Actifry

[EmmaJH90]

I'm pretty sure this thread already exists, but I can't see it anywhere!

We've bought an Actifry tonight and made syn-free chips in it, very impressed!

But I wanted to know what else you use yours for? Anyone got any good tips or recipes?

 

[WannabeThinna]

I often chuck a pack of chicken drumsticks in mine, they cook really quickly and are great for keeping in the fridge to snack on. You can add different spices to add variety too.

 

[sookie]

I often chuck a pack of chicken drumsticks in mine, they cook really quickly and are great for keeping in the fridge to snack on. You can add different spices to add variety too.

Great idea x

 

[EmmaJH90]

That is a good idea, I'm going to try it once I've been food shopping. Can you do chillis and things like that in it?

 

[WannabeThinna]

It comes with a recipe book with things like chilli, bolognese etc in it, but I've never tried any of them so I can't say if they're any good. The centre of the pan is very shallow so it's not suitable for recipes with very much liquid in them. To be honest I don't think there's any advantage in using it for that kind of recipe, a simple saucepan is so much easier to wash up afterwards, it's better suited for making healthier "fried" food.

 

[green eyed monster]

the only thing that worries me with these is the sheer length of time it takes to cook something and how much power they use.

it seems its quicker and cheaper (energy wise) to just use the oven.

 

[christine1999uk]

I have an actifry and I use it for quick SW chips, wedges, sweet potato and butternut squash wedges but not for anything else. Its very quick and the food is LUSH!

 

[Rich89]

Think I'll wait a while for when these comes down in price.

£119.99 is the cheapeast I can find online at the moment.

(I'll stick to SW chips on my baking tray for now)

 

[EmmaJH90]

Well our oven is broken until we can get a new one which is part of the reason I got one haha. I've seen people say they hardly use their oven now they have one so thought it'd make a handy replacement for now.

They take 40 minutes to do fresh chips with no par-boiling which is surely about the same as an oven?

The chips are very nice, can't wait to try some other things in it

 

[spo]

There are loads on the website:
ActiFry Recipes | ActiFry UK

can't recommend any as I have only ever done roasties, chips or sweet potato chips in mine! My friend did sausages in hers and they were lovely

 

[MizzLizz]

I've made meatballs in mine......spicy wedges using fajita or piri piri spice powder......venison sausages, roasted veg, syn free chips, I don't even put in the required oil just 3 or 4 sprays of Frylite! Love my Actifry!

 

[EmmaJH90]

We're doing chips and meatballs in it tonight I also only use Frylight rather than the oil.

I might try a proper recipe in it this weekend.

 

[Phoenix_Girl]

I find these somewhat off-putting.
Looking at the energy consumption and the fact they take up counter space, I am cautious about potentially getting one. Eye-watering price tag as well.

Can someone make a case for really getting one, is this something that you "must have in your kitchen"?

I currently have items called crisper baskets for cooking things like wedges and slimming world chips in my oven.
They are replacements for baking sheets so you slide them directly onto your shelves in the oven. Admittedly, they can lead to messes in the oven but the chips are exceptionally crispy and cleaning the baskets is super-easy compared to baking sheets.

 

[EmmaJH90]

I don't honestly think they're a must have for most people. We got one because our oven is broken for the foreseeable future and it allows us to have syn-free chips. It's very useful for us but I'm not sure how useful others would find them.

 

[moideux]

I'm think of getting a Russell Hobbs 2Lt which is on special offer in Ireland, does anybody else have one of these? Thank you

 

[EmmaJH90]

Just an update on Actifry recipes. Roasted parsnips in them are amazing as a subsitute for chips, and someone said in group this week that you can make crispy seaweed in it using kale (in the spirit of Chinese New Year).

 

[swansong1a]

I think my favourite thing to do in mine is mushrooms with just a spritz of Fry Light and a sprinkle of garlic salt. They dry out a bit rather than going all wet in a pan, which intensifies the flavour. A 400g bag of sliced mushrooms is done to perfection in just ten minutes, and they can then be added to pasta or whatever other dish you like (they also keep fine for a few days in the fridge so you don't need to bother cooking a few each time you want some).

 

[EmmaJH90]

Mushrooms are brilliant in it too. We tend to just throw everything in haha. Yesterday we had chips (part potato, part parsnip), chicken breast with a rub on it, and peppers and mushrooms. Which would have all got thrown in but we ran out of room before the peppers and mushrooms