Disclosure: I was provided with a spiffy Philips Airfryer at no cost to myself - mine to keep. Opinions are my own. Well, mine and my kids'.
We all know how the saying goes. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is. So when I was offered a Philips Airfryer with the promise of crispy, golden food from scratch without deep frying, my initial reaction was healthy skepticism. How could I possibly make crispy homemade fries by just whooshing some potatoes with hot air? No way, I thought. But I was wrong. And I'm not sure I've ever been so glad to be so wrong.
Deciding not to reply straight away with a, "No, thank you," I took the logical next step. I Googled it. Suddenly I was watching an Australian woman on YouTube showing me all the crispy things she makes in an Airfryer. Pork belly? Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus? Garlic prawns? A whole chicken with potatoes? Shut up, really?! You go, girl. Then I read some reviews. While the Philips Airfryer is relatively new in Canada, home cooks in Australia, the UK and elsewhere are saying really good things about it. Dammit, I wanted one.
When it arrived, my first test of the Airfryer had to be the ultimate test - golden, crispy fries. My kids LOVE fries. The whole family does. But fries from scratch in the oven can be soggy, and deep-fried foods are unhealthy. If this thing could make fries that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, it would already be worth having in my kitchen. The Airfryer comes with a recipe booklet, so I followed the simple instructions for homemade fries. What I ended up with was a basket of delicious, crispy fries that the whole family loved. With just 1 tablespoon of oil!
This is a game-changer for me. Homemade fries are now something I can actually feel good about making for my family. When you find something you feel good about feeding them and they love it too, that's huge for a family cook. Life is busy and meal times are an important opportunity to connect. I don't want to spend that time arguing about what's on their plate. At least one night a week I'm making these fries so everyone can be happy.
With any kitchen tool, clean-up is an important consideration for me, and I absolutely love how simple this machine is to clean. There are two parts - just TWO - that need cleaning. The wire food basket with its non-stick rim and the larger removable drawer it fits into. Both go in the dishwasher for easy clean-up. Brilliant.
The Airfryer also doesn't make the house smell like deep-frying at all. When making fries, there's just the light scent of roasted potatoes in the kitchen.
Basically, I love this machine, and I have a Family Feedbag original recipe using my new Airfryer to share with you soon.
Let's talk frying! What traditionally-fried food would you eat more often if it was made in an Airfryer?