We purchased a Phillips Air Fryer XXL. It costs $500 normally though we got it at a 2 day sale - 4 days ago so I guess the Coronavirus was the motivation for the price reduction. You would guess that for this price it would ready at the get go when you plugged it in. Wanted to cook fish, then hamburgers (no frying wanted of course). The recipe book stated that I needed a stand for these recipes - which was not included. Pretty common and basic foods really. I got onto Phillips Customer service about what I needed. They told where to buy, but not exactly what, so I asked a second time. They stated that the accessory was actually for a smaller model but would ok with my model. There was 2 variations of the accessory - one stand had skewers $29.95 and one with 5 silicone muffin cups - $49.95 - the one I went for. The stand was ridiculously small 17cmx17cm (6 3/4 inches) and swam in unit. The muffin cups were small and flimsy. What a complete rort the thing was - was worth a fraction of the price and not actually suitable for the unit. Phillips should be ashamed of themselves for flogging this second rate rubbish. God only knows a simple mini oven for $500 is bad enough, but the accessories are a disgrace. Moreover the suggested cooking times in their material are not very good guides. Perhaps in the next review Phillips be brought to task.
There are many products on the market that once put into the hands of a consumer are found similarly wanting. An Airfryer sans all the parts for basic use is unforgivable. Who would have expected? It seems not Choice as they have standardised tests and if the omission is not encountered they can miss it.
I hope your experience is taken on board by the test crews to have a think about ‘accessories’ that are, in this instance, mandatory for a normal cook to use the product in a normal manner, and at least call it out clearly in the ‘bad points’. Could they also order such parts to confirm and test suitability? Perhaps a step too far to meet publication dates, or maybe not?
Sometimes also it is worthwhile looking at non-original manufacturer accessories. The ones you have bought may have been cheaper and even better quality at places like Kmart or other discount stores…like this one…
https://www.kitchenware.com.au/avanti-silicone-cupcake-cups-set-of-12.html
You are no doubt right, however you can’t know until you open the box. The muffin cups were more of a secondary matter - as pathetic as they are - they were a ‘nice to have’ if you needed them at some time. Its the stand that peeves me mostly.
Hi @rickieg.
We purchased a Philips Twin TurboStar Digital, HD9742/93 last year.
It has been great in that we do not need to deep fry (danger) on a gas cooktop, or fire up the gas oven for a small meal.
On the accessories, we received a baking rack in the package. It was also useful to learn it could bake etc, although it is a smaller oven than the XXL. The promotional literature pointed these features out, but it was not clear if the accessories illustrated were part of the purchase. It took two different staff to discover the facts before purchase.
Some similar experiences we related as follows. Your comments might be useful added to that topic.
Totally agree re: the accessories rort. I wanted to purchase the one to just bake cake/bread in until I saw that it’s $50! The material is nothing special and for the same price you can buy the absolute top end baking pan.
Unfortunately many brands, particularly the well known ones, rip consumers off when it comes to accessories necessary to make full use of their products. Take Dyson not including certain attachments for their vacuums and hair stylers which already cost a fortune. Or Kitchenaid which requires you to spend more on a bowl or new whisk attachment than most brands charge for an entire mixer. Most consumers wisely do not want to risk using third party accessories for fear it’ll cause damage to their expensive appliances and void the warranty. So these companies have us cornered and they know it.
While I too have issues with the cooking times suggested in the Phillips manual and on their recipes app, I do love my airfryer, especially since I upgraded to the XXL. It is easily the most used appliance in my kitchen and has rendered my oven and even the microwave practically obsolete. You just have to use it for a while and figure out the best times and temperature settings for yourself.
That being said, I think it’s a great idea for Choice to add a permanent section to their reviews that’s dedicated to optional accessories for each product they’re reviewing. I purchased a mid-range Karcher pressure cleaner a couple months back and brought it home only to find out that the accessory I need to clean my outdoor tiles doesn’t actually come with it and that it requires a special cleaning fluid I do not own. Together these 2 additional accessories cost literally the same as my original pressure washer purchase, thereby doubling the price I thought I was paying. Additionally, if i want to use it on my car or a different type of flooring, there are other overpriced accessories and cleaning products I need to buy again.
This is completely unacceptable. If a product doesn’t have the capacity to perform a task that’s listed on its description without an additional accessory that is not included, then they should not have a right to claim their product can do that. I would expect this to be one of the main things Choice looks for and notes down during their testing phase. Any task requiring optional accessories should be listed in a separate column clearly denoting that you will need to spend extra money for your product to successfully complete the task.
