Customer Reviews

Rival CZF530 3-Liter Cool Touch Deep Fryer

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Purchased this fryer at Target and have used it for making chicken wings, fried spinach, French fries, fried okra and pre-prepared frozen calamari and clam strips. All of the items were of restaurant quality, and none were greasy. I did not experience flavor transfer when re-using oil. The fryer comes apart with ease, and it cleans up nicely in the dishwasher. This is a family size deep fryer, and it requires a large amount of oil. Once the deep fryer cools, you can strain the oil and store it in a clean plastic container for up to three months. So, after you purchase this fryer, make sure to buy a big container of cooking oil (the largest one in the grocery store) and a nice sturdy plastic container for storing your used oil. The directions tell you not to mix different oils, as they have a different smoking point. So, pick canola, vegetable, or peanut oil and stick to one type of oil for your deep fryer. My kitchen did not smell of grease after I used this product for frying.

I always kinda wanted to try deep frying a turkey but heard too many horror stories. I bought this thing thinking of french fries and such. After I actually got it in hand, I found it big enough to handle frying a small whole chicken. I thought, what the hey, I'll give it a try.

It worked wonderfully! I put in the oil, set the temp, let it heat up until the ready light came on, then put in the chicken and set the timer. The chicken was juicy and not oily like I expected and not all dried up like what a roaster does to them. Next time I am going to use peanut oil, use smaller chicken pieces (just to keep things more easily manageable, maybe a half of a chicken or a leg quarter), and use one of those marinade injectors.

Ok, back to the machine, I was really impressed with the design of the thing. All electrical components are removable from the oil contacting components, for cleaning. It is not easy to wash everything (get a dishwashing brush) but it is possible. This unit will not end up smelling funny after a few months like some other deep fryers I have seen.

Take a bow, Rival...You done good.

This was a highly recommended deep fryer, and the quality of construction, ease of use and ability to clean up quickly were all important considerations. It is very carefully packaged, instructions are good, perhaps not great, but easy to follow if you take a moment to look at the pictures. It is fast, clean and no one gets injured! I had sort of hoped that the frying basin area might be larger in surface area (not necessarily deeper) so that I could do more items at a time, but for most foods, fries, etc., I can see that having them stacked works fine. I just love doing tempura, and that cannot be stacked as successfully because the batter will get all gigantically encrusted -- must keep the tempura pieces separated by a bit of space. Otherwise, you can dip and fry, remove items and dip and fry to your hearts content, with minimal mess and still have relatively healthy meals. Great for fish, but toss that old oil if doing seafoods! With veges you can recycle the oil and that saves a lot of money. We buy the big 1/2 gallon of 50% olive oil, 50% Canola blend and that works perfectly.

Purchased this deep fryer December 07. Worked fine for 3 months and then burned out. No power light. Warranty is one year but manufacturer requires customer pay for shipping both ways for repair/replacement. Not worth the shipping cost to have repaired or replaced. To bad, I liked the unit when it worked. Will look for a deep fryer from another manufacturer. May not buy Rival products in the future.

Purchased in March 2008. Used four times and quit on me in the middle of frying chicken for our family Christmas gathering. No light. Owner's guide indicates a reset button which DOES NOT exist. Unfortunately I did not save receipt. Reviews I've read online indicate this is a very pervasive problem. To return the item, you must pay shipping both ways. simply not worth it. I will never purchase another Rival product.

Have used this fryer for 2 years. It just stopped working in the middle of cooking fish for dinner. There was no reset button like the booklet said there was. Called customer service later and they apologized for the unit not having a reset button. Suggested the next time to unplug and wait 20 to 30 minutes and try again. Is this not crazy? Who would want to do this in the middle of cooking dinner. I loved the unit when it worked, but will not buy another one. Quality needs to be better. Customers service could not just send me a heating element part. They don't offer parts. Here we go, a throw away society. If it doesn't work, just throw it in the landfill!

I waited to buy a deep fryer until I could find one that seemed 'reasonable' to clean. This Rival comes apart, with most parts able to be cleaned in the dishwasher. The only negative I have found, after using it to fry chicken wings, calamari and french fries, is that you need to ignore the "ready" light. It comes on when the oil is not hot enough to fry anything.

Bought this unit in 09 and used it approx 30 times. Just quit working, no lights no heat. took it apart and one of the wires that goes to the timer and or thermostat was fried but still had continuity, power to switch was good and
heating element was good. Pretty complicated inside workings, timer, circuit board, lights, etc and that is where the problem is. Next stop trash. Too bad I really liked the unit.

Bought this a few weeks ago locally. Used it once and worked beautifully. Loved it. Later the same day (4-5 hours later) turned it on to cook more fritters. Nothing. Nada...zip... My husband checked everything with a volt tester. Cord was fine. Problem was with the machine. Wish I had read the reviews on here first. What a joke. Taking it back today.

This is our third Rival Cool Touch Deep Fryer. Our first one we had for several years. After awhile, it just became so dirty, we couldn't keep it looking decent. We had our second one for a couple of years and it was starting to look a little grimy. Then my daughter almost dropped it. Luckily the oil was cold. But, in the process of saving the fryer from falling, she some how knocked the control panel into the oil. I started looking for another Cool Touch Fryer. This model is becoming hard to find. This one is almost exactly like the first two we had. Slight change in the control panel and the basket is a little lighter weight. We've used it about 4 times in the month we've had it. Works just like our previous two. We love how we can close the lid while deep frying. No grease splatters or worries about a grease fire. We loved our first two and this one looks like it will be three winners in a row.