How do you re-use your fry oil?

[Attjack]

Currently, after the oil has cooled I use a funnel and cheesecloth to filter the oil back into the bottle I bought it in. Is there a better way to go about this?

[pkadare]

I do the same and then store it in my chest freezer. If I fried more often I'd likely store it in a slightly more accessible location.

[scottranda]

How does it unfreeze? Take a day and it turns back into liquid? Or you have to heat it?

[pkadare]

If I remember to do so, yes, I take it out of the freezer the day before, if not, I just plop the container into a sink of hot water for an hour or so.

[BourBonQ]

+1, what pkadare said.

I filter it back into the original containers, keeping fish/shrimp fry oil separate from french fry oil, etc. No problem freezing and thawing, at least not with the peanut oil that I use.

[Attjack]

Also, and recommendation for a deep fryer that would get occasional use for up to a handful of people?

[HouseHomey]

Steve B

[BourBonQ]

I've had a couple countertop models that do the job, but still prefer CI pan or dutch oven on the grill, to keep the mess outside.

[Attjack]

Yeah, I do that now and it works. That's one big reason I'm still not sold on a dedicated appliance I have to store.

[RichieB]

I have this. For my purpose it does just fine.

https://youtu.be/PL925m_kv-Y

[Hulagn1971]

I have one just like this and it works very well.

[surfdog]

Same. Though I mostly use a CI Dutch oven these days.

[capoteo]

Those are nice but need to use them outside. They make a mess with splatters all over

[Attjack]

I saw this one that has a built-in filter to make reusing the oil easier.

https://www.amazon.com/FR8000-Basket-Filtration-Pounds-Silver/dp/B00NQ7QFGM/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=fryer&qid=1587059664&sr=8-3&th=1

[Troutman]

I own one of these. Does a great job of cooking and filtering. I keep the used oil in my garage refridge. Get about 5-6 uses out of it. Only problem is it's limited in size, you can only cook a few pieces of chicken or fish at a time.

[RichieB]

Attjack I have an automatic filter system., my wife. She likes this task and he does it well. When I wake up the next morning, oil cleaned and stored.

[Attjack]

Well, I don't ​​​​​​​

[fzxdoc]

Must have been in the small print in the marriage contract. I've fallen victim to that same small print off and on over the years.

Kathryn

[HouseHomey]

I strain my lard relatively hot ( I get to cleaning rather quick) through a Chinois and keep it in the garage fridge.

[Troutman]

Attjack I posted this a couple of years ago using that little fryer above. Again it does a decent job, it's just limited in size.

[Attjack]

We're still deciding if we really want a deep fryer. But I now have my eye on this one. Thanks for the first-hand feedback on it.

[RonB]

This is the fryer I would buy if my wife didn't think fried foods are evil. I only get to fry chicken a couple times a year.:

https://cajunfryer.com/shop/ff1r-st-2-12-gallon-single-basket-with-stand/

[Spinaker]

Yep, they are amazing too!

[Attjack]

RonB Yeah, but I kind of agree with your wife on this one!

[capoteo]

Holly molly, it looks like the replicators from Star Trek.

[Steve B]

Attjack Sorry for not chiming in earlier. HouseHomey knows I have, well, actually the larger version of what RonB suggested. So does Spinaker The double basket one.
Will you use it more? Maybe so. It is a beast. And will pretty much cook anything, deep fried, to restaurant quality.

All that being said.
I reuse my oil for about 10-12 months. Cooking with it maybe 3 times a month.
I have found if you cook something, oh say fishy it will pretty much ruin the oil.

I Remember making wings after scallops and I wasn’t to happy with fishy tasting wings. 😬

But getting back to your question. I really don’t filter it so to speak.
What I do do, haaa, I said do do, 😂
Is just drain it through a semi fine wire mesh strainer maybe twice throughout the year and clean out the fryer and than just store the oil in the fryer.
But remember the fryer does hold 5 gallons of oil so it’s kinda hard to store that much just anywhere.

[RonB]

If you make onion rings and then fry chicken in the same oil, you may want to leave any onion seasoning out of the coating...

[surfdog]

I have one of these for straining oil and it works a treat.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0123J1S60/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got tired of fighting with funnels & cheese cloth. Filtering and returning it to the jug was either a hassle or a multi-step process. My chinois will hang over a stock pot but I’d have to bodge something together to make it work with a funnel... (Read: not likely)

The next size up Cajun Fryer was on my short list for a while (4gal/2basket)...but I’ve been quite happy with a couple of Dutch ovens on my Somerset IV. Keeps the smells & mess outside and cleanup is a breeze.

[jfmorris]

I have a similar T-Fal model that is no longer made, but without the oil cleaning system. It holds about 1 gallon of oil, and I pour it out through a mesh colander lined with paper towels, then through a funnel into the original jug, and keep it in a fridge in the garage. I’ll toss the oil after a few uses.

Lately I’ve been frying outside with my dutch oven, but it is nice to have a thermostatic control on the fryer.

[coupster]

FWIW I strain my oil through a fine mesh screen and if it's especially cloudy I then filter it through a drip coffee filter. I also segregate smelly oil, like fish, from cleaner,like fries and donuts. I reuse oil for 5 fry sessions. Otherwise I can`t get a crisp coating.

I don't have the space for a `real' deep fryer and I've tried several home fryers with mediocre results. I've finally settled on a flat bottomed carbon steel wok. It provides more cooking volume, higher more consistent temps and is almost impossible to foam over.

[holehogg]

Currently, after the oil has cooled I use a funnel and cheesecloth to filter the oil back into the bottle I bought it in. Is there a better way to go about this?

Not the answer you had in mind but still fits the question
I use a lot of oil and replace it every five days. I give most of it away to needy people and or sell it to someone who makes diesel.
Recently I tried my hand at making homemade soap from the oil. That hasn't worked out to resemble anything that you would put in your soap dish.
A WIP.

[Pobeque]

If the oil gets really dirty, you can use gelatin to capture all the particles and it works very well. I think there's an article on serious eats explaining how to do it. Then, once the oil gets past the point of being good to fry in, I'll use it to clean/oil my grates on the grill

[fzxdoc]

Brilliant.

K.