by Daisy Dao
The pressure fryer has a long history of making delicious crispy fried chicken for people to enjoy from the comfort of their own home. Even though the pressure fryer is infamous for its ability to make fried chicken like Colonel Sanders, it's surely capable of doing so much more. Of course, you could always pan fry your favorite foods, but a pressure fryer has a way of getting the job done superbly, but what is its secret?
Well, the answer is actually quite simple! When water is under pressure it boils at a higher temperature than the typical 212 °F, and when it comes to chicken, this means that less moisture is able to escape from the meat. If you're interested in making fried chicken worthy of the Colonel and you might want to buy one of these amazing appliances, then keep reading to learn what you should be looking for when buying your very own pressure fryer!
Note: It's very, very hard to find one for home use, because they tend to be dangerous and manufacturer don't want the liability. The ones they use in restaurants cost as much as a house and are huge and heavy and couldn't get approved for home use. Even pressure canners aren't meant for the high temps of the frying oil.
The product claims to be a pressure fryer in the headline but thankfully, a customer quotes a passage from the manual saying it can't be used for pressure frying with oil.
This site claim to sell some model naming SUPERCOOKERS of RapidChef or Pressure Magic.
This is more or less the similar the big brand KFC uses in their restaurant.
Contents
The very first thing you need to think about when it comes to buying a pressure fryer is how much food you need to fry at one time. If you have large get togethers where the whole neighborhood is invited over, then you might want to consider buying an extra-large pressure fryer, which can cook up to 18 pounds per batch. If you only need to cook for a few people at a time, then you should probably choose a smaller option.
A fryer pressure can be powered by either electricity or gas, so it's important to take this into consideration when buying your own pressure fryer. Because of the way that pressure fryers are constructed, they're extremely convenient when they're powered by electricity. This means that you'll find a larger selection of electric fryers available. Since the electric elements are submerfed in the fryer's oil, almost 100% of the energy being used is going directly into the food. It might be helpful to look for an electric deep fryer that has a higher wattage rating because they have more powerful heating elements. This allows your oil to be heated to your desired temperature at a faster rate.
In areas where gas tends to be cheaper than electric, gas pressure fryers are a more popular option. Of course, choosing gas or electric is dependent on your own needs and comfortability, so make sure that you think about this before you purchase a model.
Safety is extremely important when it comes to using a pressure fryer. Not only can oil leak over, but the unit can be hot enough to combust if you're not carefully with it. There are certain safety features that you can look for when buying a pressure fryer, which we'll get to later, but the most important thing to realize is that the safety aspect is almost entirely dependent on you. Follow the directions included with the model you purchase, but make sure to keep these things in mind at all times while using your pressure fryer:
1. Don't overfill the oil.
2. Pay attention to the temperature of the oil at all times. This is to ensure that an explosion doesn't occur.
3. Never lower your food into a pressure fryer while it's over an open flame.
4. Always keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Finding a pressure fryer that has an adjustable temperature dial is an important thing to look for when buying a fryer for your home. While most foods fry at 375 degrees fahrenheit, adjustable temperature controls allow you to control the temperature to cook a variety of different foods.
It goes without saying that deep fryers can be a huge pain to clean, which is why you should definitely look for a pressure fryer that has a nonstick interior.
Before you head to the store, or you buy a pressure fryer online, there are a few things that you should ask yourself first. These questions will allow you to think about what you want and need before buying your first pressure fryer.
Clearly, pressure fryers come in a variety of sizes. If you plan on using your pressure fryer on a frequent basis, you might want to just leave it on the countertop. This is why it's important to think about how much space you have to offer. If you don't plan on leaving it on the counter, then you need to think about where you're going to store it when it's not in use.
If you're the type of person who enjoys cooking different things, then you might want to look at the features included with the pressure fryer that you're looking at purchasing. There are some pressure fryers that can cook a variety of different foods, so make sure you pay attention to this aspect when choosing the right pressure fryer.
