I was doubtful when I first saw this, but having spent nearly a year using it at least once a week I wouldn t be without this now. We mainly use it for chips/wedges (adding spices) and roast potatoes (with onions or carrots and parsnips). Everything is turned and cooked evenly.

On the first one, we snapped one of the clips on the lid so got it replaced and are a bit more careful now. Despite this one weakness, I still highly recommend this to my friends.

Real chips again

Like a couple of the other reviewers I haven't deep-fried a chip for years because of the smell and mess of a traditional deep fat fryer, never mind the dangers of the old style chip pan.

I actually first found out about this product by watching the Gadget Show and was blown away by the idea. First thing I did was check out the Internet for reviews and much to my surprise it seemed like the real deal. If it's getting praise on the Delia Smith forums you know you're onto a winner.

I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and it's been a joy. So far I've done wedges, chunky cut unpeeled chips and skinnier peeled chips. The chunky unpeeled chips were my favourite - delicious with garlic and herb dip. The trouble with wedges being that they have too many points and edges which with the constant tumbling leads to "chipping" as they crisp. I've also used it to cook Aunt Bessies frozen chips and it does a far better job than the oven and only takes about 25 minutes. Don't add extra oil when doing frozen chips!

I haven't tried anything exotic meatwise, just some thin sausages. Throw them in at the same time as skinny chips or a little later with chunkier ones. Top it off with some onion at 15 mins to go and mushrooms for the last five minutes. Straight to the plate and slap a fried egg on top. Bliss.

On the bad side it is pretty noisy and takes up about a foot by a foot and half of bench space but it's so easy to keep clean I just stow it in it's box on top of the cupboard when I'm not using it. And because there aren't a couple of pints of boiling oil being used I'm confident enough to just set it tumbling and go and watch TV/read a book/work on my opera while it does its stuff.

This is the first kitchen gadget I've bought for ages that's actually exceeded my expectations.

Great

have had the acti fry for about 4 months now and find it great. Yes the chips do taste different to deep fried but in my opinion there taste nicer in the acti fry. I'm a fussy eating and found that when chips were cooking in a deep fat fryer if they weren't cooking in Olive oil then i just didn't like them. However with the acti fryer i find myself experimenting on different oils and seasonings.
I use my acti fry for cooking meat especially chicken and sauage which tastes great. I would never use cook these meats any other way now.

The best thing about the acti frying is how easy it is to clean. I have bought household applicances which end up never getting used as there take ages to clean whereas the acti fry is simple to use and clean. I have even managed to get my Dad to use it, which is no easy task.

a chip fiend writes

A deep fat fryer that takes only one spoon of oil to cook chips? You must be joking. And yet this cunning machine produces very respectable chips without the stench associated with deep fat frying. Furthermore it assuages my anxiety about the unhealthiness of serial chip eating. It really is very good for the chipaholic. Yes it is rather expensive, yes it takes longer than the 'real thing' and yes it makes me feel like a bit of a food fraud. But when chips are both so tasty and healthy at the same time, who really cares?