We had a deep fryer once, long ago, and I found the whole process messy and rather more of a pain than it was worth. However, having recently experienced some really amazing fried food at the Melting Pot, I thought I'd investigate what new technology might now be available. (Who knew that deep-fried kale would be so awesome?)
I haven't made up my mind about anything yet. What holds me back the most is knowing I'd have to find a place to store a new appliance.
Be that as it may, look what I found in a review of the Presto Cool Daddy 6-Cup Electric Deep Fryer:
- Ideal for a small family up to six people.
I like the way they think.
Revealing my age, I can say that I remember the days when a family of six was considered small; now our children's families (of six and eight) attract attention wherever they go.
Back then we didn't have Presto fryers, nor frozen French fries: my mother made fries for our (small) family of six starting from whole potatoes, and using a pot of oil on the stove. And they were so good! As time went on, she did switch to using frozen French fries, which was definitely easier, though not better.
Does anyone have thoughts about deep fryers to share? I'm interested—if I am interested; I'm still not sure—in something small, since our current household is small by any standards (two).
We were happy with our first fryer until it tried to burn down our house.
It was the only fryer that was still at Sears two months after we bought it - all other models seem to get cycled through at a pretty alarming rate.
We've had our new one for a little while, maybe a couple years. Presto ProFry, model 546125. It's a bit small for us, but pretty good. Both fryers we've owned have more metal than the average model.
I did look at some models that had nicer draining and filtering systems, as that is always some work. But I ended up deciding it was more things that could break.
Hmmm. I missed the story of the first fryer. It's one of those things you're glad not to hear about until after you know everyone's okay, I guess.
Something shorted in the electrical panel and it melted through the plastic and was smoking.
You might want to see what friends think of an air fryer. It uses hardly any oil and does decent fries and many other things. I don't use mine often (it was a gift) and it does take space on the counter. But many people think them fabulous and use them frequently.
Thanks, Laurie. Several people have recommended an air fryer. What I can't figure out is how different the result is from doing the same thing in an oven. Most people seem to find the results "good enough"—but not the same as oil frying. I'm sure it's easier than using the oven, but is it worth the space?
The Daleys have a way to recycle their used oil—I wish that were more readily available. As you can see, I'm still in the hemming and hawing stage.
