Does a self-stirring function make an air fryer even more useful? I tried Tefal's new multi-cooker to find out

Many multi-cookers now have an air-frying mode in their arsenal, creating a space-saving versatile design that eliminates the need to buy a separate air fryer or multi-cooker. And one such multi-functional hybrid is the Tefal Multicook Actifry.

As Tefal has established a reputation for offering some of the best air fryers on the market, I was unsurprised when its multi-cooker-slash-air-fryer device featured an intuitive design that’s easy to clean and creates fast and healthier meals.

In a nutshell

In short, thanks to its all-round design, the Tefal Multicook Actifry delivers on its promise to meet all your kitchen needs and could definitely qualify as one of the best multi-cookers.

Its 14 diverse programs encompass a speedy air fryer and a self-supervising multicooker, while its touch-screen control panel is intuitive even for novices.

Plus, with its no-preheat air fryer and self-stirring paddle, the Multicook Actifry allows you to whip up low-maintenance dishes in no time. However, I found some of its modes trickier to navigate, and its hefty frame does take up a fair bit of counter space.

Tefal MultiCook ActiFry specifications

• Type: Air fryer and multi-cooker
• Size/dimensions: 37.6 x 35.1 x 36.1 cm
• Cooking area: 4.3L
• Weight: 7kg
• Max temperature: 200C
• Cooking modes: 14
• Power: 1344W
• Colour: Black
• Material: Aluminium, plastic

Who tested this multi-cooker?

Frances Daniels

Frances Daniels is a PPA-accredited journalist and freelance reviewer at Ideal Home, specialising in all the latest kitchen appliances and gadgets. With a keen interest in pescetarian and veggie-friendly dishes, her favourite devices to test are the ones which speed up the cooking time and offer easier and more convenient ways to whip up lunches and weeknight meals. That’s why when the opportunity came up to try this multi-cooker-slash-air-fryer hybrid, she spent over a week creating as many meals as possible – and felt incredibly lucky to have the multicooker as a permanent fixture in her kitchen.

Unboxing the product

When the Tefal Multicook Actifry arrived on my doorstep, its large cardboard box clued me in on just how hefty this multi-cooker is. While it definitely isn’t the biggest or heaviest multi-cooker on the market (and its dual function as an air fryer does save you from having two gadgets in your kitchen), I was struck by how it towered over my bog-standard air fryer when I first hoisted it from its box onto the counter.

The Multicook Actifry will feel right at home in more spacious kitchens, but anyone with limited counter space or low wall cabinets should be aware of its width and height.

Once the novelty of its size wore off, I was immediately taken with its modern, round design. Many multicookers and air fryers have imposing industrial appearances that resemble clunky, oversized microwaves or ovens. The Multicook Actifry, on the other hand, looked incredibly inviting with its simple, touch-screen control panel and shiny black-and-silver exterior.

Inside, I found several accessories and inserts, including a cooking bowl, a cooking tray, a stirring paddle (more on this wonderful contraption later), a measuring cup, a soup ladle, and spatula like you find with many of the best rice cookers. The latter three are handy little extras that aren’t always included with other multi-cookers, and the stirring paddle and cooking tray were easy to attach to the bowl.

Also included was an envelope containing an instructional manual, a quick start guide, and a recipe booklet. While the manual covers the safety and cleaning instructions and trouble shooting, I relied mostly on the illustrative charts and annotations of the quick start guide to help me navigate the device. Considering this was my first multi-cooker, set-up was quick and painless and took me well under 20 minutes.

As for the packaging, the Multicook Actifry arrived in two sturdy cardboard boxes: an outer shipping box and a brand box. Aside from the recyclable cardboard boxes and biodegradable pulp inserts, the packaging was pretty plastic-heavy. The air fryer and even every accessory were individually wrapped in plastic 'made from at least 50% recycled materials'.

What's it like to use?

The Multicook Actifry comes with 14 cooking modes divided into two categories: Air-fry or Multicook. To assess how it functions as both an air fryer and multi-cooker, I tested five Air-fry modes and five Multicook modes by using recipes from its quick start guide and the handy Tefal app. Here’s how it went.

