial and error, I learnt that 11 mins should be ideal, unless you want a gooey centre, then maybe 9-10 mins. I want to make cupcakes using paper casings soon.

– The problem with most kitchen appliances is if you pack it away, it’s a mission to take out, use it, put back, etc. I keep mine permanently on the counter and because it’s so easy to get going, i.e. putting frozen stuff straight into it and putting the temp and timer on, I tend to want to use it more often.

– The detachable parts are dishwasher safe. I would tell you more about the cleaning it entails but *cough* I haven’t washed it myself. It is mainly the basket and the handle it clips on to that would need washing, not any of the parts that are plugged in or get heated up so you don’t have to worry about ‘damaging’ it. 

– Most of the food I’ve put into it gets done in 5-12 minutes, that’s really quick and so much easier than preparing food any other way. Because I don’t prefer deep fried dishes, I like what the food tastes like, especially sweet potato fries. Knowing that it’s not soaked in oil makes all the difference.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the Philips Airfyer, and if you want to start eating healthier or just want food to get done quickly, I think it’s worth considering. I have not used it to thaw anything frozen, but I know it can be used for this purpose, too. I feel this is one of those life changing gadgets because it has altered the way I cook. I don’t use this term lightly not even for tech stuff. The fact is, I know I’m never gonna deep fry or oven bake chips ever again.

WORTH KNOWING

> It’s a low fat fryer
> It holds 800g and is 1300W
> It comes with a recipe booklet
> The app offers over 200 recipes

The newer model Philips Airfryer costs R2999 at Hirsch, and is currently not available online.