Air fryers usually aren’t compact. Whereas not as massive as full-blown toaster ovens, they have a tendency to occupy a number of counter area. The Philips Airfryer XXL is huge even for these monstrous machines. At $300, the XXL prices a bundle too (the value converts to £211, $386 AU). What the XXL provides for its sizeable funding although is loads of room for meals.

This hefty cooker can fry up Three-pound batches of potatoes, french fries or frozen snacks. It is even spacious sufficient to deal with entire chickens — although small ones. Decked out with a sturdy 1,725-watt heating system, the Airfryer XXL is highly effective as nicely. And as any air fryer price its salt, the XXL cooks with little or no oil.

Nonetheless there are drawbacks to the Philips Airfryer XXL. First is its steep price ticket. Secondly, the XXL lacks an automated stirring arm. DeLonghi’s $230 Multifry 1363 has one but prices much less. I additionally discover the Airfryer XXL’s temperature controls complicated. And whereas the fryer’s detachable elements are dishwasher protected, it has extra items to look after. All that provides as much as a costly novelty few will recognize. As a substitute, I might counsel shopping for this $70 Easy Chef air fryer as a substitute if the cooking technique pursuits you. It does virtually the identical job for a extra wise value.

Complicated controls, advanced elements

From the surface, the Philips Airfryer XXL seems to be like all variety of kitchen air fryers crowding the market. It is an egg-shaped bucket with a flat prime and backside. Its black physique is constructed from plastic and metal as nicely. Each the $100 Black and Decker Purifry and $230 DeLonghi Multifry 1363 are constructed from comparable supplies.

Not like one other Philips mannequin, the $300 Advance Assortment, the XXL’s controls are fairly fundamental. There are simply two dials. A knob on prime of the cooker controls its inside temperature. A big timer dial (zero to 60 minutes) sits on the air fryer’s entrance face. The timer additionally serves because the fryer’s energy swap.

Instantly beneath the timer is a big deal with. Pulling it in direction of you opens a drawer that holds the fryer’s meals basket. The basket’s backside is metallic, mesh and detachable. You may take the basket out too. Beneath which can be two extra elements. There is a huge pan with a scalloped backside and deep sides. A skinny plate with a star-shaped cutout rests freely contained in the pan.

In accordance with Philips, each items operate to entice any grease and fats that will drip down from meals within the basket. The corporate additionally says the pan’s raised, scalloped backside acts to focus scorching air onto objects inside.

That is numerous elements to fuss with. And whereas they’re all dishwasher protected, they are a ache to scrub by hand. Constructed from skinny metallic with onerous edges, you may want to scrub them rigorously. In any other case you run the danger of pinching or scraping your pores and skin.   

Straightforward, not a breeze to make use of

Utilizing this air fryer is not tough, nevertheless it might be simpler. You place meals you’d prefer to fry contained in the basket and button it up. Because of a sturdy rail, the XXL’s basket glides open and closes simply. Subsequent, choose the temperature and the prepare dinner time.

The temperature dial although is lower than easy. It is labelled in increments of 75 levels (175 to 400 levels Fahrenheit). A pair of tiny dots flank some (not all) of the quantity labels. That may make it onerous to inform what temperature you have chosen precisely. Because the dial rotates, just one quantity is totally seen above the fryer’s prime floor.

I additionally discovered the indicator gentle on the entrance of the fryer ineffective. Philips calls it the, “heating-up gentle.” It is imagined to glow when the fryer has reached its set temperature. Sadly, the sunshine is on simply as a lot because it’s off, irrespective of how lengthy you prepare dinner. The guide additionally states you needn’t preheat the fryer both, so a lightweight simply causes confusion.

Efficiency and style

This air fryer holds as much as Three kilos of frozen french fries.

Brian Bennett/Proinertech

The large draw of the Philips Airfryer XXL is its massive capability. In that regard it would not disappoint. The machine can prepare dinner off large Three-pound batches of french fries, hen nuggets and different frozen treats. It additionally accepts huge a great deal of recent hen wings, drumsticks, potatoes, sausages, meatballs and veggies. There’s even room for a smaller entire hen.