Deep fryer recommendations?

[ribeyeguy]

In my never ending quest for good and worthwhile kitchen gadgets I'm now looking at deep fryers. I love fried fish more than just about anything but we've never owned a deep fryer, I've always just heated up a cauldron of oil on the grill or stovetop and made an unholy mess while burning myself in numerous places. Anyone own a good one that they'd recommend?

[MBMorgan]

Delonghi fer sure ...

[mgaretz]

I like the T-Fal ones that have built in oil reservoir and drain.

[Powersmoke_80]

Same here.

[johnsteen]

got one too...the best!

[RichBrew]

I like mine too, its easy to drain and clean. It also has a little better capacity than most that size. but with fresh oil, it has a tendency to leak when it cools, if you don't drain it. and if I want to do something like fries for a crowd bigger than 4-5 people, it has a tough time keeping up.

[John Henry]

Mr. ribeye: This is your chance to go big! Check out www.cajunfryer.com Company is R&V works and they look to be the Mercedes of the frying world. Get that smoke and spatter outta the kitchen and that funky after-fry smell out of the air. Do your fryin' in the great outdoors with one of these handsome units. Have been reading about these for a couple years and people seem to swear by 'em. Plus if you buy the six gallon model, all the AR familee can all come party at your place! No, I have no financial interest whatsoever, but what barbecuin' man wouldn't love one of these?? Maybe Mr. Jerod B. might offer a thought on these as R&V appears may be in his territory.

[BriggsBBQ]

That is probably the coolest fryer I have ever seen. The only negative I see is now I "have" to buy another outdoor toy.

[ribeyeguy]

I like it buts its overkill for my needs. I'm looking for something to do a few Perch or Walleye fillets a couple of times a month, that's it.

[Steve B]

It's your fault John Henry for posting this link.
I had to get the 4 gallon double fryer.
And yes after pouring about 1/2 gallon of oil on my driveway, I'm a dumb ass, cause I forgot to put in the thermometer. It is pretty awesome.

[GadjetGriller]

Make sure you get one where the heating coil is actually in the oil (and it should be removable for easy cleaning) Don't buy the little cheap ones like fry daddy where the heating coil is wrapped around the oil container. they take to long to recover when ever you put in your items to be fried. The in oil ones rebound from the decrease (in temp) much faster keeping the oil at the optimum temp so you get tasty fried foods not oil logged semi crunchy fish. The T-fal mgaretz spoke of is a great choice. (I think its endorsed by Emeril!! so you cant go wrong!! lol)

[Dr ROK]

Having the heating coil as described by GadjetGriller also helps keep your oil more "useable" after frying something in it. The particles that fall off during cooking are not as prone to burning if they fall to the bottom of the pan and lay underneath the coil instead of setting directly on top of it.

[Strat50]

I guess I'll be devil's advocate here. I work with deep fryers on a daily basis and have used many types over these years. Countertop fryers to big recirculating fryers, I've used them all. For my home use, either indoors or out, I prefer a good carbon steel wok. They use less oil, heat quickly, and do a superb job. They are also easy to clean and maintain.

When just doing a bit of frying for my wife and myself, a 12 inch wok does the trick very well. If I'm cooking for many, I use a 16 inch pao wok on a burner. I can fry fish for 12 people easily in that 16 'incher easily and quickly.

If you consider using a wok, buy a flat bottom carbon steel wok. NOT a stainless or non-stick type as they are pretty useless due to the fact they can't be seasoned, nor can they take high temps.

[Thunder77]

Strat50, I'm with you on the wok. I use mine for chicken nuggets when the kids get a hankering for them. Also, they are multitasking. You can make other fine dishes with a wok! A fryer is a fryer...

[Dewesq55]

I'm also with Strat50 on this. I have been cooking Chinese food at home since I was in my early 20's (just turned 61) and, so, have always had woks at home. I love a carbon steel wok for deep frying for all the reasons Strat50 mentioned.

DEW

[RonB]

I like frying small amounts in a wok too, but since the tapered shape means they use less oil, there is more temperature swing when adding food. I've been thinking of getting a dedicated burner for quick recovery. And cooking outdoors means less fumes inside.

[porkfat]

I have always hated cleaning out a deep fryer, particularly after cooking things that leave a lot of debris in the oil like onion rings. T-Fal makes one that is really easy to use - a Model FR702D51 - available at WalMart for $79.00. It drains and filters the oil into a reservoir that is removable You can then clean up the fryer parts without worrying about the oil. Then reuse or discard the oil as you wish. It hold 1.8 ltrs of oil but T-Fal makes others with different quantities of oil you could pick from.

