Best Deep Fryers: Top 5 Brands Most Recommended By Experts -

Finding the best deep fryer is your guarantee of crispy perfection every single time. Say goodbye to the days of unevenly cooked, oil-soaked disasters. With temperature control and efficient frying technology, your dinner emerges from that bubbling bath of goodness with a golden, crispy exterior every single time.

Having an at-home deep fryer opens up a whole new category of recipes to make. One in four Americans feel too intimidated to cook in their own kitchen, according to a new study. If you can relate to this sentiment, it may be time to build your confidence by investing in top-notch appliances that do the work for you.

And it’s not just about frying up chicken legs; it’s an invitation to embark on creative culinary adventures because you don’t have to worry about the dangers of frying in a pan. Imagine experimenting with homemade donuts, tempura vegetables, or even deep-fried Oreos. Your kitchen becomes a playground of possibilities, where you can push the boundaries of flavor and texture. It’s all about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, one fried food choice at a time.

We love fried food, which is why StudyFinds has curated a list of the best deep fryers, according to the experts. When you choose one of these expert recommendations, cleanup is a breeze because there is no more wrestling with a messy stovetop, oil splatters, or a sink full of greasy dishes. What are you planning to fry up first? Leave a comment to let us know!

Fried chicken in a fry basket (Photo by Shardar Tarikul Islam on Unsplash)

The List: Best Deep Fryers, According to Culinary Experts

1. Breville Smart Fryer

On the top of nearly every culinary lover’s list of best deep fryers is the Breville Smart Fryer. “The Breville Smart Fryer is a great option. It’s a little deeper than the Cuisinart, but since it has a 4-liter capacity, it’s not nearly as narrow as the Hamilton Beach. Like lots of Breville products, it has configured presets for specific foods like twice-fried fries, wings, calamari, and doughnuts, and is extremely easy to navigate,” comments Epicurious.

One push of a button to perfection? You’re kidding me! “The Breville Smart Fryer delivers convenience features like an LCD digital display and digital controls that offer pre-programmed settings for seven commonly fried foods (french fries, wings, calamari and more), whether they’re fresh or frozen. We especially love that there is a unique twice-cooked function for super crispy french fries,” notes Good Housekeeping. “You can also program a custom setting as a shortcut for making your favorite dish: The machine will store the most recent time and temperature you selected. It preheated quickly — just under 10 minutes — in our tests.”

If the Breville fryer had a mother, she would be so proud! “Out of all the deep fryers our testers looked at, they found that this one had the most consistent heating,” declares All Recipes. “On top of how well it retained heat throughout the frying process, they appreciated how quickly the fryer heated up, which you can follow with the countdown timer on the digital display. Less time waiting for that means more time enjoying the food!”

2. Cuisinart Compact Deep Fryer

Number two on our list is a brand we all know and love. “Our testers liked the basket of this deep fryer and its handy removable charcoal filter for getting rid of odors,” says All Recipes.

The Cuisinart may be compact but it packs a big punch. “This small 1-liter model is ideal for the occasional fryer. It has a compact footprint that can be stored easily, and it can fry up to 3/4 of a pound of food at a time. It’s very handy if you want to deep fry a few pieces of fish for tacos or a handful of mozzarella sticks for a snack,” shares Good Housekeeping.

Not every expert loved each aspect of the Cuisinart, yet it was too good not to mention. “Heat retention is the main issue with this Cuisinart appliance,” a reviewer from Food and Wine explains. “Where many of the models fought to maintain or recover temperature, this model possibly retains heat too well, racing past the desired temperature in many of our tests. An experienced cook with an accurate thermometer would have no problems adjusting to the temperature variations, but it would prove difficult for a beginner. It has a deceptively high capacity, compared to its physical footprint, holding enough food for three to four people at a time. With the correction of the temperature variations, this would be worth every bit of the price.”

3. Hamilton Beach Triple Basket Electric Deep Fryer

Next on our list of recommendations that will make your time in the kitchen easier is the Hamilton Beach Triple Basket Deep Fryer. “You can’t beat the functionality of this fryer,” explains All Recipes. “For starters, the deep fryer comes with three baskets — one large one and two smaller ones that you can place side by side — making it useful whether you’re cooking a big batch of food for guests or wanting to fry two different foods simultaneously. Simply set your timer, and when it’s up, you’ll hear a tone telling you that the food is ready.”

