Philips HD6161 Deep Fat Fryer No doubt about it, this fryer is big. With an oil capacity of over 3 litres it is ideally suited for large families or anyone who plans on frying a large amount of food. If you don't mind the oil expense this fryer can produce surprisingly high quality results. A large volume of oil relative to the food helps make things crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The HD6161 comes with simple digital controls consisting of a thermostat and timer. You can set the oil temperature from 160° to 190° and the timer up to 99 minutes. The timer makes an audible sound but does NOT turn off the heating element automatically. Unlike most other stainless steel fryers the HD6161 allows you to raise and lower the basket with the lid in place - a great safety feature, especially if you have small children. The lid includes a built-in odour filter and the basket handle folds away when not in use. The oil chamber has a wide, shallow design so the oil level is not very deep, even when filled to the maximum. Consequently, large food items may not completely submerge in the oil. In these situations you may have to flip the item over to make sure it is cooked evenly or cut it into smaller pieces. The basket is large enough to accomodate about 2 Kgs. The HD6161 has no built-in oil cleaning capability so make sure you have a suitable filter, funnel and large air-tight container to store the used oil. The fryer disassembles easily and everything except the heating element is dishwasher proof, so clean up is pretty straightforward. Continued... Breville DF28 Deep Fat Fryer Operation consists of a variable temperature control and digital timer. The mechanical temperature dial means you can set a precise temperature for perfect golden brown chips, but the timer display is so small you may need a magnifying glass to read it. The basket can be raised and lowered with the lid closed - a great safety feature if you have small children. The rated oil capacity is 2 litres but filling the oil chamber to the minimum, as indicated by the line on the inside wall, produced the best results and helped prevent spills. The lid has a built-in viewing window, but as with most fryers it tends to fog up as soon as you put the food in. It's not dishwasher safe but the lid is detachable and has a charcoal filter which, while effective, will need to be changed periodically. The outside case is a combination of cool white and brushed steel and the smooth rounded contours and compact dimensions make it an easy fit for most home kitchens. It has a rated food capacity of 1kg which should be adequate for the typical midweek meal. Continued... Tefal Family Pro-Fryer Deep Fat Fryer Operation is straightforward. Fill the bowl with oil and put the lid on securely. Set the desired temperature using the thermostat control. Make sure the fryer is plugged in to the mains and then turn it on by pressing the On/Off switch. Nothing will happen at this point as the fryer will not operate until a time has been set using the timer control. Unfortunately this brings us to an awkward design flaw with this fryer. The On/Off switch is notoriously fragile. It frequently breaks rendering the whole appliance useless. Unless it is still under warranty the only option is to replace the entire control unit. This single part is frequently more expensive than a new fryer. As a workaround we suggest leaving the switch permanently in the 'On' position and instead using the timer control to turn the fryer on and off. Turn the timer control to 20 mins to allow time for the oil to warm up to the required temperature. The indicator light will show red. When the oil has reached the specified temperature the indicator light will turn green. The Family Pro-Fryer has an external control for lowering and raising the basket with the lid on, an important safety feature. Place the food items in the basket and position the basket over the bowl (the basket handle should be in the horizontal position). Replace the lid and gently push the basket handle down in a folding motion until it has returned to its housing. This will lower the basket into the oil. Set the timer to the desired number of minutes. When the time has expired the fryer shuts off automatically. The thermostat proved accurate and is calibrated in degrees rather than vague symbols. There is a large viewing window in the lid, but like most other fryers it tends to steam up when the fryer is in use. Smearing a thin layer of cooking oil on the underside of the glass helps in this regard. Continued... Tefal Profry Oleoclean FR700915 Deep Fat Fryer If the professional quality results weren't enough the Tefal Profry Oleoclean also has an slick system for handling the oil. Let's face it, oil maintenance is a chore most deep fat fryer owners could do without. Tefal's patented oil filtration and draining system attempts to remedy this by making the whole process as care-free and automated as possible. This is achieved by employing a large oil storage container that sits directly below the main frying chamber. Turning a control on the front of the machine allows