The 10 best deep-fat fryers, tried and tested for fuss-free fried foods

They were once a kitchen-top staple for cooking everything from chips to doughnuts, but deep-fat fryers fell out of favour in the 1980s when frozen oven chips came into vogue and promised to give that “fresh from the chippy” flavour. More recently, air-fryers have offered a healthier alternative to deep-frying food.

But the downside of an air fryer is that it simply can’t replicate the same flavoursome taste as the best deep-fat fryers because they use only minimal oil to cook your food. And given the rising cost of takeaways, deep-fat fryers are making a comeback.

The latest models boast thermostatic temperature controls to heat the oil to the optimum temperature, as well as odour filters and fire-prevention safety features. To help you out, I’ve tested the 10 best deep-fat fryers to see how easily each can be used, how much space they take up, how difficult they are to clean and which gives the best frying results. If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five:

What are the best deep-fat fryers? At a glance

• Best overall fryer - Salter EK6266 5 Litre Deep Fat Fryer
• Best value deep-fat fryer - Quest 2.5 Litre Deep Fryer
• Best family-sized fryer -Tower Easy Clean 3 Litre Deep Fat Fryer
• Best healthy deep-fat fryer - GastroBack Vita Spin
• Best deep-fat fryer for beginners - Russell Hobbs Maxi Deep Fat Fryer

What are the benefits of a deep fat fryer?

Simply put, fats carry flavour and as anyone who has tried triple-cooked chips in a gastro pub can testify, no amount of air-frying can replicate that golden crunch, says Jason Shaw, chef and founder of Elevated Food for Life. “A deep-fat fryer uses oil with a high-smoke point, like sunflower or rapeseed oils, and heats oil to very high temperatures, usually between 150 to 190C, depending on what you’re cooking.

“A good fryer will keep oil heated at your set temperature to ensure food cooks quickly and evenly so you get the crisp, golden outside and perfectly cooked inside without any sogginess or stodginess.”

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How we test deep fat fryers

Making homemade fish and chips has to be the ultimate test to finding out what makes a great deep-fat fryer. So using sunflower oil, the same beer-battered haddock recipe and Maris Piper potatoes, I looked for the time it took each fryer to heat the oil, how quickly and evenly the food cooked, how crispy the chips came out and how golden and crunchy the batter was.

I also wanted to know how easy it was to clean and store after use. I also investigated any extra features such as cooking timers, odour filters and how effectively each fryer’s thermostat kept the oil at temperature. To minimise the risk of the chip-pan fires of old, the vast majority of the latest deep-fat fryers also have built-in safety features to prevent overheating, including automatic shut-offs, which I will also be taking into consideration.

The best deep-fat fryers

1. Salter EK6266 5 Litre Deep Fat Fryer

Currently £57.99, Currys

Best deep-fat fryer overall, 10/10

We like: the perfectly crisp, golden frying results

We don’t like: takes up a lot of kitchen space

• Programmes: Fries at 130–190C and has a timer
• Oil capacity: 2.5 to 5 litres
• Weight: 5.8kg

Thanks to its stainless steel design, Salter’s model may look more like a commercial kitchen fryer, but the shape is smarter and the frying results were the best of all the ones I tested. The fish cooked evenly and stayed moist, the batter was golden and it remained crunchy without tasting as though it had absorbed too much oil.

The chips were crisp on the outside and fluffy in the centre, and the entire meal tasted chip shop quality, which was the closest I got to that flavour with a home deep-fat fryer. I also used it to cook stuffed arancini and the rice stayed unctuous in the middle without going soggy, as well as the breadcrumb coating remaining crunchy.

I liked that this fryer was easy to set up – it heated the oil in minutes and it stayed at the correct temperature, likely because of its 3000 Watt power rating. I didn’t need to check whether the heat indicator was turning itself on as it worked to retain the temperature.

While this fryer can take up to five litres of oil to cook family-sized meals (if you’re using both baskets at once), it also has the option to operate at a 2.5-litre capacity using just one basket, which is great for cooking smaller portions. Although it has the largest capacity of all the fryers I tested, it didn’t actually take up much more space (only a few more centimetres) than other designs with half the oil capacity, so it didn’t feel too big for my kitchen.

Given that it has a traditional submersion heating element, it was surprisingly quick and easy to dismantle. The non-stick frying chamber can be removed and cleaned in hot soapy water too.

The only downside is that the model is fairly uninspiring, though that’s forgivable in light of the exceptional frying results. This performed better than some of the more expensive fryers I tried and for £74.99 at full price, it is a good mid-range price option.

