4.4.2016

At first glance you may think that a little bit of sci-fi has landed in your kitchen, on second glance you realise that it’s actually the Tefal Actifry. The Actifry is roughly 26cm tall, 32cm wide and 43cm deep, to give this some context, it is not a huge amount smaller than a small microwave. The stylings of the Actifry are simple and clean and the construction feels good and robust, there is a little bit of movement in the lid but that is understandable as the lid is fully removable for washing. It also comes with it’s own measuring spoon, recipe book and instruction book.The ActiFry is about as simple to use as you could wish for. There are literally only two buttons on the whole machine.You have the on/off switch and the timer button to set the time in the digital display, please note that the timer does not automatically stop the cooking, you will need to turn the Actifry off manually, this does seem a little bit strange to me but that’s how it is with mine. The timer does emit an alarm when it has reached zero though. If you’re in any doubt as to how easy this machine is to use, don’t be, I can use it and I’m a qualified catastrophe in the kitchen.This is the bit where I would love to tell you all about the amazing and exotic dishes that we’ve made over the last few weeks, but that’s going to prove tricky, because while the intentions were good, and yes we did make something other than chips (more on that in a bit). The truth is that for the last month it’s been a bit like a potato slaughterhouse here. Many good potatoes have given their lives in the pursuit of the healthy, great-tasting chip. So, does the Actifry make fantastic low-fat chips? Yes, it really does. First off we made handmade chips using the recipe that comes with the Actifry, the chips were very nice with the lovely fluffy insides but I did find them a bit light on any real flavour. The second time we made handmade chips we doubled the amount of oil, this proved to be a significant improvement. The texture was exactly the same, lovely and fluffy, but the flavour just came through a lot more for me with the extra oil, these were the winning chips. The third time we tried out oven-chips, with the oven chips you don’t add any oil at all, just cook as is. These also turned out to be a revelation, oven-chips never tasted so good as when they came out of an Actifry.The other meal that we made was a Sloppy Joe (which is basically a spicy mince meat dish), and that turned out absolutely lovely but the Actifry did dry it out a bit, although this can be easily rectified.With the Actifry comes a recipe book that has a small selection of basic dishes to start you off, the book is handy but not particularly extensive. Also available is the MyActifry App which you can get for Android or Apple. We tried the App and honestly found it quite disappointing and certainly didn’t deliver the experience we were expecting, from looking at feedback from other people it would seem that we are not the only ones. On the upside though, we did find some links in the forums to another website, this is an independent website for Actifry recipes and advice. The website is [...] There are extensive recipes in all categories and a wide user base with lots of helpful hints, tips and ideas. I strongly recommend giving it a visit.Cleaning the Actifry is a walk in the park. Simply click off the lid, take out the pan, remove the central stirrer and pop it all in for the wash, or dishwasher. Very little hassle, very pleased.Do you need an Actifry? Probably not, but there is definitely a place for it in our kitchen and the other half has already stated that she will not be without it. It just does some things so much better, and quicker than a normal oven/fryer and leaves less cleaning up. No it’s not essential but it is a very handy piece of kitchen equipment, and if you like chips then you should really be giving this a good look. Tasty, low-fat chips, it’s almost like black-magic.

