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Deep Fryers for the Home Kitchen


Neitsdelf

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I've seen mostly good press on the DeLonghi D406DZ Deep Fryer, although there were some negative reviews on Amazon, and it's available everywhere for about a hundred bucks.

The Waring DF200 gets great reviews on Amazon, but costs a bit more ($130).

Anyone have any thoughts?

Edited by Neitsdelf (log)
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My next purchase is going to be the Waring Pro. The Delonghi only goes up to 360 degrees, and is only 1,650 watts. The Waring Pro goes to 375 and is 1800 watts.

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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I assume you're sold on an electronic unit of some kind, so I won't try and convince you that a cast-iron pot and a candy thermometer is really your best bet.

The smaller oil capacity and higher wattage of the Waring suggests that it will recover more quickly (assuming the units are equally well insulated), and that's important. As Marlene suggests, the slightly higher top temp is desirable, though to my mind not essential. On the other hand, the placement of the controls on the Waring really concerns me. Do you really want to be reaching across the oil reservoir to change the thermostat?

Dave Scantland
Executive director
dscantland@eGstaff.org
eG Ethics signatory

Eat more chicken skin.

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I've never used either of these two units, but I do own an older style Delonghi, which has controls on the front, and it performs fine when I use it. Which ever model you decide on, make certain that it has an adequete oil draining system.

Also a word of caution, these appliances can cause injury and damage, never leave it unattended.

Also look for ease of cleaning.

I concur with Dave, regarding the cast iron pot and accurate thermometer.

woodburner

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It looks like you have to reach across on both models to get to the controls. Also, the Waring Pro has a break away cord which is a nice safety feature.

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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It looks like you have to reach across on both models to get to the controls.  Also, the Waring Pro has a break away cord which is a nice safety feature.

Duh. You're right. In that case, I'd vote for the Waring.

OTOH (what, again?), like woodburner, I have a different DeLonghi model, and it has done fine for what I ask of it. It also has a breakaway cord. (I wonder if it's required for UL and/or CSA approval?)

Dave Scantland
Executive director
dscantland@eGstaff.org
eG Ethics signatory

Eat more chicken skin.

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I saw that other discussion (which, by the way, was two years ago now), and it had a lot of good information about the Delonghi model. But the discussion seemed mostly to degenerate into an "electric" vs. "pot on the stove" debate. And I wasn't sure if it was the current model or not.

For all of the problems with electric fryers, I think the convenience of "set it and forget it" (i.e., a thermostat) gives it the edge over a pot on the stove method, which I have always found to be overly fiddly. I'm thinking if I have the convenience of an electric fryer, I might use it more often. Reminds me of the gas versus natural fireplace debate: everybody loves a "real" one better, but the only fires you actually see are the ones with the gas, at least to a first approximation.

Two things have conspired of late to make me consider an electric fryer. First, Alton Brown's (opinionated but generally wonderful) Gear For Your Kitchen recommends the electric, and specifically the Delonghi. In researching that style of fryer, I settled on the Delonghi or the Waring. The cheaper ones, and others of that style, like the Krups, seem not to be as good in terms of wattage and design.

Second, my wife's sister and brother-in-law brought over their deep fryer and we had a ball fryin' stuff up even though it was acheaper roto-style Delonghi.

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I'll throw another hat in the ring--the Euro-Pro 1066 hasn't gotten a mention yet but has performed very well for me--it has a very good price point (I paid $69), disassembles easily, nice clean lines, 5 L, 1700W, it's digital, has the magnetic "breakaway" cord and gets quite hot--which to me is as important as a rating--this actually gets to 385 quickly and easily should you want it that hot (I usually don't.) And yes, the oil below the heating element stays maybe 50 degrees cooler than that above it. Best Buy and Amazon have it.

As an aside, no matter which unit you choose the recovery issue is always going to be user-manageable to a certain extent--you can adjust the amount of oil you use or you can reduce batch size--how much you fry at one time--at given heat points or wattage ratings.

