Gadget Review: Tefal ActiFry Genius+ Air Fryer

I don't know when social media influencers started banging on about Air Fryers. All I know is that they're the new hip thing and that I am easily influenced.

Anyway, I saw this on sale and thought I'd take a punt on it. What's the worst that could happen?

The technology is pretty basic. Point an over-powered hair-dryer into an enclosed space, have a motor gently stir the bowl, wait. Done.

Although there are a variety of programmes, there's no "smarts" here. It isn't like the YumAsia Mini Panda Rice Cooker which knows exactly when the rice is cooked. You have to wait and watch things cook. Like a 20th Century person! Similarly, there's no WiFi connection - so you have to use the built in timer-delay rather than use an app like a normal person. Eugh!

And, you know what? It works. I put in frozen oven chips and pressed the button marked "chips".

The chips cooked.

They tasted nice.

Terence Eden is on Mastodon

@edent

Replying to @edentHmmmmm!

Does make a noise like a small hair drier. pic.x.com/quqCJ0t0A6

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Terence Eden is on Mastodon

@edent

Replying to @edentWell, it has cooked frozen oven chips to perfection.
Same amount of time as our main oven, but a lot less power.
Will try it with a stir fry & other things over the week.
It is this model: amzn.to/3CphlKQ
The inelegantly named Tefal ActiFry Genius+ 1/2Kg. pic.x.com/M4gSUs7O8S

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There are a few advantages over using a full oven. The main one is that it uses less power. It plugs into a standard 13 amp socket rather than a dedicated 16 amp line. It's heating a smaller amount of space for about the same amount of time, so is relatively efficient. The stirrer makes sure things are cooked evenly. Finally, the big window lets you see exactly how well things are cooking.

Oh, and all the parts are dishwasher safe. Which is handy.

I tried a stir-fry in it - because I'm too lazy to use a wok and spoon. As per the instructions, I drizzled in exactly 14ml of oil. A bunch of chopped veggies and tofu chunks . I threw them all in at the same time - again, because I'm lazy - and started the parochially named "wok food" programme.

And it was basically fine. The veggies and tofu were cooked. It was crispy without being too oily. Took 25 minutes unattended which, coincidentally, is exactly the same time as a portion of rice in the other gadget.

I stuck in some frozen sausages and hash browns - but I took out the stirring paddle. 25 minutes later they were cooked. The ones directly under the heat source were a bit more well done - but not burnt.

I chopped a couple of potatoes into exactly 1cm chips. Washed and dried them. Mixed up a glug of oil and paprika - and stuck them all in the pan. In half an hour I had some decent chips. Were they as good as chip shop chips fried in an unhealthy amount of oil? No. But they were as good as regular oven chips.

For once, I didn't get the Internet connected one (I know, right?!) but it does have a little app with a bunch of recipes which is pretty handy.

It even plays a little beeping tune once done.

Is it the Best-Thing-Ever™? No. But it is great if you want no-hassle cooking. A bit of prep, chuck it in, wait, eat. It is counter-top friendly, cheap to run, and relatively cheap to buy. This was on special offer at £120.

Downsides

The main issue is that it is a bit noisy. About the same as an extractor fan.

The bowl is perfectly sized for our needs - but you can't fit, say, a whole chicken in there to roast. Similarly, if you're doing a bigger meal like burger and onion rings and chips and a pie for dessert, you might find it easier to shove everything in the main oven.

The UI is a little odd. It is all button and symbol controlled. But you'll probably find one setting that you like and just use that for everything.

Size wise it is about the same as a food processor. A little chunky if you have a small kitchen.

It also makes you seem like an insufferable hipster who believes a kitchen isn't complete without a dozen gadgets.

So, yeah. I'm going to keep experimenting with it. It isn't revolutionary - but it is quite handy.