I Tried the PHILIPS 4000 Series Air Fryer — And Made My Favourite Garlic & Preserved Lemon Roast Chicken
There are some kitchen gadgets that arrive with plenty of hype and quietly disappear into the back of a cupboard six months later.
Then there’s the air fryer.
Love them or loathe them, they’ve become the kitchen staple of a generation. For many households, they’ve replaced conventional oven cooking almost entirely — offering faster cooking times, lower energy use and that satisfying ability to throw together a proper meal without heating the whole kitchen.
I’m firmly in the air fryer camp.
My old single-basket model had worked incredibly hard over the years. In fact, by the end I’d pretty much worn it out. Cleaning had become increasingly difficult, the basket had seen better days and, if I’m completely honest, it was beginning to feel less “trusted appliance” and more “potential health hazard”.
So when the PHILIPS 4000 Series NA462/79 Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer in Black & Copper arrived for review, I was genuinely excited to see whether this could become my next kitchen essential.
First Impressions: Finally, an Air Fryer That Looks Good
Let’s talk about appearance first because Philips has done something surprisingly rare here.
This is actually a stylish air fryer.
The black finish paired with warm copper detailing makes it feel elevated and modern — more premium appliance than bulky gadget.
I also immediately appreciated the shape.
Rather than the wide side-by-side design that dominates your worktop, the stacked vertical layout feels far more practical. It gives you dual cooking zones without sacrificing loads of space.
And despite looking compact, there’s plenty of room inside.
It feels ideal for everyday family cooking — large enough to cook a proper dinner but not so oversized that it becomes difficult to justify leaving out permanently.
The Features That Actually Make Everyday Cooking Easier
After unboxing and setting it up, one thing became clear very quickly: this isn’t a product where you need to sit down with a manual and a cup of tea before using it.
The controls are intuitive and straightforward.
Touch controls are responsive, settings are easy to understand and switching between baskets feels seamless.
It feels efficient in a way my old one-basket model never did.
Putting It to the Real Test: Roast Chicken
Whenever I review a cooking appliance, I want to make something I’d actually cook at home.
No frozen chips.
No beige convenience food.
Something that feels like a proper meal.
For me, that had to be roast chicken.
I decided to make my Garlic, Lemon & Herb Roast Chicken — the sort of dish that instantly tells you whether an appliance can really deliver.
And this is where the PHILIPS 4000 Series surprised me.
The skin crisped beautifully.
The chicken cooked evenly.
The outside developed proper colour while the inside stayed juicy.
Exactly what you want from air fryer cooking.
(Recipe to follow using my exact method.)
Cleaning: The Unexpected Win
One of the biggest reasons I’d fallen slightly out of love with my old air fryer was cleaning. No one talks about this enough. Once an appliance becomes difficult to clean, you stop reaching for it. Thankfully, Philips seems to understand that.The baskets feel easier to manage, easier to wipe down and generally more practical after cooking. That alone makes it feel like a meaningful upgrade.
The Verdict
After spending time with the PHILIPS 4000 Series NA462/79 Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer, I genuinely don’t think I could go back to a standard one-basket model.
- It looks smart.
- It doesn’t overwhelm the kitchen.
- It feels thoughtfully designed.
- And most importantly — it makes everyday cooking easier.
The stacked design is clever rather than gimmicky, the windows are surprisingly useful and the overall cooking experience feels simple and enjoyable.
If your current air fryer is beginning to show its age, or if you’ve been considering moving to a dual-basket model without sacrificing worktop space, this feels like a very strong option.
Now all that remains is for me to share exactly how I made that garlic, lemon and herb roast chicken…
The Recipe That Sold Me: Garlic, Preserved Lemon & Herb Roast Chicken
Whenever I try a new cooking appliance, I want to cook something I’d genuinely make again.
For this air fryer review, that meant roast chicken.
Not because it’s complicated — quite the opposite. A roast chicken tells you everything you need to know about an appliance. Can it crisp skin properly? Can it keep the meat juicy? Does it cook evenly?
This one passed.
I made a version of one of my favourite easy roast chicken recipes using preserved lemons, garlic and herbs — and I genuinely think the preserved lemons are what make it.
Fresh lemons wouldn’t give the same result.
Preserved lemons bring saltiness, richness and a deeper citrus flavour that melts into the chicken while it cooks.
Garlic, Preserved Lemon & Herb Air Fryer Roast Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken crown (skin on) (or whole chicken if you wish)
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Small bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 whole bulb garlic, finely chopped
- 2 preserved lemons, finely chopped (plus extra halves for roasting)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
Optional:
Extra whole garlic cloves for roasting
Method
Take your chicken crown and gently loosen the skin from the breast meat, creating pockets underneath without tearing it.
In a bowl combine:
- chopped parsley
- chopped chives
- finely chopped garlic
- chopped preserved lemons
- olive oil
- generous seasoning of sea salt and black pepper
Mix until everything forms a loose paste.
Using your hands or a spoon, carefully push the mixture between the chicken skin and the breast meat, spreading it as evenly as possible across the crown.
Don’t worry if some escapes — that only adds flavour.
At this stage, place the chicken into the fridge for a few hours if possible. This gives the herbs, garlic and preserved lemon time to work into the meat.
When ready to cook, place the chicken into the air fryer.
Scatter extra preserved lemon halves around the chicken and add a few whole garlic cloves if using.
Cook for approximately 45 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and the juices run clear.
Allow the preserved lemons to roast until slightly blackened at the edges.
This is important.
As they roast, the flesh softens and becomes almost jammy — incredible spooned over slices of chicken.
The whole garlic cloves become sweet, mellow and completely spreadable.
Serve immediately with roasted vegetables, potatoes or simply plenty of bread to soak everything up.
Final Thoughts
This ended up being exactly the kind of meal I hoped the PHILIPS 4000 Series would deliver — crispy skin, juicy meat and hardly any effort.
And if you try one thing from this review, make it preserved lemons with roast chicken.
I don’t think I’ll ever go back.
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