Skittle68
Sous Chef
What temperature should I use?
Is it safe to deepfry in a pan on the stove?
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I recommend you deep fry in a deep pan such as a 4 to 6-quart saucepan. The higher sides reduces spatter and the danger of fire.
What temperature you fry at depends on what you are frying. Larger items like fried chicken pieces need a lower temperature while smaller items like potato chips call for a higher temperature. Recipes for fried foods usually give an oil temperature to fry their recipe at.
What temperature you fry at depends on what you are frying. Larger items like fried chicken pieces need a lower temperature while smaller items like potato chips call for a higher temperature. Recipes for fried foods usually give an oil temperature to fry their recipe at.
And before you start be sure you know different ways to put out a fire properly.
Nicholas Mosher
Sous Chef
I always fry this way!
As mentioned above, use a deep pot.
Never fill more than 1/3 full with oil.
Never allow the bubbling oil to come more than 2/3 of the way up the pot when adding ingredients.
I've had one fire in the kitchen, and it was from adding too much food to a pot with too much oil. I calmly put it out... but it took about three hours to clean the mess...
EDIT: I generally use my 8-quart All-Clad pot for frying, with 2-quarts of canola or peanut oil.
As mentioned above, use a deep pot.
Never fill more than 1/3 full with oil.
Never allow the bubbling oil to come more than 2/3 of the way up the pot when adding ingredients.
I've had one fire in the kitchen, and it was from adding too much food to a pot with too much oil. I calmly put it out... but it took about three hours to clean the mess...
EDIT: I generally use my 8-quart All-Clad pot for frying, with 2-quarts of canola or peanut oil.
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Is it safe? Well ...
I do it. You have to be careful. If it catches fire, don't use water. Use an appropriate fire extinguisher or dry baking soda. Plan for this ahead of time.
Don't leave the room. Be sure the clothes you are wearing won't dip into the oil or catch the handle of the pot. I don't have any kids, but I imagine it would be a good idea to have someone supervise them while you are deep fat frying - you don't want one of them screaming in pain, so you have to leave the kitchen. You don't want them getting in the way. Come to think of it, it might be a good idea to shut any dogs & cats in a closed room, so they won't be underfoot.
Temperature: it depends on what you are cooking. You can get a rough idea that the temp is pretty good by dropping a small piece of bread in the oil. If it is golden brown in five seconds, the temp is pretty good for lots of things.
If it is too hot, the food will burn. If it isn't hot enough, the food will absorb too much oil.
Barbara L
Traveling Welcome Wagon
I do it occasionally, but it scares me to death! I always make sure I have a lid for the pot handy, as well as double-checking that there is a container of salt and/or baking soda nearby, and reminding myself that the fire extinguisher is nearby. I also do that whenever I fry in a regular frying pan. In fact, the other day I was getting ready to fry some mini-chimichangas and I started to grab my glass of juice to drink while I cooked. I decided to leave it in the living room because I didn't want to take a chance of reacting without thinking and dumping it on the pan if it caught fire. I know better than to do that, but fire is one of the things I am most terrified of, so I take a lot of precautions!
I want to get a cool-touch fryer that lets me close the lid before submersing the food, but we can't afford it now.
Barbara
I want to get a cool-touch fryer that lets me close the lid before submersing the food, but we can't afford it now.
Barbara
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
I got read off of my deep fryer and only use pot nowadays.
justplainbill
Executive Chef
Many deep frying / candy thermometers include temperature recommendations. Two to 2.5 quarts of oil in a 7 quart (4.75" deep, 12" dia.) cast iron dutch oven works pretty well.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
The more oil you have in the pot, the less temperature fluctuation you will have during frying. If you start with two quarts of 350º F and add a large quantity of food, the temperature will drop too far and fry quality will suffer. If you have 4 quarts of oil instead of two (for example) then the same quantity of food won't drop the temperature as far and food quality won't suffer.
The alternative is to add smaller amounts of food at one time so the temperature stays more stable.
However, never exceed the 1/3 and 2/3 full rule Nicholas gave you.
The alternative is to add smaller amounts of food at one time so the temperature stays more stable.
