Customer Reviews

Presto 05420 FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer

5 star:		(118)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

I've had one of these little fryer appliances since they first became popular in the seventies. The current model is the second one I've had, being larger than the original model that came out.

For someone not needing to fry enormous amounts at one time, this little machine is ideal. It requires only a very small amount of vegetable oil. I've used it to fry chicken wings, quickly, to do french fries and onion rings, to do other smaller chicken parts, and it works beautifully. There is no thermostat; you just plug it in, wait 10 minutes, and the temp is 375. Having such a small amount of grease, it recovers heat more quickly than an electric skillet.

When you are through, if you plan to reuse the grease you can simply let the machine cool, snap the plastic top on, the put the whole thing in the fridge. I don't fry that often, and when I do, I tend to fry a lot, so usually I just discard the oil. Such a small amount is used (usually no more than 3 cups starting out) that I don't feel bad about discarding the oil.

The sides on this appliance are quite high, and splatter around the machine has never been a problem. I used common sense, though, when I fry, whether it's here or on the stove.

I'm sure the all-enclosed auto-fryers that are out on the market are nice, and if I fried a lot I'd probably get one. However, I only fry once or twice a month, and for that, this little machine is perfect. I'd recommend one to anyone--durable, simple, and does exactly what it's designed for!

I fry things about 1-2 times a week, and I liked my fried things to be very crispy yet not laden with oil. I wanted something that would truly get to a hotter frying temperature, to make my frying quicker and more "healthful"...(healthy frying....is that an oxymoron or what?) Because I don't fry THAT often, I just needed something simple.

I like this fryer because the heat-up time is very quick, and there is much less splatter then if you were frying in a pot. When I fry, I usually do your typical fried foods: fries, onion rings, wontons, etc. I have not tried to do anything else in it yet.

If the oil is fairly clean after I use it, I will put it in the refridgerator, but not keep more than a week. This is a very simple fryer. If you are a more heavy-duty fryer, then you might want to look into a fancier one. The exterior is not cool-touch, and there is no basket. If you only do small batches of things, and don't really fry that much, or even if you do, then this will be a great fryer for you.

After spending more money on 2 faulty deep fryers (Rival is hit-or-miss for quality), I've finally settled on this little beauty.

Pros:
1.) Cheap and simple, a very compact and minimalist package overall. It is nothing more than a steel bucket with a heating element underneath.

2.) Fries at 350 degrees, 25 short of "ideal" but safe for cooking with lard and lower smoke point oil. Try lard if you never have, you can still get it in supermarkets.

3.) Milled steel bucket, cast aluminum base. Inside has a permanent synthetic non-stick surface. Clean up and changing oil is simple.

Cons:
1.) This fryer isn't for families with young children or dumb people. Hot oil is always dangerous to work around and this unit is a STEEL BUCKET FULL OF OIL. The outside is hot. The inside is hot. It's hot.

2.) Doesn't have a lid to stop the occasional spatter.

3.) The bottom and healing element are shielded, but it will still warm up your synthetic countertop. I have mine on an old wooden cutting board to avoid warping the plastic.

This machine is really easy to use...I fried dough to make funnel cake and donuts, and it was simple. All you have to do is put in your oil, heat it up, and add the dough. The number of things you can fry is endless. My personal favorites are the funnel cake, chicken tenders, and french fries. Depending on what you are making, cooking time can vary from mere minutes to a half hour. Experiment, create your own recipes, it's easy.

One word of advice is to make sure to clean the fryer and change the oil regularly. Nothing is worse than frying with old oil. Keep the fryer very clean! Enjoy!

The fryer is very small, so as you cook subsequent batches, the previous batches gets cold. It's very basic: no temperature control, no indicator light for when it has reached the correct temperature, no basket (just a wide slotted spoon) and no insulation, so you do have to be careful around it. That would have all been OK for the occasional deep fryer user like myself except for something so basic, you would think there wouldn't be much that could go wrong with it. However I only used it about 10 times before it stopped working completely.

For years I've avoided making my own fried foods, as I had no luck frying in pans or my wok. My husband suggested a FryDaddy, remembering their commercials from the 1970s. We've had it for over a month and have used it several times, and it's been terrific. We've used it for shrimp and tempura thus far. It's nice to free up a burner on the stove by using this countertop item.

Browning is kind of tricky at first, because this gadget fries really quickly, faster than their instruction guide indicates. Fried shrimp for po' boys took 2 minutes at the most to get brown. Once I scooped out a couple batches of shrimp the oil level went down a bit, and the temperature increased, nearly burning next batch. I recommend adding more oil to the fill line if this happens. Also, the oil will splatter, so I use a splatter screen over the top to prevent a big mess.

It's not the easiest to clean and the cord is inconvenient. For safety reason, the FryDaddy has a short cord and recommends you not use an extension. Unless you're lucky enough to have an outlet right next to your table, this won't be a tabletop item - sort of a bummer if you want to make tempura at the table! Second, this unit is a bit hard to clean. The cord has a habit of collecting batter that drips, and of course the FryDaddy cannot be immersed in water. I clean the unit by pouring hot water into it with a little dish soap to soak for a few minutes. After I pour it out, I wipe clean with paper towels and let dry.

I love my Fry Daddy. My husband and I received it as a gift for our wedding 7 years ago and it is still as good as the day we got it. I love the easy storage and the frying quality. We actually have the grandpappy fryer which allows for a bit more room but we have fried everything from chicken cutlets, to wings, to fried zucchini and everything comes out perfect. The only caution we have is that the outside does get a bit hot and can stay pretty warm for some time so be careful even after you pull the plug.

I should have bought this years ago. Yeah, it splatters some, but so does using a frying pan. I find that if I put frozen foods (french fries, etc.) in a collander and rinse the ice crystals off with hot water a few minutes before I put them in the hot oil, they don't splatter as much.

Since buying the FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer my cooking has changed drasticly. Many meals are cooked completely in this deep fryer, without having the range, oven or other appliances turned on at all. The taste of frozen french-fries cooked in thia deep fryer, rather than having them dried out and hard from being cooked in the oven, is indescribable. And fish and shrimp are fantastic when fried this way. It makes me wonder why I delayed cooking this way for so long. I wouldn't be without it!

This very easy to use fryer cooks food perfectly. The only reasons I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 are the very hot exterior when it is being used and the scooper it comes with. Get yourself a pair of tongs and you are good to go, JUST BE CAREFUL AND KEEP IT WELL OUT OF REACH OF ANY CHILDREN AROUND THE HOUSE!!!! We use it at least once a week to make various types of shrimp as well as fish and even eggrolls. It cleans up very easily. We never save the oil because it tends to get gunky fast because there is not much oil in there. I would purchase this fryer again.