the oil to drain into the container. A mesh filter in the bottom of the bowl prevents crumbs and other food particles from contaminating the now clean oil. It works beautifully most of the time, but occasionally the drain value fails to seal properly. This results in oil going all over the place the next time the fryer is used. Tefal, to their credit, mention this possibility in the instruction manual but many an owner has fallen foul of this design oversight. We recommend removing the oil storage compartment and then placing the fryer in the sink. Add a small amount of cooking oil to the bowl and check there are no leaks. If everything is working return the fryer to the work area, replace the storage compartment and you're ready to go. In the looks department the Profry Olecoclean has sleek professional styling, with stainless steel case and contrasting black plastic handles. It has a washable filter in the lid which limits odour problems, and the whole thing can be easily taken apart. All non-electrical parts are dishwasher safe. Continued... Breville VDF020 Double Deep Fat Fryer This fryer is ideal for anyone that needs to fry different foods at the same time, like fish and chicken. Separate frying bowls prevent flavour 'cross-contamination'. Your chicken doesn't end up tasting of fish and vise versa. This is especially important when trying to cook a mix of cuisines like Indian and Chinese. Keeping your onion bhajis, samosas, sweet and sour pork balls and Japanese tempura apart ensures great tasting results. Each oil chamber has a capacity of 3 litres and can cook 1.2kg of food. This is a good ratio of oil to food and should help maintain correct oil temperature to prevent food from becoming oil soaked (a common problem in home fryers). The VDF020 is attractively styled in brushed stainless steel with side handles for easy placement and non slip rubber feet (the stainless steel sides become hot when in use, so keep this fryer out of reach of children). The rear heating elements detach and have cord storage compartments built in. For easy clean up the twin enamel frying bowls lift out of the housing and everything except the heating units can be placed in the dishwasher. A few points to note are that the fry basket handles do not fold, making storage less than ideal, and the lids do not come with viewing windows or odour filters. Make sure you have sufficient ventilation. The twin variable temperature controls can heat to 190°C and there are clear indicator lights to tell you when the oil is at the correct temperature. There is no timer function. Continued... Deep Fat Fryer - Reviews, Tips, And Buyers GuideMillions of deep fried food lovers have discovered that the best way to enjoy their favourite deep fried treats is by cooking them at home with a deep fat fryer. If you love the taste of deep fried foods (and who doesn't) then having your own deep fat fryer is a great way to save money and enjoy fried foods cooked the way you want, when you want. If you're fed up with greasy, overpriced fish and chips from your local chip shop having your own fryer is the answer. Home fried foods are fresher, cheaper and with the right oil, healthier. In the past deep fat fryers were big heavy machines that needed gallons of cooking oil and took forever to clean. The latest designs are a far cry from those days with a wide range of sizes and styles that can fit in any kitchen. They're safe to use, economical and most can be put in a dishwasher for easy clean up. But with so many to choose from where do you start? To get you started towards deep fried nirvana, we've broken things down into the most popular categories: Mini Fryers  The mini deep fat fryer has become one of the fastest selling items for deep fried enthusiasts, especially if you have a small kitchen. They're compact, use very little oil and can be stored away easily. Ideal for singles and small families. Stainless Steel  If you have a modern up-to-date kitchen, chances are that most of your existing appliances are stainless steel. If so, then then you are probably looking for a stainless steel deep fat fryer to match your current decor. Double Fryers  The double deep fat fryer is ideal for those situations when you need to fry two different things at the same time. They can also be used to keep different foods like meat and fish separate so as to prevent the taste of one mixing with the other. Cheap Fryer  For those on a strict budget there are a number of inexpensive deep fat fryers that are worth looking at. In most cases you can get a basic no-frills cheap deep fat fryer for less than £30. Filters  If your kitchen is not well ventilated or you live in a flat with neighbours nearby then you need to think about how you will control odours from your deep fat fryer. The best way to do this is to buy a model that has a built-in filter. Strapped for time? Take a look at our deep fat fryer reviews. We've sorted through the maze of models to pick the very best in each class. Tags: cheap deep fat fryer, deep fat fryer, deep fat fryer reviews, double deep fat fryer, mini deep fat fryer, stainless steel deep fat fryer, |
