General

Okay so, I've seen some electric deep fryers for sale for pretty cheap, and I'm wondering if it's worth it. Surely there's others here who use deep fryers.

Thing is, I really do love fried boneless chicken strips. I also like fries, but only when fresh. But, going to Cane's gets expensive fast, so I don't get to do that as much as I might like. And it's not like any of the other fast food chains that specialize in fried chicken are any cheaper or better. For reference, the 25 pack of strips at Cane's is something like $38-40, and that's gone in a day or two at most, though damn if that sauce isn't delicious.. but I digress.

The cheaper ones have what look like a pretty small capacity of around 2-3 L or so. But, I don't hold huge cookouts and I live alone, nor am I going to run a restaurant, so hopefully that's enough?

It's easy enough to determine the financial impact for the most part. I know how much the frozen strips at the grocery store are, how much vegetable oil is, and that you use can use the oil 5-10 times or so.

But here's what's harder for me to figure out.. how high maintenance or time consuming is it? How much of a mess would it make? How difficult is it to clean? How long does it take to warm up the oil? For that matter, how long can I expect an electric deep fryer to last?

I have this silly dream of being able to eat more fried food. Probably not every day, but more often. But what's the reality? As I live alone, I do have to place some premium on ease of use, but of course there's always a trade off. I'm trying to figure out what that trade off ultimately is.

I feel a dedicated deep fryer in the home is usually unnecessary unless you’re going to be using it for large events (which you stated you wouldn’t be). As long as you have a stovetop, a good pan, and a spider and/or tongs. You should be good to do all your frying without special equipment. It’ll also help save a bit on oil.

The pan you use is definitely important though. For deep frying I’d recommend a moderately tall pot. You want a pot that can hold a lot of oil and is tall enough that you won’t have to worry about it spilling or splashing out much. But at the same time, you don’t want the pan to be so tall that it’s awkward to put things in or take them out of the pan. This video () at about 4:10 is a pretty good example of what kind of pan you’d want to be using for deep frying.

Essentially, a deep fryer is akin to a pop-corn machine or a hot dog roller. It’s great if you need to cook in bulk or plan on using it very, very often. But it’s not very efficient for small quantities and probably not be a good investment for the vast majority of everyday home-use.

I also want to add that if you have a deep enough cast iron skillet or pot, then you can just use that.

Air fryers are the best. We have a Ninja and makes great food without the oil

I loved having a small countertop deep fryer (sadly I need a new one). Get one with a nice lid so you can reuse the oil a few times. I loved making fried ice cream in it, amongst many things. 😋

That is a tricky question. Obviously, food has gotten quite pricey. Deep fryers are fine, if you have the space for them and the upkeep to dispose of the oil.

What we do, is what someone already mentioned, which is to use a cast iron pan or skillet and learn a few easy recipes that fit your tastes. This way, you get the time to prepare your food and eat it with reduced costs and keep your kitchen space freed up. Good luck.

You could use lard, but I wouldn't advise it if you are going to do a lot of frying.

Lard is good for a couple of uses before it goes bad. Lard can keep for long term (6 months room temp; a year refrigerated) but that goes out the window if you are cooking with it. Best to use a cooking oil instead.

www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/you-can-reuse-frying-oil-article

I definitely think a deep fryer is worth it if trying to fatten! Everything is better deep fried!🤤😍

I would HIGHLY recommend getting yourself one. I personally have had so much joy updating my kitchen appliances, between air fryer, instantpot, blender, mini deep fryer.

Sure you can fry anything on the stove top itself but a mini fryer is so much more convenient and hassle free for myself.

While air/induction fryers are a godsend and easy to clean, you really can't beat the calorie surplus that a deep fryer will net you. IF that's what you're looking for.

Cleanup is a bitch, but you can get quite a few uses out of one batch of oil. It will eventually become visibly obvious when you need to change the oil.

I would say the extra effort and cleanup is worth it because you're essentially increasing the calories of what you put in by at LEAST 50%.

Also, maintaining it is 90% of the work. It is dangerously easy AND cheap to make deep fried oreos, chicken wings you name it. Sometimes if I don't feel like really cooking I'll use the fryer just for pizza rolls (which more than doubles their calories).

It isn't messy to use if your fryer comes with a splash cover/top, but cleaning can potentially get a LITTLE messy and kind a gross if you're not careful. Also, have a good vent or open window unless u like the smell of heated oil filling your space for a day or two.