Air fry

For my first test, I decided to try its first and most basic mode, Air-fry. The Air-fry mode doesn’t require pre-heating and Tefal describes it as the setting “ideal for crispy results”. To put this crispy claim to the test, I cooked some meat-free bacon without any cooking oil to see if it could produce crunchy rashers.

I put the bacon rashers on the tray at 180C for 6 minutes. All Air-fry modes require the lid to be shut throughout the cooking process, so I decided to cook the bacon without turning it halfway. The results? Crispy bacon with lightly bronzed edges – no pre-heating, no oil, and no flipping required.

Image 1 of 2

As a pescetarian, I eat a lot of oily fish, so I decided to see if the air fryer could whip me up my favorite dish: Cajun-spiced salmon. I coated the salmon in olive oil and seasoning, and then placed it straight onto the base of the cooking bowl. I then set it to 200C and left it for a total of eight minutes. After 8 minutes, I opened the lid to find a well-cooked, sizzling salmon.

Crispy Meal

Unlike the standard Air-fry setting, the Crispy Meal mode does require 10 minutes of pre-heating, but this means you can reduce the cooking time. Tefal describes this mode as being ideal for “extra crispy results” and “multi-layer cooking”, so I decided to use it for cooking a simple from-frozen meal: a veggie chicken fillet withsweet potato fries.

For even cooking results, I placed the fries in the cooking bowl and fitted the stirring paddle. The stirring paddle is my favorite feature as it basically stirs your ingredients for you, eliminating the need to supervise.

Image 1 of 1

I then placed the fillet on the tray and cooked for 10 minutes (plus 10 minutes pre-heating time) at 180C. After 20 minutes, the fillet was golden brown and the sweet potato fries were the crispiest chips I’ve ever tasted. While this wasn’t the quickest meal, it certainly was the easiest and crispiest.

Steam and crisp

Steam and Crispy was undoubtedly the trickiest function to navigate, and required a lot of trial and error. For this function, which begins with a fixed 20 minutes of steaming followed by air-frying, I decided to cook rice in the base and salmon and broccoli on the tray.

While the salmon was cooked to perfection, the broccoli was singed and the rice was hard and overcooked. The following times I tried the function, I adjusted the air-frying time slightly, but it still produced very hit-and-miss results – and the non-adjustable steaming time may be to blame.

Grill

There’s nothing much to complain about the grill setting; it does what it says on the tin. I grilled a veggie quarter pounder at 200C for six minutes on one side and four minutes on the other (it was supposed to be six minutes on both sides, but I found it was more than ready after 10 minutes of grilling). The result was a juicy burger with a full smoky flavour.

Dehydrate

The last Air-fry setting I tried was the Deydrate mode. I love sun-dried tomatoes, so I was eager to make and preserve my own. I cut four tomatoes into quarters, drizzled some olive oil and sprinkled some salt, and then lined them up on the tray. I then set it for five hours at 70C. (As a side note, this setting made a loud, continuous whirring sound throughout the entire five hours, so it’s best not to leave it overnight if you’re a light sleeper.)

While the tomatoes weren’t as dry as I’d have liked them to be, the dehydrator concentrated their flavour and gave the tomatoes an intense, sweet-but-savoury taste.

Risotto

Risotto is the first Multicook mode and the one I was most eager to try. Anyone who has ever made risotto knows how much supervision and constant stirring a risotto recipe requires. However,with the help of the self-stirring paddle, the setting promises a fuss-free risotto.

The mode also allowed me to try Tefal’s Easy Mushroom Risotto recipe, which appears in the back of the Quick Start Guide and promises a rich risotto in 25 minutes. I followed the recipe exactly, and was pleased with how tasty the results were and what little work was required of me. I will definitely be using the mode and recipe in future.

Pasta

The Pasta setting also uses the self-stirring paddle for a low-maintance dish.The program takes about five to seven minutes to pre-heat. I cooked 75g fusilli pasta for five minutes, which produced a well-cooked, soft pasta dish. In fact, you could probably set the timer for less than five minutes if you prefer your pasta al dente.

