do you own a deep fat fryer?

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do you own a deep fat fryer?
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Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 9:57 am Post subject: do you own a deep fat fryer?

If so does it get a fair amount of usage?

I use to have one years ago but found it made horrible smelly, greasy steam everywhere which was narsty to clean off everything, so I got rid of it. Cleaning the thing itself was a nightmare too.

It might be that they've improved, so is it an important part of your downsizer cookery arsenal?

Should I get one? (we're trying to eat healthily but the kids do like chips once a week

)

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28235
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 10:03 am Post subject:
We got a stainless steel one that is well designed so that it dismantles for easy cleaning. Always pleases me to see stuff that has some intelligence in the design It does get used, possibly not more than once a week, but I see deep fat frying as a significant cooking method that I would not like to be without, and doing it in a safe temperature regulated fashion is useful.

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 10:09 am Post subject:
Jema, could you use yours with water, rather than oil? I have it in my head that it would be a more efficient way to cook pasta as all the heat goes into the water, rather than allowing it drift off round the sides.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 10:12 am Post subject:
We have one, it does not get used much but when it does it is handy, and its better than nearly burning the house down by ignoring a chip pan

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28235
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 10:20 am Post subject:

I don't use it for pasta, spaghetti wouldn't go easily in the basket, and I can't see putting it in the fryer itself directly in contact with the element. Let alone the hassle of swapping oil and water.

For long spaghetti (slight even more offtopic comment here, supermarkets give us choice right?

So how come neither of our two local supermarkets ASDA and Morrisons stock long spag?) I use a fish kettle which going over two rings is not efficient but does work well if you don't want to piddle about getting all the spaghetti bent into the pan.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 10:21 am Post subject:
We do chips in a wok if we need to deep fry, sometimes from raw, but often I'll microwave a couple of spuds and make wedges that just need crisping up. Works for us but there are just the two of us, may not be as effective if you are frying for 4

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 10:38 am Post subject:
I have a long stainlesss steel one that looks like a professional fryer but is designed for home use - It doesn't get used very often (maybe once a month on average) but is invaluable for Onion Bhajiis, sesame prawn toasts, real chips etc My main problem is having somewhere to store it - it does take up alot of space but I don't want to get rid of it

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 11:45 am Post subject:

I don't, but think about it every so often. Chips and samosas/bajis would be what I think I'd want it for. I was looking at the little ones in Lakeland - the catalogue arrived this morning

I'm most bothered about the cleaning and if it smells. At the moment, I don't deep fry. Rather than chips I cut potato wedges, toss them in oil and herbs and bake until they're crisp. But I sometimes hanker for home-made proper chips

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 2:43 pm Post subject:
The Scottish housemate bought one a while back. Used it a few times, then put it in the cupboard under the sink. I'm not really one for deep frying. Aside of the odd fritter, I doubt I'd use it at all.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 2:47 pm Post subject:
I just bought a small chip basket that fits into a medium saucepan. It cost about 50p IIRC and can be used for various other things as well. I've only used it for deep frying a couple of times but it's takes up less room and is much cheaper than a whole frying gadget.

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 2:47 pm Post subject:

hedgewitch wrote:

I don't, but think about it every so often. Chips and samosas/bajis would be what I think I'd want it for. I was looking at the little ones in Lakeland - the catalogue arrived this morning

that's sort of where I am. But the kids like oven chips (sorry

I know crime against food etc etc) so I was trying to work out whether it was worth getting one just to stop me buying them. Or what else I'd use it for...

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 3:03 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I just bought a small chip basket that fits into a medium saucepan. It cost about 50p IIRC and can be used for various other things as well. I've only used it for deep frying a couple of times but it's takes up less room and is much cheaper than a whole frying gadget.

I'd be swayed by an electric fryer because of the smell of an open chip pan. My kitchen isn't well ventilated

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 3:06 pm Post subject:

Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote:

[But the kids like oven chips (sorry

I know crime against food etc etc) so I was trying to work out whether it was worth getting one just to stop me buying them. Or what else I'd use it for...

One of my fondest childhood food memories is of my aunty making proper chips. Maybe your kids need that too - to at least counteract the oven chip

That said, I know I would've loved oven chips when I was a kid

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 3:19 pm Post subject:

I used to have one as a student (hand-me-down from my fab uncle), think it's in the loft actually.

As a student, it was great, apart from when one of my housemates (who really didn't know where to start in the kitchen) decided to try a fried breakfast in it

...think deep-fried eggs and beans!!!!

I hate the smell, and if I do want to deep fry, which is very very rarely, I use the wok too.

My Mum still has one, we always had a fryer growing up, and you really can't beat chips done in it....mmmmmm, real chips.

I have to say we have oven chips if we have chips too

The other thing I use deep frying for is prawn crackers!

We were talking about this the other day actually, Heston Blumenthal's perfect chips were done with potatoes with a low water content...do you think you could dehydrate potatoes for chips slightly before cooking them to get perfect chips? (ok, we were trying to think of things we could use the dehydrator for

)

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 07 3:22 pm Post subject:
We deep fry fairly often, in a wok

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