When Philips first introduced the world's first air fryer in 2010, it completely changed the deep-frying game.
Featuring its patented "Rapid Air Technology", this revolutionary method of cooking delivers great-tasting food with up to 80 per cent less fat. In short, one no longer has to deep-fry food in hot oil.
Eleven years later, this cooking gadget has become mainstream, with many households having one. If you buy frozen food at the supermarket, there's a high chance that air frying is included in the list of cooking instructions, alongside stove top and microwave methods.
My decision to use the air fryer, specifically the Philips Viva Collection Airfryer, stems from having a toddler and the danger that deep-frying poses to an active boy running around the house, including the kitchen.
First things first, this air fryer does an excellent job of reheating food and since I have owned it, I have never had to throw away anything that can be reheated.
I have reheated everything, from croissants and pies, to curry puffs and cheese buns, and they come out hot and fresh. I am really, really happy because no oil is needed for it.
I hate wasting food, but inevitably, there are times that I can't eat everything in one go.
Now, I just refrigerate any leftovers and pop them in the air fryer when I want to eat them.
I like the S'mores cookie from Schewy by Samantha, an independent cookie label. I have realised that the cookies taste even better after I air fry them for three minutes on 180°C. The outer part is slightly crispy, the inside chewy.
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
This gadget is easy and simple to manage and clean. There's a non-stick mesh basket for frying that I can detach and wash, and a separate baking tray. I like that the machine drains out oil from food, and traps it underneath.
If you air fry store-bought french fries or chicken nuggets for example, you will find a substantial amount of oil underneath the basket. Imagine then, the amount of oil that's ingested if you conventionally deep fry these food items.
To say that those with air fryers eat healthier meals isn't accurate because not all food is prepared with this appliance. But if you want to reduce oil consumption, including those already present in commercial frozen food, an air fryer will help you achieve that.
The best thing about grilling in an air fryer is that the kitchen isn't oily. I don't like grilling salmon, for example, on the stove because the oil from the fish will definitely sizzle and end up on my floor.
With this, I just add salt and leave it in the air fryer to cook. Halfway through, I flip the fillet for more uniformed cooking and I get well-cooked grilled salmon every time. If I want to cook fish in soy sauce, I air fry the fish and some potatoes while I prepare the soy sauce gravy on the stove.
Once the fish and potatoes are cooked, I place them in the gravy. That saves me one round of deep-frying.
I also like to make tuna melts, cheese melts and garlic bread in the air fryer. It just makes everything so simple compared to a grill pan.
FOR SMALL FAMILIES
This appliance is heavy and bulky, so be prepared to save some space on your kitchen counter. The basket isn't big, so one round of cooking grilled chicken isn't adequate to feed a whole family.
But if you are single, or a family of three, this air fryer has adequate space to prepare food for everyone.
The Philips Turbostar technology uses constant, circulating heat so that food is cooked through simultaneously. Therefore, it is best that food is arranged in a single layer for better cooking. You can't stack your food to save time.
I find this air fryer very useful and safe. Whenever my son asks for french fries or fish nuggets, I can pop them in, set the timer and play with him while they cook.
It's a lifesaver for multi-tasking mothers and if you like cooking, this machine will let you experiment with a variety of food that will expand your repertoire beyond just grilling and frying.
Buy Philips air fryer with extra discounts by using Shopee Voucher.