# What to look for in a deep-fryer?



## surfol

What should I look for in a deep-fryer?
I'll probably use it for deep-frying fried chicken and I'd like to get a result that's comparable to restaurant's.

I've done some research, but I just want to get more opinions from you guys.

1. How does the wattage affect the fried food? Does higher wattage mean faster oil recovery time and higher maximum temperature?
2. What feature(s) is a must in a deep fryer other than thermostat?
3. What materials should a good fryer be made of? Stainless steel?
4. Do restaurants use gas or electric fryer and why?

Thanks!


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## Selkie

Having used three different models throughout the years, I have come to a definite conclusion or two:

I wish they still made Fry Daddys! Why? 1.) Because much of what I fry is in small quantities, and 2.) because the biggest pain about using a deep fryer is cleaning out the old oil. I would much rather have a smaller tank to clean than a large one! Draining a big fryer, turning it upside down over a disposal container and then wiping out the mush at the very bottom, is a nasty job. AND it uses a lot of oil... an expense that I'd rather keep to a minimum.

Fancy, large stainless steel fryers look great!!! - BUT unless you have someone else handy to clean it out once in a while... well, I'd pass for something a little more practical and easy to use.


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## powerplantop

1. How does the wattage affect the fried food? Does higher wattage mean faster oil recovery time and higher maximum temperature?

That is it. The higher wattage will allow the fryer to recover quicker so you can fry more at one time.

2. What feature(s) is a must in a deep fryer other than thermostat?

A removable tank. It helps with straining the oil and clean up.

3. What materials should a good fryer be made of? Stainless steel?

Mine is not SS but if I used it more then I guess SS would be nice.

4. Do restaurants use gas or electric fryer and why?

The folks that I know in the bus say gas, cheaper to operate. But they are fying all the time.


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## GB

Selkie said:


> I wish they still made Fry Daddys!


They do. See here.


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## Andy M.

To add to what others have said, look for the largest oil capacity you can find.  More oil gives you a faster temperature recovery time.  Most home fryers will have about the same wattage because of the limitations of home electrical systems.  Most home circuits are wired through a 15 amp fuse/circuit breaker.  With 120 volt of electricity in the home, that's 1800 watts max before the fuse blows. (volts times amps=watts) 

I have a stainless steel Europro with a removable tank and a thermostat.  It has 1700 watts and holds about 20 cups of oil.


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## bestespresso101

I find that having a cover over the basket is great, no burns!

Also, I like fryers with 2 baskets, so that I can multi-task. Am I the only one?


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## bestespresso101

Hey guys, I'm looking for a new deep fryer but I'm not sure which one to get. It's for a home kitchen, and I deep fry maybe once a week. I found a list of the 10 best deep fryers at deepfryerreview.com , anybody have any suggestions??


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## Roll_Bones

bestespresso101 said:


> Hey guys, I'm looking for a new deep fryer but I'm not sure which one to get. It's for a home kitchen, and I deep fry maybe once a week. I found a list of the 10 best deep fryers at deepfryerreview.com , anybody have any suggestions??



Unless you want to deep fry large quantities of food, a Fry Daddy is inexpensive and only uses a few cups of oil.  
For example I can fry 6 whole chicken wings at one time. I might could get more in there, but I don't want to crowd it.

With a Fry Daddy, you don't get a lid or basket. You also cannot adjust the temperature.  What you get is a quick and easy way to fry things in small batches using very little oil and the fryer is easy to clean.
BTW, I understand they are quite inexpensive.


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## rick12

Deep frying, when done correctly and at proper temps can sometimes add less fat then sauteing does. It depends on how hot your oil is. Olive oil is traditionally used for deep frying in Spain and Italy, although you can't fry things at high temps. Deep fried in olive oil fresh anchovies are nothing to sneeze at, nor is any sort of frita mista.

Coconut and palm oils have a bad rap, one I think is undeserved. Check out 
For Thais, palm oil always has been a good thing - SFGate
for a start on looking up more recent and less flawed research on using these fats in cooking and how they relate to health.