If you're on a diet, or just cutting back on fats, then you might want to look for a fryer that doesn't use oil, or uses a very small amount of oil, to cook food.
Using the same oil more than once not only helps you save money, but it's less wasteful, as well. If you're going to reuse the oil, then you might want to invest in a pressure fryer that comes with a built-in filtration or some sort of drainage system so you can store the oil for later use. There are also some pressure fryers that have snap-on lids, allowing you to store the oil right in the fryer.
As we said before, pressure fryers can be quite a dangerous appliance to keep at home, especially if you have small children running around. If you have kids that like to run around you while you're cooking in the kitchen, make sure to find a pressure fryer that comes with certain safety features like a guard to prevent splatters, an automatic shutoff, and a detachable cord.
Pressure fryers are a great appliance to keep around, particularly if you enjoy the deep-fried goodness of chicken. As long as you follow these simple guidelines, and keep safety on your mind at all times, then you should have no problem finding the perfect pressure fryer for your home.
If you have the gusto for fried foods, but you don't have the money to eat out all the time, or you're too lazy to do it, one of the best solutions would be to get a contraption you can use at home to this same end.
Having a deep-frying contraption you can use whenever you feel like eating some delicious homemade fried chicken can be a great way to have some degree of culinary independence, so to speak. The thing is, fried goods can be messy to make if you don't have a fryer, as you need to prepare a couple of separate plates and containers for the chicken, ( let's make fried chicken as an example ), the spices, and then oil into which you will dump the chicken itself.
Now, with a small-scaled deep fryer, you can bypass many of the annoying preparation steps and make your favorite meal quickly and efficiently in a short amount of time. What's more, you can save a lot of cooking oil, too, as small-scale deep fryers can be reused with the same oil a couple of times before you through the oil away.
In this article, we're going to talk about these curious contraptions and why they are so useful. We've prepared a list of 7 products, so you can have some options to choose from in case you decide to get one of these kitchen appliances. Also, we've answered some of the most frequently asked questions about small deep fryers, as well as provided a buyer's guide where you can see exactly what to pay attention to when buying one of these apparatuses.
While the speed of frying your favorite food typically mostly depends on the power of the heater and the food itself ( some foods cook faster than the others ), another important parameter in this equation would certainly be the size of the container you're cooking in.
This is why having a small deep fryer can be an excellent option for someone who likes to prepare their meals quickly, but who doesn't necessarily cook for many people at once. Also, smaller heaters on these contraptions mean you won't be spending as much energy while cooking, and if we add to that the fact that you can further adjust the temperature of the cooking using the thermostat, you can see that using a smaller fryer will not only make your food faster but use up less energy doing it.
Thanks to the clever addition of oil filters that many manufacturers of small deep fryers add to their products, you don't have to spend that much oil in order to cook your food.
What these filters do is remove any food particles that were left behind in the oil during the last cooking session, so what you will get on the other hand is filtered oil - ready to be used again.
This way, you can use the same oil to cook several portions of the food you're preparing, rather than having to change it all the time.
One of the most annoying parts about frying your food at home is the smell.
While the food itself may be delicious, the smell can be quite annoying both during and after the preparation of it, which is why many people don't even bother to make fried food at home.
With a deep fryer, however, you won't have to worry about that thanks to odor filters that often get built-in these contraptions. These will prevent these foul odors from spoiling your cooking experience, so you can deep fry food in the comfort of your own home to your heart's content.
When it comes to frying food in a pot, one of the biggest problems is that the boiling oil can 'jump' out of it every now and again and burn your skin if it comes in contact with it. Now, while these injuries aren't that scary, it's still better not to experience any injuries at all than having to deal with a blister you got for no reason.
What's great about deep fryers is that they come with a special lid you can use to cover the food while it's preparing. This will both speed up the cooking process because no heating energy is wasted, but also prevent the oil from getting out of the fryer, which means you don't have to worry about having to clean up the surrounding area or worse still - having the displeasure of having the hot oil come in contact with your skin.
