Oprah-endorsed appliance churns out low-oil French fries

TWO WEEKS AGO, Oprah Winfrey went to Instagram and Twitter - @oprah, natch - to post praises of one of her favorite things. The O electronically professed her endless love of a $249 countertop kitchen appliance, a fryer that transforms baking taters into french fries using a scant amount of oil.

"This machine . . . T-Fal actifry has changed my life," wrote Winfrey. "And they're not paying me to say it."

(One would hope not, since America's pre-eminent media mogul seems to do quite well for herself with the jobs she's already got.)

Winfrey, whose O Magazine last year included the ActiFry on her "Healthy! O List," included photos with her posts. One photo showed her cradling the ActiFry like a jubilant auntie with a newborn niece. The other showed her lunch: a veggie burger, low-fat shoestring fries (made with just "1tblspn oil," said the tweet) and two dainty ramekins of ketchup and mustard.

(Both tiny dishes also held tiny serving spoons, since OWN's owner doesn't squeeze her condiments from a bottle, like the rest of us.)

Soon after it went up, Winfrey's post had upward of 6,000 Facebook "likes." And, according to a T-FAL representative, ActiFry sales skyrocketed in France and the U.K., where the healthy fryer first gained popularity. Web traffic and sales increased in the U.S., too.

But maybe not quite as much.

Local appliance sellers haven't noticed a traditional Oprah bump from the electronic memo. Cherry Hill-based Kitchen Kapers, which sells the fryer mostly online, reported no noticeable increase increase in sales. The Franklin Mills and Wynnewood Bed Bath & Beyond stores both said they had plenty in stock.

Still, if you're a fan of fried fare - but not of fat - the ActiFry is an appliance worth considering, said Cathy Barasch, assistant manager at the Princeton Kitchen Kapers (which also has them on shelves). In addition to turning out lower-fat fried foods - albeit "slower than a traditional deep fryer," she said - the machine, which operates much like a countertop convection oven with a rotating paddle, is "a lot easier to clean than a deep fryer. Its parts are dishwasher-safe. And, there's a lot less oil to get rid of."

Barasch said it also functions as a slow cooker to make a mean turkey chili, chicken stir-fry or Bolognese sauce. No word yet if Oprah's been using the appliance to make "homemades."

Have ActiFry? Try these.

ACTIFRY FRENCH FRIES

1 3/4 pound baking potatoes (Yukon Golds work well)

1 ActiFry spoonful canola or olive oil (spoon included with ActiFry)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Peel the potatoes and cut into fries of equal thickness, no more than 2/3 inch in thickness recommended. Rinse fries thoroughly in water, drain well. Use a clean kitchen towel to dry the fries. (The drier the fries, the crispier they'll be.)

Place the fries in the ActiFry pan. Drizzle evenly with the oil. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the fries are golden and cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness and variety of potato.

Season fries with salt and serve.

Variation: Substitute a 28-ounce bag of frozen fries for fresh potatoes; don't use oil.