Philips Airfryer - anyone have?

[Supine]

I have used an air fryer before, but finally got my own one for the first time yesterday. Looking forward to the possibilities it brings to making food.

I have a question around the liners one can use with each session. Many options available - what works best? The ones you throw away after each use? Or is it worth getting that reusable type thingie I see available on Takealot etc.?

Any advice and tips appreciated

I don't bother with liners. Feel like they interrupt the flow of air which is the whole point of an air fryer. If you ever need a liner, just use tinfoil to make a little "basket" in the bottom.

 

[bwana]

I have a question around the liners one can use with each session. Many options available - what works best? The ones you throw away after each use? Or is it worth getting that reusable type thingie I see available on Takealot etc.?

I don’t bother with basket liners, the dishwasher works just fine. I do line the bottom of the compartment with foil just to make cleanup easier.

 

[SHL]

I have used an air fryer before, but finally got my own one for the first time yesterday. Looking forward to the possibilities it brings to making food.

I have a question around the liners one can use with each session. Many options available - what works best? The ones you throw away after each use? Or is it worth getting that reusable type thingie I see available on Takealot etc.?

Any advice and tips appreciated

I use the liners regularly just to avoid cleaning out both compartments after every use. The ones on Takealot work fine.

 

[greg_SA]

I don't like the liners - meat sits in its own fat/juice and chips don't crisp all round. I think it severely impacts the airflow, which is the whole point of an airfryer?

 

[Jan van Riebeeckstad]

I don't like the liners - meat sits in its own fat/juice and chips don't crisp all round. I think it severely impacts the airflow, which is the whole point of an airfryer?

Welcome back Greg

Have a good morning

 

[Jean Claude Vaaldamme]

Yes thats the problem with an air fryer, hassle to clean and using liners restricts the airflow.
Oven is still the better option since 1891

 

[bluepoole]

Thanks for all the replies. Main reason for considering liners is the cleanup aspect yes, but it makes sense that it restricts airflow and reduces efficiency.

Think I will, as suggested, just put a little tin foil below the rack if I’m cooking something saucy/juicy.

 

[airborne]

I don't bother with liners. Feel like they interrupt the flow of air which is the whole point of an air fryer. If you ever need a liner, just use tinfoil to make a little "basket" in the bottom.

I don’t bother with basket liners, the dishwasher works just fine. I do line the bottom of the compartment with foil just to make cleanup easier.

Tin foil works but it can also damage the non-stick coating, it creates hot spots and burns the coating off.

 

[airborne]

Yes thats the problem with an air fryer, hassle to clean and using liners restricts the airflow.
Oven is still the better option since 1891

@Jean Claude Vaaldamme is to Airfryers what @Dolby is to Apple.
@Smiggles is the defender of airfryers as @SauRoNZA is of Apple.
And so it continues.

 

[Dolby]

@Jean Claude Vaaldamme is to Airfryers what @Dolby is to Apple.
@Smiggles is the defender of airfryers as @SauRoNZA is of Apple.
And so it continues.

but in this case, I tend to side with @Smiggles

 

[airborne]

but in this case, I tend to side with @Smiggles

Maybe there is hope for humanity, now you just need to bury the hatchet with @SauRoNZA and world peace will be in sight

 

[SauRoNZA]

Nice one, do share your findings.

I should probably make an effort to write up a little something now that I've spent a bit of time with it.

 

[Dolby]

Maybe there is hope for humanity, now you just need to bury the hatchet with @SauRoNZA and world peace will be in sight

No … there is still @FiestaST and @Jean Claude Vaaldamme … and @epah vs everyone in the Scott thread

 

[bwana]

Tin foil works but it can also damage the non-stick coating, it creates hot spots and burns the coating off

Fortunately after several years it hasn’t. The coating remains pristine.

Not that matters, seeing as its got foil over it.

 

[InvisibleJim]

I need air fryer advice.

My frugal wife bought me a Fong Kong brand air fryer a while back. Unsurprisingly it has never produced very good results and is a bit slow cooking food so we don't use it that much.

If I upgrade to a more respectable brand like Phillips or another, can I confidently expect a better air fryer experience? Probably would be looking at something at least 6L capacity in the +/- R2k ballpark.

 

[Jean Claude Vaaldamme]

I need air fryer advice.

My frugal wife bought me a Fong Kong brand air fryer a while back. Unsurprisingly it has never produced very good results and is a bit slow cooking food so we don't use it that much.

If I upgrade to a more respectable brand like Phillips or another, can I confidently expect a better air fryer experience? Probably would be looking at something at least 6L capacity in the +/- R2k ballpark.

They are all the same unless it have some funny bad design like the ones that have no separate basket.
So its either that, or the operator. Do you use liners?
What fongkong make is it?

 

[Romeo_RX]

I need air fryer advice.

My frugal wife bought me a Fong Kong brand air fryer a while back. Unsurprisingly it has never produced very good results and is a bit slow cooking food so we don't use it that much.

If I upgrade to a more respectable brand like Phillips or another, can I confidently expect a better air fryer experience? Probably would be looking at something at least 6L capacity in the +/- R2k ballpark.

Slow is definitely not an adjective to describe a Philips AirFryer. I can tell you that much.

I can also tell you that @Jean Claude Vaaldamme has a fong kong air fryer so don’t listen to him.

 

[Brawler]

I need air fryer advice.

My frugal wife bought me a Fong Kong brand air fryer a while back. Unsurprisingly it has never produced very good results and is a bit slow cooking food so we don't use it that much.

If I upgrade to a more respectable brand like Phillips or another, can I confidently expect a better air fryer experience? Probably would be looking at something at least 6L capacity in the +/- R2k ballpark.

We have the Phillips 6.2l one for years and it is great. It is fast and cooks food nicely. If anything you need to worry about overcooking as its so quick.

Baked a pasta in the normal oven this evening and after 30 minutes (an eternity) the thing was still not hot in places.

 

[Foxhound5366]

I need air fryer advice.

My frugal wife bought me a Fong Kong brand air fryer a while back. Unsurprisingly it has never produced very good results and is a bit slow cooking food so we don't use it that much.

If I upgrade to a more respectable brand like Phillips or another, can I confidently expect a better air fryer experience? Probably would be looking at something at least 6L capacity in the +/- R2k ballpark.

I first bought a Milex, and although the basket started peeling off its coating, it’s still going strong after two years. Our Phillips Airfryer arrived a year ago, and sits next to it for double-duty in our household. After a year, its basket is still pristine, and I personally find it leaves meat juicier than in the Milex. So yes, I think the Phillips hype is well-deserved … we do more cooking in the airfryers than the oven these days (once you realise an airfryer is basically a really efficient small oven which gets hot almost immediately it feels way more normal chucking everything into it). Chicken pieces, nuggets, sausages, oven bake chips, pork chops, lamb chops … you name it, you can dump it into an air fryer and walk away and have a meal ready for you in no time at all. My advice is get the Phillips and keep your cheap one for other things … two air fryers are always better than one.

 

[bluepoole]

How essential is it to preheat? For example, if the instructions on a pack of chips says “preheat for 5min at 200”, is it really necessary?

I know instructions for cooking times are suggestions, as with ovens and microwaves it differs between models and you have to learn how yours work…but I’ve read a couple of times that preheat is not really necessary with air fryers, so hence me asking the question.