Review: We Test a Philips Smokeless Grill and Airfryer

Want to make the classic burger and fries without leaving your apartment? Two products from Philips are trying to make it a little easier.

We tried the Philips Indoor Smokeless Grill and the Philips Airfryer XXL. We found the grill to be large enough for 6 average size hamburgers. After plugging in the grill, it turns on using a knob on the side. It heats up quickly using infrared technology and can be used like a traditional grill. It maintains a consistent temperature of 446 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Airfryer uses air to fry foods with only small amounts or no oil. Hot air swirls in the cooking basket of the Airfryer. Fat is extracted from the food and rests in the fat reducer, according to Philips. In addition to frying food, the Airfryer can also be used to bake and cook food.

Philips Indoor Smokeless Grill

For people without an outdoor space, the company’s Indoor Smokeless Grill is a good alternative. While we didn’t find it completely smokeless, we found it to smoke less than many other cooking methods. Philips says the product smokes up to 80 percent less.

We tried grilling hamburgers, veggie burgers, shrimp skewers, and pineapple. All turned out the way you would expect them to on a traditional grill.

The Smokeless Grill preheats incredibly quickly and doesn’t take long to cook food either. In roughly 10 minutes, our burgers came out a perfect medium rare. They did, however, smoke ever so slightly when first placed on the grill.

The veggie burgers, shrimp, and pineapple did not seem to smoke at all. If you decide to grill pineapple or another fruit, we recommend thick cut pieces. The thin ones were hard to flip. One even fell through the grill. Because the grill is easy to detach, we were easily able to recover the piece.

If you do make something on skewers, make sure the food is still able to touch the grill. We found that not all of our skewered shrimp was touching the grill, which led to some inconsistent grill marks.

Philips cautions that oil (and marinades that are brushed on too heavily) can cause the grill to smoke. We decided to put this statement to the test. Almost the instant we sprayed the grill with canola oil, a cloud of smoke appeared. If you want to avoid setting off any smoke detectors, follow the directions and avoid using too much oil.

We were also pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to clean the grill. The grilling grid and the drip tray come out of the product easily. We scrubbed them with dish soap and a sponge. They each came out looking brand new. Per Philips’ instructions, we also cleaned the base with a damp cloth.

Fatty ingredients will have more smoke, but still not as much as other grills. Philips also cautions not to cover the grill with metal foil or the grill will overheat. If possible, avoid using metal tongs and other metal tools as it can damage the grill.

Philips Airfryer XXL

What’s a burger without fries? We also tried making french fries using the Airfryer. We were intrigued by the product’s promise to make fries with less oil.

Did it work? Yes! With only a tablespoon of oil and some salt, we made delicious french fries. The fries tasted fried, not like fries that were made in an oven.

We also tried making sweet potato fries with similar results.

The Airfryer actually has a lot of functions beyond just frying food. One of them is baking.

To test this we made mini cheesecakes in cupcake wrappers. We made half a dozen in the Airfryer and half a dozen in the oven at the same temperature for the same amount of time. The cheesecakes in the oven looked prettier (the cheesecakes in the Airfryer were a bit brown on top), but they tasted the same.

Things like brownies and banana bread can be made in the Airfryer using a baking dish accessory, which does not come with the machine.

While you could technically open the Airfryer to check on your baked goods, we missed not having the oven light to check on the progress of our goodies.

The Airfryer can also be used to cook dishes including a whole chicken, fish, and sausages.

We tried making breaded chicken. To do this we coated two chicken breasts in bread crumbs and other seasonings. We put them in the Airfryer at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 minutes. We then flipped the chicken and cooked it for an additional 3 minutes.

The chicken came out incredibly crispy. It was not at all soggy like breaded chicken can become when cooked in oil. While we used some oil to get the seasonings to adhere to the chicken, we did not use any to cook the chicken itself, making it a healthier alternative. We were also happily surprised by how quickly it cooked.

We found the Airfryer to be a bit loud. It sounded like an exhaust fan blowing.

The device took no time at all to preheat. In fact, it does not need to preheat at all. It did not make the kitchen as hot as the oven normally does, which is great if you want to make something on a hot day.

Like the grill, the Airfryer was incredibly easy to clean. After you are done using the device, let it cool. Then you can easily wash it in the sink with soap, water, and a sponge. The parts are also dishwasher safe.

You can also add parchment paper to make the device even easier to clean.

We’ll definitely use the Airfryer again for fries and chicken. As for baking, we’d probably use the oven unless we are in a rush or cooking for many guests and already have items in the oven.

Overview

Overall, both products were easy to use and clean. We’d used different Airfryers before without much luck making crispy fries, so we were happily surprised when ours turned out so well. The grill also churned out yummy food.

Perhaps because they were a fraction of the size of a traditional grill, oven, or tub of oil you would usually use, they heated up incredibly quickly, making them both good options for someone who wants to quickly cook a meal.

Both were, however, a bit large for a small kitchen. While we found room for the grill, the Airfryer didn’t fit into any of our cabinets, and is not the most attractive thing to have sitting out on your counters all the time. We eventually made room for it hidden under a nearby desk. The Airfryer is currently sold online for just under $300. The grill costs roughly $330 on Philips’ website.