Here's what reviewers really think of the T-fal ActiFry air fryer – Mashable
Air fryers — they’re the more health-conscious way to enjoy those crunchy, normally oil-covered snacks that we often turn to for comfort in times of peril, or what others just call “Tuesday.”
While scarfing down potatoes that have been dipped in hot fat is the dream, it’s not sustainable for long. (Think of your poor heart.) That’s why air fryers, one of the most recent kitchen appliance crazes, are a worthy alternative — they use substantially less oil to get your ingredients coated and crispy, and produce similarly tasty results. (Let’s be real: it’s not the same, but you have to make sacrifices sometimes to lead a healthier life).
In your search for one of these fried-food-producing devices, you may have come across the T-fal ActiFry — it’s popular among the short list of air fryers that are worth your time, but is it the one for you? We want to help you answer that question, so we scoured the web to find out what people actually think of the T-fal ActiFry, from bloggers, to reviewers, and even our competitors.
Check out what we were able to dig up, and while you’re at it, take a peek at this list of our favorite air fryers to further aid your indecision.
T-fal’s take on the air fryer is a bit different from others, mostly recognized for its simplicity. It only has one temperature setting, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of cooking (you just need to worry about timing). And whereas most other air fryers require you to shake up your food halfway through, the T-fal employs a self-rotating basket that tosses ingredients while it cooks them to golden-brown perfection.
It also brings the added bonus of dishwasher-safe parts, as well as fool-proof controls that make for consistently stress-free operation.
Out of all the reviews we found, the T-fal was applauded mostly for its ability to cook near-perfect french fries without drying out the middle (a common problem with other air fryers).
Reviews.com performed numerous air fryer cooking tests, and ended up crowning the T-fal as the winner, stating that it exemplified “the best and most consistent cooking across all of our tests, at half the price of its closest competition.”
They also called out the machine’s self-turning basket as one of the more noteworthy features:
“…its unique self-stirrer made a huge difference. Unlike the other models that required us to take the basket out and shake every few minutes, we were able to leave the T-fal alone for the allotted cook time and carry on with our day.”
Healthy But Smart noted that the ActiFry’s safety features were a big positive as well, saying that it’s an “ideal appliance for families with small children due to the inherent safety of the enclosed cooking design and the general efficiency of cooking.”
The T-fal ActiFry doesn’t come free of issues — lots of reviews that we encountered said that the lack of an automatic shutoff feature was a concerning downside.
“T-fal doesn’t provide an automatic shut-off component for when the timer goes off,” Reviews.com said of their time with the ActiFry. “Which means you have to remember to actually shut it off when you’re done — other air fryers did that automatically.”
That could be a potentially dangerous problem for more forgetful folks, so keep that in mind when considering picking up this air fryer.
While some saw the fixed temperature setting to be a good thing, others claimed it to be an inconvenience that didn’t allow for a customizable experience that could meet individual preferences.
Good Housekeeping said that the T-fal was larger than they had originally expected, too, saying that purchasers should “be prepared to clear off a lot of counter space for it.”
CNET also had some trouble with the ActiFry’s operations, referencing oil usage:
“The ActiFry can’t handle much liquid either. If you overfill it or attach its paddle incorrectly, fluid will leak out of the fryer and all over your counter.”
So while the T-fal ActiFry scores big points in the simplicity department, it falls flat when it comes to versatility — whether that’s a worthy tradeoff is up to you.
You can pick up a T-fal ActiFry on Amazon for $119.95, where it has an average rating of four out of five stars from the customers who bought one themselves.
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Dylan Haas is a Lead Shopping Reporter for Mashable, where he covers all things gaming, pets, fitness, sleep, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. Before joining the team at Mashable, Dylan received a B.A. in Communications from Pace University and contributed to publications like Paste Magazine, Bandsintown, and others following a brief stint as a marketing and management assistant in the music industry.
When he’s not writing or testing products, you can find Dylan playing lots of video games, working out, spending time with loved ones (especially his dog, Stevie), or watching reality TV. Follow him on X at @iamdylanhaas, or send him an email at [email protected].