However, never exceed the 1/3 and 2/3 full rule Nicholas gave you.
Listen to these nice folks here or you'll end up like me.. and my poor unfortunate carpet..
It was 2 years ago, and my cousins and I ended up tossing tempura shrimp like a frisbee across the kitchen because we were too afraid to put the shrimp in the oil.. the oil in the pan would EXPLODE.. :*(
It was 2 years ago, and my cousins and I ended up tossing tempura shrimp like a frisbee across the kitchen because we were too afraid to put the shrimp in the oil.. the oil in the pan would EXPLODE.. :*(
justplainbill
Executive Chef
Cast iron pot helps reduce temperature drop. Wouldn't go higher than 1/3 full with the oil.
spork
Head Chef
I'm a bit clumsy and reckless (not a good combination) in the kitchen, and there are two things that I have a healthy fear of, and approach with extra deliberate respect: caramelizing sugar, and deep frying.
Clear your work area, and double-check your start-to-finish assembly line. You don't want to be distracted, multi-tasking, reaching and going here and there when deep frying. For example, flour-eggwash-panko-pot-towel-drainrack-season-ovenwarm, you want it to be very orderly to minimize any chance for something to go wrong.
I gauge temperature as an inverse function of how much time I need cooking, lowering heat for longer cooking. So, a deep fried scoop of ice cream, for example cannot cook for long and therefore needs very high heat, or chicken thigh is best fried at a slightly lower temp than breast.
Clear your work area, and double-check your start-to-finish assembly line. You don't want to be distracted, multi-tasking, reaching and going here and there when deep frying. For example, flour-eggwash-panko-pot-towel-drainrack-season-ovenwarm, you want it to be very orderly to minimize any chance for something to go wrong.
I gauge temperature as an inverse function of how much time I need cooking, lowering heat for longer cooking. So, a deep fried scoop of ice cream, for example cannot cook for long and therefore needs very high heat, or chicken thigh is best fried at a slightly lower temp than breast.
Is it safe to deepfry in a pan on the stove?
How do you think deep frying was done before the invention of home electric deep fryers? You just need to know what you are doing and be careful.
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Caslon
Executive Chef
I suggest having a splatter screen to use. It's a screen mesh with a handle.
spork
Head Chef
If you don't use a splatter guard, you don't wear glasses, and you're deep-frying something wet, I suggest goggles to protect the eyes from exploding oil splatter. Looking like a dork will be small sacrifice.
blissful
Master Chef
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- Mar 25, 2008
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They make electric deep fryers now?Is it safe to deepfry in a pan on the stove?
How do you think deep frying was done before the invention of home electric deep fryers? You just need to know what you are doing and be careful.
Oh! I don't have one.
4meandthem
Half Baked
I only deep fry in pots too but I would also like to add that I keep a bowl of ice/water handy and will not let anybody else in the kitchen while I am doing it.
The Ice/water is to put a burned hand in or dump on yourself if needed.
IT IS NOT TO PUT ON A GREASE FIRE!!!!
The Ice/water is to put a burned hand in or dump on yourself if needed.
IT IS NOT TO PUT ON A GREASE FIRE!!!!
Bigjim68
Head Chef
I have two extinguishers in my kitchen, one on each end, and I make sure that everyone who assists in the kitchen knows where they are.
I nearly had a oil fire a couple of years back. Scary.
I nearly had a oil fire a couple of years back. Scary.
Back where I used to work we had electric pots that melted pewter, just under 500F. These pots were fairly large, roughly a 4-5 gallon in size and were kept fairly full. Drinks were NOT allowed around them.
In a "even better" category, the fire suppression system for the entire building was one of those old spray everywhere, not just localized to the area of the fire. There were nozzles above most of the pots, though that did get rectified eventually.
In a "even better" category, the fire suppression system for the entire building was one of those old spray everywhere, not just localized to the area of the fire. There were nozzles above most of the pots, though that did get rectified eventually.
spork
Head Chef
I want an electric deep fryer, but Underwriters Laboratory will not approve a domestic appliance that attains the temperature I need for some cooking. So, I'm stuck with a pot.
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