Philips 5000 Series SteamFryer review
Confession: I’m a huge foodie, but I’ve never been much of a cook, at least not beyond the basics. As much as I love to eat, levelling up my skills in the kitchen has always seemed a time-intensive affair that I’m too tired to attempt after my 9-to-6. Getting an air fryer when the appliance first became a hit was a major cheat code, but fast forward a decade, and there are only so many times I can pat myself on the back for air-fried salmon and broccoli.
With my air fryer on its last legs, I’d been on the hunt for something newer and better. So when Philips—the inventor of air fryers—reached out offering their brand-new first-of-its-kind 5000 Series SteamFryer ($389) for review, I jumped at the chance.
What are the functions of the Philips 5000 Series SteamFryer?
On paper, the Philips 5000 Series SteamFryer reads like a revolution, blowing your average air fryer out of the water. Essentially, a SteamFryer is an air fryer that also incorporates steam cooking, but what sets the Philips 5000 Series apart is that it’s truly first of its kind.
Unlike other air fryers with steam functions that simply mist the surface of your food, this one actively integrates steam into the cooking process, going beyond a superficial add-on to deliver more even, consistent results throughout.
Combines the best of air frying and steaming at the same time
At the heart of it is a game-changing SteamFry innovation, which has not been seen on the market before. This tech is a clever marriage of Philips’ RapidAir technology with precisely timed steam release.
Rather than simply blasting hot air like an air fryer does, the appliance alternates between air frying and steaming, with an algorithm quietly working in the background, calibrating temperature, fan speed, and cycle timing to make sure both heat and steam are evenly distributed throughout your food.
TL;DR: You get that elusive combination of a golden, crispy exterior with a juicy, tender inside every single time you hit the start button.
Cooks far more than you’d expect from an air fryer
Here’s the biggest selling point of the 5000 Series SteamFryer: it can supposedly cook dishes you’d never imagine coming out of an air fryer, and cook them well. I’m talking about things like steamed fish, silky steamed eggs, still-juicy chicken breast, gyoza with soft, tender skins, and even freshly baked bread, all supported by built-in cooking modes.
That’s what makes it such a compelling upgrade for anyone stuck on basic recipes. The promise here isn’t just convenience, but the ability to move beyond simple, repetitive meals with ease.
The idea of having one device that can easily unlock a world of good food is exactly the kind of promise that gets me ready to swipe my credit card, but first, I wanted to see if the claim actually held up.
No more burnt and dried out bits
Because the steam creates a consistently moist cooking environment, you can say goodbye to those dark, dried-out burn spots that are almost inevitable with your aged air fryer—mine is guilty as charged.
Effortless cleaning
In my opinion, the worst part about an air fryer is the cleaning. Despite using less oil, grease and debris from cooked food can accumulate with regular use, and heavy scrubbing is one of the few ways you can get your air fryer clean. However, it is an ordeal every single time.
The 5000 Series SteamFryer bids adieu to the fuss with a built-in SteamClean mode that uses steam to loosen fat and oil residue from the basket and heating tube, to make cleaning a breeze.
Is the Philips 5000 Series SteamFryer worth it?
To find out whether the SteamFryer is worth its price tag, I put it through its paces with two savoury dishes and one baked treat, each chosen for a reason.
They’re all easy and amateur-friendly recipes, but ones where I’ve always found myself wishing for a slightly better result. If the SteamFryer’s claims hold up anywhere, it should show up here.
The first: chicken breast. This is a notoriously difficult cut to nail, and one I rarely bother with because of how dry it can get.
I marinated the meat overnight in a store-bought spice rub and got to cooking. On the SteamFryer, you can easily choose between three main cooking styles with just one touch: Steam, Fry, and SteamFry. I chose the latter.
After 12 minutes at 180 degrees, the chicken came out looking and tasting better than I expected.
Though I bought a skinless cut, it developed a crisp, lightly caramelised exterior from the spice rub. Best part: no burnt or dried out spots, as I got with my old air fryer.
But the real surprise was the inside. No dryness, no chewiness. Just juicy, tender meat all the way through. It’s the kind of result that’s usually reserved for cuts with skin or a good sear in a pan, and the fact that the SteamFryer pulled it off without either was a quiet but convincing first win.
Next, ginger steamed fish. Being Cantonese, this dish was a staple at mealtimes growing up, but I’ve never bothered with recreating it at home because steaming on the stove just felt too fussy.
I hit the SteamFry button and let the appliance work its magic.
After an 18-minute wait, I pulled out the basket to reveal a well-cooked fish with lightly crisped skin and moist flesh.
Breaking into it, the meat flaked apart easily; each bite was clean and naturally sweet, without any dryness. Hands down, this steamed fish dish would earn my ah ma’s stamp of approval.
Lastly, something baked to test if the appliance can really do it all. I love a chocolate cake, but getting that pillowy-soft, still-moist interior often requires a lot of butter and chocolate, which sadly means this baked treat is not an everyday indulgence.
In a galaxy-brained moment, I wanted to see if the SteamFry function could tackle something a little more unexpected: achieving the ideal chocolate cake, complete with an ultra-moist crumb beneath.
After trying my hand at the most foolproof chocolate cake recipe I could find, I placed the batter in the free baking pan that comes with the SteamFryer. One tap of the SteamFry mode later, and I left the device to its own… devices.
Fast forward an hour, and the results were hard to argue with.
The cake was exactly what it needed to be—fudgy, moist, and oh-so-chocolatey, with no sunken middle and no dried-out edges.
For a function not specifically designed for baking, the fact that it turned out a well-executed chocolate cake was genuinely impressive, and not something you’d expect any typical air fryer to be able to pull off.
Plus, getting these results without having to turn on my oven on a sweltering hot day? Huge win.
I’ve always admired home bakers on my Instagram feed who can pull off making their own loaves and patisserie-level cakes. Seeing how easily this cake came together, with no preheating or oven prep needed, makes me feel like I went from zero to Nara Smith.
A rep from Philips mentioned that fluffy milk buns and even sourdough loaves are possible with the 5000 Series SteamFryer, and I’m keen to see how far I can take it with more ambitious bakes next.
So, the verdict: the Philips 5000 Series SteamFryer is the real deal. Across all three tests, it delivered results that genuinely surprised me. For an appliance that can replace up to eight different kitchen devices without hogging counter space, the value proposition is hard to ignore.
Even I—a foodie who can barely cook—am already thinking about what to throw in it next, and the recipes I can hack to impress my fam and friends. For the first time in a long time, attempting to cook feels less like a chore and more like something to look forward to.
Get your hands on the Philips 5000 Series SteamFryer on ShopeeMall, and enjoy a free baking pan and silicone muffin cups.
There are also vouchers to help offset the cost, so you’ll end up paying just $330, while stocks last. Prices are accurate at the time of writing.
Shop the Philips 5000 Series SteamFryer!
Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This post was brought to you by Philips.
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