Oprah has a new favorite gadget: the T-fal ActiFry. The founder of OWN and television host can't hide her love for the new appliance, which uses "patented heat pulsing action" to cook a range of foods from stews to desserts.

"This machine ..T-Fal ActiFry has changed my life. And they're not paying me to say it," Oprah posted on her Instagram account while she is pictured holding the machine.

The ActiFry automatically cooks dishes at 338 degrees, while a paddle stirs the food. Foods that typically require a lot of oil need little or no oil with the ActiFry.

"This entire plate of crispy fries, 1tblspn oil. Delicious with my veggie burger," she wrote after posting a picture of her meal.

"That is not a license to go and eat fries all the time. This is really still an indulgence. If you normally are deep-frying this might be a little of a better idea," said nutritionist Kerri Glassman.

The fries take 30 to 40 minutes to cook, while using a deep-fryer cooks them in about 10-20 minutes.

Glassman tested the machine and said: "The only negative I really found is that if you have a kitchen like mine you can barely fit forks and knives in there, it's a little bulky."

If you do use the machine, Glassman recommends using the ActiFry for dishes other than fries.

"It's a little bit of an excuse to eat fries all of the time," she said.

Sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, the machine costs $249. Reviews on the site recommend the machine, with most users giving it either a four or five star rating.

(Image credit: Oprah Winfrey/Instagram)

Real Crispy Fries

1 3/4 pounds baking potatoes such as Russet 1 ActiFry spoon oil (your choice) 1/2 tsp salt (approx.)

Peel the potatoes and cut into Fries of equal thickness, no more than 2/3 inch. Rinse fries thoroughly in water; drain well. Use a clean kitchen towel to thoroughly dry the Fries. Place the Fries in the ActiFry Pan. Drizzle evenly with the oil. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the Fries are crisp, golden and cooked through, (the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the Fries and the variety of potato used). Season with salt (adjust to taste). For the crispiest Fries, it is essential to thoroughly dry the potatoes before cooking.

Fried Meatballs

1 pound 5 ounces minced meat (mixture of 60 percent veal and 40percent pork) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3 1/4 ounces gruyere cheese 2 slices white bread 3 1/2 ounces milk 4-5 sprigs parsley 1 egg 1 3/4 ounces flour

Beat an egg with the minced meat in a bowl. Add the cumin, chopped parsley and bread, which has been soaked in warm milk. Mix vigourously with a fork. Season. Make small meatballs, rolling between your hands. Stuff each meatball with a small piece of cheese and close it up so the cheese does not run out when the meatball is cooked. Roll the meatballs in flour and cook them in several batches in the ActiFry for 20 minutes.

Potato Wedges with Herbs and Spices 1 3/4 pounds small potatoes, left unpeeled 1/2 ActiFry spoon dried mixed herbs 1/2 ActiFry spoon paprika 3 ActiFry spoons light olive oil 2 ActiFry spoons plain flour Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

Cut each potato (leave the skins on) into 4 or 6 even wedges, depending on their size. Rinse the potato wedges thoroughly, drain, then dry them well on a clean tea towel. 2. Place the potato wedges in a large bowl. Add the dried herbs, paprika and 2 ActiFry spoonfuls of oil and toss to mix until the potatoes are well coated. Add the flour and toss to coat well. 3. Place the potato wedges in the ActiFry pan, then drizzle the remaining oil evenly over the wedges. Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the potato wedges are cooked. 4. Add seasoning to taste, if desired. Serve the potato wedges with a selection of dips.

Sweet Potato Fries

1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes (unpeeled) 1 ActiFry spoon of canola oil Salt to taste (optional)

Cut the sweet potatoes into ½ inch thick fries. Rinse them in cold water, drain well, then fry them thoroughly with paper towel. Put the potatoes in the ActiFry pan, drizzle with oil and cook for 40-45 minutes until they are tender and crisped. Season with salt and serve.

ActiFried Chicken with Peanuts and Orange Juice

1 pound 5 ounces cubed boneless chicken breast 2 oz unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped 3 1/2 ounces orange juice 1 to 2 ActiFry spoons sherry vinegar 10 ounces low-salt chicken stock 1/2 ActiFry spoon cooking oil Fresh coriander leaves 1 chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 Actifry spoon cornflour (optional) Salt and pepper

Cook the onion for 5 minutes in the ActiFry and add the seasoned chicken cubes and the peanuts. Cook for another 2 minutes and add the garlic and coriander leaves. Continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the orange juice and the vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes and add the chicken stock. Cooking for 5 minutes. Thicken with cornflour if you want. Adjust the seasoning and serve with white rice.

Tex-Mex Chips

2 pounds 4 ounces peeled, washed potatoes 1 ActiFry spoon of oil 1 ActiFry spoon of tex-Mex seasoning 1 ActiFry spoon of Tabasco

Cut the potatoes into chips measuring 1 cm in thickness. Wash the cut chips well, drain and dry carefully. Mix the Tex-Mex powder with the oil. Put the chips in the ActiFry pan. Pour the oil and Tex-mex mixture evenly over the chips. Cook for 30 minutes. Open the ActiFry. Add salt. Pour the Tabasco over the chips. Continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Fried Cinnamon and Almond Pears

3 pears 1/2 cup almonds Juice of 1 orange 1 ActiFry spoon grape must or white wine 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook the pears, almonds and olive oil in the ActiFry for 6 to 7 minutes. Mix together the orange juice, grape must and cinnamon and then add to the pears. Cook for another 6 to 7 minutes.