Which way do you lean when it comes to food preferences – sweet or salty? Given the choice, my go-to favourites have always been foods that are salty – and usually high in fat – with French fries and potato chips tied for #1 on my list. My mouth waters just thinking about them! Yet as someone who has struggled with weight problems for most of my adult life, overindulging in these calorie-laden treats on a regular basis can be counter-productive to my efforts at reaching and maintaining a healthy weight (which, incidentally, is a big reason why we’ve never owned a deep-fryer).
So I was intrigued when I heard from a representative from T-fal Canada, who offered me the opportunity to gratify my desire for my favourite foods without thwarting my healthy living efforts – Win-Win! – by giving me a free ActiFry 2in1 to try for myself.
The ActiFry 2in1 has a patented 2in1 function that enables you to cook two dishes at the same time – for example, fries or veggies with meat or fish – with an intuitive control panel to manage the two cooking areas and four programs to cook meat, fish, poultry, and even desserts. The unit has a cool touch body for safe and easy handling. The removable cooking pan and plate both feature an exclusive ceramic coating (so your food doesn’t stick!), and the lid, stirring paddle, cooking pan, and plate are all removable and dishwasher safe (making cleanup quick and easy).
But the VERY BEST part (at least as far as I’m concerned!) is that the ActiFry 2in1 uses only 1 spoon of oil (and a measuring spoon is included for perfect measurements of both oil and salt) to make 1.5kg of crispy fries. Seriously!
My French fry dreams have all come true!
We were impressed and inspired by the selection of 20 recipes for great meal ideas included in the box with our new ActiFry 2in1, and after browsing through the book’s full-colour pages (as well as the recipes on Nutritious and Delicious), we decided to try our hand at making some crispy chicken drumsticks with fries for our very first ActiFry 2in1 meal.
We started by preparing some panko-coated chicken…
…and slicing a couple of potatoes (we used Yukon gold, as that’s what we had in the pantry) into fry-shaped pieces.
Then we transferred the potatoes to the bowl of the ActiFry 2in1, drizzled them with a measured amount of olive oil, set the timer, and sat back to wait (with mouths watering – especially as the cooking smell began to filter through the house!).
Midway through the cooking time the unit beeped to alert us to add the tray containing the chicken. This is how the potatoes – almost fries now! – looked when we did so…
…and here’s the chicken, ready to begin cooking.
A few minutes later we dished up the perfectly-cooked food and sat down to our meal (salads not pictured as they were eaten separately!)…
And it was delicious!
While we hadn’t followed any of the recipes exactly (ours was a kind of mash-up between the one for chicken and the one for fish!), we did use the cookbook as a reference for quantities and timing… so I think it says a lot about the ActiFry 2in1’s intuitive ease of use that our first meal turned out perfectly. The chicken was crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. The fries were crisp and flavourful and, in spite of the fact that they were cooked without having been plunged into a vat of hot oil, they tasted exactly like REAL FRENCH FRIES. I would never have imagined that I could truly enjoy fries made with so little oil, but the ActiFry 2in1 has proven me wrong.
Since then we’ve used our ActiFry 2in1 for several further meals, and our enthusiasm about the product has broadened past just the prospect of healthy and tasty fries made at home (though I will confess that this is still MY favourite feature!). It’s easy to use – even for an inexperienced cook – and there’s no fussing involved (I mean, you don’t even have to turn the meat while it’s cooking!). The mess is minimal and contained (more so than cooking on the stovetop) and cleanup is a breeze. And the food you can make is delicious and fits easily into a healthy, balanced diet.
I am a fan!
So, want to experience the ActiFry 2in1 for yourself? It’s available from T-fal as well as the following locations (suggested retail price: $399.99).
- The Bay
- Sears
- London Drugs
- Home Outfitters
- Bed Bath and Beyond
But in the meantime… guess what, Canadian readers? T-fal Canada is offering you the opportunity to win YOUR VERY OWN ActiFry 2in1… so I invite you to enter the giveaway, and wish you the best of luck!
Got any questions about my experience with the ActiFry 2in1?
Ask away!
Disclaimer: I received this product for free to review; however, all opinions are completely my own.