2. Quest 2.5 Litre Deep Fryer

£36.99, Robert Dyas

Best value deep-fat fryer, 10/10

We like: The crisp, golden texture for both fish and chips

We don’t like: The oil chamber was fiddly to empty

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 130-190C
• Oil capacity: 2.5 litres
• Weight: 1.9kg

For under £40, this performed very well in the taste test. The oil heated quickly and evenly, and the large frying basket meant it was easy to cook two medium-sized haddock fillets at once, which emerged as crunchy and light as I’d hoped. The viewing window is a good size and the odour filter on the top minimised the frying scent more than the others we tested.

It also cooked calamari and tempura prawns beautifully. The calamari stayed tender and the prawn tempura batter crisped up nicely. The adjustable thermostat and cooking time indicators on the front were handy for gauging the length of time food should be left in the fryer and the oil temperature.

However, emptying the oil chamber after cooking was the main downside of this model. It was a little fiddly to ensure that the oil poured out without spilling or running down the side of the fryer, but I liked that there wasn’t a separate immersion heating element to clean. The non-stick oil chamber itself was also very easy to wipe down without leaving a greasy residue afterwards. Although, this product is quite bulky so storing it after use might be problematic for some kitchens.

3. Tower Easy Clean 3 Litre Deep Fat Fryer

£69.99, Tower

Best family-size deep-fat fryer, 8/10

We like: the basket-lifting mechanism

We don’t like: the viewing window steaming up

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 130–190C
• Oil capacity: 3 litres
• Weight: 2.3kg

This large-capacity fryer has a generous basket and holds up to three litres of cooking oil, meaning you can fry plenty of crispy chips in one go. It performed very well cooking battered haddock too, giving it a golden colour and frying the fish evenly.

It has some great features such as a folding basket handle that can be tucked away when not in use and an easy-lifting mechanism on the frying basket to help prevent oil splattering when checking on the food, making it feel like a safe choice for a family kitchen.

The large viewing window was great in theory for keeping an eye on the cooking without having to open the lid, although it steamed up during the frying process and made it occasionally tricky to see inside. Instead, I had to open the device to check how the food was cooking, which defeated the point.

I liked that it was possible to raise and lower the basket without opening the lid, but found this fryer to be on the large side, meaning it might not work in compact kitchens where space is a premium.

4. HomCom 3 Litre Stainless Steel Deep Fat Fryer

£40.99, Robert Dyas

Best deep-fat fryer for cleaning, 7/10

We liked: how easy it was to assemble and clean

We don’t like: the shallow design that meant oil spat a little during cooking

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 150–190C and timer
• Oil capacity: 3 litres
• Weight: 3kg

This slimline fryer wins points for being straightforward to assemble and clean after use, with the set-up taking just minutes. The stainless steel design is functional, though it doesn’t look as sophisticated as some of the other models I tested.

Despite more limited oil temperature settings than other models, the 2000 Watts power heats the oil quickly and the large capacity means it can hold up to three litres of oil. It has a classic immersion heating design and the large rectangular basket is suitable for cooking up to a kilo of food, so it’s efficient for its size and could cook around two good-sized portions of chips at once.

The timer function was useful too and as a result, the fish, chips and tempura prawns I cooked were evenly crisp. The main drawback is that the oil container is quite shallow, forcing me to take care not to get splattered with oil while lowering the food into the basket or checking it. This might make it unsuitable for a family kitchen.

Overall, though, a good all-rounder with a very competitive price that won’t take up a lot of space.

5. CookWorks Deep Fat Fryer

£23, Argos

Best budget air fryer, 7/10

We like: the quick oil heating time

We don’t like: it takes up a lot of space for a compact fryer

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 80–190C
• Oil capacity: 1.5 litres
• Weight: 1.9kg

This fryer is undoubtedly good value for money – it has the option to heat oil from 80 to 190C, a safety-release button to lock the lid during cooking and a viewing window. Although the oil reached the target temperature quickly according to the indicator, the crisping results weren’t as good as some of the pricier models tested. The chips also weren’t as light as they could’ve been and took longer to cook, meaning it unfortunately didn’t perform as well in the taste test too.

The fish batter looked more beige than golden so it probably needed a slightly longer cooking time. This could be down to the 1000 Watts of power that caused it to cook not as efficiently as it would’ve done in some of the higher-power models.

This fryer is only suitable for making one to two portions of food at a time but is surprisingly bulky to store despite its compact cooking capacity.

However, it’s still half the price of many fryers out there. For occasional use or for cooking smaller portions, it does the job, although expect to adjust cooking times.

