The best air fryers have found a firm place in kitchens across the world, especially by providing a quick and simple solution to cost-effective meals at home. It was in fact Philips who launched the first-ever air fryer back in 2010, and the global brand has been an industry leader for healthier, alternative cooking ever since.
Nearly 15 years later, Philips has released its first-ever dual basket air fryer, the new Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket. As well as featuring a bunch of innovative features, it also has a rather unique design, boasting two different sized baskets. It's always interesting when such a common product type tries something new, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
Keep reading to find out my thoughts after two months of testing, and why the Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket is my new favourite appliance.
Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket review: price and availability
Available in either a silver or gold colourway, the Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket has an RRP of £179.99 and around $150 in the US. However, it's currently reduced to £129.99 at John Lewis and Currys:
Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket review: design and features
There are a lot of air fryers to choose from today, so finding a model with unique features is a rare feat. That's why Philips' patented Rapid Air Technology is so impressive. It works by optimising the interior heat circulation which results in crispy, tender food that's evenly cooked every time.
Another impressive feature is the automatic synchronised cooking time, making it easy to serve food together with no hassle. A lot of air fryers do have this, but it's still great to see. There's also the option to set the same time and temperature for both baskets, ideal if you're cooking the same thing in both sides.
Design wise, the Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket has both a six and three litre basket. This gives a slightly unbalanced finish but it actually provides the perfect opportunity to cook family-sized mains in one basket, and keep the smaller one for sides or one-person dishes. It actually makes a huge amount of sense, especially if you use your air fryer to make an entire meal.
The baskets are dishwasher-safe, making the cleaning process simple and quick. The inner tray can also be removed from the basket itself, which is handy if you like putting the food in without any angle restrictions.
The touch screen display expands across the entire top of the air fryer, showcasing eight easy-to-use presets for fresh fries, frozen fries, chicken, meat, veggies, fish, cakes and reheating.
There aren't any labels, so it's advised to take a look in the instruction manual before getting started so you know what you're working with. There is an accompanying app called ‘Philips HomeID’ which contains recipes compatible with this model. However, as it's designed for other Philips products as well, it's slightly confusing and I didn't find myself using it.
Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket review: performance
I've been using the Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket for just under two months and have throughly enjoyed the results it's produced. After getting over how much space it took up (I'm not joking – it's a biggun), it quickly became a solid contender in all kinds of cooking.
The Rapid Air Technology is definitely a feature I noticed from the get go. No matter what I was cooking, the food came out evenly and fully cooked every time. I'm always a little sceptical when it comes to cooking chicken breasts in an air fryer, but these worries soon dissipated after using the Airfryer 3000. It was also really handy being able to sync up the two baskets when cooking the same thing in either side.
However, my favourite feature has to be the automatic synchronised cooking time. Even with different foods in both sides, it either slows down one basket or speeds up the other, allowing them to finish at the same time. I've never experienced this in an air fryer before, and it was honestly revolutionary.
The larger basket is able to fit a small chicken in, which is probably the meal I cooked the most throughout testing. It comes out evenly cooked every time with a delicious gravy having gathered underneath.
I also really enjoyed the air fryer's look, and the sleek gold handles made a nice difference from other standard models. Unfortunately, the matte grey body means fingerprints and grease show up easily, so it's definitely an air fryer that has to be wiped down after use. However, if you regularly clean your air fryer, this shouldn't be a problem.
I did notice that the beep wasn't that loud either. The air fryer prompts you to shake the food halfway through cooking, and will prompt again when it's finished. However, the beep that signals this could definitely be louder, and there wasn't a way to adjust the volume.
Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket review: verdict
The Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket is one of the best air fryers I've tested, and it now has a firm position on my kitchen counter. Its innovative Rapid Air Technology and automatic synchronised cooking make it a unique model amongst competitors, and the results are brilliant every time. The different sized baskets make it easy to cook an entire meal at the same time, and the touch screen display is easy to navigate. There are a few design aspects that could be improved, such as a louder beep, but I'd still strongly recommend buying it.
Philips Airfryer 3000 Series Dual Basket review: alternatives to consider
If you like the sound of impressive cooking results but not too sure about space, I'd recommend the Ninja Double Stack XL Air Fryer. It's a two-drawer air fryer that takes up less worktop space due to its innovative stack design, making it the perfect choice for smaller kitchens. The 4.75-litre drawers house a non-stick tray and a stainless steel crisping rack, meaning a total of four cooking compartments and up to eight portions of food.
Another option would be the Beko ExpertFry Dual Zone Air Fryer. It has a similar design to the Philips model as well as a range of cooking options and synchronising feature. It also has a similar price point, so it's great if you don’t want to pay more than £200 for an air fryer.
