Tefal Actifry for Sale

Tefal Actifry

The Tefal Actifry 1400w fryer is a brilliant new product that allows you to cook perfect chips in the healthiest possible way without compromising the taste.

Its patented technology circulates hot air through the food and only uses 1 spoonful of cooking oil which is 100 times less than the conventional deep fat fryer and even less fat content than oven chips.

Tefal state on their instructions that you can cook enough chips for a family of four or 1kg, but personally I found that when I cooked them, the portions were very small and not enough to feed four people.

I would say it was probably enough for two to three people at the most and not really suitable for a large family. You would have to cook twice for a family of four or more and as it takes about 40 minutes cooking time this would mean that the family would have to eat in two sittings and not altogether.

The Actifry is so handy and convenient because it does not require pre-heating, just place the chips into the container (be sure to dry any excess water from the chips before adding them to the container) and put in 1 spoonful of your favourite cooking oil (it will work with any oil of your choice). You could even take the healthier choice and add olive oil, prior to setting the timer.

The chips usually take between 35-40 minutes to cook depending on your personal preference of colour and whether or not you like them pale looking or well done When they are cooked an alarm will sound and you will have delicious chips that are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

I was a little bit worried about the chips going soggy, but it does advise in the instruction book to use Maris Piper or King Edwards potatoes, so perhaps that is the reason they don’t go mushy or soft because admittedly they really do taste like they have been deep fried.

Actifry Close-Up

The Actifry comes with a 68 page recipe book in full colour as it not only cooks perfect chips, it can also be used to make other meals including stir fry, fish, vegetables, chilli con carne, spaghetti bolognaise and many more lovely dishes. So why not be adventurous and try out some of the delicious recipes.

I have made the chilli, stir fry and a chicken and rice dish, and they all turned out perfect, much to my families’ amazement. The recipe book also illustrates how to make lovely deserts which I will be trying next. It is difficult to go wrong really as the food is constantly being stirred by the mixing arm which ensures even cooking every time, so there is no need to worry about the food burning or sticking.

The lid is steam free with a large viewing window so you can see your food being cooked. This is a good feature as you can leave your chips in longer if you prefer them crispy or browner. The lid also lifts off with just the push of a button and can be removed with all the other removable parts to be placed into the dishwasher for cleaning, or simply hand washed. Because there is not much oil used with this fryer there is less mess to clean.

Another feature of the Tefal Actifry is that it comes equipped with an odourless filter ensuring that there are no horrible, lingering grease odours left in the kitchen after use. Prior to purchasing the Actifry I owned a deep fat fryer that left a greasy smell in the air which put me off using it.

The main issue I have with the Tefal Actifry is the timer alarm that sounds when the food is cooked is very quiet, in fact if you do have to leave the room it is difficult to hear it. This is not very good because when the alarm sounds you have to turn off the machine manually as it is programmed to carry on cooking. One day I was chatting to a sales rep at my front door and lost track of time, I completely forgot I had switched the machine on and when I had finished my conversation the chips were almost black.

In my opinion the Actifry should have an automatic cut off when the time is up, it is such a shame because everything else about this appliance seems to perform well. This is quite a bad design fault and I hope in the future Tefal will improve on this, in the meantime I will just have to buy myself a timer.

How The Actifry Works

One other small issue is the fact that although the design is nice to look at it is a little bit on the bulky side, takes up quite a lot of room and looks rather clumsy on the worktop; I manage to fit mine in the bottom of my cooker out of the way.

When I decided to purchase the Actifry I was a little apprehensive as I was concerned as to whether or not the chips would be as hot as they are in my deep fat fryer, I couldn’t imagine so when using only 1 spoonful of oil, but I didn’t need to worry, they were actually hotter because as the Actifry is cooking it blows hot air that circulates around the machine.

The Tefal Actifry is a little expensive costing around £130 - £150 because it is the only one on the market at the moment, but it is worth the price in my opinion as it the healthiest way to cook chips that really do taste as nice as they say they do and it is so convenient and easy to clean