6. GastroBack Vita Spin

£149.90, Gastroback

Best healthy deep fat fryer, 9/10

We like: the spinning function to remove 60 per cent of cooking fat

We don’t like: the basket was tough to clean

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 150–190C, timer and two spinning functions
• Oil capacity: 2.5 litres
• Weight: 4.9kg

It might seem counter-intuitive to call a deep-fat fryer healthy, but this high-spec model features a round basket and centrifuge spinning function to remove up to 60 per cent of the cooking fat from your fried food. It also has a built-in mechanism allowing the basket to be raised from the oil while still remaining in the fryer as well as a safety-lock that keeps the lid closed as the spinner function rotates the basket at high speeds to remove cooking oil.

The result? When I drained the fish and chips on kitchen paper, there was definitely less noticeable oil residue than the other fryers tested. The chips tasted crisp and light without feeling too greasy or heavy.

This fryer is a great middle-ground between an air fryer and a deep-fat fryer. It cooked the battered haddock well and left the batter light and crunchy.

The only drawback was cleaning the frying basket afterwards. I found the fish batter became stuck in the mesh over the central mechanism and it was very difficult to get off. As a result, this device is probably better suited at cooking chips or frozen breadcrumbed food rather than freshly-battered produce.

7. VonShef Deep Fat Fryer

£39.99, VonHaus

Best compact fryer, 8/10

We like: how easy this is to store

We don’t like: the oil took a while to heat

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 80–190C
• Oil capacity: 1.5 litres
• Weight: 2.5kg

This neat fryer is by far the most compact I tried. It’s roughly 25cm squared so doesn’t take up much kitchen or storage space, and I like the stainless steel design.

It holds 1.5 litres of oil so can handle one medium piece of fish or a small portion of chips at a time. This wouldn’t be suitable for family-sized meals since you’d have to cook multiple batches in the smaller-sized basket.

The oil still took a while to heat in comparison to other models, and the fish batter took a long time to crisp and didn’t have the same satisfying crunch, despite the oil having reached temperature. I wonder if the thermostat could’ve been more accurate, though this may also be because it has only 900 Watts of power.

This deep-fat fryer was very quick and easy to clean – there’s no immersion heater to wipe and the non-stick interior was a doddle to scrub. There’s no denying this product is a space saver, and is ideal for cooking dinner for one or two people if you don’t mind tweaking the waiting times or frying food for slightly longer.

8. Lakeland 3L Deep Fat Fryer

£59.99, Lakeland

Best for frying frozen food, 7/10

We like: the generous cooking basket

We don’t like: the filter wasn’t effective at removing frying smells

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 130–190C and timer
• Oil capacity: 3 litres
• Weight: 2.9kg

There’s no denying this generously sized fryer can handle everything from frozen gyoza, spring rolls and scampi to classic fresh fish and chips. The results were reliably even, golden and crisp, and the fish stayed succulent.

The fryer holds three litres of oil – impressive for its slender size – and is easy to assemble. Safety features such as auto-shut off to prevent overheating and a safety switch to stop it turning on when the removable immersion control unit isn’t properly attached gave me extra peace of mind.

The timer is handy and reliable, leaving the fish perfectly cooked after it was set to nine minutes. However, this model isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as some of the others. The stainless steel housing definitely resembles a fryer found in a commercial kitchen, and there is no lid-release safety function. Instead, it’s a simple lift-off design.

Yet these are small criticisms as it performed well in the taste test. Its biggest disadvantage was the odour filter, which didn’t seem to prevent the smell of fried food from permeating. But this is an efficient all-rounder that gives comparable results if you don’t mind the scent lingering.

9. Russell Hobbs Maxi Deep Fat Fryer

£49, AO

Best for beginners, 8/10

We like: How easy this was to use

We don’t like: The lack of timer

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 150–190C
• Oil capacity: 2.5 litres
• Weight: 2.1kg

If you’re new to deep-fat frying, this large capacity fryer is a doddle to set up and use. It was out of the box and the oil heated up within minutes.

There are no fancy gadgets, but the easy-raise frying basket and folding handle is great for ensuring you can check on progress without risking the hot oil splashing. This function also allows the oil to drain a little back into the fryer before serving.

It cooked fish and chips pretty much perfectly, leaving the batter a deep, crunchy golden colour and the chips fluffy inside. However, there is no timer so you’ll need to set one on your own. Since the oil container isn’t removable either, emptying it was a bit tricky without oil spillages.

But on the plus side, the large viewing window didn’t steam up like other models, which meant that I didn’t have to keep opening the lid to check on the food. It also has a lid-release button too – a handy safety feature. Most impressive of all was the odour filter that kept any lingering smells of fried food at bay.

