A healthy chip buttie????? (Tefal ActiFry)

Member Name: sandra101

Product:	Tefal ActiFry
Date:	24/05/08 (2508 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Healthy home made Chips - only 3% fat

Disadvantages: expensive

The Hype

Imagine being able to fry a batch of real home-made chips with just a tablespoon of olive oil. Sounds too good to be true?

Place up to a kilo of freshly cut chips into the cooking pan, then measure your preferred oil with the scoop provided, pour it over, and set the timer. Patented technology circulates hot air around your fries, whilst the mixing paddle evenly disperses the oil. The result is chips that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with only 3% fat content. And there's more good news to come:


The Actifry can also be used for cooking frozen chips, scampi, chicken drumsticks, stir-fried vegetables and lots more besides - recipe book included
An odourless filter keeps your kitchen fresh, and you can check on progress through the viewing window
Everything except the base can go into the dishwasher, and of course there's no oil to filter after frying.

The truth

I have seen this demonstrated on shopping channels and was really tempted to get one as we love chips. We use the deep fat fryer occasionally but I hate cleaning it and have read various reports about how dangerous it is to reheat oil a number of times.

We do eat oven chips but I find them a little dry and feel they are edible rather than enjoyable. The only thing putting me off was the price. £150.00. I saw a forum thread last week saying that the actifry was on offer at Amazon for a short while at £99.99 and the comments attached from owners claimed that it was a wonder, especially those on weightwatchers and that the chips were as good as deep fried ones so I bit the bullet and ordered one.

It arrived within a few days and I was immediately down to the local shops to buy real potatoes, I peeled, chipped and washed them, then had to dry them thoroughly (helps for crispness). Once they were chipped I put them in the actifry added the one spoon of oil switched in onto the timer for 40 minutes and admittedly kept coming back to it just to watch the chips moving, browning and cooking.

Once the timer went off (a little too quietly if I hadn't been in the room) I couldn't get the chips out quickly enough.

The chips didn't look exactly like deep fried chips but were more inviting than oven chips. They were beautifully crunchy and made a lovely chip buttie (smothered in brown sauce of course). I thought I was in heaven real chips in a chip buttie, but healthy, only 3% fat.

My children cleared their plates and were very complimentary, willing to eat them everyday if I wanted them too.

There was no smell of deep frying and the few droplets of oil left in the machine simply wiped clean with a paper towel. The twirling plastic blade which moves the chips around was removable and rinsed clean easily. Clean up took less than a minute.

You can do potato wedges, sausages etc. see www.lakeland.co.uk for these recipes
Real chips
Curried chips
Paprika chips
Almond chips
Peanut & bacon chips
Potato wedges with herbs & spices
Cajun-spiced potato wedges
Sweet potatoes with sesame seeds
Sauces & dips
Chicken with pineapple
Thai-spiced chicken with courgettes
Turkey with three peppers
Madagascan beef
Sweet & sour pork fillet
Chilli con carne
Sausage & bean cassoulet
Crunchy green vegetable stir-fry with prawns
Baby new potatoes with garlic, tomatoes & prawns
Tasty tuna sauce
Jardinière of mixed vegetables
Spiced root vegetable medley
Tomato & basil pasta sauce
Apple, hazelnut & potato medley
Roasted pineapple with fresh figs & acacia honey
Apple wedges with cinnamon sugar

I am going to try a type of saute potato next, don't see why it wouldn't work simply slice the potatoes, pour on the spoon of oil and cook the same as chips. I might even try adding some garlic butter for the last few minutes.

Downside

They claim it feeds a family of four, maybe we are very greedy but we dished out very small portions between two adults and three children, the youngest aged four only had about ten chips and my boys and hubbie would definitely have eaten more. Waiting 40 minutes for a second serving is too long.

Conclusion

Ideal for weightwatchers, healthy eaters and chip lovers, expensive but worth it if you love your chips and have to avoid them at the moment.

Good Points

Put it on and walk away
Low fat Healthy chips
Cooks sausages, chicken, meat
Much nicer than oven chips
No more reheating old oil
No smell
Easy clean up

Low Points

Expensive
Takes up quite a bit of couter space
Only cooks enough for 2-3 people with greedy appetites
40 minutes to cook a serving of chips

Highly recommended - I'm sure another manufacturer will bring out a similar machine in the next few years but if you can't wait buy it.

Summary: If you love your chips - you gotta get this

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