At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- 6-litre capacity
- Stirring paddle
- 14 programmes
Cons
- Settings can be complicated
- Steam is slow to heat up
- Large worktop footprint
Our Verdict
Almost every type of cooking you could wish for has been included in Tefal’s Multicook Actifry: it can make yoghurt, stir up a risotto (in 25 mins) and even work as a bread machine, plus air fry, grill and steam. However, perhaps its smartest trick is making a whole meal using different cooking levels: in this, it’s head and shoulders above a run-of-the-mill multicooker. The only issue we found is that its functionality can make it tricky to programme, so be sure to keep the instructions to hand.
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Multicookers often boast that they can replace multiple appliances in your kitchen but for Tefal’s Multicook Actifry, it might actually be true. Not only can it function as a steamer, slow cooker, rice cooker and mini oven, it can be your bread maker (albeit with more interaction) and an air fryer too.
The crucial difference is the stirring paddle, which turns food as well as mixes, and a second level for cooking in the form of an elevated tray. Meaning that you can simmer casseroles as easily as making cake or crispy fish fillets, and give dinner a whole new dimension.
Design & Build
- 6-litre cooking bowl
- Space for 5-6 portions
- Dishwasher-safe accessories
Unsurprisingly, the Multicook Actifry looks very much like a multicooker, pressure cooker (pressure cooking is probably the only common method this cooker doesn’t offer) or rice cooker, and is finished in black plastic.
It’s short enough to scoot under your wall cabinets at just under 35cm tall, and around the same in width (35.1cm) and depth (37.6cm). It’s not especially heavy at 6.8kg, so easy enough to move around the kitchen or store in a cupboard. Inside, there’s a 6-litre cooking bowl with a removable paddle and you can add an extra level with a silicone-edged tray, about 20cm in diameter, which can fit either high or low in the bowl. (The sample we tested had one tray but some retailers have a model with two trays.) The element for air frying and grilling is located in the lid above.
As there are multiple functions and options, including a delay start of up to 15 hours and a keep warm setting, the control panel is a riot of icons and buttons. Some of these could have been trimmed down: for example, there are buttons for later meal, stir, time, temperature and keep warm, as well as icons elsewhere to show if that feature has been activated.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
The overall effect is that you’ll be keeping the instructions nearby for a while. On the plus side, the digital display is large and clear: easily read from across a room, and it comes with handy accessories in the form of a spatula, ladle and measuring cup. All the parts are dishwasher safe, but you’ll still need to clean the lid by hand.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Performance & Features
- Cooking pot with cool-touch handles
- Integral paddle for no shake/stir cooking
- Experimentation needed for best results
Like most multicookers, the Multicook Actifry is all about creating quick, healthy meals for those with busy lifestyles. However, it does go one better than most with the range of functions on offer, and a cooking pot with cool-touch handles, so you can lift the bowl out to serve at the table.
Its makers suggest that it can make 5-6 portions, although that would be quite a tight squeeze for some foods. Tellingly, not all the one-pot meals have amounts listed for six people.
We decided to test the Multicook Actifry three different ways: air frying chips, a steam one-pot meal and a crispy one-pot meal. It has a maximum temperature of 200°C for air frying (its minimum cooking temp is 40°C), although for fresh chips on the air frying programme it recommended 180°C for a longer than usual 30 minutes.
The first issue we found is that if you don’t set it quickly enough (ie if you’re checking options and cooking times), the Multicook Actifry has a habit of switching itself off. Good from an eco point of view but for anyone getting to know its workings, it can be frustrating. There’s also no back button, so if you make a mistake, you have to start again.
Once set, with the paddle in place and stirring, we were able to walk away while our chips cooked: no shaking or turning, no removing a basket. After the time had elapsed, the chips were well cooked and soft inside but not as crispy as we had hoped. A longer cooking time or higher temperature would hopefully crisp them more.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Next, we tried the one-pot steam meal with pasta, chicken breasts and broccoli. Cooking temperatures are listed for each of the foods, along with amounts/portion sizes and position in the bowl, but we found the timings confusing.
It wasn’t clear if, for example, the pasta required 10 minutes on its own, then the chicken should be added onto the tray for 10-15 minutes more, then broccoli for six minutes, creating a total cooking time for the pasta of 26-31 minutes. Or, if the pasta and chicken should be added at the same time and cooked for a total of 10 minutes, with the broccoli then added after four minutes so it could cook for six.
We chose the latter option, cooking pasta and chicken for 15 minutes in total, adding the broccoli six minutes before the end, excluding the preheat time for the steam to build. However, the chicken was quite dry and the broccoli overcooked.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
The crispy one-pot meal was more successful. This required 10 minutes to preheat before we added cubed potatoes to fry below the cooking tray, on which we placed a butterflied chicken breast. We cooked both for 15 minutes. The potato was well browned but wet from the chicken juices above. The chicken, however, was beautifully cooked, golden on the outside and tender inside.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Price & Availability
The Tefal Multicook Actifry has an RRP of £199.99 but at the time of writing, it’s discounted on Amazon (down to £139.99), QVC (now £139.95) and direct from Tefal (£159.99).
On offer, it’s good value and we’d recommend it as a versatile cooker. But if it isn’t the right countertop cooker for you, have a look at our round-ups of the best Ninja air fryers and cookers, the best dual-drawer air fryers, the best air fryer ovens and the best air fryers overall.
Should you buy the Tefal Multicook Actifry?
While the Multicook Actifry could definitely be easier to programme, and some functions might need a tweak for the best results, overall, we felt this machine delivered a lot for the price tag. It’s a gift for those who are short on time or dinner inspiration, as well as those who batch cook and entertain.
We especially liked that the paddle removed the need to turn food, and that clean-up afterwards was fuss-free. It’s still an investment appliance when stacked up against other multicookers, but it offers so much more that it’s sure to be in everyday use.