13.3.2016

This new 1.0kg Actifry looks much better and has significantly better design, build and features than the now superseded original Actifry. We were particularly pleased to see this new 1.0kg capacity model as we had the original Actifry for a couple of years before it was borrowed ( never to return) by another family member and we then upgraded to an Actifry 2 in 1 which combines the 1.5l capacity of the family models but adds a top tray to allow concurrent cooking of meat and veg.The original Actifry was however much loved and heavily used and there are many times that the larger capacity 2-in-1 is only being used for a fraction of its capacity.A 1.0kg capacity Actifry for instance produces more than enough oven chips or home made potato wedges for a family of 4. The Actifry range does however also offer a 1.5kg capacity model should you need that ability.This new 1.0kg Actifry looks better sitting on the worktop (has been christened 'Wall-e' by younger family members due to a resemblance to Eve, the floating robot in said film) and takes up slightly less space than the original Actifry. Do check your available workspace however as an Actifry is still a largish beast which may be a problem in some kitchens.The new 1.0kg unit cooks slightly faster than the original model and has a excellent large viewing window that allows you to clearly see how the cooking is progressing. Other features that are improvements on the original:Timer switches off the machine unlike the original.Cooking can be interrupted to allow ingredients to be added and the machine automatically starts from the paused cooking time when the lid is closed again.Build quality much better and no issues whatsoever.Negatives? The power cord is not very long ( seemingly a common trait of kitchen appliances nowadays) and is not detachable unlike the much more expensive and larger 2-in-1.Some recipes are given to get you going and this Actifry will indeed cook curries, stir fry and even desserts ( apple wedges with cinnamon, yum) but we use this single tray model mostly for veg inc the family favourite fresh potato wedges. A very small amount of vegetable oil is used for cooking homemade potato wedges and thus really is a very healthy way of cooking and explains why it seems a favourite with skimmers, my wife included. Oven chips are also a regular use with a 907g bag of McCain frozen chips taking circa 30 minutes depending on how crispy you like them. Tefal have an app and website to give more inspiration for savoury and sweet courses. At the time of writing, the website still had the older 1.0kg machine showing but the recipes work are applicable to the new model.Tefal say it can do chicken drumsticks and breasts etc. But our experience is that the paddle action can sometimes cause cooked drumsticks to break up or cause breasts to curl on themselves slightly. That is where the Actifry 2-in -1 has a clear advantage as it can cook drumsticks, steaks and the like without them being affected by the paddle.Cleaning is vey easy as lid, removable pan and paddle are all dishwasher safe. Have to admit that we tend to hand wash the darkened viewing windowl as we are nervous of long term dishwasher marking of the transparent lid. Good to know however that all removable parts are also available as spares from Tefal.Big attraction of all Actifry models is that your cooking is contained in one easily cleaned unit. And no horrible frying smell.All in all, this is a well designed, easier to use, better looking and very welcome update to the original Actifry which offers several new features. The Actifry was also 'Good Housekeeping Approved' in 2015. This is now our Actifry of choice for every day use and it really is heavily used. For additional versatility if you are regularly cooking fragile meat items, then the 2-in1 Actifry would be worth considering.Highly recommended.

11.3.2016

I was very excited to receive this tefal actifry low fat fryer, it's one of those products I've always wanted but never quite got around to ordering. The idea of being able to cook healthy chips in particular with a similar effect to a deep fat fryer was particularly appealing. As such it was chips that I decided to go for when testing the product.The accompanying booklet gives you an idea of the size of chip you should be looking at and associated cooking time (45 mins for a standard chip).The product is basically ready to go out of the box and so I set about peeling and chopping the potatoes. Once I'd peeled a kilogram (which is the portion size recommended for four and the max amount of food the model I had could hold),I placed the chips into the fryer and added the relevant quantity of oil.It's difficult to believe that anything would cook in the amount of oil added to the fryer, let alone a batch of chips but I trusted the instructions and hit go.I watched in fascination as the fryer rotated, cooking the chips. After about 35-40 mins I noticed that a couple of the chips were looking a bit burnt and so decided to stop the fryer.I have to admit whilst in the fryer I wasn't sure how appetising the chips looked but when removing the lid there was an almost perfectly cooked batch of chips. To taste they were excellent, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle and best of all I didn't feel as though as I was eating a really fatty and unhealthy meal!!Mission accomplished. There are a few other things to mention with the product which are positives, the simplicity of it for starters. There are no temperature controls or different settings- it's literally a case of switch on and off. I was also surprised at the sheer range of products that can be cooked in the fryer, ranging from meat to veg to desserts.As you can tell I'm impressed with the product but there are a few flaws which prevent me from awarding max stars. Firstly the product is extremely large, larger than I'd anticipated. You need a lot of room to store and it's too unattractive for most to want to keep on their kitchen worktop I would imagine.Secondly it's noisy, very noisy. Two people in our household assumed the washing machine was on, so that's the level of noise we're talking about!Finally I would say that the accompanying booklet does not provide detailed enough instructions, particularly when cooking meat etc and the range of recipes included is so limited you almost wonder why they bothered at all. There is an accompanying app which is better though and free to download.Finally the timer is very basic indeed and decidedly inflexible although essentially does its job I guess.Overall though this product excels where it's supposed to and that is in cooking low fat but delicious food and for that reason I would recommend to anyone looking for that!!

