So, we’ve seen some of the top deep fryers on the market, but with so many options to choose from, you might not know where to begin. If you’re not sure which model to choose, read on through our comprehensive buyer’s guide to learn more about deep fryers and how to pick the perfect one for your needs.
How Deep Fryers Work
Unlike air fryers, deep fryers rely on oil to do the cooking. Deep fryers consist of an oil reservoir and at least one metal-frame basket. You put oil into the reservoir and food into the basket. There's also a heating element inside each unit. When switched on and powered up, the heating element gets very hot, up to temperatures around 400°F (trust me, you don't want to touch that!). As soon as any food comes into contact with the hot oil, it starts to cook. From a scientific perspective, it's the moisture or water content in the food that boils when it comes into contact with hot oil. That moisture gets locked in and it effectively steams food items from the inside out, very quickly. Because of this, deep fryers are ideal to use with a range of foods. They’re great for locking in the flavor of certain foods, as they don’t allow any moisture to get out and mix with the oil. Plus, they’re very fast, too. For maximum flavor, deep fryers are the way to go.
Advantages of a Deep Fryer
So, why should you buy and use a deep fryer? Well, it's fair to say that frying food shouldn't be your only way of cooking, but having a deep fryer does give you more options in the kitchen along with an array of other advantages, including:
Very quick
One of the things that so many people love about deep frying as a cooking method is its speed. Because of the high temperatures involved, deep fryers are capable of cooking foods like fries, fish, and chicken at really fast times. I know that, for me, after a long day at the office, I don't want to spend up to an hour in the kitchen cooking. Deep fryers can halve that time, getting the food on the table faster than ever.
Easy and convenient
Another advantage of deep fryers is their general ease of use and convenience. All you have to do with a typical deep fryer is pour in the oil, plug it in, and wait for it to heat up. Then you can add your ingredients into the basket, dip them into the oil, and let the deep fryer do the rest. You don’t have to mix, stir, or adjust the temperature.
Great for flavor and texture
Many people also appreciate fried food and deep fryers in general due to the flavors and textures they create. Chicken, for example, tends to taste best when prepared in a real deep fryer, rather than baked or cooked in other ways. The same goes for turkeys, but since turkeys are quite large, a larger version of a deep fryer is used, called the turkey fryer.
Locks in quality
Even though deep fat frying is sometimes associated with unhealthy or low-quality food, it's quite a good method for locking in the quality of your ingredients. The oil bath works to lock in the nutrients, moisture, and other important components of each ingredient, rather than letting them escape. This is why deep fish fryers are used when cooking seafood to lock in nuanced tastes.
Surprisingly versatile
Another interesting aspect of deep fryers is how versatile they are. At first, you might think that these machines are only useful for preparing things like chicken, French fries, and fish. But there are lots of things you can do with a deep fryer, such as making donuts or churros, which is what I would serve for dessert if I had a fryer. What a creative way to impress your guests!
Low risk of contamination
One final advantage of using a deep fryer is that it massively reduces the risk of any germs or contamination on your food. When you plunge your food into boiling oil, any microbial life on the surface will die. This means that there’s a lower risk of someone suffering from something like food poisoning after eating fried dishes (I don't know about you, but I like the sound of that).
Things To Consider When Buying a Deep Fryer
With so many deep fryers on the market, picking the perfect one isn’t always easy. Let’s take a look at some of the main factors and aspects to consider when choosing a fryer.
Design
As stated earlier, deep fryers are usually quite basic or square-shaped devices. They often look like metal boxes with pieces of plastic around the outside. But it is possible to find a good-looking deep fryer that blends in well with your kitchen’s design. So, if you care about aesthetics, try to find one that you like the look of.
Size and weight
It’s also a good idea to consider the size and weight of each deep fryer. These devices tend to be quite big and are often heavy, especially when filled up with oil. If your kitchen is as small as mine is, this is something you'll need to consider since you’ll have to make space for your fryer.
Cost
In addition, when buying any kind of kitchen appliance or device, you should set a budget. Deep fryers can cost anywhere from $100 or less up to several hundred dollars. Try to think about how much you want to spend and then choose a fryer that fits in that price range.
Capacity
One of the most important things in any deep fryer is its capacity. You should check to see how big the oil reservoir is and see how much food you can cook in each unit. If you have a large family, you’ll need to invest in a large fryer that has enough interior space to cook meals for everyone, but if you live alone or in a small household, a smaller unit should suffice.
Cleaning
One of the problems with deep fryers is that they’re often difficult to clean. In fact, it sometimes takes hours to get the oil and food remnants out of the inside of your fryer. To make things easier on yourself, try to find a unit that has an easy-clean system of some kind.
