Philips XXL HD9285 Review: Family-Sized Airfryer

The Philips Airfryer HD9285 is marketed as a family-sized air fryer. It features a substantial 7.2-litre capacity and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing one to monitor cooking progress while playing with children in the next room or the garden.

Overview

The Philips Air Fryer HD9285, launched alongside the HD9880, doesn’t benefit from the high-end model’s latest features, making it more affordable, priced between €200 and €249 depending on promotions. Nonetheless, the HD9285 offers a notable 7.2-litre capacity, capable of cooking up to 1.4 kg of chips, as well as other dishes. Philips highlights as many as 16 cooking functions, including grilling, roasting, and fermenting, supported by RapidAir technology and a 2000W heating element.

Ease of Use

The Airfryer XXL HD9880 impressed us with its sophistication, a contrast to this mid-range model’s more ordinary design. It lacks colourful displays or telescopic rails for supporting the basket when removed.

Occupying about a 30 x 30 cm space on the countertop, this is less than lid-models like the Actifry Genius XL. The fryer operates with a drawer, specifically a 7.2-litre basket that slides under the heating element and fan. The basket handle protrudes for easy removal.

The basket’s star-patterned bottom, integral to Philips’ RapidAir technology, is not ideal as a cooking surface. Unlike other models, such as the Actifry or Delonghi’s MultiFry FH1394, no component automatically stirs ingredients; manual shaking of the drawer is necessary during cooking.

The basket is integral to cooking but can be easily removed for serving. Some recipes may require a little oil. The basket, similar to a small perforated-bottom pan, allows excess oil to drain. It has two ‘Max’ indicators, for general use and specifically for frozen chips. The manual advises not exceeding 1 kg of fresh or frozen chips, with the 1.4 kg capacity by Philips likely referring to meat.

The control panel above the basket, featuring touch-sensitive buttons, adjusts cooking settings. The interface can be somewhat slow, and adjusting cooking time requires long button presses.

The HD9285 allows for setting cooking times between 1 and 60 minutes, with temperatures ranging from 40 to 200 °C in 5 °C increments. Preset settings are provided for different ingredients or dishes. Small pictograms on the control panel represent these programmes, most being self-explanatory.

Unlike the HD9880, this model doesn’t come with a temperature probe for easier meat cooking. Philips sells the HD9285/93 version with a square dish for sauce dishes or cakes. The dish has a small metal handle for easy removal.

In addition to minimal documentation, Philips offers the NutriU mobile app with numerous recipes. Remote cooking monitoring is possible with this Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz compatible model, but connection can be challenging. The setup involves many steps and was unsuccessful in our case.

When not in use, the power cable can be wrapped at the back. The fryer is bulky for cupboard storage, and its utility is maximised when kept ready for use on the countertop.

Maintenance

Regular cleaning after use is essential. The basket, bowl, and dish have a non-stick coating, making them dishwasher-safe. However, handling them in the sink, particularly the basket with its handle, can be tricky.

The fryer itself should not be water-washed. The heating element can be wiped down after cooling, but a protective grille would have been preferable. The exterior can be cleaned with a cloth, mainly to remove fingerprints on the control panel. Steam escaping from the sides of the drawer might also need cleaning.

Cooking

The HD9285’s basket slides under a 2000 W heating element and fan, adjustable for cooking between 40 and 200°C.

Philips’ mid-range fryer heats up quickly, reaching 200 °C in just 2 minutes 30 seconds and 180 °C in 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Temperatures are generally accurate, but tests showed uneven hot air distribution and significant temperature variations. The fryer alternates between heating and pausing, leading to temperature fluctuations.

The HD9880 performs slightly better with its RapidCombi Air technology. Ninja models, like the Foodi Flex AF500EU, excel, offering up to 240 °C heating and a larger basket (10.5 litres). Cosori also performs well with its CP158-AF model.

Philips’ fryer produced satisfactory chips for an oil-free model. The hot air dries the exterior, creating a thin crust while keeping the inside soft. The texture is very dry, but a slight crunch is achievable without overcooking.

Noise

The mid-range HD9285 is not the quietest but is noticeably noisy. A noise level of 53 dB (A) was recorded at 1 m distance during 200 °C cooking.

Philips’ Airfryer Essential XL HD9270 is quieter at 47 dB (A), making it a potential choice for frequent use in open kitchens.

Conclusion

The Airfryer XXL HD9280 by Philips offers a basic yet suitable oil-free fryer for families. Its large 7.2-litre capacity is a significant feature, and while its cooking performance isn’t the best in terms of stability, it’s satisfactory. Operating noise and an unresponsive control panel detract slightly from the user experience. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi feature was not utilizable during our review.