7.3.2016

I'll start with the one negative about this item and get it out of the way, its big. If you are limited for space you may struggle to find somewhere to keep it.That said its a smart and modern looking appliance and all the cooking parts are removable and can go in the dishwasher. We have a slimline dishwasher and had no problem getting it in. You may think I'm a lazy so and so but you'll see why in a moment.I'm sure most people will buy this for chips which is something we rarely eat. So few in fact that my son tends to use the little boxes of microchips. My wife was despatched to find some frozen chips and in they went. The fryer is quite noisy in operation and it took 32 minutes to cook 750g of chips to perfection.

7.3.2016

Chips are back on the menu in our house! Not that long ago chips for tea meant heating up a large pan of oil that was discoloured from several usages and also had a not pleasant hot oil smell - the chips that it created were good; a little greasy but good. Now meet this Tefal ActiFry Low Fat Fryer - 1 teaspoon of oil does the job of a whole pan of oil - no smell, no discoloured fat that needs changing very so often, but most of all, some truly fantastic chips!!!The fryer is self contained and has simple instructions for use, along with an obligatory recipe book that most kitchen devices have these days.

6.3.2016

This is just great!We eat very little fried foods and no deep fried foods at all. That means , if we want chips, we have to rely on oven chips. They are OK, but nothing like the taste of fried chips. With this Actifry you get that taste back....but without the unhealthy deep frying!It comes with a spoon to measure the amount of oil you need. In the case of chips you need to cut, wash and dry them. Add to the Actifry evenly with the mixing paddle attached. Drizzle the measured oil over the chips, turn on the timer and that's it! For 3 of us it takes 40 minutes, so it's not that quick....but since you can walk away and be doing something else ...that isn't an issue really.There are full instructions and a handy,

1.3.2016

The Tefal ActiFry Low Fat Healthy Fryer, 1 kg, White arrives in a well packaged box, which contains the fryer, spoon, instructions and the attached fixed electric mains chord [3 pin]. I read through the instructions, the are some accompanying small black and white representations of the parts for the fryer. I quickly and easily removed the lid, the basin which the food cooks in with attached fixed handle [that's a good idea, and folds], spoon and the stirring arm that tips food, put these in the dish-washer to clean.The first time usage of the low fay healthy fryer was very easy, we cooked some home made chips, spoon of oils, placed the cut chips with the skin on [cleaned and washed],

19.3.2016

This particular Actifry is neat, clean and classy. It's white appearance will fit into any kitchen décor. It looks very contemporary.All the components come apart and are easily washable.It's also very easy to operate. open the lid, load your potatoes, select cooking time, and away you go.The Actifry sounds a little bit like a vacuum cleaner, as it uses air to fry your food,but it's not overly noisy. I closed the kitchen door and could watch my favourite program on TV without even hearing it.I have tried freshly cut potato chips, and with only one spoonful of oil, I managed to make some really nice, crisp and very lighly oil coated chips. They tasted very nice as well. For nearly 750 g of chips,

