I fell in love with my previous air fryer, as the instantly-heated air quickly cooked foods, so I could create tasty yet healthy meals without having to actually fry the food. Even better: the Philips HD9630/28 Avance XXL Airfryer is larger than my previous air fryer, allowing me to cook faster, since I can now cook more food at once–I now can cook everything in one batch that took multiple batches in my previous air fryer.
Unlike my previous air fryer, where the top half of the fryer raised up like a large hinged lid, this air fryer’s pan and basket slide out like a drawer. The front of the air fryer has one control–a knob used to set the cooking time. The timer allows for times from 0 to 60 minutes, though because this is an analog timer–like those tomato kitchen timers with an audible “tick-tick-tick-tick”–setting the timer to five minutes or less gave me some variation in the actual amount of time given vs what I set the timer to. Since the timer is analog, the timer counts down whether the power to the is on or not. Also, once the timer is set the timer is difficult to stop. This means that pulling the unit’s plug from the electric outlet to power off the air fryer may be easier than manually turning the timer to 0.
The back of the air fryer has a cord storage compartment so that you can help keep your kitchen tidy without having the power cord getting in the way. Above the cord storage compartment are the air vents used in circulating the hot air.
The top of the air fryer has one temperature control dial, allowing you to select temperatures from 175F to 400F. The air fryer has a 1725W heater (120V~60Hz) that quickly comes to temperature, and the fans create a tornado-like swirl of air that cooks from all sides.
The pan has a metal insert called a “fat reducer” that collects the grease, fat, or oil in the bottom of the pan.
The basket is removable from the pan using the handle so that you can remove the cooked food without disturbing any of the collected oil in the bottom of the pan. In the bottom of the basket is a removable stainless steel mesh tray. Cleanup is very easy, since you can wash the pan, basket, and fat reducer in the dishwasher. The capacity of the basket is 4 quarts, which is large enough to cook a 3 pound whole chicken. The dimensions of the basket are about 9"(L)x9"(W)x3.75"(H).
The air fryer comes with an instruction manual and a recipe book. The recipe book contains a collection of meat, fish, vegetable, pastry, and dessert recipes, including “Lamb Chops with Heirloom Vegetables,” “Salmon and Broccoli Lasagna,” “Crispy Fried Spring Rolls,” and “Bruschetta.” Philips also provides an app you can download with 200 more recipes. Philips also sells optional accessories: silicon muffin cups, a baking pan (for breads, cakes, etc.), and a double-layer accessory, allowing you to stack foods and for grilling. Note that there is no rotisserie option with this air fryer.
Just as one example of the benefits of the unit’s larger capacity, in the Philips HD9630/28 Avance XXL Airfryer I can cook in one batch my recipe of panko-crusted chicken bites made from two chicken breasts, which would take two batches in my previous air fryer, halving the cooking time! So overall, even though the quirky controls are analog (you can get the more expensive HD9650/96 model if you want digital controls), I have to say I am very happy with this air fryer, especially its larger capacity, power cord storage compartment, and because it cooks foods more evenly than my previous air fryer. This air fryer is simple to use and allows you to cook fast and healthy foods that taste delicious.
- Pricing and Availability on Amazon: Philips HD9630/28 Avance XXL Airfryer
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