Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 337
 Real chips again December 20, 2007
W. Nelson (UK)
240 out of 243 found this review helpful
Like a couple of the other reviewers I haven't deep-fried a chip for years because of the smell and mess of a traditional deep fat fryer, never mind the dangers of the old style chip pan.
I actually first found out about this product by watching the Gadget Show and was blown away by the idea. First thing I did was check out the Internet for reviews and much to my surprise it seemed like the real deal. If it's getting praise on the Delia Smith forums you know you're onto a winner.
I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and it's been a joy. So far I've done wedges, chunky cut unpeeled chips and skinnier peeled chips. The chunky unpeeled chips were my favourite - delicious with garlic and herb dip. The trouble with wedges being that they have too many points and edges which with the constant tumbling leads to "chipping" as they crisp. I've also used it to cook Aunt Bessies frozen chips and it does a far better job than the oven and only takes about 25 minutes. Don't add extra oil when doing frozen chips!
I haven't tried anything exotic meatwise, just some thin sausages. Throw them in at the same time as skinny chips or a little later with chunkier ones. Top it off with some onion at 15 mins to go and mushrooms for the last five minutes. Straight to the plate and slap a fried egg on top. Bliss.
On the bad side it is pretty noisy and takes up about a foot by a foot and half of bench space but it's so easy to keep clean I just stow it in it's box on top of the cupboard when I'm not using it. And because there aren't a couple of pints of boiling oil being used I'm confident enough to just set it tumbling and go and watch TV/read a book/work on my opera while it does its stuff.
This is the first kitchen gadget I've bought for ages that's actually exceeded my expectations.
Tastes fried, but lower in fat - Fantastic! March 7, 2008
Boomirrin
74 out of 76 found this review helpful
I read up a lot about this product and got very mixed opinions. However I went ahead and bought one and love it!
You can cook so many things in it and they have all turned out lovely so far. There are no smells from it and it is so easy to clean.
Practically all of my family have tested the food from it and everyone has been very impressed - so much so that several of them have purchased one for themselves.
Superb April 6, 2008
Bob
72 out of 74 found this review helpful
Wonderful chips, If there are any critisism it is that the timer buzzer is faint and not very audible over the actifry when running, also it would be helpful if the timer turned it off. However sill a superb piece of cook ware.
UPDATE
I have now used for a few weeks and am still impressed however a few minor comments, For things like mince you can not leave it unatended but have to stir occasionaly (to be fair it does say this in the book) also the paddle stains easily (again in the book) however the thing to be most careful of is locking the paddle in place, you soon know if you have not as it makes about 4 times the noise and any sauce leaks through to under the pan (only did this once)
UPDATE 15th OCTOBER 2009
Still working well I have added this update as people have complained about it being fragile. The only thing that has broken is a clip that holds the metal mesh filter in place on looking at this closely I can not understand how they expected it to last, however the mesh still stays in place. No problem with other aspects of it although I agree it looks very fragile.
Tefal Actify September 6, 2008
Vicki Gould (Cambridgeshire)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I have bought many gadgets before and they've more often than not ended up in the cupboard or given to charities. Not this one. I've had it for about 4 weeks now and have used it nearly every day. Chips were the first thing I tried and I was so pleased with the result and they're low in fat - a bonus.
I also love new potatoes, two garlic cloves, sliced carrot, sliced parsnips, peppers and mushrooms. The taste is fantastic. You just have to cook the potatoes first for about 7 minutes and then add the other vegetables according to how long they take to cook. I just took a guide for this from the suggested menus. Try 'roast' potatoes. I part-boiled Maris Piper potatoes, which were quartered, dried them and then cooked in the Actifry for around 30 minutes, depending on quantity. They are much healthier than roasted in the oven and taste fab.
I've also cooked chicken, lamb and beef, which were also a triumph.
I'm very pleased with this product and have no hesitation in recommending it.
Vicki Gould
Chips without fried smells all over June 24, 2008
walker
35 out of 36 found this review helpful
I bought the Actifry for one reason alone: less oil meant less odors, and I can't stand the smell of fried oil on clothes. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Not only does it not let out any of those horrible oil vapors that settle on everything, but it makes the horrible sight of left over oil a thing of the past.
You do need to adjust your cooking habits in order to use it effectively. For instance, it will take its time, which depending on quality and quantity can be anything from 25 to 45 minutes (I think more oil -- say 2 spoons instead of one may help speed things up a bit, but haven't tested this so don't take my word for it)
This means that instead of preparing a salad, fish or meat and then preparing the chips, with the actifry it saves time to throw the potatoes in and prepare the other dishes while it fries them. It is far more forgiving than a traditional frier with regards to the need to pay attention to it: leaving the chips in for 5 minutes longer will not result in them turning to coal. And Actifry itself will not burn your kitchen down or spill hot oil on you or your family. All this means you can concentrate on other tasks without stress while it does its thing.
A word of warning though: turn it off leaving your chips in with the lid down, even for a couple of minutes, and they will loose their crispness. You should be ready to serve them when they are done... or, just turn it off a couple of minutes early and turn it back on a couple of minutes before serving. I found re-activating the airflow for a bit will generally restore the crispness. It is for this reason that I think the timer not stopping the device when it goes off is actually a good thing. Okay they could have had it pop the lid open too, but honestly it never bothered me so far.
The great thing about the small amount of oil is that you can afford to use organic oil for frying. I used olive oil at first, but never got the right results. Edges and small sized sticks would burn by the time the rest of the chips where done. So I followed the advice in the book and used sunflower oil with very noticeable results. It doesn't taste the same, but it delivers a crispier, even, frying without burned edges. I plan to try other oils as well and perhaps mixtures (even a third of olive oil would make the edges burn -- okay, it is the healthiest of them all, but it is much more so in its raw form, best use it for salad dressings!)
I was glad to read another reviewer's comment about not peeling the potatoes. I do this too and I'll second the suggestion, you really can't tell the difference and it is much more nutritious -- do wash the potatoes *really* well though and cut out any soiled bits or abnormalities. And be very careful about the potatoes you use. Make sure they are certified to be pesticide free. Potatoes grow in the ground and absorb all the chemicals sprayed on the field, most of which stay *in* the skin. So unless you are sure they are free of such substances it's far healthier to actually peel them!
It is a bit noisy but it is only a problem if you are right next to it while trying to talk on the phone or listen to the radio. It's the only time I notice the sound it makes.
This is one of the best appliances I've ever bought, and I would highly recommend it to everyone. But we don't all like our chips the same so try to have a taste before buying.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 337
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