[jrcuneo]

Anyone have any experience with the "oil-less" deep fryers?

[ribeyeguy]

I haven't (obviously) but frying without oil? To me that's like drinking decaffeinated coffee or non-alcoholic beer, what's the point? If not oil of some type what do they use for a frying medium?

[RichBrew]

ribeyeguy exactly! I'm still trying to,figure out how they can even justify still calling it a 'fryer' if there isn't any oil.

[ribeyeguy]

I have always hated cleaning out a deep fryer, particularly after cooking things that leave a lot of debris in the oil like onion rings. T-Fal makes one that is really easy to use - a Model FR702D51 - available at WalMart for $79.00. It drains and filters the oil into a reservoir that is removable You can then clean up the fryer parts without worrying about the oil. Then reuse or discard the oil as you wish. It hold 1.8 ltrs of oil but T-Fal makes others with different quantities of oil you could pick from.

You and a few others have recommended this one. Couple of questions, can the oil really be reused after filtering the gunk out of it? Seems kind of unsanitary. Also, what happens to the filtered out gunk, does it drop into a chamber or something? Lastly, I'm assuming that the filter is a screen or mesh of some sorts, how often does that need replacing and are replacement filters readily available?

Thanks to everyone for all the help and advice!

[RichBrew]

The oil is fine for quite a few cooks. 'Filtering' the stuff out keeps it from going rancid. The filter is just a mesh screen where the oil drains out. When empty it just lifts out, you can rinse it in the sink. I don't think it's replaceable, but don't think it will ever need to be replaced anyway.

[porkfat]

The oil can be reused but not forever, maybe a dozen or so cooks like any other fryer. The gunk is caught in the oil container (not the reservoir) which can be washed. The filter is a fine wire mesh and is permanent and part of the oil container, no replacement needed.

[RichBrew]

You and a few others have recommended this one. Couple of questions, can the oil really be reused after filtering the gunk out of it? Seems kind of unsanitary. Also, what happens to the filtered out gunk, does it drop into a chamber or something? Lastly, I'm assuming that the filter is a screen or mesh of some sorts, how often does that need replacing and are replacement filters readily available?

Thanks to everyone for all the help and advice!

The heating element is missing, but this shows how the rest fits together, or comes apart for cleaning

[bottk]

I'm with mgeretz,I have a t fall and love it ,its easy to clean and use !

[Don Jr]

According to Cooks Illustrated reviews, here's what they liked in their tests.

Waring Pro Professional Digital Deep Fryer is the winner. The large, wide basket of this fryer was the only one big enough to cook a full batch of potatoes (four russets) serving four people. Its ample size also ensured even exposure to the oil to create uniformly cooked fries. Its temperature dropped the least when the potatoes were added (40 degrees), and it recovered the fastest, yielding fries that were super-crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The fryer’s main flaw: It overshot the temperature on the dial (but was still one of the more accurate fryers we tested).

DeLonghi Coll Touch Roto Depp Fryer - recommended with reservations. A tilted, rotating basket continuously moved food through the oil, submerging half the basket at a time, greatly reducing the amount of oil needed (5 cups versus the typical 10 to 12 cups). Like the Waring fryer, it overshot the temperature on the gauge but did produce nicely crisped fries. The main drawback: The small basket could hold only two potatoes (serving two people) at a time.

They don't like any of the others they tested. They said the T-Fal drops temp 100 degrees and produces soggy results. It could just be their sample.

[Tim Clark]

I'm adding my vote for you to use a wok if you're only doing a couple of things a month. Any of us who have worked in restaurants with deep fryers will probably tell you the same thing. Restaurant deep fryers are big and able to maintain the perfect temperature after you add food to the oil. The ones built for home use really can't do it that well. Plus you really need to use a lot of oil each time and you really can't (or shouldn't) reuse it. One of my nightmares as a restaurant cook was having to clean out our fryer every night. I never want to see another one again.

[HouseHomey]

Ugh! The coffee filter and strainer?

[choffert]

The butterball counter top fryer works pretty good for us, the advantage being oil volume...bigger mass of oil results in less temp drop. I haven't used it for actual turkey, but on a big batch of wings, it rocks.