All things considered, having a deep fryer you can use in the comfort of your home is simply more convenient than frying your food in a standard pot.
Thanks to the specialized design of these kitchen appliances and the fact that you can adjust the temperature for different dishes, as well as set up the timer ( most deep fryers do come with a timer ), you can prepare your favorite fried foods quickly and efficiently - and without wasting too much cooking oil.
![Waring Pro DF280 Professional Deep Fryer, Brushed Stainless [DISCONTINUED]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41EQaKglVnL.jpg)
Pressure fryers typically face two issues. First, they use only one basket, meaning only one thing can be fried at a time. Second, it can be very difficult to drain whatever oil you put in it for frying.
Waring's pressure fryer solves these two issues in two different ways. First, it contains two separate frying baskets. This is perfect if you want to fry two different things in it, or if you want to cook one thing more or less than the other if you still want to cook the same thing in it. You can also use the one large basket that it comes with to cook one thing in a larger quantity if you need to.
The second nice thing that Waring's pressure fryer contains is that it contains a removable basket for draining oil. This makes it much easier to clean than most other pressure fryers.
While it is a good thing that Waring's fryer contains multiple baskets, this also means that you need to take these baskets out and clean them yourself as well. This can create just as much busy work in cleaning as the pressure fryers with one large basket.
Waring's fryer also does not contain a filter. This can be negligible for some, but if you are using this fryer in a really small kitchen or any other room that does not contain a lot of ventilation, you will encounter fumes, especially if you use it frequently. If you want to prevent these fumes.
Most pressure fryers have very underwhelming capacities. While they are very convenient to use, they do not specialize in frying a lot of food. Obviously, this can be troublesome for anyone who wants to use a pressure fryer to fry a lot of food.
With a food capacity of an impressive 2.65 pounds, you will be able to fry much more food in T-Fal's fryer than other pressure fryers. Filtering and cleaning the oil used will not be a problem either; T-Fal's fryer contains an automatic filtration system that places used oil into a drip pan on the bottom of the contraption. This makes it very easy to organize and clean the oil that you will use in T-Fal's fryer.
T-Fal's fryer is also very easy to use. It contains only two major settings: Fry and filter. The drip pan for the filtered oil locks in these settings, and can only be taken out when you unlock it, which is the contraption's own setting.
There is only one glaring issue with T-Fal's fryer: It is very large and not very easy to carry around. This can certainly be troublesome if you are using it in a food truck or in some other situation where you need to carry T-Fal's fryer around.
The drip pan of T-Fal's fryer can also splash if it gets too full. Make sure you are taking out the drip pan whenever you can to prevent this.
A lot of turkey fryers that can be used inside struggle with temperature control. They contain different temperatures, but they do often do not contain enough different temperatures to provide diverse cooking.
Masterbuilt's turkey fryer solves this by containing six different temperature settings, from as low as 125 degrees fahrenheit to as high as 375 degrees fahrenheit. This will allow you to be as diverse as possible when frying your turkey. Instead of selecting between 2 or 3 temperatures and needing to adjust your methods, you can select a temperature that is perfect for you and work from there.
It is also very easy to clean and drain the impending juices that Masterbuilt's turkey fryer dispenses. Coming with a drain clip as well as a drain valve, all you need to do to clean the fryer is remove and wash the drain clip. The drain clip is dishwasher safe, meaning you will not need to wash this drain clip with your hands.
Unfortunately, Masterbuilt's turkey fryer is only compatible with butterball brand turkeys. This means that you will need to find a different turkey fryer for turkeys that are very large. To be specific, Masterbuilt's fryer can only fry turkeys up to 20 lbs. If you possess a turkey that is larger than 20 lbs, you will need to definitively look for something else.
On the outside, this deep fryer from Presto is just a simple black bucket that you can use to deep-fry food in the comfort of your own home. That said, this contraption possesses some impressive technical characteristics that make preparing your favorite meal a piece of cake.
