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95 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally! A great home fryer!, April 16, 2004
Before purchasing this unit, I examined every other fryer marketed, in hand. Other companies offer quite similar units at first glance, but in the end, this one has no peer. While indeed one of the most costly, its combination of well-designed features is easily worth the additional 20-30 Dollars over competitive fryers.It's very big and, at 1800 robust watts, is as powerful as most modern kitchens can accommodate... If your kitchen isn't wired with 20-amp grounded outlets within two feet of its resting place, you should consider a 1500-watt unit from another maker, as it may trip your breaker or work at less than peak performance. Better yet, have your kitchen wired accordingly. It demands lots of space, but should fit on the average counter, though I'd recommend that it not be placed beneath cabinets, or within a foot from them, as they will indeed take a beating from vapor and grease. I placed it on a cookie sheet on top of my range, beneath the exhaust hood, but be sure you have no lit pilot lamps or burners, which would pose a serious fire hazard. Its well-designed magnetic breakaway safety cord will reach slightly more than 2 feet. An extension is NOT recommended, and any extension of less amperage capacity than a very short, 12-gauge cord would seriously deplete the wattage and cause a fire hazard, and overheat the appliance. Again, do it right and have a stout 20-amp receptacle within range. The construction of the fryer is outstanding. The unit's mass and features evoked an involuntary guttural grunt from me when I looked at it in my kitchen for the first time, and my wife issued a concurring female grunt. Everything breaks down easily for cleaning in seconds. All parts except the heating module are dishwasher-safe. Even then, the elements can be sloshed in hot detergent and rinsed easily. The heating element is sturdy and suspends well off the bottom of the heavy gauge stainless steel tub, thus the tub bottom won't scorch and food particles remain an easily dissolved paste. The tub has a pouring corner that works well when recanting the nearly full gallon of oil it's designed to take. If allowed to cool and settle overnight, no filtering is required. As a hint, once used, oil should be refrigerated to prevent rancidity. The heating module has a reset button, in the event the element temperature exceeds 525° degrees, though I can't see why that would occur unless the pot was accidentally empty. It maintains the selected temperature very well and has two pilot lights that signify when the unit is on, and when temperature has been reached. The industrial On-Off stalk-type toggle switch snaps smartly, as one would arm a missile system. The two dials are solidly made and turn smoothly. The basket is very sturdy and has a fold-in handle for storage. The lid sits in a nicely designed collection ridge that directs all condensation or spatter to a removable collection receptacle... and it works. The design allows immersion and lifting of the basket from and to its solid resting hook with the lid on, though the manufacturer suggests that some foods be started without the lid. The glass window is large and easily allows inspection of the cooking progress without removal of the lid, and stays remarkable clear during cooking. Everything about this appliance is there for a reason, with no gadgetry, and nothing is lacking. Anything I could say about cooking performance would be an understatement. In short, it fried a whole chicken in three quick batches, to crispy, juicy perfection, and not a single drop of fat landed on my counter during the cooking process. It can easily accommodate an undivided half chicken. It cleaned up fast and easily. Most highly recommended! A few polite words about the cons in another review are in order... The timer does function down to less than three minutes, very nicely. Just as my grandmother did with her old egg timer, simply turn it beyond ten minutes to catch the spring and turn it back to whatever suits. The heavy gauge screen on top is NOT a filter, nor is it purported to be. It's designed to allow vapor to escape, while blocking spatter, and it works beautifully and washes beautifully. Odor control is the function of an outside emitting exhaust hood, which should be a standard fixture in any kitchen. As another reviewer wisely suggested, fries should be double-fried if crispiness is desired. Simply fry for about 3 minutes, then raise the basket for 30 seconds or so, re-immerse and continue until done. Finally, battered or doughy foods should always be placed directly into the oil, with the basket submerged, or they will adhere to the basket. These are both well-known commercial frying techniques. This is as good as technology gets for a home fryer. For more capacity or power than this extremely well designed appliance, one would have to obtain a 240-volt commercial fryer from a restaurant supply.
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by Phyllis Kohn
