Nothing but hot air? Two air fryers tested

You shouldn't always believe the internet. Air fryers have been praised to the skies online for a few years now. I am therefore sceptical. Is it all just fake news? A friend bought an air fryer a long time ago. He has long since given it away, he tells me. It was just an oven with hot air that was far too loud. What is true now?

The names of air fryers are actually misleading.

In the appliances tested, however, nothing floats in the fat. Rather, they are small convection ovens. That's why I won't be talking about deep-frying, but about baking. I tested the Tefal Actifryer Genius and the more expensive Philips Avance Collection XXL. The Tefal appliance has an extra feature: a kind of stirring arm turns the "fried food" slowly and is supposed to ensure even results. Philipps recommends turning the fries twice in the cooking basket.

For my test, I chose the supreme discipline of the deep fryer: French fries! On the one hand, I make them fresh and according to the manufacturer's instructions; on the other hand, I make frozen fries because sometimes things have to be done quickly. As store-bought oven fries are pre-fried, I expect better results with them.

Operation

The Tefal appliance is easy to use: First you select a mode and then the baking time. There is also a manual mode where you can also set the temperature. Practical: You can start the baking process with a delay so that you can expect warm fries at home in the evening. The appliance is easy to open and the basket inside can be removed.

The Philips appliance is similar to this: There are preset programmes and manual settings for temperature and cooking time. Operation is a little easier than with Tefal thanks to a rotary dial, but it lacks a delayed start function. This appliance is also quick to open; you bake your fries in a kind of drawer that can be removed.

Challenge 1: French fries made from raw potatoes

Because the manufacturers probably know best, I make the fresh fries exactly according to the instructions. The recipes for the two air fryers are fundamentally different: with Philips, I first have to dry the fries in the fryer at 100 degrees and then bake them, while with Tefal I have to pat the soaked potato sticks dry with a cloth. Then it's time to "deep-fry". It is noticeable that the fries brown quite quickly in both appliances. My first chips in the Philips browned so quickly that they were burnt. I'll have to go back to the books.

The second test went a little better. My tactic: dry the fries for a little less time and briefly turn them once every two minutes in the basket at 180 degrees to check how brown they are. As they browned very quickly again, I left them to cook a little longer at 140 degrees. The result is still not satisfactory with either appliance. They were not crispy at all and the typical fries flavour comes from the oil, so unfortunately a tablespoon is not enough.

Conclusion

With fresh potatoes, it's better to make roast potatoes or bake them halved in the oven with a little rosemary and garlic. You definitely don't need an air fryer
.

Challenge 2: Bought oven fries

Bought fries are actually a rip-off because they are already pre-fried. The main argument in favour of air fryers is therefore nullified. But with both Philips and Tefal, the potato sticks from the freezer turn out wonderfully. They are crispy, not too dry on the inside and really taste like chips. I achieved a slightly better result with the Philips appliance (left), they were slightly softer on the inside than the fries from the Tefal appliance (right). Incidentally, I set the appliances as suggested by both manufacturers in the operating instructions and checked briefly after ten minutes to see if the fries were ready to eat. The Philips was slightly quicker at 14 minutes, while the Tefal took around 18 minutes. In the oven, the fries would have taken between 20 and 24 minutes according to the packaging instructions.

Conclusion

Both appliances deliver a better result than I'm used to from my oven. The fries are more difficult to turn and are not baked evenly. However, it is important to note that you should not overload the air fryers and can therefore only make fries for a maximum of four people at a time.

Does the air fryer pay off?

I'll be honest: if you have a modern convection oven at home, then you don't need an air fryer. They take up an insane amount of space, are pretty loud and can basically do the same as your oven. The only exception is if you make oven fries very often or if you are happy to have a second, small oven. This is where the appliances really shine. As they are in fact small convection ovens, you can also cook meat, fish or vegetables in them while you bake something else in your oven. Another advantage: they heat up faster than your oven. For example, hard-boiled eggs can be prepared more quickly than in water, pizza is quickly reheated or breakfast bacon is quickly fried. However, they are no substitute for a proper deep fryer.

Conclusion Philips

The significantly more expensive appliance is also a winner. Because you place the food on a grid, hot air gets all around it. The food is therefore cooked evenly and gently. Cleaning is also simple. It's a shame that you can't programme a start time. You also have to turn your fries several times by hand.

Fryers

EUR239,–

Philips Airfryer XXL

18

Fryers

EUR239,–

Philips Airfryer XXL

18

Conclusion Tefal

Thanks to the rotating arm, the Tefal turns your fries by itself. However, the rotating arm literally shreds more delicate items such as fish fingers or chicken nuggets. And despite the rotating arm, the food doesn't turn out as well in the Tefal. I also don't like the design.

Fryers

Tefal Actifry Genius FZ760

24

Fryers

Tefal Actifry Genius FZ760

24

I personally don't understand all the hype surrounding air fryers and can now say from experience that I would never buy one. It's utopian to think you can fry something with less fat. Incidentally, I don't own a real deep-fat fryer either and I only deep-fry very rarely anyway. The consumer magazine "Wirecutter" puts it in a nutshell when it headlines: "This is the best air fryer (but we don't recommend it)".