For example, one of the most prominent characteristics of this deep fryer would certainly be the fact that there are no controls you need to set because this thing regulates the temperature of frying automatically. What this means is that you can simply pour some cooking oil in it, flick it on, insert whatever food you want to deep fry, and then get instant results.
Once you've finished preparing your favorite deep-fried dish, this Presto fryer is a breeze to clean. Thanks to the special non-stick surface that the folks at Presto placed both inside this thing and outside of it, you needn't worry about a tough cleanup session, or any other problems resulting from food sticking to the surface of this deep fryer.
Thanks to the fact that this thing has two separate frying baskets you can use at the same time, you can prepare a variety of meals that have two main ingredients, without having to wait to first make one and then the other. You can make fish and chips, for example, in a single go - by placing the fish sticks in one basket and the chips in the other.
As far as the power rating of this thing is concerned, the folks at Secura placed a large 1,700-Watt motor in which works like charm in accord with the heating element. The more power the heater has behind it, the faster you can prepare your favorite food when you turn the fryer on.
The heat control is adjustable, so you can always know exactly what sort of temperature you're working with. The temperature goes from 250° to 375°F, so there's plenty of range to work with. Also, there is a timer on board, so you can adjust the frying time and do something else because this thing will shut itself off automatically once the designated time has expired.
Sporting an appearance of an average toaster, this contraption from the famous company Cuisinart features a 1.1-liter oil tank that will work well for a variety of cooking tasks. The frying basket itself holds about three-quarters of a pound, which is a decent amount of food for several meals - depending on how much you can eat, of course.
When it comes to the power rating of this thing, the folks at Cuisinart placed a powerful 1,000-Watt heater, which means the oil in the tank will heat pretty quickly after you flick the 'ON' button, so to speak.
The housing for this deep fryer is made out of high-quality stainless steel, so you can rest assured that you won't have to worry about it getting damaged or compromised any time soon. As far as the cooking surface itself is concerned, it is covered by a non-stick material, so that the cooking process as well as the clean up after it is a breeze.
Featuring a rather large, 3.7-liter oil tank capacity, this fryer can be a great solution for someone who plans to cook for their entire family or friends. These 3.7 liters corresponds to about 15 cups of oil, and since this oil can be saved for further cooking, you can see how efficient this Oster model can be when it comes to deep-frying.
Wattage-wise, this contraption wields some 1500 Watts of heating power, which is more than enough to deep-fry most homemade meals fairly quickly. What's more, thanks to the fact that you can adjust the temperature on this model to whatever value suits your cooking needs, so you won't have to waste any energy on smaller cooking tasks, or risk overcooking some foods.
In regard to materials used in the build of this deep fryer, the folks at Oster went for stainless steel for the outer casing and non-stick surface for the interior. This decision makes this deep-fryer both sturdy apparatus on the outside and an easy-to-clean one on the inside.
If you're on a lookout for a compact deep fryer you can use in a variety of situations, this model from T-fal can be just the thing for you. Thanks to its small build, you can easily store this contraption wherever you like and not worry about it taking too much space.
When it comes to using this thing, all you need to do to open it up and start using it straight away would be to push a small button and the lid will pop open. What you will see inside is a non-stick surface interior, as well as a removable frying basket with a long handle, so you never run the risk of some of that oil touching your hands while you're making your favorite meal.
Also, despite the small frame, the folks at T-fal managed to add some quite interesting technology in this contraption including an odor filter that will prevent annoying cooking smells from spreading everywhere in your house whenever you turn this thing on.
Featuring a simple design and an easy-to-use interface, so to speak, this Presto deep fryer model represents an excellent choice for people who want a simple and sturdy deep-frying contraption. The exterior of this model was made out of high-quality stainless steel, while the interior is made out of anodized aluminum, which was used to prevent the food inside sticking to the cooking surface.
