For many people, working from home is the new status quo and – as many of you will attest – it often means longer hours. Nobody wants to spend the whole day working, only to migrate to another room of the house and do more work preparing a meal that takes hours! That’s where airfryers come in. It isn’t another white elephant kitchen gadget – we’re looking at you, waffle maker. Airfryers are changing the way people cook for the better. We had the awesome privilege of testing out the brand new Philips Essential XL Connected Airfryer with some of McCain’s exciting new oven-fryer-ready products, and trust us when we say: it’s a game-changer!
McCain’s range of oven-ready potato products are already a kitchen staple for a lot of South Africans. They’re harvested at their peak and frozen at their freshest, perfect to simply pop in the oven straight from frozen – no mess, no fuss. With the convenience of an airfryer, you don’t even need to preheat the oven, take out a bunch of cooking trays, and coat your food in unhealthy oils. It’s the simplest way to a delicious meal. Airfryers can be used for baking, roasting, and grilling. And now, McCain’s new range of delicious potato products make it even easier because they come complete with airfryer instructions! No more guessing which time and temp, often leading to dried-out, half-burnt chips.
The products we tried out were the new Crispy Oven Chips With Skin On – they come in two flavours, Sea Salt & Pepper and Texan BBQ – and the Rosemary & Garlic Sweet Potato Fries.
The Crispy Oven Chips With Skin On are fantastic – made using only the best-quality, locally grown potatoes. They have a gorgeous rustic look, thanks to the skin being left on, and they’re perfectly seasoned, and as the name says, they came out perfectly crispy on the outside yet delectably fluffy on the inside – there wasn’t a dry chip in the house!
Both Crispy Oven Chips with Skin On and Rosemary & Garlic Sweet Potato Fries are a nutritious gluten-free source of fibre. They’re perfectly enjoyed as a side, an everyday treat, dressed up as a main meal, or as the ideal party snack.
While both these products are delicious on their own, you can easily take them to the next level by pairing them with a sensational sauce – or two! McCain Rosemary & Garlic Sweet Potato Fries and sour cream and chives sauce go perfectly together, while the normal McCain potato chips pair with absolutely anything – why not try honey-mustard, a spicy sriracha mayo, or a creamy and decadent avocado and coriander dip? The possibilities are endless.
These new products really do cook perfectly in the new Philips Essential XL Connected Airfryer – it’s SO convenient! Just pop them in, set the timer as per the handy on-pack instructions, and forget about them. When the airfryer pings, you get to enjoy perfectly cooked chips – no washing, peeling and slicing or dicing required!
The Philips Essential XL Connected Airfryer is another awesome product from the Philips range. It was designed to pair with the NutriU app, which contains hundreds of recipes and tips and tricks. The airfryer itself is wifi-enabled, so you can pair it with the app and control it remotely – so handy! With its impressive 1.2 kg / 6.2L capacity, it’s large enough to cook for a family, and it’s incredibly easy to use with a digital display that allows you to be in total control of the cooking time and temperature. Another great feature of this airfryer is that it’s incredibly quiet. The basket is dishwasher-safe (which is GREAT news), and even if you hand-wash it, it’s super simple to clean.
To showcase the brand new Philips Essential XL Connected Airfryer, McCain is giving away R250,000 in Philips appliances – purchase any two McCain Oven Chips or Wedges products to enter.
T&Cs apply. Offer valid from 25 June 2021 to 6 August 2021.
So, now that we’ve convinced you to run out and get your very own airfryer, here are some handy tips and tricks:
- If you’re not preheating your airfryer, add three minutes to your final cooking time. Philips Airfryers do not need pre-heating.
- After use, fill your airfryer with warm water and dish soap and let it soak for 10 minutes before washing for an easy clean.
- For perfect leftover pizza, reheat your slices in the airfryer. No soggy base!
- Invest in a spray bottle for oil – it uses a lot less than drizzling or brushing with oil.
- Don’t overcrowd your basket – overcrowding means your food won’t cook as evenly.
Head over to your nearest supermarket, purchase two McCain Oven Chip products, and you could win your very own Philips Essential XL Connected Airfryer!