Deep Fryer Recommendations

[JMediger]

Hello All,
DH would like a deep fryer for Christmas. I've looked at them in the store and read a few reviews on line but thought I would ask here, people I know will give it to me straight.

So ... for the home cook looking to fry chicken, fries, chips, fish and various appetizers, which fryer would YOU recommend? The ones with 2 fry sections intrigue me but what are the chances you are frying to different things at the same time?

Thank you!

 

[bowlingshirt]

I'm not going to name anything specific, but here are a few things I would look for:

1 - Filtered lid, help keep the stinky down.
2 - Removable oil bucket for easier clean-up.
3 - Built-in T'stat to help maintain proper temp.
4 - I would avoid a small frier, as the higher oil-to-food ratio will help maintain a constant temp.

 

[Run_Out]

I have a couple one from Waring and one from Masterbuilt. The Masterbuilt is the one I use the most. I deep fried a turkey this past Thanksgiving and it was really good.

This is an indoor electric deep fryer that holds about two gallons of oil, if you like you can replace the oil with water and use it to boil foods, I like to do a seafood boil.

There is a spout to drain the oil and the clean up is quick and easy. The price on these are crazy. The internet list them at $119.00, Acadamy had them for $69.95 before Thanksgiving, my brother was try to buy one this week for a XMas gift but can't find any in town.

They are generally carried by Target, WalMart,

Hope this helps

 

[Andy M.]

I have this deep fryer. I like its large oil capacity and deep basket. All the parts except for the electronics go in the DW for cleaning.

 

[pacanis]

How does the DW work for you, Andy? My DW barely touches any of the deep fryer components I put in it, but I don't put them in after each use either.

And I have a Waring Pro. It's OK. If they still make them, I would try to find one of those sealed up T-Fal fryers.

 

[Andy M.]

Some of the oil is caked on and the DW doesn't touch that. For the tough stuff I use BKF and Dawn Power Dissolver, then into the DW.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks. Same here.
My next tear down I'm going to try Greased Lightening.

 

[JMediger]

Thank you everybody! I appreciate your quick responses!

I have this deep fryer. I like its large oil capacity and deep basket. All the parts except for the electronics go in the DW for cleaning.

I really like the DW part Andy!

If they still make them, I would try to find one of those sealed up T-Fal fryers.

I was looking at a T-Fal fryer at the same time I was looking at a Fry Daddy. If I remember right, they were both sealed. Is the T-Fal a good one?

 

[pacanis]

I still have one that's 25 years old. I used it up to a couple years ago when I got my Waring Pro. The TFal fryer is a lot cleaner to use and the kitchen/house doesn't smell up near as much. The downfall with mine was the capacity (I was getting into frying wings at the time) and the recovery time. That was it. Now that I can compare using another deep fryer, if I was going to buy again I would look into that TFal one you mentioned. I can only guess they improved on the antique I have....
I'm going to check it out now. I didn't know they still made them.

 

[pacanis]

Hey.... They make some nice deep fryers :^)
I would call them and see if they still actually seal, or if the lid merely closes or sets in place.
And one point of note; Supposedly the heating element in the oil is better for recovery time, but it's also messier. One more thing to lift out and deal with when you are changing oil. I didn't see anything at Amazon saying or showing either of those things.

 

[sattie]

I second the choice Andy offered up. It is the same one I have and it works great. I like the fact that I can set it to the temp I need.

Andy... I have been hand washing mine all this time!!! Grrrrr!

 

[Mama]

I have the same one that Andy M. has and I love it. I've had it for several years now and being from the south you know it gets a lot of use!

Alton Brown did an epsiode on Good Eats where he was checking out deep fryers and it is the one that he picked out too because it goes up to 380 degrees where most deep fryers don't go that high.

 

[Run_Out]

Andy

Can you deep fry a 14lb turkey? That and the ability to use water instead of oil is why I chose the Masterbuilt fryer. It is digital with temperature settings to 400degrees. Check them out if you want to fry a lot of stuff...
Later

 

[Andy M.]

Andy

Can you deep fry a 14lb turkey? That and the ability to use water instead of oil is why I chose the Masterbuilt fryer. It is digital with temperature settings to 400degrees. Check them out if you want to fry a lot of stuff...
Later

I can deep fry a 14 pound turkey in my turkey fryer. The deep fryer I linked to is a countertop model that is intended for smaller items.

 

[JMediger]

... That and the ability to use water instead of oil is why I chose the Masterbuilt fryer...

That is very cool and certainly on my list of pros for the model you mentioned. How often do you find yourself using for water "stuff"?

 

[RobsanX]

I have this deep fryer. I like its large oil capacity and deep basket. All the parts except for the electronics go in the DW for cleaning.

I have the exact same fryer. The basket handles are a little flimsy, but everything else is great. 1 gal. capacity, digital temp. and timer, and easy to clean up too...

 

[Run_Out]

I like to do what we call a farmers boil. I use packaged crab boil, corn on the cob, red potatoes, shrimp, crawfish, clams, mussels, crab whatever shell fish I can find, to serve just spread newspaper on a long picnic table, dump the contents of the boil and everyone just sits and eats, for clean up we just roll everything up in the papers and throw in the trash.

later

 

[FincaPerlitas]

I have a lot of experience with large commercial deep fryers but don't use one at home. However, based on my restaurant experience, an automatic filtering system would be a very important feature to me. Manually filtering cooking oil is a real pain. First you have to wait for it to cool, then filter it, then probably have to clean up spilled oil, then transfer it to a storage container, probably clean up more spilled oil, then find someplace to store it.

T-Fal make one in the Emerilware line that has an automatic filter and oil storage resevoir:
Amazon.com: Emerilware FR7009001 3-2/7-Liter Deep Fryer by T-Fal: Kitchen & Dining. The reviews are pretty good.

They also sell one under the T-Fal name that is a little less expensive, but appears to be smaller capacity and lacking some of the features of the Emerilware model: Amazon.com: T-Fal FR7008002 Ultimate EZ Clean Pro-Fryer Stainless-Steel 2-2/3-Pound Deep Fryer: Kitchen & Dining.

 

[JMediger]

Ok, the filter and storage "drawer" seems pretty cool.

Those of you who have the Euro - Pro, do you find filtering the oil an issue? Do you just store the oil in the stainless steel resevoir that is mentioned or do you re-bottle it? (Can you tell we don't fry alot of stuff?)

 

[Andy M.]

I just leave it in the fryer.