Tefal ActiFry is UK’s No1 small kitchen appliance
So you can imagine I was keen as a reviewer to try it out. Being National Chip Week it also seemed a fab time to put a healthier chip process to the test.
We saw the Tefal stand at the BBC Good Food Show in November and saw them handing out chips that had been cooked using the Actifry. They were obviously good as people were swarming to the plate.
It had a huge amount of interest and Chris and I discussed the merits of it, the health benefits are obvious, but the big question, Chris as a Yorkshireman and me as a potato loving Irish girl, would this be able to meet our potato heaven?
I cook homemade chips, rarely oven chips so it was up for a roasting, well frying in this case.
I must admit that I have read a few reviews before and the word on the blogs seems to be they are not as good as proper chips and an expensive machine.
I decided pretrial that the only fair way to judge the Actifry was not to put it up against the mighty chipped potato, in the same way I do not expect an oven chip to match up against homemade. They are in effect a different potato product.
Its like expecting mash and getting roasties!
Reading through the accompanying recipe book I could see that there is way more than just frying potatoes, it has chillies, curry, desserts and I think that because of its price and size I would have to use it several times a week for main meals.
OK size wise its a bit of a beast if you have a small kitchen, but then if you have a small kitchen this would be a fabulous addition for the versatility.
I say beast but its a beautiful sleek beast. very good looking, instantly attracts me in design and it looks as if its going to be easy to use.
I had to move our toaster to make it a home and happy to do so as I do not use the toaster yet still get to clear up the crumbs!
I decided to go for standard chips first, so a few pics to show you how it went. The long white narrow tube at the front is the handle for the cooking pan, you depress the green button to lift and then click to hold.
Add the potatoes I used 1.2kg which according to the instructions needed a third of oil in the provided measuring spoon.
I made a smaller portion despite the Actifry being for 6 people in case to be totally honest they were not nice!
I measured the oil out in another jug to see how much and it was about 8ml!! Wow so little.
** Update I am on Slimming World now so useful syn free chips advice.
Use Frylight or 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, if you are on the plan this is your healthy extra B (HEXb) so the chips are syn free and half a HexB as this is for two.
They come out fantastically as long as you use Maris Piper, rinse the chips first a good few times and dry really well.** Recipes for Slimming world using the Actifry are found in the tags on the left hand side, there is a curry and a zesty chicken and chilli.
Then I set the time for 26 minutes, I thought this good, if I had to wait for the chip pan to heat up or oven for oven chips including the cooking time this is quicker.
I found it fascinating watching the paddle move the chips around and about 15 mins in they were looking as if they were cooking but I was still amazed when they started to turn golden.
What is good is the lack of fried chip smell, now I know its a fab aroma as you cook and eat but hours after its not so good and the next day a total turn off for me.
The end result, they were crisp, light and still soft in the middle. I will, next time do them a minute or two less as I love lightly cooked chips. They were far better than I or Chris who shared them expected. They are not dissimilar to the taste of a potato wedge.
So I am sold on the Actifry for chips, I do not think it would entirely replace my beloved home cooked chips, but its definitely a tasty healthy alternative.
I have looked around and you can pick the machine up for around £124 so the price is fast becoming a plus not a minus.
http://t.co/gRUV8A1 she bought one in January at Currys for £107**
I am going to review the other meals that can be cooked next. A Chicken Tikka Masala and a chilli maybe, I also want to try the herby potato scallops.
So keep an eye out.
Has anybody tried the Actifry or got one, love or hate it let me know.
Tefal has taken the UK by storm, creating the world’s healthiest fryer – ActiFry. As the UK’s best selling small kitchen appliance*, ActiFry has won millions of fans worldwide as well as being accredited by the Good Housekeeping Institute.
Boasting the simplest and most effective way of frying, ActiFry allows you to cook oil free chips from frozen. Or if you prefer to use fresh potatoes, simply add half a spoonful of oil** for great tasting chips, roast potatoes and wedges with only 3% fat.
Tefal knows that variety is the spice of life and has designed ActiFry using a unique, patented hot air circulation system, which allows you to cook much more than just chips. Unlike any other low fat fryer, ActiFry is so versatile it can also cook foods such as curries, stir-frys and sausages to perfection with minimum fuss.
Whether you want to please your children with sweet & sour pork wraps, keep teenagers happy with a stir-fry, or treat the whole family to a scrumptious curry, there are plenty of possibilities so you can get cooking nutritious and delicious meals.
Convenient and user-friendly, ActiFry uses a unique rotating mixing paddle to give the perfect finish with minimal preparation, requiring no pre heating, shaking, stirring or mixing, unlike similar fryers on the market.
Designed to be able to serve up to four portions, the original ActiFry boasts a 1kg capacity, while ActiFry Family has 50% more capacity, cooking 1.5kg of chips with ease and serving up to six people. This clever gadget also has a number of distinctive safety features, including a large transparent lid which means you can oversee the cooking process and, on ActiFry Family, a special auto-off feature.
The ActiFry’s removable bowl is dishwasher safe, saving time on the washing up, making it ideal for busy households! Each ActiFry model comes complete with its own recipe book containing a variety of mouth-watering meal suggestions for the whole family.
*Source: GfK RT UK, Small Kitchen Appliances Market (SKA), Value Sales, MAT Sept 09-Aug 10
**use half a spoonful of oil (7ml) for 500g of fresh chips
Digital timer
Temperature controlled
.....Great tasting food!
The Tefal ActiFry range includes:
NEW! ACTIFRY FAMILY
50% larger Capacity: 1.5 kg
Family recipe book
LCD screen
Removable ceramic bowl
Automatic shut off
Power: 1450 watts
RRP £249.99
ORIGINAL ACTIFRY
Capacity: 1 kg
Digital timer
Bowl, lid and paddle are dishwasher safe
Free recipe book
Power: 1450 watts
RRP £199.99
LIMITED EDITION ACTIFRY
All the great features of the original ActiFry in a sleek black design
Hardback new recipe book with 60 inspiring recipes from all over the world
RRP £199.99
For further information on ActiFry or any of Tefal’s innovative product range, visit: http://www.tefal.co.uk/
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