10.3.2016

I don't know what kind of jiggery pokery is going on inside the fryer, but it works. 90% of the time I use this for frying chips and it does a remarkable job. A spoonful of oil and that is all that is needed. It cooks with hot air and it must vaporise the oil in some way so that as the chips are tumbled around they get an even coating and come out like they have been fried, but without being saturated in oil.You can also put in frozen oven ready chips. You may wonder why you should bother when you can put them in the oven, but they come out more evenly cooked. It is fast replacing my frying pan and oven for other items such as sausages which get thrown in from frozen and without any additional

7.3.2016

I have made great chips, oven chips, roasted veg and sausages in this. The veg and the sausages got a bit bashed up when I left the paddle in but they were fine without the paddle. Needed a but turning. If you don't have an oven or a hob this would be great to have. Maybe for a student or bed sit resident. It is simple and fairly foolproof although you still have to estmate timing else you could burn stuff. But I am not sure it is worth the cost or the worktop space if you already have a cooker. It is lower fat than deep frying but must be higher fat than grilling as there is no trivet and the food sits in its own grease.Update after 8 months use:I find I am using this almost every day now and not just for chips.

23.3.2016

Good things about this - it does what it says. It means that you can cook yourself chips, sweet potato fries etc relatively quickly without having a pan of hot oil on the cooker, or a deep fat fryer. To be able to cook very passable chips using just a few millilitres of oil is an excellent thing. There are other serving suggestions as well in the inevitable recipe book that comes with it. The gadget is easy to clean; most of the parts will go in the dishwasher. It helps people move away from processed food towards knowing what they are consuming.Bad things - it takes around half an hour (for a portion of chips), and draws quite a lot of energy (it's rated at around 1200W).

28.12.2017

I have had a Tefal Actifry for a few years and use it very at least a couple of times a week. It means we can have guilt free chips and, my favourite, sweet potato chips quite often. I just put the chips in the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and get on with the rest of the meal,The chips will take about 25 minutes depending how well you like them, What I like, is that you can see them cooking and stop whenever you like your own choice of done ness.I also mainly use use the Tefal Actifry on a very regular for Roast potatoes, (40 minutes) sausages (7 minutes) the childrens' chicken nuggets and fish fingers (6 minutes) My favourite quiche (5 minutes hot and crispy!) Meat pies (7 minutes)

12.3.2016

This is a hugely versatile fryer. It can be used to make healthier chips, adding a tablespoon of oil and salt, or a stir fry dish. It comes with a recipe book with ideas. It is very easy to use, having arrived at the end of a weekend, I came home on Monday to find my teenage son had used it to make chicken drumsticks (put the raw drumsticks in, press plus to the length of time wanted, and press start). I think there is barely a day it hasn't been used since. My youngest has even used it to make his version of chips (he hadn't quite got the shape, but the principal was there). The machine is plugged in, and the front has a fold down handle. The bowl is quite substantial,

11.3.2016

Since the ActiFry was launched several years ago I had been wondering whether to get one and after using one for a few weeks I wish I had got one before! The main concern I had was whether it would get used enough but I imagine this will get used at least weekly from now on.Although you can cook many foods in the Actifry I have used it for making potato and sweet potato chips and the results are amongst the best chips I have tasted. I have used approximately 600g of potatoes for two adults and a 1 year old and around half a spoon (spoon provided) of oil which makes them much healthier than other chips. They have taken around 30 minutes to cook and the Actifry is very simple to use and clean.The only thing to be aware of is that it is quite big in terms of worktop/

20.12.2016

I was somewhat sceptical when my wife suggested we needed one of these however, having purchased it and used it, my fears were misplaced.....It is a marvel!I cooked one kilo of fresh chipped potatoes in it and, they were delicious. To cook these chips, I needed just one spoonful of oil. There was no lingering smell in the kitchen from frying chips which always put me off cooking my own at home. The chips were crisp, not at all greasy and, most importantly, they tasted great. Using such a small amount of oil makes them economical and of course, very healthy.My only real criticisms regarding this product are that,

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