The capacity of the cooking basket is 1 liter, which is more than enough for preparing a small to the medium-sized meal. Other than that, there's also an adjustable thermostat present, so you can use a varying amount of energy when preparing food. To control it, all you need to do is turn the large knob toward the bottom of this apparatus and so set the temperature to your preferred value.
Sporting a high-tech appearance that is not only surface-deep, but this Smart Fryer from Breville is also a stylish and effective frying apparatus you can use to create a wide variety of fried foods. Thanks to its stainless steel build, this thing won't ever rust, so you can rest assured that it will last you a long time if you take good care of it.
What makes this fryer different from other models is that it comes with a smart LCD digital control panel, so you can simply push some buttons and type in the parameters of the cooking process you wish. This display will show you different recipes, so you can simply choose a dish you want to prepare ( let's say fries ), hit the button for fries, and then the devices itself will automatically adjust the temperature and the duration of the cooking process.
Deep fryers are contraptions that come in contact with hot oil, food items, and plenty of heat, so it's important that they're durable enough to take the punishment, so to speak.
So, when buying one of these appliances, make sure to look for models that are made out of stainless steel on the outside and some sort of non-stick surface on the inside. The stainless steel exterior will ensure easy maintenance and longevity because this material doesn't rust. As far as the non-stick interior, you want this because the cleanup will be easier, so you won't have to worry about food particles or oil getting stuck to it after you've finished cooking.
In terms of power output, the important thing for deep fryers is that they have a powerful heater, which will heat up your food quickly.
Although these contraptions don't require a nuclear reaction for them to work well, you may want to look for a model with at least 850 - 1,000 Watts or more, because these fryers will be able to heat up the oil quick, which makes the whole food preparation process more efficient.
Also, if the model has an adjustable thermostat too or an automatic one, you can even save some energy by not using the fryer at the highest setting for cooking tasks that don't require it.
Since we're talking about small deep fryers, the oil tank capacity is not going to go over 1.5 liters.
The reason the capacity of the oil tank matters is because it determines how much food you can place in it in a single go. The larger the tank, the more food you can fry with it, so if you want to cook for more people at the same time, for example, you may want to look for that upper limit at 1.5 liters. ( On the other hand, you may be even better off buying a larger deep fryer if you don't think this capacity would be enough for your needs. )
For the record, the lower capacity limit would be something like 0.9 liters, so if you just want a model for your personal needs, this may be more than enough for one person.
As we mentioned above already, the timer on a deep fryer is an important addition to the overall design, because it allows you to set it up, and then leave it to work its magic, so you can go do something else.
Generally speaking, waiting would surely be one of the most annoying parts of cooking, so if you don't have the patience, or are a busy person, getting a deep fryer with a timer can be a lifesaver.
Also, setting up the exact amount of time and the temperature at which you want to cook your food means you won't have to worry about the results. Typically, many deep fryers come with a booklet you can consult on how to prepare different foods where you can read about exactly how much time it takes to cook something, and at what temperature, too.
If you want to make the cooking process as easy and as efficient as possible, getting a deep fryer with a timer and an adjustable thermostat would be the best way to go.
A strawberry on the cake in terms of deep fryer design would certainly be the addition of the light indicator, which would turn on when the timer expires.
This way, you can know that the food is ready and that it's safe to open the lid. The thing is, once the timer runs out, the fryer will automatically shut itself off, so you can rest assured that you can open the lid without hot oil bubbling up and hitting you on the face or on the hands.
Ans: There are many small deep fryer models out there on the market.
Largely, the size of a deep fryer typically depends on the capacity of the basket, so many models that are around 1 liter or less could be lumped into the category of 'small' fryers. Also, the wattage plays a certain role here, too.
One of the smallest deep fryer models currently on the market would be T-fal's Stainless Steel fryer, which has a 1.2-liter capacity, but only 850 Watts of power. Also, there are a couple of Presto's models that are around a liter or below that when it comes to the frying basket capacity.
Ans: First things first, unplug the fryer from the power source and open its lid.
