It’s a new year and I have a new piece of equipment in my kitchen. It’s an ab fab air fryer: the Optimum HealthyFry. What a great way to Jumpstart January.
I like a plate of chips as much as anyone else, but I’ve never had or used a deep fat fryer. There are a number of reasons for this: I don’t like the mess or the waste of oil and I prefer my home cooked food to be as nutritious as possible. So an air fryer sounds like an intriguing way around the problem.
The Optimum HealthyFry
The Optimum HealthyFry is a rapid air fryer and uses pressure-cooking technology to cook food quickly and seal in the goodness. Hot air circulates to heat the ingredients from all sides to ensure speedy and even cooking at lower temperatures than you might otherwise use. It may not be frying in the sky exactly, but the fryer is raised a little which helps the hot air to circulate and heat the ingredients from all sides.
Key Specifications
- 2.5 litre cooking capacity
- digital screen with touch screen interface
- time and temperature control up to 60 minutes and 200β
- automatic shut-off
- basket and drawer are aluminium with non-stick coating.
- 1400 watts
- dimensions are 310 x 270 x 326 mm and weight is 5.45 kg
- includes easy to use manual and 15cm non-stick cake tin
Can It Really Fry?
The air fryer needs little in the way of oil to make fab chips. I’ve tried it, er, a few times now! A scant two teaspoons of olive oil for two bowls of, crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside, chips and only eighteen minutes from start to finish. CT reckoned they tasted as good as the chips at our local chippie and they make particularly good ones.
You can also add whatever flavourings you like. Watch out for my upcoming post for rosemary chips. They are so good. I’ve made sweet potato fries too. Just don’t mention the acrylamide!
Unlike frying foods conventionally, this air fryer feels very safe to use. No spitting hot fat, or even worse, forgetting you’ve left the chip pan on a hot stove. Many a house fire is started by such an oversight. The timer switches off the appliance at the end of the cooking time and the heating element turns off automatically if the cooking basket is removed. I can safely get distracted by something else – phew!
I made a very quick video to show the digital display whilst chips are cooking. It’s my first youtube video ever, so please be gentle with me π
Can You Use The HealthyFry As an Oven?
Don’t be fooled by the name HealthyFry; there is far more to this piece of kit than a means of frying food in a healthier way. It also acts as a mini oven. You can use it to defrost, grill, roast and bake. It even comes with a cake tin. Strangely, making a cake in it was one of the first things I did. The resulting chocolate banana cashew cake was one of the best cakes I’ve made and it was vegan too.
Because I don’t like having to heat up a large oven to cook small items, this is one of the main benefits of the Optimum HealthyFry for me.
It compares well with other leading air fryer appliances, although no recipes are included. As well as cooking foods quickly, the air fryer is easy to use and even I figured out how to use the touch screen digital display quickly. There are some pre-set programmes for such things as chips, but time and temperature can easily be adjusted or even set from scratch.
A Fabulous Piece of Kit
I’m rather in love with my new Optimum HealthyFry air fryer. This is because it’s not only easy to use, it’s easy to clean too. The inner basket detaches easily and can be washed in the sink or dishwasher along with everything else. You can just wipe the drawer with a damp cloth, unless any food has stuck to it. In this case, soak in warm soapy water for ten minutes with the basket inside it.
The only downside I can find, apart from the lack of recipes, is trying to find some space for it in my kitchen. Like many appliances, it’s unlikely to get used if it’s not easily accessible. Having said that, it comes with an attached handle for easy portability.
Recipes Using The Optimum HealthyFry Air Fryer
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you have an air fryer, Iβd love to hear about it in the comments below. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtagΒ #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If youβd like moreΒ equipment reviews, follow the link and youβll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
I was sent a Froothie HealthyFry to try, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support of the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
Eb Gargano says
Wow – sounds like an amazing piece of kit! And those chips sound yum!! Can’t believe you can bake a cake in it too – what a fab idea!! π Eb x
Choclette says
Luckily, the initial excitement of making fab chips has worn off a bit π I’m onto falafels now.
Nadia says
I love fries too π but I usually roast mine. I would love to have one of these fryers for fuss-free healthier chips π
Laura says
Argh, I really want one of these now – I love chips but not the fat!
Choclette says
They do make such good chips Laura, but I need to move on and try something else I think!
Cathy @ Planet Veggie says
I love my airfryer. I’ve been using it almost daily!
Choclette says
I bet you’ll be frying up some real treats in in Cathy π
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
We were tempted to invest in an air-fryer a couple of years back, but weren’t sure how well they worked. Your chips look amazing though!
How versatile are they? Can you do anything that would be deep-fried….. say doughnuts??
Choclette says
Ooh doughnuts, now there’s an idea. It’s still very early days for me at the moment but I’ve seen rosti made and I shall be trying falafel at some point.
Ciara Attwell says
Those chips look delicious. As good as deep fried any day!
Choclette says
I was honestly surprised at just how good those chips are Ciara.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Ooh, those do look like fabulous chips. I usually bake mine but it’s a bit of a faff having to stir them every ten minutes to make sure they cook evenly. These look great!
Choclette says
I have made chips in the oven, but I find it a bit of a faff, so it’s been a rarity. This makes the process much easier, but they chips do need turning halfway through their cook time.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
An air fryer is on my list of MORE kitchen appliance “needs” π
Choclette says
Yes indeed Rebecca, it’s hard to know when to stop!
Mina Joshi says
Those chips look delicious. I like the idea of making them in the air fryer.
Choclette says
Thanks Mina. The chips are too good – I can’t stop making them.
Lorna @ Eat Myyy Thoughts says
These chips look great!
L x
Choclette says
They are so good Lorna, I’ve been eating rather a lot of them π
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I’m having fun with this air fryer too. I think I am going to try tofu in it next. Nice review.
Choclette says
Thanks Jac. Ooh, I’ll be looking out to see what you do with the tofu π
Dom says
you see, the issue is that if we had one of these at home we would eat chips every night for dinner… I can imagine this would be great if you had kids or a large family but I just have to keep temptation at bay…. lovely looking chips nevertheless. x
Choclette says
Well the temptation is certainly there. I’ve eaten more chips this week than I did in the whole of last year (well maybe not quite that bad)!
Janice says
Wow your chips look amazing. I don’t use a deep fat fryer for similar reasons, but this method is ideal.
Choclette says
The chips are so good, I’ve had them four times this week already – oops!
Andrea @ The Petite Cook says
I absolutely love using my air fryer, and Im sure you will too π I remember I was super excited the first time I made chips, they were so crispy and tasty you couldnt possibly tell they where “airfryed”!
Choclette says
The air fryer is a complete revelation. I’m looking forward to trying out a few more things now.
Sarah says
Sounds a fab piece of kit from Froothie. Those chips look like they turned out so well too – I’m craving now! π
Choclette says
The chips really are quite amazing, so crisp and fluffy and well, chip like π
Elizabeth says
This sounds like a rather fantastic appliance to have! All singing and all dancing, and those chips look FAB!
Choclette says
It’s really useful for cooking small amounts of food and it makes truly amazing chips π
Dannii says
I am obsessed with my air fryer. We make chips in it about 3 times a week and they always come out perfect.
Choclette says
Haha, yes. I can see us eating chips rather more than we used to π
Chris @thinlyspread says
Oooh, I’m very taken with this idea and intrigued at the cake making bit, off to have a proper look at your recipe now too!
Choclette says
It works really well as a mini oven and it does make the most amazing chips.
Jan Bennett says
Oooh what a lovely health fryer! Great chips too.
Choclette says
Yes, it’s rather good Jan. i’ve perhaps been eating a few too many chips though π