Steve Klc

Pastry chef-Restaurant Consultant

Oyamel : Zaytinya : Cafe Atlantico : Jaleo

chef@pastryarts.com

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  • 3 weeks later...
I saw that other discussion (which, by the way, was two years ago now), and it had a lot of good information about the Delonghi model. But the discussion seemed mostly to degenerate into an "electric" vs. "pot on the stove" debate. And I wasn't sure if it was the current model or not.

i suppose i could chime in here, as i'm the one on that other thread who bought the "roto-fryer".

i've used i a lot more in this second year than i did in that first year. in fact, i've used it probably 10 times over the past few months. mostly for frying potatoes and chicken wings.

overall, i'm pleased with it. purists will tell you that cast iron and a thermometer are the way to go, and i have no doubt that they're getting fantastic results. however, i just throw the food in this thing and it's done in 15 minutes or whatever it takes with no splatter and no mess and no watching and no turning the flame on the stove higher and lower.

given the chance to do it again, and research similar products, i can't say that i'd choose this model. however, i'm pretty sure i'd go with something electric and mess/worry-free.

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Just to note AB's reasoning on choosing a fryer:

1) You want one with the element in the oil to eliminate the "middle man" and heat the oil directly (also safer because you don't have a hot pan and hot oil

2) You want a large capacity so you can have good recovery times and do larger batches

3) You want a higher max temp since when you add items to the oil you don't want the temp dropping below 350 making your fried foods greasy

4) Digital controls are nice

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Digital controls are nice
Of the consumer grade immersion fryers discussed, only the Euro-Pro has the digital controls. I'm thinkin' I might try it since it is just over half the cost of the Waring, but still.....

Of course, if you're an appliance-lover like me, the searching never ends. Just over the horizon there are the commercial countertop electric models like the Anvil, Cecilware, or Demco units described here (for example). The Anvil looks especially nice and has a removable pot for the oil. Prices of these things ($250+)are just a bit high for home use, and they may lack some consumer niceties, but if you do a lot of frying, it's a consideration since they presumably have higher durability, are more readily repairable, etc. And you can get oil capacities in the range of 7-8 liters (15 lbs).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I went to Linens-n-Things over the weekend, and lo and behold they had both the Euro-Pro digital ($90) and the Waring Pro ($130) deep fryers for me to examine with my grubby not-so-little hands. Here's a brief summary of my comparison:

  • The Waring is, unsurprisingly, more solidly built all around than the Euro-Pro. But it is significantly larger.
  • The Waring's heating element is supported by a bracket that rests on the bottom of the oil pot, whereas the Euro Pro's is suspended from the electronic unit which slides in. This design, I would imagine, would make the Waring more durable.
  • The Waring has significantly more space below the heating element than the Euro-Pro. I'm not sure if this is good or bad, but it may infringe on the space available for cooking (see below).
  • The Waring's fry basket is wider and shallower than the Euro-Pro. From the bottom of the Euro-Pro's fry basket to the top of the maximum fill oil line, was about three and a quarter inches. The corresponding measurement on the Waring was a little over half that. And, because the oil pot of the Euro-Pro is deeper and narrower than the Waring, the rise in the oil level from the displacement caused by the frying food would be greater. Offhand, I would think that this would favor the Euro-Pro for larger items (which will submerge better), and the Waring for smaller foods, like hush puppies, which would have more room to spread out while they float at the top.

The Waring is 1800 Watts. The Euro Pro is 1700 Watts, but the Euro-Pro is digital, holds 25% more oil, and is $40 cheaper, so that is where I'm leaning.

By the way, at Linens-n-Things I was told that they would honor a Bed, Bath, and Beyond 20% off coupon (so long as it's not expired). This is a good thing to know! Especially since Amazon recently raised its price on the Euro-Pro from $75 to $90.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi Folks-

I want to get my brother a deep fryer for Christmas, but I want it to be something better than a "Fry Daddy" as in more controllable and safer (he's got small kids). He'll probably do fries, wings, mars bars and other things on occation, I dont know. But not continously (my sister-in-law wouldn't let him!). He's got an awesome kitchen (seriously, I take over at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and I feel like I'm at the food netowrk...). Not a Lexus, not a Yugo, something in between for those special occasions when only deep fat will do. Suggestions? (no Turkey fryers please!).

Thanks-

Anne

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I have had a DeLonghi roto fryer for a few years and it works quite well but is a small batch fryer.

A year or so ago I bought the Waring Pro D200 which can handle more than 3 1/2 pounds of food, however I have found that frying is more efficient if you keep the batches less than 3 pounds.

It works great with doughnuts, beignets, French fries, chicken (especially wings) and fish, not to mention hushpuppies and onion rings.

It is super for tempura - I never used to prepare it at home because the older fryers simply didn't seem to get the oil hot enough. (I have an ancient Sunbeam and a Nesco.)

