Deep Fat Fryers- What do you use?

Youstolemyname

Youstolemyname

Youstolemyname

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As per the thread title really. I am keen to buy a deep fat fryer for things like triple cooked chips, wings, buttermilk fried chicken etc etc. However, I hear they stink a bit and can be a nightmare to clean. There are only two of us so it doesn't need to be huge, just safe and odourless or as odour free as possible.

Any recommendations out there amongst forum members? Or are they just much of a muchness....

Ta for any advice!
 
I'd love a little one but you're right they are a pain to clean, I use my wok to deep fry stuff as it's a doddle to clean.
 
We have a terrible electric hob until we re-do our kitchen next year. I doubt it would get the oil hot enough before we fit it! Plus there isn't as much temperature control for the triple cooked chips etc.
 
Not that this will help much, but I tend to use one of those Acti-Fry things for chips. Easier to clean than a Deep Fat Fryer, doesn't smell and uses less Oil too (healthier).

Chips aren't quiet as good, but miles better than Oven Cooked.

You can do other stuff in them too, but I've never tried.
 
Honestly, you'd need to calibrate a fryer anyway, the temp controls suck on them. First thing you should do is mark on the dial where the temps really are.

I use a pan of oil and a thermometer to get temps right, use a little gas camping hob (although I am debating a little induction hob) so I can fry outside, save all the smell in the house.
 
We have one by Russell Hobbs - it's a 3 litre oil/1kg food capacity. It was on offer from £50 down to £20 a few months ago in Sainsburys.

The don't really smell all that much and they are a piece of **** to keep clean. Change the oil after every 15 cooks - drain out the oil and remove the element. Wipe element with a few pieces of paper towel. Wipe out excess oil from the oil tank, then pour in boiling hot water with some washing up liquid and wash out. Wash lid and basket with boiling water and washing up liquid. Or just bung the tank, lid and basket in the dishwasher. It only takes 10 mins and it's not as if you're doing it every day. The lid stays off on ours when cooking, but the smell soon dissipates.

We rarely use the machine, so I often take out the oil (strained through a muslin) and store the oil in a sealed bottle.

I used a digital thermometer to correctly calibrate the control knob.
 
I just use a saucepan with fresh oil each time, not regular users so this works better than smelly friers and dirty oil
 
We got a small Tefal one that takes just over a litre of oil. Ideal if you don't want deep fry too often and means you don't have to shell out for 3+ litres of oil for one batch of chips.

It does stink and it is a pain to clean.
 
They all stink which is why I no longer have one, I got tired of the smell which seems to seep through the whole house. Cleaning I didn't find too bad as long as you do it regularly, change the oil more often than you think you need to and reguaarly wash the whole thing down. Eventually it will get manky anyway (several years regular use) so at that point chuck it in the bin and get a new one.
 
a1ex2001 said:
I'd just use a pan on the hob and see how you get on with it, if you can live with the stink and the grease then yes proceed to buying a deep fat fryer.
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So, easy to have a pan fire, safer to have deep fat fryer.

I read somewhere that a lot of chip pan fires are caused more by men with late night cooking, & some men the worse for drink.
 
Youstolemyname said:
Seems like I might pass on the fryer option then. I just fancy doing decent wings/fried chicken/chips....
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Nothing wrong with a decent pot, fresh oil and a thermometer.

I do that as I don't deep fried often and saves an extra bit of kit to store when not in used e.t.c. Unless you regularly deep fry, it's not worth it. It's easier to pop a pan with oil to temp, use and discard when cooled.

Edit: Pan fires is because the cook got lazy or distracted. Obviously this experience varies depending on situation. I was drunk when I wanted some chips, oven was easier than a pan, I always take that option. Another bloke might think he's Gorden Ramsay when he's drunk, that's when accidents happen.
 
Nightglow said:
So, easy to have a pan fire, safer to have deep fat fryer.

I read somewhere that a lot of chip pan fires are caused more by men with late night cooking, & some men the worse for drink.
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I had a chip pan fire when I was in my first year of Uni and didn't know wth I was doing. I would hope that I'd be smart enough now to a) not have one due to generally being less of an idiot with cooking and b) never fill pans with boiling oil when I'm drunk. It's right up there with "don't chop things with a cleaver whilst I'm so drunk I can't see straight".
 
I've deep fried ****ed but then I find alcohol rather sharpens my mind in the kitchen, I've made some of my best food drunk.

But there's levels of drunk, there's the "I feel good" drunk followed by the "Man everything sucks" philosophical drink and the "****, I can barely see" drunk.

I'll only cook if I'm the first kind, because that's high functioning drunk.
 
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