# Deep fryer usage



## stardragon

My brother wants to leave the oil in his deep fryer.  How long is it safe to do this?  When should he remove the oil?  Any more tips for a new user?

Note: His fryer didn't come with usage instructions.

Thank you!


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## Andy M.

You can leave the oil in the fryer as long as you store it in a cool, dark location. How long it will be good is a function of a number of things such as, what was fried in it - high protein items such as meats deterioriate oil faster than veggies, whether or not the oil was strained after each use to remove frying residue, if the oil was heated up to or past its smoke point and the type of oil used.

Oil will darken with reuse. If foods darken too quickly (before they are cooked), it's a sign the oil needs to be changed.  With each use, the oil's smoke point drops, resulting in the early darkening.


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## Corey123

And the best type of oil to use in a deep fryer, especially if you plan to do extremely high-temp deep frying is peanut oil.

Because it has a much hight heat tolerance and it won't smoke as easily as
other oils will. You will also need a deep frying thermometer to measure the temperature accurately.


~Corey123.


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## Andy M.

Corey123 said:
			
		

> And the best type of oil to use in a deep fryer, especially if you plan to do extremely high-temp deep frying is peanut oil.
> 
> Because it has a much hight heat tolerance and it won't smoke as easily as
> other oils will. You will also need a deep frying thermometer to measure the temperature accurately.
> ~Corey123.


 
Peanut oil is a good choice.  Also good are corn, canola and safflower oils for the same reasons.

If your deep fryer does not have a thermostat (most do) a thermometer is important to successful frying.


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## Aurora

Corey123 said:
			
		

> And the best type of oil to use in a deep fryer, especially if you plan to do extremely high-temp deep frying is peanut oil.
> 
> Because it has a much hight heat tolerance and it won't smoke as easily as
> other oils will. You will also need a deep frying thermometer to measure the temperature accurately.


 
If you are going for flavor, I prefer peanut oil, however in terms of smoke point there are others (safflower and soy bean) with higher smoke points:

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/CollectedInfo/OilSmokePoints.htm

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Smoke_pointhttp://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Smoke_point


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## Andy M.

Good info, Aurora.  

I have sought smoke point information in the past and found the information is the most inconsistent information of any subject.  Every site that offers the info seems to have different numbers.  It's very frustrating.  As a result, I stick to the few oils I'm comfortable with and skip the rest.


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## Aurora

I agree.  Upon further reading, there are different smoke points for the same oils depending upon how they are refined and upon the strain of the plant from which they are derived. 

I'm looking for some sort of reliable information on the most commonly available brands of oils on the market.  If a person cannot get the specially refined oil then the smoke point is irrelevant to them.


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## kleenex

What deep fryer are we talking about here.  Can the container only go into the refrigerator with a cover on top???


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## Corey123

None in particular, I don't think, but I DO own two.

One is the giant electric Turk N' Surf Turkey Fryer and the other is the Presto
Options Multi-Cooker which also can be used as a small deep fryer. Both of them
come with baskets for this perpose, and both can be used as steamers and boilers for a clambake.

But you can also use any 5-qt. Dutch Oven or 8-qt. stock pot as a deep fryer.

One note:

I forgot to mention that peanut oil can be very expensive.


~Corey123.


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## jkath

stardragon said:
			
		

> Note: His fryer didn't come with usage instructions.


 
Just a thought - have your brother go online and google the make/model of his fryer. Generally you can download the entire informational packet that comes with the fryer.


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## Caine

I have had a deep fryer for years. I use canola oil, exclusively. I buy it in 1 gallon jugs at a restaurant supply warehouse. After each use, I allow the oil to cool completely, then pour it back into the jug it came in, using a large funnel with a gold coffee filter inserted in it. Then I put the washable parts of the fryer into the dishwasher. Both the fryer and the oil last much longer this way.


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## Corey123

Also, keeping it in a cool dry place and out of the sunlight keeps it fresh longer. I keep it in the hall where it's nice and cool, especially in the winter.


~Corey123.


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## attie

Andy M. said:
			
		

> You can leave the oil in the fryer as long as you store it in a cool, dark location. How long it will be good is a function of a number of things such as, what was fried in it - high protein items such as meats deterioriate oil faster than veggies, whether or not the oil was strained after each use to remove frying residue, if the oil was heated up to or past its smoke point and the type of oil used.
> 
> Oil will darken with reuse. If foods darken too quickly (before they are cooked), it's a sign the oil needs to be changed. With each use, the oil's smoke point drops, resulting in the early darkening.


 Excellent advise.
Peanut oil is very rarely used here due to the allergy factor, it realy is a big thing in our country now with so many people allergic to peanuts


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## sparrowgrass

I strain the oil from my deep fryer when it is still quite warm.  I use a paper towel or coffee filter in a colander, and if I wait til the oil is cool it takes forever to strain.


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## Jenyfari

I leave the oil in my deep fryer. I figured what difference did it make whether it was in the fryer or in the metal container it came in. As long as it is sealed well so nothing can get into it I don't see a problem.


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