The original Philips Air Fryer was introduced to the world back in 2010. In the decade since, Air Fryers have risen from cooking novelty to an absolute kitchen essential. Air Fryer hacks, recipes and tips are always popping up online and in magazines, with a wide range of designs available to consumers. Naturally, this leads to asking, what is the best Air Fryer to buy?
Seeing what the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL is capable of, it seems to me like the original inventors of the Air Fryer might have become the ones to perfect the concept.
To find out, I of course had to head to Harvey Norman and try the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL for myself.
Offering mega capacity, easy cooking thanks to Smart Sensing technology, a healthy Fat Reduction system and its very own app, I couldn’t wait to see how it measured up!
First Impressions of the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL
The Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL promises serious capacity. Ideal for growing families, you can use it to cook up to 1.4kg of frozen chips, or even a whole chicken (more on that later!).
Despite its capacity, the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL has been designed with kitchen space in mind. I secretly thought it might be a bit of a behemoth, but in reality its footprint on my kitchen counter was no more than a large frying pan.
With its sleek digital screen, simple button and wheel controls, and a stylish piano-black finish with copper accents, I really liked how this Philips Air Fryer looked in the kitchen. But how did it perform?
Air Frying Chips with Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL
What’s the most famous Air Fryer food? It’s got to be that legendary side dish we all love – the potato chip!
When it comes to cooking chips in an Air Fryer vs a deep fryer, there’s no contest from a health perspective. Air Fryers require none of the oil needed for deep frying, yet promise to deliver that same great crunch.
I figured this would be a great first test for this Philips XXL Air Fryer. And, as luck would have it, Philips have included not one but two Smart Sensing programmes for chips. One is for the frozen variety and one is for home-made – the former being what I was cooking up today!
Using Philips’ Smart Sensing programme turned out to be a solid move. Crispy and golden, the chips could have come straight from the local takeaway shop. Just without all the saturated fats!
This is such a good Air Fryer for chips, it’s guaranteed to get everyone smiling.
Air Frying Chicken with Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL
One of the key features of the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL is its huge capacity in a relatively compact body. It’s a great family-sized Air Fryer option, with enough space to cook an entire chicken.
That’s right – not just a few drumsticks or wings – the full bird! Of course, the real question is whether or not it’s a great Air Fryer for chicken? Let’s see how it goes.
To really test things out, I put in a chook that weighed in at 1.9kg (a little more than the recommended 1.8kg maximum). However, with plenty of space around the chicken, it was clear that this would be no problem for the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL.
One of the most annoying things about roasting meats like this in a conventional oven is the sheer guesswork involved. Appliances, weights and measures will vary wildly and lead to a lot of checking and re-checking to see if the meat is cooked just right. This big-capacity Air Fryer reduces your workload to just two button presses!
All that’s required to get this chook cooking is to simply turn the Air Fryer’s control wheel until the ‘Chicken’ light blinks. Then press select, turn the wheel again to choose the weight of your chicken, and then press select again. Everything else after that is hands-free thanks to Philips’ ingenious Smart Sensing Technology, which will monitor things for you and adjust as necessary.
“It was the ideal Sunday night Air Fryer feast”
After a few seconds, the smart Philips Air Fryer had calculated this particular bird would need exactly 84 minutes of cooking at 180°C. The only thing left for me to do was to enjoy that delicious roast chicken scent wafting through the house. And that’s exactly what I did as I wondered around doing other activities. There was no watching, checking or adjusting – I wanted to see just how smart this appliance was.
Less than an hour and a bit later, the chime sounded and it was time to check out the results.
Opening up the basket, I was greeted with a sight for hungry eyes – a perfectly roasted, golden-brown chicken. The herb mix on top had caramelised, giving the chicken a crispy, almost flame-grilled finish. It was clear that the Rapid Air technology, which promises to cook about 1.5 times faster than your typical oven, had done its job.
While this looked great, the real beauty, as always, turned out to be on the inside. Juicy and tender, it was the ideal Sunday night Air Fryer feast.
The worst part about a roast is always the clean-up. Those baked-on greasy messes are never much fun to deal with. But with this Philips Air Fryer and its easy-clean, non-stick surfaces, all I had to do was place the basket in the dishwasher. There was no scrubbing or any need to leave things to soak.
When cleaning up, it was also clear to see just how much grease, oil and fat the Philips XXL was able to remove from the chicken using its Fat Removal technology. After seeing it, I can tell you that it’s definitely something you’re better off not eating.
Air Fryer vs. oven for your Sunday roast? No contest – Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL every time!
NutriU App: The Home of Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
No meal is complete without an air fried dessert! Thankfully, there’s no shortage of nutritious options for a sweet tooth like me within the NutriU app. This app from Philips offers an enormous range of tasty, easy and nutritious Air Fryer recipes created for the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL.
The NutriU app is also full of handy features like nutrition information and shopping lists. Plus, it features interesting articles and helpful cooking tips.
There are fresh, clever recipes for every occasion. Everything from weekday lunches to fabulous dinner party desserts. NutriU is where I found this fabulous Salmon Wellington idea – a top option if chicken isn’t your thing. It was delicious, proving this is a great Air Fryer for fish too!
But, back to dessert!
Airfrying Dessert in the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL
I settled on Chocolate Quark Cupcakes as the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL’s final test. Afterall, when it comes to treats, anything derived from the cocoa bean is sure to grab my attention. Plus, cupcakes are straightforward, even for a relative baking novice.
This super-easy Air Fryer desert recipe takes your classic chocolate cupcake and gives it a big twist by adding quark (a soft cheese) for a lovely moist texture. A bowl and hand mixer were all I really needed, plus cupcake pans, of course.
The final step of this NutriU recipe is adding the chocolate drops. This is one stage where it’s definitely okay to be cheeky with the measurements!
After 12 minutes at 160°C, the air fried cupcakes came out looking delectable, highlighted by a nice smooth top. This Air Fryer dessert also scored incredibly well on my unscientific taste test, too. They turned out to be just as advertised, with the quark adding a delightful succulence, without being heavy or rich like a brownie. The restrained use of sugar and cocoa also meant they weren’t sickly sweet like some cupcakes can be.
It’s official, this is also a great Air Fryer for baking!
Air Frying Breakfast in the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL
This might be the most versatile Air Fryer– it’s even good for breakfast! When I saw these Mango and Coconut Breakfast Balls in the NutriU App, I knew it was for me. They looked just perfect for a commuter breakfast – something healthy to pop in a container and bring on the road.
It turns out this Air Fryer breakfast recipe couldn’t have been simpler. Blending up dates, mango, oats, a little coconut oil and a dash of soy milk, forming into a sphere, and then rolling in coconut flakes is foolproof, even for me. It’s plenty of fun too.
After eight minutes, the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL had produced the ideal portable breakfast. This air fried breaky had a delightfully crunchy exterior and soft centre. Full of goodness with no added sugar, they tasted wonderful and were the ideal car breakfast I’d been searching for! It’s a good thing they’re only 89 calories per serve, despite being so moreish.
Final Thoughts on the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL
I could have kept using the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL forever! The results were awesome – and with the Philips NutriU app’s endless stream of Air Fryer recipes, the possibilities were mouth-watering.
Where to buy the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL
Want to try your hand at the delicious Air Fryer recipes in the NutriU app? Looking for a way to make weeknight cooking faster and easier? Shop the Philips Smart Air Fryer XXL online or head to your local Harvey Norman store and get expert airfrying advice from our friendly staff.