Phillips Essential XL Airfryer Reviewed.

You might be confused why we’re reviewing of all things, the Phillips Essential XL Airfryer.

Isn’t The Technovore a site for games and tech and other geeky stuff? To that I say, exactly. It might not be as exciting as the Xiaomi 12T Pro or The DioField Chronicle, but an airfryer is tech nonetheless.

That’s why I’m reviewing the airfryer.

There’s also the adage that appearances can be deceiving and that’s essentially the case with the Phillips Essential XL Airfryer…as I found out the more I used it.

What is the the Phillips Essential XL Airfryer?

The Phillips Essential XL Airfryer is a smart airfryer with a cooking capacity of 6.2L and weighs 1.2KG by itself. It has an illuminated display (handy if you’re cooking in the dark for some reason) and is WiFi capable, with the ability to link up with Phillips’ NutriU app.

The Phillips Essential XL Airfryer also comes with Phillips’ Rapid Air technology, which with its unique design (it’s compared to a starfish by Phillips), gives whatever it is you’re whipping up a nice and even cook with little to no oil needed.

Sounds like marketing speak right?

Yeah, I thought so too but it does work just as advertised!

The airfryer comes in Black and it retails for an MSRP of SG$349.

Airfryers are nothing new to my kitchen. Over the years, I’ve used quite a few of them.

Some were good, some were crap but I’ve never used one like the Phillips Essential XL Airfryer.

For one, the build quality of the machine is top notch.

It’s all curved and sleek, with the top cover being made of matte plastic, with everything else being glossy plastic. I wish the whole thing was matte though because wiping down the airfryer is a must as the glossy plastic smudges with every single touch.

It’s not a big deal but you better get a wiping cloth handy if you can’t stand smudges on your machines.

There’s a huge LED display smack dab in front of the machine that easily shows you all the info you need. Everything is touch sensitive so there aren’t any dials or switches to fiddle with.

Temperature and time settings are easily accessible and the built-in presets means you can just jump to preassigned popular dishes (such as fries or chicken) with just a few button taps.

It’s easy, no fuss cooking.

You can fry, bake, grill and roast on the machine. Hell, there’s even a setting that allows you to reheat (and keep warm) food!

If you’re so inclined, you can do everything on your smartphone via the NutriU.

All you need to do is set up the connection (the app will guide you through it) between your phone, the Phillips Essential XL Airfryer and your home’s WiFi and you’re all set.

From then on, you can use the app to cook your meals without you even needing to touch the LED display.

The app also serves as a digital cookbook, with a ton of recipes you can save to your own custom cookbook for use later.

Even better, you’ll get a handy indicator if that particular dish was made just for the Phillips Essential XL Airfryer.

I didn’t follow any of the recipes though, because I’ve a ton of my own that I prefer instead…ones that gave the Phillips Essential XL Airfryer a run for its money.

I regularly airfried frozen chicken in the machine and it is hands-down much better than the older Phillips airfryer model that I got as a gift years ago. The chicken was juicy, the meat still tender and the whole thing was cooked evenly throughout every single time.

Even nuggets that I chucked in right out of the freezer came out juicy and tender…and most importantly, tasty!

Golden brown crispy outer skin, moist juicy meat inside!

I guess the Rapid Air technology wasn’t just marketing jargon with no real application.

The exterior of the machine doesn’t get too hot even after extended use.

It’s certainly warm to the touch, but it won’t scald or burn you if you accidentally touch it. There’s barely any noise too, just a low thrumming noise as the machine works its magic.

Compared to my previous airfryer (which sounded like it was a plane warming up its engines for take-off), this Phillips Essential XL Airfryer is leagues quieter AND cooler.

Win win!

The airfryer’s basket is damn roomy too and I could fit a ton of chicken or nuggets or whatever I wanted in with room to spare. The basket’s detachable from the handle, so cleaning it is no issue at all.

It’s also dishwasher safe, so you can just toss it in your dishwasher if you have one.

I sadly don’t have a dishwasher so I have to manually wash it.

That doesn’t as much work as you think as the basket’s coated with a non-stick solution that makes wiping a breeze.

Oil, grease and whatever food’s stuck on it comes right off under running water and a light scrub.

Not bad, yeah?

The Bottom Line.

If you’re looking for a smart airfryer with a decent feature set, then look no further than Phillips Essential XL Airfryer.

It’s solidly built, easy to use and clean and won’t break the bank. Just be prepared to keep cleaning its exterior because the shiny plastic is a smudge magnet.

TLDR:

Great performing airfryer that’s quiet and cooks great.