The Philips Essential Airfryer HD92552/91 is a compact but expensive kitchen appliance, but can it rival giants such as Ninja and Instant?
Philips has been manufacturing air fryers for more than a decade, and the Essential Airfryer HD9252/91 certainly benefits from the brand’s years of experience. Its all-black design and orange LED display may not be the most stylish, but it turns out evenly browned fries and chicken wings every time. Air fryers use hot air to crisp foods placed in the frying basket more quickly compared to traditional methods. The Philips HD9252/91 uses a starfish design on the bottom of the frying basket, which, according to Philips, ensures hot air circulates more easily. This means that, like all air fryers, it uses considerably less oil when crisping food – Philips claims you’ll require 90% less oil with its air fryer – and so offering a healthier way to enjoy foods that would usually be deep-fried, without compromising on the taste. More compact than most of the air fryers we’ve tested, the Philips Essential Airfryer HD9252/91 has a 5-quart / 4.8-liter capacity, which Philips says is sufficient for three servings. And, as well as air-frying, the appliance can also roast, bake and reheat. There are seven presets for everything from fries and frozen food to chicken and cake that offer default lengths and temperatures, although you can adjust these defaults as you see fit using the touch controls on the 6-inch / 15.4cm display. The Philips Essential Airfryer HD9252/91 is priced at $179.95 / £149.99 (around AU$270), and is available through Philip’s website in the UK, and at retailers such as Crate & Barrel in the US. This air fryer is Philips mid-range offering, with the more stylish Premium range of air fryers with a larger capacity costing as much as $449.95 / £300 / (around AU$530) The Philips Essential Airfryer HD9252/91 is a compact unit, measuring 14.
