Deep fryer

[mtmomj]

There are SOOOO many of these available. Is there anything special I should look into before buying one of these? Is it really necessary to have anything better than the basic? There are such big price differences.

I guess, main thing I am wondering is - is it worth the money to buy a more expensive one or do you get what you need from a small one?

[Mama Mangia]

in all honesty - you don't need to spend a lot for one

i have fry daddy and fry baby - there's no temperature control on those - you need to go by the sizzle and the cooking time of the food you put in - the small one is nice for a few fritters or hushpuppies for dinner

i also have an older model which is also a rice cooker, steamer, etc. it's ok - but they have nicer models now - like the ones where the cover closes automatically as the basket is lowered - no splashing grease anywhere!
i like the size of this one for chicken (it's round) but its hard for large fish fillets - they need to be cut

it will depend on what you want to deep fry mostly if you want round or rectangular


there is also one out there with the double baskets where you can cook 2 different foods at the same time

since i don't deep fry all the time - what i have is fine but i am thinking about the one that automatically closes as the basket lowers - less clean up for this old girl!

when i make my italian fried dough i have to do it in the large cast iron skillet on the stove top because of the size of them

[mtmomj]

Thanks for your response! The automatic one sounds nice!

Mmm - I almost forgot about fried dough! That is something I haven't had in a couple of years!

[vp311]

I've been thinking of getting my wife one of those for christmas. I'll consider your advice while shopping.

[Big Daddy's Kitchen]

in all honesty - you don't need to spend a lot for one

i have fry daddy and fry baby - there's no temperature control on those - you need to go by the sizzle and the cooking time of the food you put in - the small one is nice for a few fritters or hushpuppies for dinner

i also have an older model which is also a rice cooker, steamer, etc. it's ok - but they have nicer models now - like the ones where the cover closes automatically as the basket is lowered - no splashing grease anywhere!
i like the size of this one for chicken (it's round) but its hard for large fish fillets - they need to be cut

it will depend on what you want to deep fry mostly if you want round or rectangular


there is also one out there with the double baskets where you can cook 2 different foods at the same time

since i don't deep fry all the time - what i have is fine but i am thinking about the one that automatically closes as the basket lowers - less clean up for this old girl!

when i make my italian fried dough i have to do it in the large cast iron skillet on the stove top because of the size of them

I've got a big Masterbuilt Turk N' Surf electric turkey fryer and a Presto multi-cooker which also deep fries as well.

[CanMan]

I just tossed my Deep Fryer after trying to clean some of the caked on grease in all the crevices, etc., and since this model does NOT allow the pot to come out for cleaning or emptying, it was impossible to clean where it needed to be cleaned and was not friendly to be taken apart. It went into the trash finally.

If you get one, make sure the pot is removable or at minimum has a drain plug. Then look at how many crevices it has to collect grease when it drips/splatters. What may "look nice" may not be so practical.

I'm falling back to my trusty Fry Daddy. Simplicity perhaps is the best for some.

[Big Daddy's Kitchen]

I just tossed my Deep Fryer after trying to clean some of the caked on grease in all the crevices, etc., and since this model does NOT allow the pot to come out for cleaning or emptying, it was impossible to clean where it needed to be cleaned and was not friendly to be taken apart. It went into the trash finally.

If you get one, make sure the pot is removable or at minimum has a drain plug. Then look at how many crevices it has to collect grease when it drips/splatters. What may "look nice" may not be so practical.

I'm falling back to my trusty Fry Daddy. Simplicity perhaps is the best for some.

Have you ever heard of Dawn Power Dissolver? You could have cleaned it nicely with this stuff. Nothing can hide from it!!

I think ALL of them just about, are fully immersable now. Even though I wouldn't put it in the dishwasher, it can certainly be thoroughly washed by hand!

Keep the DPD standing by for tough cooked-on or burnt-on grease.

[CanMan]

Have you ever heard of Dawn Power Dissolver? You could have cleaned it nicely with this stuff. Nothing can hide from it!!

Yes and you are making a (wrong) assumption that I'm able to soak the entire unit, electronics and all, into the water. As stated, an attempt was made without much success to dismantle it so that cleaning was possible.

[Big Daddy's Kitchen]

Nope. I think you read my reply a bit wrong.

Note my 2nd paragraph where I said; (Quote) "I think ALL of them just about, are fully immesible NOW........" (End quote) Meaning that the ones made in THIS DAY & AGE, are immersible.

But I got what you said the 1st time; Yours was not immersable. You can't clean it in the sink.

Oh. And BTW, certain models of the Presto Fry Daddys aren't immersable either. Hopefully, yours is.

[KYHeirloomer]

Question: What's the point of a deep fryer that does not have a thermostat built-in? I didn't notice, when I bought mine, that there was any sort of price difference based on that--to me--essential feature. The few that didn't have one were essentially the same prices as the same sized (usually larger, in fact)units that did.

The whole myth of frying as unhealthy stems from the fact most people fry at too low a temperature. 350F is the minimum, and, for most fried foods, 375F is even better.

But, unless you have a thermostat or use a remote thermometer of some kind, there is no way to know that you've reached---and, more importantly, maintained---that temperature.