Deep Fat Fryers

Features - things to look for

• A removable lid, basket and bowl for cleaning purposes.
• Ready to use indicator.
• Thermostat controls to perfectly fry your foods.
• Permanent anti-grease and odour filters.
• Nonstick bowl.
• Cool touch thermal body.
• Dishwasher safe parts - lid, basket, bowl and body.
• Cord winder, so you can conveniently store the power cord.

Preparation, cooking and maintenance

You should fill your bowl with oil only between the minimum and maximum line indicators. Most manufactures also advice not to mix different types of fat / oil together. With solid fat you should cut it into small pieces, and place it at the bottom of the bowl. It should never be placed within the basket.

Before you plus in the fryer you should make sure it's in place which out of reach of children, on a flat and solid surface, not near any flammable or heat sources and away from water or where water can splash onto the fryer.

The fryer should then be plugged in, turned on and the lid closed.

Adjust the temperature gage / thermostats to the correct setting, this will vary for frozen foods, and different fryers, so you should check your manufacturers manual.

Fill the basket, make sure the basket is not over filled, typically 2.6 litres of oil should contain around 670 g of chips.

You should then wait until the temperature requirement is met before lowering the basket into the oil.

Oil and filter cartridges should be replaced on a regular basis, most recommendations suggest that sunflower oil should be changed every five uses. This may vary for groundnut or vegetable oil. Most fryers should include a cartridge saturation indicator, which when red will show the time the anti-odour cartridge can be changed.

Safety - things to look for

There are quite a few old, and current safety regulations / requirements needed to be met in the UK by manufacturers. Two of these are,

• 89/336/CEE which has been modified to 93/68/CEE
• 73/23/CEE which has been modified to 93/68/CEE

Of course the regulations are always being altered year by year, but it's always handy to make sure the device your buying meets the current regulations.

Some technical features which drastically improve your safety when frying domestically,

• Non-slip rubber feet, so the fryer can not easily tip over due to the extra grip and stability.
• Safety cut out, the power cuts out if its in danger of over heating.
• Thermostat controls, lowers the potential to overheat the oil, which can combust into flames.
• Viewing window, means you can close the lid and keep an eye on the food at the same time. Whereas with a chip pan for example, people will have to leave the lid open, increasing the chances of burns from spitting oil.
• Thermal body, which keeps the casing of the fryer cool when frying, lowers the chance of burns.

Safety - things to avoid

Most of the high end fryers available for purchase in the UK come with all or a selection of the above safety features. With cheaper models the manufacturer usually scrimps and safety is the first thing compromised. Therefore if your buying a cheap deep fat fryers, be sure to make sure it's,

• It's stable, and will grip a work top surface well.
• The dimensions of the appliance do not make it easily tipped over.
• The handle, and sides of the casing are made from solid plastics, so will not get dangerously hot and cause burns.
• Electrical components are well protected.

Wiring instructions

Always follow the instructions which come with the fryer.

Some general advice is as follows, most appliances should be earthed before proceeding any further with wiring.

A typical wire in a power lead are as follows,

Green and yellow = earth

Blue = Neutral

Brown = Live

Most manuals should include a procedure for connecting the power lead to a plug, if you are still unsure after reading your manual you should seek professional advice. Also check these sites about other appliances; , .

Safety - tips

Things to take into consideration,

• Fryers operate at extremely high temperature, which means burns are a serious worry. Therefore thermal protection is a must for a fryer, thermal protection ensures that the majority of the outer shell / body of the fryer stays cool when it's being operated. Of course this only usually applies to the plastic sections, the metal parts can still heat up, therefore you may wish to avoid any fryer which has many metal components showing on the outside.
• Never insert any object between the removable bowl and bottom of the equipment.
• When the fryer has been turned on, never leave it unattended for any amount of time, this is one of the most common cause of house fires, and subsequent deaths.
• The device needs to be plugged into a socket which has been earthed.
• Additionally do not use an extension lead which is not entered into an earthed socket, most manufacturers will not even take liability if an extension cord is used at all.
• The voltage of the power socket also needs to meet that shown for the fryer.
• Do not buy cheap alternative machine from the EU, North America or other country. They will not meet the regulations and standards of the UK, and if used will need to be checked and approved by a service centre for that manufacturer.
• Always important to double check the plug, power lead, and fryer for any signs of damage. It's rare, but also a statistical fact that a certain percentage of devices will be damaged on purchase, hopefully if this is the case it's a visible damage you can notice. At this point always return the device for repair or replacement, disassembling and repairing the fryer yourself is not advised.
• Avoid placing the fryer next to all inflammable materials. Some people place a fryer next to a window to let any steam out. But if it's next to a curtain or blind then this can be a serious fire hazard. Similarly a fryer should not be placed next to a gas stove.

In the event of fire

• Never try and extinguish the flame with water.
• Attempt to close the lid of the fryer, or smother the fire with a damp cloth to restrict all oxygen.
• If this is not possible then it's time to leave your home at fast as possible and call the fire department.

Privacy Policy

No private data is stored or collected by this website.

The information contained within this site is general in nature, and may not be applicable to all deep fat fryers.

The advice within is correct to the best of our knowledge. But should not be relied upon without your own discretion.

Always check the manual and instructions of your deep fat fryer first. This should be your primary source of information for installing and using your device. This site has only been created as a secondary guide to help fill in any blanks you may have.