If you want to cook something as delicious as a fried chicken, and you want it crunchy on the outside and moist in the inside, you will need the right equipment. That’s why I’ll talk here about the best deep fryer since these are the best ally of this type of peculiar food.
When it comes the time to frying you must consider some factors like temperature, quantity and even the type of oil —we’ll talk more about this later.
So if you use a normal frying pan the result can be uneven and the crust will probably end sticking to the bottom of the pan and not in your food.
Having the best fryers isn’t the only requirement to achieve perfect fried food, so I will also give you some tips at the end of the article.
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But first, let’s find the Best Deep Fryers
Secura Triple Basket Electric Deep fryer
This fryer is a medium size one that allows you to fry until two batches at the same time. You can also use the big basket and fry one batch of food. In this sense, this deep fryer is really versatile and useful.
The handles are made of stainless steel and they keep cold even when you apply the maximum temperature.
But one thing that is lacking in this deep fryer is a removable dispenser for the used oil. You will have to pour it out.
Features
- Adjustable heat controller. You can adapt the temperature from 250F to 375F.
- 4.2-liter removable oil tank for easy clean-up
- Automatic timer adjustable up to 60 min to shut down heating element. Ready light.
- 1700 watt immersion element preheating and fast oil temperature recovery
Presto 05411 GranPappy Electric Deep Fryer
This is a small, simple deep fryer that it is just enough if you don’t fry every day or you don’t have a big family to feed.
Features
- Heavy-duty aluminum cast with nonstick finish.
- Basic black bucket-style countertop electric deep fryer
- 1500 Watts and automatically keeps oil at optimum temperature
Hamilton Beach Electric Deep Fryer, 3-Liter Oil Capacity
This deep fryer is the opposite to the Presto one. You can make two decent batches of onion rings or a big batch of chicken wings to feed 5 people. I love the size and the versatility.
And another thing I love about this fryer is the timer; you can adjust the time and when it’s ready you will listen to a beep sound and it will turn on a light. That has helped me a lot to not overcook my meals.
Features
- Extra-large 12 cup food capacity.
- Lid with window to check the food
- Easy to assemble, use & clean
T-fal FR8000 Oil Filtration Ultimate EZ Clean Easy to clean 3.5-Liter
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This is the semi professional one of the list. It can be more expensive but it is worth every penny. If you fry frequently you will love the T-fal deep fryer.
It includes two big baskets made of stainless steel.
The most impressive feature is the oil releasing system. The removable deposit at the bottom of the fryer includes a filter system that allows you to reuse the oil eliminating the loose particles of food. Pretty impressive, huh?
Features
- Dishwasher safe. You can disassemble every piece of the fryer.
- Powerful 1700-watt deep fryer with 3.5-liter oil capacity and 2.65-pound food capacity.
- Adjustable temperature with timer.
Now that you’ve seen the list of the best deep fryers out there, let’s talk about some tips to making my favorite kind of food: Fried!
Some tricks to frying in a breeze
Choose the right oil
The best ones are those that don’t have a strong flavor and don’t have a low smoke point. I highly recommend using peanut, sunflower or canola oil to fry. They do the job and aren’t as harmful as others.
Many people worship olive oil, and don’t misunderstand me, I love to use it in many meals but when it comes to fry, the olive oil it is too strong and it spoils the original flavor of the food.
Keep the right temperature
The temperature must be between 350F and 400F. After that, the oil will start to smoke, and that is the signal that your oil is now lava and you shouldn’t put your food into that.
if you deep fryer doesn’t have a termostato you can buy a really cheap one like the ThermoPro TP03A Digital Food Cooking.
Also, remember that using a medium to high temperature will prevent the excess of grease.
Fry in small batches
To avoid that the pieces of food stick to each other you must fry in small groups. This way every piece has enough space to cook without overcrowding.
You can turn your oven in a low temperature to keep warm the first groups, and when you finish every piece they will all be at the same temperature and ready to be served.
Dry and serve quickly
You can use the simple technique of a plate with absorbent paper or even a rack. The important thing is that you don’t let you fried food resting for too long in its own grease because it will be soaked in oil and nobody likes a soggy fried chicken.
Tips for the perfect fry
Perfect potatoes chips
I know that it can be frustrating when you fry your potato chips and they turn out brown on the edges and undercooked in the center. To avoid this you only have to soak the chips on water or vinegar before frying them. It will make them the crispiest potato chips of you life.
What about tempura?
Tempura is a japanese frying technique for delicates food (vegetables or seafood) that creates a crispy exterior but does not change the flavour of the food.
Classic tempura recipe:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup of cold water
- 1 cup of flour
- salt
- sake (rice licour)
The most important thing to prepare tempura is avoiding to over shake the egg yolks. It does not matter if the paste has chunks because this will give you a light and crispy finish.
So carefully add the yolks to the cold water, then slowly add the flavour, the salt and a touch of sake.
Final thoughts
Fry: you can love it or fear it.
Either way if you are a real cookware geek you can’t escape this cooking method.
With simple tricks and steps you can achieve the perfect fry chicken or potato chips. Remember that practice makes the master.
Also, you can always rely on a good deep fryer that will makes your life easier. There is a deep fryer for every need. If you only want a few onion rings for the sunday football game you can buy a Presto GranPappy deep fryer and the problem is solved. But if you want a big feast for the whole family you can consider the T-fal one to embrace this challenge.
I hope this article is useful to you.
Happy cooking!
Owner and Food blogger on The Cookware Geek. She loves cooking, baking, traveling, playing with the cats, and knitting. She believes that eating delicious meals doesn’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef in your kitchen.