Edited by andiesenji (log)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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I have a 1500 watt Rival deep fryer. It is crummy. I used a candy thermometer to gage its "true" temperature, because I was getting lousy results. When it says 350, it is really about 200. When it says 375, it is about 240. After 20 minutes, with no load, it still says 240.

They will send me a new one under warranty, but it costs me for shipping both ways. The total cost is about what the original cost me with tax.

BTW: A check of the internet shows that many people have had a problem with Rival deep fryers. Especially the Model CF250 that I have.

I looked at 1800 watt commercial electric fryers at the Gourmet Cooking Supplies. I don't know if they work better, but if they keep the temperature at what they're supposed to, it might help!

doc

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Get the Waring Commercial Deep Fryer - best on the market under $100. Temperature is accurate - heats quickly has deep, wide basket.

Had the DeLonghi Roto - didn't like it at all - too small and not sure what the rotating thing actually does except add another breakable part.

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

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If the Waring Professional is the best one under $100, that begs the question of what is the best fryer period?

True commercial fryers tend to be way too big for a home kitchen, irrespective of budget. Besides the physical size, they typically are meant for gallons of oil and huge batches. So unfortunately the commercial units are not very practical. Is there anything worthwhile above the Waring that is worth considering?

Accuracy of the temperature is important. Heating capacity is important too, because once cold food goes into the oil you want the heater to bring the temperature back up and do so fairly quickly. However, you need a good thermostatic controller otherwise the temperature will overshoot. High quality tempertaure controllers are usually more than $100 by themselves, so I am a bit skeptical that the Waring has one.

Nathan

Nathan

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If the Waring Professional is the best one under $100, that begs the question of what is the best fryer period? 

True commercial fryers tend to be way too big for a home kitchen, irrespective of budget.  Besides the physical size, they typically are meant for gallons of oil and huge batches.  So unfortunately the commercial units are not very practical.  Is there anything worthwhile above the Waring that is worth considering?

Accuracy of the temperature is important.  Heating capacity is important too, because once cold food goes into the oil you want the heater to bring the temperature back up and do so fairly quickly.  However, you need a good thermostatic controller otherwise the temperature will overshoot.  High quality tempertaure controllers are usually more than $100 by themselves, so I am a bit skeptical that the Waring has one.

Nathan

In my experience, the Waring brings the temperature back up to the desired level within 15-25 seconds. That's very good in my opinion. I've probably owned seven or eight deep fryers over time and have never had anything close to the Waring. There may be something else out there at several hundred dollars that's better, but I can't imagine the difference being worth that money.

Obviously a built-in commercial unit is still the best.

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

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When I deep fry I'm usually cooking lots of different dishes for a dinner party. and an available burner on the stove is a precious commodity... in that respect, dedicated helps.

My old, inexpensive, ugly Rival fryer works well for me but I can't justify going through 1-1.5 quarts of oil at a time, so I don't get much use out of it except when I host parties. Mine, though, could theoretically be used to heat up other things, such as the occasional pot of soup, though I almost never use it for that.

I made doughnuts for the first time last month with just oil, a thermometer, and a heavy 6 quart pan.  They turned out fine.  Aside from not having to pay as much attention to the temperature, is there any real advantage to a dedicated appliance?

Jason Truesdell

Blog: Pursuing My Passions

Take me to your ryokan, please

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi folks-

Thanks for all the help! I'm sitting here staring at the giant Waring Pro box from Amazon trying to figure out how to wrap. :hmmm:

My husband has suggested a gallon of peanut oil and a 5 lb sack of potatoes as accessories. It'll be interesting to see which one my brother opens first! :rolleyes:

Happy Holidays to everyone on Egullet! You Rule! :wub:

Anne

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  • 4 months later...

Does anyone have any experience with the Euro Pro Fryer? I got a refurbished one recently and I keep having problems with it. Customer service was of little help. It shuts off and has to be reset - which can only be done after the oil cools down. Very frustrating in the middle of frying.

Also, anymore feedback on the Waring?

"Unleash the sheep!" mamster

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  • 7 months later...
Bump.

The Waring DF200 is down to $100 at Amazon again.  They also sell the DF100, which I can potentially get for $64 with a 20 percent off coupon at BB&B.

I suspect the DF200 is "better" than the DF100, but can't tell why.  And if so, is it $30+ better?

Any insights would be appreciated.

A quick comparison of your two links suggests that there is quite a difference in size between these two units.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

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