I was looking for an appliance to save heating up my oven in a small apartment during the summer months. It's already muggy where I live, and this air fryer is a marvel. It doesn't get as hot as my toaster! It's not just a fryer; in fact, I have not used it to fry anything, It is an air cooker. It cooks faster than an oven, and the food is excellent. There is an app with recipes to get you started. It is easy to use, easy to clean. So why didn't I give it five stars? For two reasons: (1) there is a terrible burnt plastic smell when you begin to use it. It is a toxic smell that can makesyou very sick. It does go away, but the appliance comes with no warning, and no suggestions for how to get rid of the smell. I looked on the internet and found two possible solutions, neither of which worked. (2) There is zero customer service. Because of the vile odor, I tried contacting Phillips. I tried the Chat function first, but gave up after 45 minutes waiting for an agent to come on line. I tried the telephone number several times. Finally, I reached someone who was aghast that I was having this problem. I don't know why she was so surprised, after all, it is discussed all over the internet! (And yes, I should have read the Amazon reviews more carefully before purchasing.) At any rate, she said she never heard of this, that it could be a safety issue, and that she was "expediting" the issue to the "team," and I would hear back within three to five business days. Yes, you are way ahead of me. I never heard back from the "team," or anyone else, except for an aggressive email from a Chat Agent who was apparently offended that I didn't wait longer than 45 minutes for someone to come to my aid, and who said, "unless I hear from you, I am closing this case." Case? What case? Of course, I wrote back immediately, and never heard from the Chat person again! So, long story short, unacceptable customer service is another reason for fewer stars. I find it difficult to have any confidence in a company when it provides no customer support. It tells me that Phillips does not stand behind its products, and buyer beware. If this air fryer survives the summer, I will consider myself lucky. And I will avoid Phillips products in the future.
