Philips NA555 vs Westinghouse H10U: space, noise and two contrasting examples

Why I changed after a year

The Philips was very good to use: quiet, with fairly even heating, although I needed to turn food and the underside browned more than the top. The left drawer’s results weren’t as crisp as the right’s. Its steam-only mode was excellent—food didn’t come out soggy—but it took time. I changed because it was too big for my small kitchen, and after a year I fancied a change.

Two H10Us, different impressions

An H10U arrived yesterday, manufactured in August, in a very firm cardboard box. After washing it, I noticed no glue-like smell at all, and wiping the heating tube left hardly any black residue. The egg tarts in photo one cooked evenly and were extremely crisp, which I loved. But it was very loud, like a motorcycle, with a vibration noise. I suspected something was wrong.

So I bought another. This one was manufactured in May and came in a softer box. It had a strong glue-like smell, and a lot of black residue came off the heating tube. The drip tray was much rougher than the August unit’s and the basket had noticeable marks, although the body looked new.

The sound was more normal: still a loud hum, much louder than the Philips. Three egg tarts cooked less evenly than in the August machine—one was still liquid while the other two had browned. I wasn’t impressed by the quality control and would favour a recently manufactured unit.

Cleaning, heat and what I’ll keep

It works well, but it is easy to burn yourself on. In one use of the Westinghouse, I got burned more than during a year with the Philips. Cleaning was very easy: hot water rinsed food off after cooking, and a light pass with a loofah brush removed what remained.

I understand the Westinghouse water tank to use AS and ABS, with PE tubing. After ten minutes of use, the tank area felt hot, perhaps 50–60°C. I don’t know whether that’s safe.

My conclusion: if you have room, I’d buy the Philips 555 or 565 for a nicer experience and less chance of burning myself. If there is no room at home, I see Westinghouse as the only option. If fermentation and dried-fruit modes don’t matter, I’d lean towards H10MAX: I believe its materials are safer, but it has a brushed motor while the U has a brushless one, so there’s a trade-off.

For now, I plan to keep using the U without its water tank, until a better air fryer comes along.