ActiFry: Healthy French Fries and Much More

I’ll admit it, I love french fries. The problem is they don’t really like me, especially those made in a deep fryer when I eat out. Then I heard about a new kitchen tool called the ActiFry, made by T-Fal. It’s designed to cook 1kg (2lbs) of cut potatoes with only 1 spoonful (14ml) of oil. Great, fries that are healthier for you, but how do they taste? I had one sent out to me to see if it was as good as it’s promise.

When it arrived I was eager to try it right away so I tossed a bag of frozen fries in. Forty minutes later the kids were snacking. The fries were great, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; they were even better than when we cook them in the oven according to my husband.

With frozen fries a success, I thought I’d give my favourite a try, sweet potato fries. All I had to do was wash and cut the fries, making sure to keep them thin even sizes. You could use a fry cutter but I found hand cutting the potatoes faster and easier. Forty minutes later, perfect sweet potato fries were served with dinner.

So I can confirm that the ActiFry does do a great job on french fries with only adding 14ml of oil. But with a retail price of $299.99 Cdn (available at The Bay), the ActiFry is kind of an expensive kitchen tool, especially if all you are going to do is cook french fries.

More than just french fries.

But it can do more. The ActiFry comes with an idea book containing 32 recipes and more. I tried recipes for Sweet and Saucy Meatballs, Saucy Chicken with Pineaple, Susage and Peppers and even a Chili Con Carne. Each recipe was easy to follow and turned out great. I especially loved the chili recipe. This is something I would normally cook in my crockpot, but the ActiFry version was far tastier and the peppers still crisp.

One of my favourite features of the ActiFry is the ability to start a recipe and walk away. In our house my kids always seem to choose dinner time, when I’m busy at the stove, to need help with something or to start fighting. With the ActiFry I can leave the ingredients and the rotating paddle not only ensures the ingredients and oil are mixed together, but that nothing is left to sit on the hot surface for long. A great example is sausages. These are one item my kids love but I find you have to turn them and monitor them often to avoid burning and over cooking. The ActiFry rotates them so they brown evenly and avoiding burning (sometimes I’ve had to unwedge a sausage though). The final sausages are thoroughly cooked and juicy inside.

The ActiFry unit

The unit sits on your counter and plugs in; it’s about the size of a portable grill. The outside can get hot so it’s not something kids can use without being supervised. Since the unit cooks by blowing very hot air into the cooking unit, it’s not the quietest.

Cleaning up is a breeze

When you’re done cooking, clean up is a breeze. The clear plastic lid pops off, the cooking bucket can be removed (the handle pops out for easy removal) and the stirring paddle can be removed for thorough cleaning.

Limited built-in timer

There is a built-in timer but it doesn’t affect the on/off function of the unit. When you set the timer it will beep when you’re time has passed but it will not turn the unit off. This means you have to listen for the beep or you could over cook. I’ve missed the beeping but haven’t run into any ruined meals from cooking slightly longer than planned.

When I first tried the ActiFry I was impressed with the way it cooked fries but I thought the price was a little high. I mean you can’t make Tempura or donuts in the unit; it’s not a fryer in that sence.

But now that I’ve tried some of the ActiFry recipes and even made up my own, I find I use it more than my crockpot. I also find the food has more flavour than most of the crockpot recipes. And the big selling feature, my kids eat everything that comes out of it.

I think the ActiFry will be finding a spot in our kitchen, if I can find a big enough place to store it.

About the Author Managing Partner and Editor-in-Chief at one of the best social networking and lifestyle sites for moms, EverythingMom.com. Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 8), while building my business, working at EverythingMom.com and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier? Posted by Carrie Anne in household product reviews on February 01, 2010 More from this author  |  Author Website Follow Carrie Anne on:  |  |  |

Comments  

 

0 # Ainse 2010-02-01 23:29

Sounds amazing and I'm a real glutton for fries! Great article, very informative, but I think I'll be waiting for it to go on sale.

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0 # merry120 2010-02-02 19:34

Great review! I agree with Ainse....it sounds great but really expensive. I will see if the price comes down or if it goes on sale.

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0 # Agnes M 2010-04-13 17:17

Love the idea of this "fryer" but it is a tad expensive. I would like to see it remodeled so the ouside stays cool.

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0 # Erusmus 2010-04-13 17:46

it looks amazing but is expensive.

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0 # Karen B 2012-01-22 10:41

It seemed expensive at the time of purchase, but I have not regretted spending the money. Best kitchen appliance I own, it's even surpassed my George Foreman, which is pretty impressive!

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