Saute

I tested the saute setting using sliced mushrooms, allowing them to stir for about 10 minutes, and found the setting browned and caramelised the mushrooms nicely. The lid can remain open if you wish, allowing you to check up on how your ingredients are doing.

The saute setting is also useful if your rice or pasta dish has too much excess water or liquid, as you can continue sauteing until the liquid is fully absorbed.

Steam

The steam setting was the biggest surprise for me, as I wasn't expecting the “juicy and tender results” that Tefal promised. For this setting, I decided to steam rice, broccoli, and sea bass fillets (as white fish is best for steaming). I was a little skeptical and nervous when the guide said the one-pot meal only requires eight minutes as I had never steam fish before, but I decided to trust the beloved kitchen brand and set it to the recommended cooking time.

After just eight minutes, the rice was fluffy, the broccoli was tender and bright green, and the sea bass was opaque and flaky. This is now one of my favorite modes, cooking a healthy meal in 13 minutes (pre-heating time included).

Reheat

The re-heat mode was the most underwhelming, which was to be expected. It warmed a cheese toastie that had been cooled in the fridge fine, though it didn’t re-melt the cheese even after 20 minutes.It’s a handy mode to have, but I feel a microwave or oven would produce better results.

Cleaning

Cleaning is fairly easy, as the cooking bowl and trays are detachable and dishwasher-safe, while the lid can be wiped with a damp cloth or sponge dipped in hot water. The steam outlet, however, will need to be cleaned every once in a while with a small bottle brush. (I use a skinny brush designed for cleaning reusable straws.)

As with most appliances with non-stick coating, the bowl and baking trays should be cleaned with a non-abrasive sponge or brush to avoid damaging it.I usually wait until the bowl and trays have cooled down before leaving them to soak in warm, soapy water to loosen any food residue.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

Released in autumn 2024, the Multicook Actifry is the latest addition to Tefal’s Actifry line-up, a range of smart air fryers that date back to 2006 when the brand created its first low-oil fryer. However, what separates this model from the Actifry herd is its Multicook modes, making it the first Tefal multi-cooker-slash-air-fryer hybrid.

While this may be Tefal’s first 2-in-1 multi-cooker and air fryer, it’s not the first of its kind. The Multicook Actifry has a rival in The Ninja Combi, a 12-in-1 cooking appliance. However, while the Ninja Combi may have the advantage of a viewing window, the Multicook Actifry has more cooking modes, multi-layer cooking, and a larger capacity. Plus, in my opinion, the Tefal Multicook Actifry looks much sleeker and more modern than the industrial-looking Ninja Combi.

Should you buy the Tefal Multicook Actifry?

The Tefal Multicook Actifry no doubt has a place in the Tefal pantheon, and I predict it will also usurp the Ninja Combi as our favorite multi-cooker. After only a week of testing and experimenting, I was able to make a diverse range of quick, healthy meals with no fuss or constant supervision. It also allowed me to create dishes that I’ve never cooked before or was too intimidated to try.

One of the best things about the Multicook Actifry is its self-stirring paddle. While this feature isn’t available on all the modes, it made whipping up risotto, pasta, and sautéed dishes in the Multicook mode a breeze. Meanwhile, the Air-fry mode is quick and requires no pre-heating time and no-to-very-little oil, while the Crispy Meal setting is perfect for cooking a quick, extra-crispy weeknight meal from frozen.

That’s not to say that some of the modes, such as Steam & Crisp, were a bit tricky or disappointing. However, with 14 modes on its repertoire, it really isn’t a waste if you decide to avoid one or two settings. Plus, my verdict comes from over a week of testing — I’ll probably be able to navigate the setting better with a little more practice.

If you do decide to buy the Multicook Actifry,, my biggest tip is to download the Tefal app, as the recipes on the app served as a springboard for me when trying to work out which temperature, mode, and cooking time I needed.

As a first-time mult-cooker user, I can confidently recommend the Multicook Actifry to any air fryer or multi-cooker novice thanks to its intuitive design. I also think it’s a great device for busy professionals or working parents who would rather be getting on with other tasks than standing over a stove.