Philips Air Fryer HD9257 review

‘Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food’. If this Hippocrates quote defines your lifestyle, then there’s every chance that you’ve heard or even used an air fryer. This kitchen appliance is known for its versatility, and more importantly, its ability to fry things without needing vats of oil.  

Philips has been among the frontrunners in this category and is continuing on its path of dominance with the recent launch of the HD9257. While not a revolutionary launch, it is an evolved version of the previous models. Having spent the past few days with the appliance, here’s our Philips Air Fryer HD9257 review.

Design, features

This new Philips air fryer looks almost the same as previous models – albeit with one visible difference. But more on that later. The glossy black body looks premium and is likely to stand out among other more traditional appliances. The top panel is dominated by a touch LED display with temperature and time indicators, on/off and pre-set menu buttons. The indicators are bright and easily visible in a well-lit kitchen, and the touch buttons quite responsive.  

This air fryer has a 5.6 litre capacity, which is good enough to feed more than one or two mouths at home. The pull-out drawer has a starfish design at the bottom, which is said to maximise air circulation for an even cooking experience. The mesh frying basket is attached to this drawer and can be easily lifted when you want to serve the food or clean. Both the basket and the drawer are dishwasher safe but will take a lot of space. Hence, it is better and more convenient to wash them by hand. 

The standout feature of the new Philips Air Fryer HD9257 is the see-through window. This glass slit just above the pull-out handle gives a nice look at the food being cooked. It is not only satisfying (is it just me?), but also negates the need to frequently open the drawer and see how much the food has cooked.

Function

As with any new air fryer, one almost always starts by making a batch of (healthier!) French Fries. Whether starting from scratch or preparing a batch of frozen fries, it is easy to end up with a plate of crispy fries that is miles better than a plate of soggy fries ordered through a food delivery app. Our fries were ready in about 20 minutes, which is about the same time it takes for an app to deliver from a popular fast-food chain.  

ALSO READ: 10 quick and easy air fryer recipes for the perfect weeknight dinner

Beyond fries, we spent the weekend making dishes like Kurkuri Bhindi, Paneer Tikka, and Butter Garlic Chicken to name a few. There are pre-set functions built into the fryer for cooking different dishes. But we found that taking manual control over the temperature and timing settings was more convenient. While no MasterChef, the dishes we tried were easy to cook and tasty enough to be appreciated by family and friends.  

If you’re in the mood to experiment and test your cooking limits, there’s also a handy Philips NutriU smartphone app that acts like a recipe book. It hosts all sorts of recipes with pictures and easy instructions that are easy to understand.

Verdict

The Philips Air Fryer HD9257 launched in India with a price tag of Rs 15,995, but at the time of filing this review, it is available for less. While it may not be the cheapest kitchen appliance you’ll buy, it is certainly among the most versatile. Beyond frying, the Philips Air Fryer is also useful for baking, reheating, roasting, grilling and more. Take into account the overall health benefits, and the air fryer looks like a healthy (pun unintended) investment.