T3's Tefal Multicook Actifry review in a sentence: Like a tweaked version of Tefal’s great Actifry Genius XL appliance, only better in many ways.
Tefal can always be trusted to come up with something slightly different when it comes to multicookers and air fryers. For example, I’ve been using the Tefal Actifry Genius XL for roughly four years now and it’s still going strong, but starting to show its age. Nevertheless, it’s still listed in our comprehensive best air fryer guide.
What that appliance has done brilliantly is, well, a little bit of everything. What I’ve loved about it is the quirky circular bowl that lets me keep food moving and therefore cook more evenly with the help of a rotating paddle inside. I can even cook liquid-y dishes, like stews and curries, which few air fryers can do. So, it’s a great all-rounder.
Now though, there’s this, the Tefal Multicook Actifry, which does feel like something of a successor to that older appliance. Central to this thinking is the way that I can cook all sorts in it, including those stews and curries plus there’s an internal paddle that keeps the ingredients circulating. The design is a little less unorthodox than the Genius, but the reality of its squarer shape it that it’ll sit on a countertop in slightly more practical fashion.
Tefal Multicook Actifry review: price and availability
The Tefal Multicook Actifry is available to buy now for £199.99 and is available via Tefal directly, or from the usual electrical appliance outlets.
Tefal Multicook Actifry review: what is it?
The Tefal Multicook Actifry, or Multicook Actifry MY741C40 Air Fryer & Multicooker - 6L Black to give it the online naming convention, is a combination cooking appliance, which can do a little bit of everything. This is thanks to its versatile design that features an air-fryer style construction, which can be used for different cooking tasks. There’s freedom too, with a range of presets or the option to go completely manual, while the Tefal is super flexible allowing careful tweaking of cooking times for foodstuffs that are temperamental.
Alongside offering multiple cooking modes including air-frying, crisping, steam and crisp, grill, bake/roast, bread and dehydrate options, the design benefits from a revolving paddle system. Much like the earlier Tefal Actifry Genius XL machine, this offers up much more flexibility, allowing dishes like curries and stews to be cooked in the main bowl. In that respect, it falls into the air-fryer-meets-multicooker category.
The design is more square than circular although Tefal designers have rounded off edges where they can, so it certainly looks a little less boxy thank some bog-standard air-fryers. While the power cable isn’t the most generous, the Tefal Multicook Actifry does come with everything needed to get started right out of the box. That includes the main bowl, a cooking tray, the stirring paddle, a measuring cup plus soup ladle and spatula. Tefal has also produced a clear colour manual while the appliance is supplemented by a nifty Tefal app.
Tefal Multicook Actifry review: is it any good?
Much as I still love my Tefal Actifry Genius XL, one of the things that did irritate me slightly were the rather convoluted cooking controls. Dialling in the settings correctly did feel like a bit of a dark art. Not so with the Tefal Multicook Actifry, which is an altogether more sensible bit of kit.
Central to the operation is the front-facing control panel, complete with great looking and easy to read fonts, bright LEDs and push-button simplicity. It also tells you when you’re in Air-fry mode or Multicook mode, so couldn’t be simpler.
Tefal Multicook Actifry review: performance
The Tefal Multicook Actifry is a decent size, with a 6-litre capacity, which means that it’s going to be a good choice for anyone with more mouths to feed. It’s also got 1334W of power to get those 14 different cooking modes completed. Switching it on for the first time, I found the appliance super easy to get my head around. In fact, the controls are some of the clearest I’ve seen on a multicooker-style device.
Considering this is an all-in-one unit, the first trial I conducted for the Tefal Multicook Actifry was to do a one-pot roast. The generous size allowed me to get an average-sized chicken inside, as well as the veg, although everything was a little snug before it started cooking and subsequently shrank in size.
The great thing is that the multi-layer cooking tray can be placed depending on what you’re putting in, so the versatility is a big part of the attraction here. With everything loaded in, it was simply a case of making the mode selection and setting it underway. While there’s no window on this appliance, I found it easy enough to pop the lid and check on progress as it worked its way through the cycle.
One thing to note, as is the case with all these appliances, is that they can often get hotter than expected. I found it was vital to check regularly and also baste as needed, to avoid scorching and drying out. The upside is that the Tefal does crisp nicely, so anyone who loves crispy chicken skin, or crunchy wings, will find it fits the bill.
Conversely, I also tried the steaming capability of the Tefal Multicook Actifry using its Multicook functionality. Again, it’s all about the convenience in this respect as I found it easy to load potatoes in at the bottom and sit veg and a couple of salmon fillets on the upper shelf. There’s even less involved to get a meal ready using this route as there’s no threat of scorching. As a one-stop mealmaker, it’s excellent.
In-between, I tried a runny option with the Tefal proving surprisingly good for getting a portion of risotto rice cooked. The paddle makes all the difference as it keeps ingredients circulating. Naturally, this is also brilliant when it comes to getting my air-fry staple – French fries, cooked to perfection.
Tefal Multicook Actifry review: verdict
I think the Tefal Multicook Actifry is a great solution if you tend to like doing a little more than cooking chips in a standard air fryer. While this appliance can do fries to order, and very well thanks to the inner paddle, it offers a wealth of opportunities.
The one-pot solution is great for saving time, with something like a roast dinner being very quick and easy to achieve. Prep takes next to no time and then everything goes into the pot. A lack of window means there’s some monitoring required, but that’s no great hardship. Really, it’s a brilliant bit of kit.
Tefal Multicook Actifry review: Alternatives to consider
Tefal has come up with something very interesting with this appliance, which makes sense if you want to bypass a traditional oven. However, there are oodles of variations on the theme, with air fryers being the main area of choice. Our selection of the best air fryers and the best multi-cookers will give you an overview.
Specific favourites of mine include the Tower 9 litre Dual Basket Digital Air Fryer, or the Tower T17076 Xpress Pro Combo 10-in-1 Air Fryer, which comes complete with a rotisserie that can handle a whole chicken. Similarly, the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid, or the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1, is a multi-faceted machine with brilliant air and steam-fry features.
