It's all about fat when it comes to healthy cooking and how to keep it to a minimum.
As a food writer and food lover, I know that fat is often a key flavour ingredient when cooking, but as someone who watches their kilojoule consumption, I also keep a close eye on how much I consume.
So a cooking method that promises a crisp exterior like you'd get from frying, without the oil, the smell, and the mess, is the sort of thing I like to hear about.
Phillips Turbo Airfryer is about the same size as a slow cooker but a little lighter. I've got mine sitting on the bench because it's constantly in use, but it would easily fit in the cupboard. The recipes recommend using one tablespoon of oil when cooking with the airfryer, where I would normally use a good drizzle or more (probably 3 to 4 tablespoons).
The airfryer is a different cooking concept but very easy once you get your head around it. There's plenty of recipe inspiration available including the Philips Airfryer website but also have a look on Pinterest where there are tips on how to do things like airfried spiced chickpeas, sweet potato and carrot chips.
What I like about the Philips Turbo Airfryer
- It works using very hot air to cook but surprisingly there's little heat generated outside the unit.
- There's no time-consuming pre-heating required.
- There's an app for the airfryer with recipes.
- Meat cooked in the airfryer has a crisp, brown exterior and moist, tender interior.
- It's really easy and fast to use.
- It's super easy to clean and all the cooking parts fit into my dishwasher.
What I don't like
- It doesn't seem possible to order the extra accessories - one for baking, another for grilling, muffin cups and one which creates a second layer - online.
- There's a low level hum when it operates which adds to the noise level in the room but is not as annoying as some other appliances (I'm looking at you ice-cream maker!).
Here's what I've cooked so far
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| Simple croutons to add a little salad magic. |
Croutons
I started with something really simple - croutons to add to a salad. Just cubes of bread mixed with herbs and one tablespoon of oil. Five minutes cooking time and they were perfect. I liked that I could set the timer and walk away to come back and find croutons that were just cooked and not burnt. When I do these in the oven I tend to get distracted and they burn. I've also toasted pumpkin seeds which worked well too.
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| Low-fat crisp skin chicken drumsticks dusted with dukkah and a little flour from the Philips Airfryer. |
Chicken drumsticks
Chicken drumsticks were next on my list and these turned out well. Nice crisp skin and a tender flesh interior.
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| Low-fat sweet potato chips straight from the Philips Airfryer basket. |
Sweet potato chips
Thick cut sweet potato chips were also very successful with a nice caramelisation of the potato. I'm planning to try roasting carrots soon.
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| I'll definitely be using the Philips Airfryer to cook thick cut steak again. |
Thick cut steak
Cooking a thick slice of steak in the Philips Airfryer proved to me that it's a very versatile appliance. The steak (see it sliced in the top photo) was moist and tender inside and quite pink. I might cook it longer than 20 minutes next time.
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| Juicy chicken tenderloins marinated in teriyaki sauce and quickly cooked in the Philips Airfryer |
Chicken tenderloins
Chicken tenderloins were another success. These were marinated in teriyaki sauce first but were very moist inside.
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| Salmon steak with Philips Airfryer chips |
Salmon steaks, pork ribs, and thick chips
I've also cooked salmon steaks and chips (above) and pork ribs (below). Every time I've been pleased with the results.
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| Pork ribs marinated in a honey bourbon sauce and cooked in the Philips Airfryer |
Ed+bK Rating - Philips Turbo Airfryer 4 out of 5 stars (rating may be higher when I test out the accessories)
A versatile appliance recommended for health-conscious people who want to cut back on oil in cooking and still achieve tender, juicy meat.
Bottom line: The suggested retail price is $329, however there is a $50 cashback offer which expires on January 1, 2017.
Disclaimer: Ed+bK was gifted a Philips Turbo Airfryer.