Deep Fat Fryer Guide
You want that takeaway feeling, but you want to save some money. It’s all about having a deep fat fryer that can replicate the delicious foods you can get at the takeaway, chips, fried chicken, and much more. Deep frying food gives you a satisfying feeling. When your food is cooked in oil, it makes meals crispy and delicious
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What is a deep fat fryer? A deep fat fryer is an electrical appliance with an oil bucket and a heating element. The bucket section is the bit that’s filled with the oil and heated allowing you to make tasty, crispy food, very fast. Deep fat fryers can use a variety of oil depending on what you’re making. |
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What makes deep fat fryers so appealing? Fatty foods can be more satisfying, especially at the end of a long day
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How much does it cost? One of the best things about deep fat fryers is you can quickly get one on a budget. If you’re fortunate, you can find one from £10- £20, which for that price, you’ll be getting an entry-level but still getting a fryer capable of producing tasty fried food. |
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Electric Deep Fryer An electric deep fryer is the most common and safest way of deep frying food at home. They are made up of simple basket and heating element which makes frying your favourite food a breeze. Whilst some food fanatics they don’t make food taste as great as propane, this is highly debated by the millions of people using deep fryers today. Find them in a variety of sizes from meals for one to meals for five people plus. |
Propane Deep Fryer Propane deep fat fryers are used outside and according to some offer a better experience compared to electric deep fryers. There’s more hassle setting it up and they do pose more of a risk but if you deep a fryer outside this is the type you’ll want. Plus you’ll need a propane tank and have to refill it when it runs low. |
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What are the advantages? Afforable |
What are the advantages of a propane deep fryer? Oil heats up faster |
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What are the disadvantages? Can smell |
Disadvantages of propane fryers Can only be used outdoors |
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Want the taste of fried food without all the oil?
Can an air fryer really replace a deep fat fryer? |
Air Fryers An air fryer isn’t a deep fat fryer. It uses hot air to replace oil (they often require a tiny amount of oil), but the name air fryer came along because it could be considered a similar experience to eating deep-fried foods without all the fat. Food in an air fryer is cooked from all sides and, similar to a deep fryer, keeps food juicy inside and crispy on the outside (though direct comparisons between the same foods cooked in both do vary from person to person). The main benefit of a health fryer is that it’s much healthier, but they aren’t as cheap as a deep fryer due to the more sophisticated technology involved, though you can still find a bargain. Plus, they are also easier to keep clean and don’t smell. |
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Benefits of using an air fryer Healthier than deep frying. |
Disadvantages of using an air fryer Foods not actually fried (for those who are looking for that naughty fried taste). |
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Deep fat fryers vs air fryers The biggest difference between a deep fat fryer and an air fryer is the way the food cooks. With traditional deep fat fryers, the food is cooked in oil, a lot of oil. With air fryers, the food is placed inside the frier, and the food is literally air fried with the tiniest amount of oil required for some foods to help get the desired crisp. |
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Deep Fryer Features to Consider |
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Built-in Thermostat Make things even simper with a built-in thermostat, though these can also be bought separately. |
Oil Change Notification Get told when to change your oil and avoid changing it more often than you need to or going too long without replacing it. |
Cool Touch Exterior A cool touch exterior is a great benefit, avoiding accidental burns, especially with kids and pets around the kitchen. |
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Multiple Baskets A nice addition is to have two basket so you can fry two different foods and not worry about one burning. |
Automatic Shutoff Some deep fryers have an automatic shutoff function that turns the machine off if the oil reaches a dangerous temperature and poses a risk of fire. |
Oil Filtration This is a great feature to have if you’re worried about cooking in the same oil time after time. After use the oil goes through the filter and its cleaner for the next use. |
Easy Drainage System No one likes draining a deep fat fryer. Make it easier with an easy drainage system. |
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Which type of oils works best in the deep fat fryer? The best oils are ones that have a lower smoke point than the food cooking temperature. Oils like sunflower and vegetables are the most common choices for deep-fat frying, whereas oils like olive oil are usually the wrong type. Some people take the chance of using a pan to put oil in and use it as a deep fat fryer. One of the biggest problems with this is safety; most deep fat fryers have internal systems that stop the oil from getting so hot that it will catch fire. |
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What’s the capacity?