Then, take out the frying basket and drain any excess oil that you may have left behind. (If the oil is still good, you may want to save it for later.) After this, you can simply wash the frying basket in a dishwasher, and then use some warm water to clean the inside of the fryer itself. Also, you may want to clean any oil or food particles stuck on the lid.
The important thing to remember is not to put the fryer in the dishwasher, but ONLY the metal frying basket. Typically, deep fryers will come with maintenance instructions, but most models feature baskets that can be cleaned in dishwashers. If you don't have a dishwasher, just some warm water, and dish detergent will do fine.
Ans: While the best course of action would be to clean your deep fryer after every use, you can leave the oil inside it for shorter periods.
The tricky thing is that you have to make sure there aren't any food chunks in it, because those can go bad while in the fryer, and then the oil will become compromised, too, so to speak.
Ans: Yes, you can and should.
Warm water and some detergent are the recommended way to clean the inside of a deep fryer. That said, once you're done with cooking what you want in a deep fryer, first wait for a while for the oil to cool down, then pour it out, and only then you can start cleaning with water.
However, you should NEVER put the deep fryer itself in water, as the electrical circuits inside it may fail afterward.
Ans: Yes, it does.
Vinegar is one of the best grease-removers thanks to its natural acidity, so if you don't have any chemical grease removers available to you, you can simply mix some vinegar with water, pour it in your deep fryer, and that should do the job quite well.
All in all, deep fryers are useful cooking contraptions that you can use to make some of your favorite fried meals. The smaller versions of these apparatuses we presented to you above are perfect for individuals and smaller families, but may not be the best option for preparing large quantities of food at once. We hope you found this article helpful and we wish you a happy and hassle-free purchase.
Cuisinart CDF-200P1 Deep Fryer, 4 Quart, Stainless Steel - Walmart Link
T-fal Deep Fryer with Basket, Stainless Steel, Easy to Clean Deep Fryer, Oil Filtration, - Walmart Link
Presto 05420 FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer,Black - Walmart Link
KRUPS KJ502D51 Deep Fryer, Electric Deep Fryer, Stainless Steel Triple Basket Fryer, 4.5 - Walmart Link
Masterbuilt MB20012420 Electric Fryer, Boiler, Steamer, Stainless Steel - Walmart Link
VIVOHOME 20.7 Qt Commercial Electric Deep Fryer with 2 x 6.35 QT Removable Baskets, - Walmart Link
Bayou Classic 700-701 4-Gallon Bayou Fryer Stainless Steel - Walmart Link
Cuisinart CDF-200P1 Deep Fryer, 4 Quart, Stainless Steel - eBay Link
T-fal Deep Fryer with Basket, Stainless Steel, Easy to Clean Deep Fryer, Oil Filtration, - eBay Link
Presto 05420 FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer,Black - eBay Link
KRUPS KJ502D51 Deep Fryer, Electric Deep Fryer, Stainless Steel Triple Basket Fryer, 4.5 - eBay Link
Masterbuilt MB20012420 Electric Fryer, Boiler, Steamer, Stainless Steel - eBay Link
VIVOHOME 20.7 Qt Commercial Electric Deep Fryer with 2 x 6.35 QT Removable Baskets, - eBay Link
Bayou Classic 700-701 4-Gallon Bayou Fryer Stainless Steel - eBay Link
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About Daisy Dao
Daisy grew up on the beautiful Honolulu island where she often found herself spending most of her day enjoying the ocean scent in sea waves. As such, Daisy came to appreciate the art of cooking seafood. She has experimented with baking, roasting, broiling, poaching, grilling (and every other cooking technique you can think of); and with all kinds of spices too. Now she is ready to present her experience: the art of cooking healthy food without any pre-packaged ingredients; food product recommendations for people who need a bit more guidance on what goes into their bodies; how to maintain an active lifestyle without having to give up your favorite foods!
Be with Daisy: 
Kitchen Goodness
