Hi All,Happy New Year to you.
I’ve just splashed out and bought myself a Tefal Actifry.It does do what it says on it’s box and cooks the best chips(fries) there are and only 3% fat,but I don’t want to live on low fat chips and I have cooked chicken thighs and legs in it too which tasted lovely BUT has anybody got any other ideas what I could try out?(For those who don’t know what the Tefal Actifry is:it’s a tabletop Gadget that cooks food with hot air and stirs it so it doesn’t stick!)I’m useless at describing things-if you put Tefal Actifry in a search engine you’ll find it with no problems.
PS-it came with a very basic recipe book,but anything that anybody else can suggest would be brilliant.
I have heard there is a problem with some Tefal Actifryer’s having smoke coming from them. Has anyone had a problem with this?
I’ve just bought one and followed this thread to find more ideas so a bit disappointed to see such a negative reply.
The reason we have bought these machines find the need to reduce fat grams in our foods more important than the time it takes to cook. I steam and grill food too but a deep fry taste without the calories from fat is a good idea in my book.
So far I have only had chips but once I have more experience I will certainly share ideas/recipes and hopefully Smylynatya will too! Any other takers?
I found a few ideas and tips (not recipes) which would be worth experimenting with.
I bought my Actifry last year and they make the best chips ever! I saw that there is a new version which comes with a more comprehensive cook book…even does stir fry! I hope that this book may become available in the future…thought I might e mail Tefal and seen.
I just got my ActiFry and been reading the booklet and cookbook it comes with. Sounds like it’s mostly for cooking potatoes more than anything else. Kinda disappointed that there aren’t more recipes available. I’m wondering about cooking with the arm and cooking like ground meat patties, I know you’d have to turn them over yourself.
Can the Actifry not do fried chicken? Haven’t seen any word or videos (YouTube) on it.
I have the T-Fal EZ-Clean deep fryer. Works great except when you go to drain the oil. First time…no problems. 2nd time I used it…fried chicken turned out great…half the oil drained into the container & the other half all over the top of the container and on my table. Serious mess. Will not use the drain feature. Plus you need too much oil each time you want to cook.
And there’s so many parts to clean afterwards (e.g. lid, wire mesh container you put in the oil, the stainless steel container, the heating element and outer casing).
Might just use a deep pot and buy a thermometer I can leave on the side of the pot. Easier clean up. Should have done that in the first place.
I had never heard of this before, will definitely have to check it out!
I don’t fry anything at all anymore…so unhealthy! This sounds like a great solution!
As far as the time it takes vs regular deep frying, I am happy to spend extra time to cook a healthier meal.
That’s why fast food is so popular, everyone wants food that can be served in minutes.
I value serving healthy food to my family over serving fast food to my family. So thanks for the information!
Sometimes we just want to make some deep fried foods (e.g. chicken) at home. Do our own recipies. Even if it is unhealthy. Once in a long while is okay I think. Even “fast food”. I prefer home cooked meals too. Even if it takes a little longer. It comes down to setting some kind of balance.
This appliance seems interesting. Requiring only 1 teaspoon of oil. If it can do a good job with poultry and other kind of meats I might consider one. And I’m sure the setup/cleanup is a lot simpler than my T-Fal EZ-Clean deep fryer. Which requires too much effort to cook 10 or 15 minute foods. You spend more time setting it up and cleaning it than cooking.
Besides chips I have made Fried rice from the recipe book and tonight I am making Lemon chilli chicken from a website I found.
I got my Actifry for Xmas and use it all the time. I have made…
Fries
Chinese stir fry
Fried rice
Chicken nuggets
Sausages
Bacon
Home fries
Fried chicken
Roasted veggies
We love that all these things can be made without all the oil and with little fuss. I also know someone who has cooked scrambled eggs and stuffed peppers! But I don’t know how they turned out.
Remember you can remove the stirring arm. Just keep in Ind that you have to actively turn the food yourself about half way through. Still learning here so if anyone has good recipes I am ready to hear it!