When thinking about the fryer’s capacity, it’s essential to know its size overall. The average deep fat fryer can cook about 1kg to 1.5kg in food and uses two and three litres of oil. You should also NEVER fill a fryer to the top, as once the food goes in and starts frying, the oil level will be higher. Your fryer will come with a maximum level to fill the oil up to.
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Small Smaller deep fryers are perfect for people cooking for one, especially students. They can be quite tight so expect to fry in batches if you’re wanting more. |
Medium Medium size deep fryers can usually hold between two and four portions depending on what you’re cooking. |
Large Large capacity fryers often have multiple baskets and can fry up tp 10 portions of home fries, perfect for smaller gatherings. |
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What’s the size of the unit? Depending on your kitchen size, you might find going for a smaller deep fat fryer more beneficial to save on countertop space. |
The size of the frying space? Home fryers aren’t the largest, with most easily fitting on a countertop alongside your other appliances without sticking out. The majority cook between 1 and 1.5kg of food, plus you’ll also have the oil, usually between 2.5 to 3.5-litre capacity. |
How many baskets? Opting for a deep fryer with two baskets enables you to cook different foods separately, reducing the chance of burning and giving you more flexibility. |
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Using deep fat fryers: The safety aspects Never, ever leave your deep fat fryer unattended. It can be tempting, mainly if you’ve used it hundreds of times before with no problems. But it only takes only a matter of seconds for the oil to catch on fire, which will quickly spread. |
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Why do deep fat fryers sometimes smell? If you leave your fryer on the countertop and it’s not built to contain smells, you can find it produces an odour that can be pretty off-putting. It’s not the deep fryer that smells but the oil, which will become more pungent the older it is as it’s exposed to heat, liquids and other food debris. |
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Five oils for odourless cooking oil: corn, peanut, safflower, sunflower and canola. |
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Canola Oil. |
Safflower and Sunflower Oils |
Peanut Oil |
Corn Oil. |
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How to deep-fry safely? It is difficult when you are trying to deep-fry with hot oil on the hob to avoid accidents. While deep-fried food is still popular, cooking the same way creates a margin of error, for example, if the cooking oil gets too hot this could cause catastrophic results; however, using a deep fat fryer is safer than using a chip pan. A deep fryer is safer than cooking in a chip pan because it’s easier to regulate the heat of the oil. In a chip pan, it’s too easy for the oil to get too hot. If you follow these simple instructions, it is possible to fry effectively. Try to use oil that has a high smoke point. Usually, these temperatures are heated before oils burn. Monounsaturated oils have the best stability when be fried. Oils containing a high concentration of polyphenols or antioxidants may also be easier to use and appear to be less affected in high temperatures — this includes olive oil or rapeseed oil. |
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How to clean a deep fat fryer? Deep fat fryers can accumilate dirt, which can be difficult to get off, especially the grease is stuck on to the inside and on the outside. You need to have warm water and use a cleaning agent to help release the dirt from the fryer. If you’ve had heavy use, it may take a few times to get right and you may need to use a light brush to help get everything off. |
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How to deep fry without a deep fryer? If you’ve not got a fryer, then you could shallow fry in a frying pan, use a sauce pan or similar (but please be careful, don’t the oil too high and don’t have the temperature too high). |
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What fire extinguisher for deep fat fryer If you’re using a deep fat fryer regularly or you’re deep frying on the stove then you need to have something close by incase there’s a fire. You can’t use a regular fire extinguisher because water and foam don’t put out fires with oils and fats. What you need is to combat fires from oil is a wet chemical fire extinguisher. |
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How often to change deep fryer oil? Changing the oil is down to personal preference. As you start using the fryer, the oil will slowly go down and become contmatinted with food particles (unless you purchase one with a filtration system. If you’re only using a deep fryer once a week then replacing the oil every month is fine, whereas if you’re using it most days, you might find it beneficial to change the oil weekly. |
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How to get rid of oil? Oil is a burden to get rid of. Once you’ve finished cooking, the left-over oil will to start to stick to the pan making it harder to get rid of. One hack we love to use is placing tin foil inside of a measuring jug or cup and moulding it to the shape and then pouring the oil in and then disposing of it the general waste bin. |