No complex set up. No fuss. “Out of the box, this Hamilton Beach fryer has straightforward, easy-to-follow directions for initial setup and features three baskets for frying,” writes Food and Wine. “Like most models we reviewed, it faces challenges in reaching and maintaining the desired temperature. There are not a lot of features: A temperature knob and a green light temperature indicator are the extents of the controls. Regarding safety, there’s an automatic shutoff after an hour and stay-cool handles on the fryer and the basket. This model is a well-designed, basic fryer for all skill levels, at a reasonable price.”

Even Goldilocks and the three bears wanted the porridge that was just right. Those searching for the middle ground in the world of deep fryers may feel lucky with The Hamilton. “The Hamilton Beach is a good option if you want an in-between size fryer—not party-size, but not compact either. It is deeper than it is wide, which can be an advantage for certain foods, but we find it to be a little less versatile this way,” mentions Epicurious.

4. All-Clad Stainless Steel Deep Fryer

The All-Clad may look like a fancy toaster, but there is a good reason why it makes our list of top deep fryers. “The All-Clad is a good, medium-capacity fryer for all skill levels,” notes Food and Wine. “It showed good heat retention and recovery in all of our tests and got top scores for its easy setup. Size-wise, it does not present much of a physical footprint, which can be deceptive, as it easily accommodates enough fries or chicken tenders for four people at a time. For safety features, it has an automatic shutoff if the temperature spikes, and stay-cool handles. Its digital timer is easy to read, and the basket and oil box are dishwasher safe, which saves significantly on cleanup time. Two of the biggest features that justify the splurge are a drain and an oil filtering system that make cleaning and storage easy.”

“All-Clad’s stainless steel unit is worth the investment,” proclaims a reviewer from Delish. “Instead of featuring dials that may require guesswork or an external thermometer to measure the temperature…this one has an adjustable thermostat that helps ensure oil is the perfect temperature at all times.”

For some experts, the pros and cons were equal. “This deep fryer also earned big points for being extremely easy to put together, we felt like it took practically no time and effort,” determines a reviewer from People. “That being said, the basket isn’t particularly large or deep — which yielded unevenly cooked potato chips during our testing. It’s really only suitable for cooking smaller amounts of food for an individual or couple. And while the handles stayed cool during our testing process, they’re made of metal and could potentially become hot to the touch. While we don’t love that design feature, we do love that the clear glass lid lets you keep an eye on your food while shielding you from splatters.”

5. De’Longhi Livenza Deep Fryer

Who wants to scrub and toil over greasy oil after a good meal? Not me! “Some people may worry that using a deep fryer automatically equals a daunting cleanup⁠ but not with this machine! The De’Longhi Livenza Deep Fryer includes an EasyClean system with a spout in the front for draining oil, which testers found convenient for those that don’t like to worry about possible spills. There’s also a built-in filtration system for the oil as it comes out. Once the oil is away, the easy cleaning continues given that the removable bowl, frying basket, and lid are all dishwasher safe,” shares All Recipes.

For this popular recommendation, the test run got off to a rocky start. “Testers noted that this fryer took longer than expected to heat up for its size, but it is capable of frying two to three servings of food at a time. While this deep fryer is one of the more expensive ones on our list, it offers unique features, like a thermal safety device that stops heating if it detects danger and a lard function if you’re deciding to go with lard instead of oil for your frying. In addition, the deep fryer has a handy counter system that tells you when you need to change the oil,” writes Delish.

“To be fair, a deep fryer can be a little bit of a beast to clean, particularly when it comes to getting rid of the used oil. That’s why we love this De’Longhi model that has a unique oil drain tap on the front. It looks like a spigot and makes for easy disposal of oil,” notes People. “It does take a lot longer than the fryers that just dump [the oil] out, but it’s convenient for those who don’t like to worry about possible spills. In related news, there’s also a function that tells you when you need to change the oil, a built-in oil filter, and all of the removable parts are dishwasher safe.”

Which is the most important feature of a good deep fryer for you? Leave a comment to let us know!

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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.

Tags: fried food