Tefal-Actifry: Smart fryer uses a mere tablespoon of olive oil to make chips

Low-oil fryers that crisp a whole batch of chips on a single tablespoon promise health and thrift at once. They work, up to a point — but they also revive a stubborn myth worth putting to rest: the idea that you must not fry with olive oil.

The idea is neat: tumble a kilo of cut potatoes in a covered pan, add a single tablespoon of oil, and let a paddle and circulating hot air do the rest. What you get is closer to roasted-fried than deep-fried — genuinely crisp outside, soft within, on a fraction of the usual fat. As a way to cut oil it works, and it is kinder on the kitchen than a vat of bubbling fat. But it quietly raises the bigger question people get wrong.

The smoke-point myth

You will often hear that olive oil, and especially extra virgin, must never be used for frying because it smokes and turns harmful. This is largely a myth. Good olive oil is one of the more stable cooking fats there is: rich in monounsaturated fat and, in extra virgin, in natural antioxidants that actually help it resist breaking down under heat. Its smoke point sits comfortably above normal shallow- and pan-frying temperatures. Studies repeatedly find it holds up as well as or better than many oils sold specifically for frying.

What actually matters when you fry

The real variables are heat and reuse, not the mere fact of using olive oil. Keep the oil at a sensible frying temperature rather than ripping-hot, do not let it smoke, and do not reuse it many times — repeatedly heated oil of any kind degrades. Within those limits, olive oil fries beautifully and lends its own flavour. Save your best, greenest extra virgin for finishing raw, and fry with a decent, fresher regular olive oil or a milder extra virgin; there is no need to sacrifice a prized bottle to the pan.

Gadget, or good technique?

So do you need the machine? Not really — but it is a fair tool if it nudges you to eat fried food more often for less fat, and it is easier and safer than a deep-fryer. Just do not buy it believing olive oil was ever the problem. A well-chosen olive oil, kept at the right heat and not flogged to death through a dozen fryings, is a perfectly good frying fat. This is general kitchen guidance, not a nutrition prescription.

Method	Oil used	Best for
Low-oil air fryer	~1 tablespoon	Chips, lower-fat batches
Shallow pan-fry in olive oil	A few tablespoons	Everyday cooking, flavour
Deep-fry in olive oil	A panful	Crisp results, if oil is fresh
Finishing (no frying)	A raw drizzle	Your best extra virgin

Frying with olive oil, sensibly

• Do not fear it — olive oil is a stable frying fat within normal temperatures.
• Keep the heat sensible; do not let the oil smoke.
• Do not reuse oil many times — repeatedly heated fat of any kind degrades.
• Fry with a decent regular or milder oil; save your greenest extra virgin for raw finishing.

Frying with olive oil: common questions

Can you fry with olive oil?

Yes. It is one of the more stable cooking fats, high in monounsaturated fat, and its smoke point sits above normal frying temperatures. The old warning against it is largely a myth.

Is it safe to fry with extra virgin olive oil?

Generally yes — its natural antioxidants actually help it resist heat. Many cooks reserve their best extra virgin for finishing and fry with a milder or regular olive oil for cost and flavour reasons, not safety.

What really degrades frying oil?

Excessive heat and repeated reuse. Any oil heated too hard or used many times over breaks down; keep the temperature sensible and change the oil.

Do low-oil fryers really work?

Yes, for crisp chips on far less fat — the result is closer to roasted-fried than deep-fried. They are a convenience, not a necessity.

Which olive oil should I fry with?

A fresh, decent regular olive oil or a milder extra virgin. There is no need to use your prized, peppery bottle in the pan.

Drawn from the general science on olive oil’s heat stability; a kitchen guide, not medical or nutritional advice.