10. Russell Hobbs Stainless Steel Digital Deep Fat Fryer

£70, Argos

Best digital deep-fat fryer , 8/10

We like: The rise and fall basket and the speed of frying chips

We don’t like: How big it is and no additional programmes

• Programmes: Cooking temperatures from 160–190C
• Oil capacity: 3 litres
• Weight: 3.5kg

For such a hefty fryer, we were surprised that this digital deep-fat fryer didn’t have more programmes – just a temperature gauge and a timer. Being 25.6cm in height, 26.5 in width and with a diameter of 39cm, it took over our kitchen top. Although, it was easy to step up and use.

The basket has a three-litre capacity to allow you to make food for the entire family, despite using up a lot of oil each time. Once the oil was in, we simply lowered the basket holding our potatoes and set the timer to eight minutes. Closing the lid meant it was less noisy but we could still hear some bubbling as they cooked.

The window design allows you to see into the deep-fat fryer during cooking but did steam up a little. When the timer finished, we were impressed with the golden colour of our chips. The rise and fall basket enabled us to perch it out of the oil and drain the food slightly. The results were crispy – if not a little harder than I’d hoped inside – but I eventually got the temperature and timings right after a few attempts.

Deep-fat fryers FAQs

What features do modern deep-fat fryers have?

Deep-fat fryers have come a long way in the past few years. Some of the latest home fryers feature digital temperature controls, dual-frying chambers for cooking different components together, timers for ensuring food is perfectly cooked and non-stick, cleanable elements.

There are fryer sizes to suit most kitchen spaces, from mini-fryers that are only 25cm squared to family-sized devices that can cook a meal for four in one go. Some deep-fat fryers have been designed with the health-conscious in mind too and include a post-cooking oil removal system to leave fried food less fatty.

What should you look for in a deep fat fryer?

According to chef Jason Shaw, it’s best to keep it simple. “Look for a fryer with a safety temperature cut-off sensor – this is a must to avoid fires. Check that the frying basket has a solid feel to it too and the handles don’t feel loose or move around. Space matters when considering where to locate your fryer at home and its frequency of use – ideally you should place it close to an extractor fan to draw away the smells and airborne oil,” he says.

The size of the fryer you need is important to consider too. “If you’re only cooking small batches of chips for one or two people, a compact deep-fat fryer that holds around 1.5 litres of oil is ideal. But if you want to fry different foods at the same time, you might want to consider a double model that holds between three to five litres of oil,” he adds.

Shaw advises thinking about whether you’re most likely to use your fryer for cooking frozen or fresh food too. “Power rating or wattage of the fryer is important for the accuracy of the cooking temperature range. Electricity usage contributes directly to the final eating quality of the product to be fried. The larger the oil capacity, the more energy needed initially to heat it and the colder the food to be fried the longer the refresh time, so ‘freezer to fryer’ will take longer and use more energy than food that’s chilled or at room temperature.”

How often should the oil be changed in a deep-fat fryer?

Most manufacturers recommend changing the oil every five to six uses to ensure it doesn’t compromise the taste of the food or heating quality.

“When oil gets ‘old’ it becomes rancid in flavour, foams at the surface and darkens in colour, all of which leave you with an inferior end product,” explains Shaw. Simply put, your food won’t taste pleasant if the oil isn’t changed regularly.

How do I use a deep fryer safely?

Firstly, ensure you have assembled the fryer to the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure there are no trailing plug wires or trip hazards nearby. Use your fryer in a well-ventilated area and ideally without children nearby, closing the lid while heating the oil and making sure the basket handles are properly attached before use.

When adding food to the basket, lay it gently in the oil using heat-proof tongs to avoid oil splashes. Using a timer is a great way to ensure you don’t have to repeatedly lift the device’s lid to check on the food. Once cooked, gently lift the basket and tip the food out onto kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

Close the fryer lid immediately and switch it off, ensuring it’s turned off at the mains too. Leave to cool for at least three hours or ideally overnight.

How do I clean a deep fat fryer?

Used, cold oil should be emptied from the fryer into a leak-proof receptacle and placed in the bin – never poured down the drain. Remove the immersion heating element, if your fryer has one then don’t submerge it in water, gently clean the metal part only instead. Don’t submerge any of the electricals or dials. Wash the basket and oil container in hot soapy water if it’s removable. If it’s not, wipe clean before storing.

What’s the difference between a deep-fat fryer and an air fryer?

An air fryer uses fast-circulating hot air and a very small amount of oil to cook food whereas a deep-fat fryer involves completely submerging any produce in oil heated to a very high temperature.