For deep frying, I like peanut oil and lard (which is out of the question for Hanukkah treats I know). I find canola oil to smell so wretched I can't stand to use it in the house, and I'm not convinced it's really all that beneficial to use. Sunflower works nicely though it doesn't get as hot as peanut.


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## 95Austin12

One important thing which is also important to see is its removable parts. The fryers with more removable parts will be easier to clean. To simply drain the oil away some fryers have drainage tubes also which enable draining. Some fryers have a permanent filter, which is washable and only needs to be changed if damaged. Dishwasher safe parts will also make cleaning simple.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

I've had several deep fryers and this last time I chose a Krups deep fryer because I want reliability and I have never had a problem with Krups' products reliability. 






The deep fryer I had before I bought the Krups was a Cuisinart and it had the basket sideways which made it next to impossible to empty the basket onto paper towels on the counter without dripping oil all over the place, so stay clear of those.


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## Rocklobster

Like a lot of home appliances, I stay away from gimmicks and doo dads. Half the time you are paying for functions that you'll never use or don't really do what they promise..I get the most basic stuff. Less things to break, cheaper to buy...Mine disassembles, the tank comes right out of the body so  you can submerge or soak it in the sink..It has one thermostat and that is it for controls. I usually over fill mine with oil and am careful what I fry or how I put it in the oil...I think they design it to be as safe as they can make it, but that effects the performance IMHO.
The best toaster I ever owned was an 8 dollar one from Canadian Tire..still have it. Lasted longer than 40 dollar ones..


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## Andy M.

When my EuroPro died, I switched to a large pot and a thermometer for deep frying.  Works great and it's actually easier to clean.


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## bakechef

I would suggest one with a submersible heating element, they will recover temperature faster.


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## bakechef

powerplantop said:


> 1. How does the wattage affect the fried food? Does higher wattage mean faster oil recovery time and higher maximum temperature?
> 
> That is it. The higher wattage will allow the fryer to recover quicker so you can fry more at one time.
> 
> 2. What feature(s) is a must in a deep fryer other than thermostat?
> 
> A removable tank. It helps with straining the oil and clean up.
> 
> 3. What materials should a good fryer be made of? Stainless steel?
> 
> Mine is not SS but if I used it more then I guess SS would be nice.
> 
> 4. Do restaurants use gas or electric fryer and why?
> 
> The folks that I know in the bus say gas, cheaper to operate. But they are fying all the time.



At work we switched from gas fryers to electric with our remodel.  I much prefer the electric.  The gas was fine, but the flame had to heat the pot which heated the oil, so recovery time was longer.  The electric ones have elements that are submerged in the oil and preheat and recovery are very very fast.  They were both heavy duty pro models, but when I'm doing a high volume of frying the electrics are a pleasure to use.


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## caseydog

I went through the same process about a year ago. 

1. Being able to take it apart easily for cleaning is important. My heating element/controller, and the oil container can easily be removed for separate cleaning. I can even put the oil container in the dishwasher. 

2. Heat recovery is important, but most home fryers are small enough to do that pretty well. 

3. Lid or no lid, you are going to make a mess. I put a big piece of aluminum foil down under my fryer when I use it, so I can wad it up and throw it away when I am done. 

In the end, I went with the Presto ProFry fryer. There are others that are very similar. That one just seemed to fit my needs at a decent price. 

https://www.target.com/p/presto-174-digital-profry-deep-fryer-05462/-/A-10425373

BTW, I used to have a FryDaddy. It is wonderful, for small batches. Bare bones, but it did a good job. And YES, you can still get them...

https://www.target.com/p/frydaddy-electric-deep-fryer/-/A-595674

CD


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## CraigC

Andy M. said:


> When my EuroPro died, I switched to a large pot and a thermometer for deep frying.  Works great and it's actually easier to clean.



+1. We have a deep fryer that sits on a shelf, since we have opted for Andy's choice. If we were looking for a deep fryer, my first question to myself would be "How often are we going to use it?"


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