How to Choose the Best Turkey Fryer
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Food is an essential thing in our lives. Everything depends on what you eat, how you eat, what have you even last, and questions like these. The United States is mostly famous for its staple food like different types of bread and various accompaniments or fillings. The fillings are mostly made out of vegetables which are half cooked or full boiled and multiple types of meat.
One of the most eaten and famous dishes of the Southern United States is fried turkey. Turkey is a bird whose meat is used in food items widely. It can also be deep-fried. Even an oven or a rotisserie grill could be used for this purpose. But, a better option than this is a turkey fryer.
1. Our Top Pick – Cuisinart CDF-500
2. Best Propane Turkey Fryer – Char-Broil Big Easy Propane Turkey Fryer
3. Best Oil-free Turkey Fryer – Barton Deluxe 30 QT Aluminum Turkey Deep Fryer
4. Best XL Fryer – Masterbuilt 23011114 Butterball Extra Large Deep Turkey Fryer
5. Best Small Deep Fryer for Turkey – Presto 05411 GranPappy Electric Deep Fryer
6. Best Digital Fryer – Masterbuilt MB23010618 XL Stainless Steel Fryer
7. Best Electric Deep Fryer for Turkey – Cuisinart CDF-170 3.4 Liter Deep Fryer
8. Best Fryer Pot for Turkey – Enterprises Turkey Deep Fryer
9. Best Fryer Pot + Stove – King Kooker 1265BF3 Outdoor Fryer
10. Best Multifunctional Fryer – Masterbuilt MB20010118 Electric 3-in-1 Deep Fryer
If you’ve used a propane burner to fry a whole turkey, you know how harmful it could be if improper stove techniques were implemented. With this Cuisinart CDF-500, preparing a turkey for your Thanksgiving holiday isn’t an inherently risky undertaking. As it uses infrared heat instead of oil, you still have a cooking process that requires a thin layer of oil to get your food cooked.
Featuring an XL stainless steel basket using cool-touch management, the Cuisinart fryer is very ideal for frying turkey of up to 14 pounds size. Since the Cuisinart CDF-500 is expensive and has a capacity of up to five-quart, we would simply suggest this fryer for those who want to cook fried foods frequently and in big batches.
The Char-Broil Big Easy Turkey Deep Fryer is an electric turkey fryer with a large cooking capacity. Its large cooking area allows you to fry your delicious turkey which weighs up to 16 lbs. It is built to give you the best performance as you will be served a crispy fried turkey with no added calories or fat.
Its oil control system allows you to manage the level of oil needed to fry any size of a turkey. In addition, this deep fryer is capable of frying or roasting not only turkey but also other meat products such as chicken, beef, pork, and many more. There is no need to stress over boneless or boned meat, both are a perfect fit for this classic and dynamic deep fryer.
Inside this stove is a 16,000 BTU propane burner. This burner has been inserted into the cooking chamber, inside a double-walled circumference. This technology works to generate heat using infrared signals, then circulates it evenly throughout the cooking chamber to obtain evenly cooked meat with a juicier taste than traditional oil frying techniques.
Barton Deluxe 30 QT Aluminum Turkey Deep Fryer will give you the best oil-free turkey you can make at home. This is mainly due to the TRU infrared technology which is the driving force behind the entire unit. It gets rid of all hot and cold spots by ensuring the turkey ends up cooking just right inside and out.
The 37,000 BTU gas burners completely heat the cooking area and ensure the meat is cooked and aromatic. These burners produce high-temperature fire which makes the meat juice is clocked inside the meat. The design and heating feature allows for more even cooking one or two turkeys at one time and ensures all juices are sealed. An added benefit is that it has a perfect steamer basket that removes excess oil and produces a less fat result which is also much healthier. In this case, you can eat your “meat” and enjoy it.
The Masterbuilt Butterball Turkey Deep Fryer is one of many amazing indoor turkey deep fryers on the market. It is powered by electricity. Do you want to fry, steam, or boil your turkey or other foods? Not only will this electric turkey allow you to do this, but you will get an even tastier and healthier meal.
This deep fryer uses very little oil compared to other traditional deep fryers. Its cooking basket can hold up to 22 pounds of turkey at a time as it has a 10-liter capacity. It is also very fast and easy to use. You can fully control the fryer with its digital control panel. This comes with its custom timer for easier and more convenient management and control of this turkey fryer.
This electric fryer is an innovative, efficient, and durable product from Presto. This turkey fryer produces no smoke during its operation. It is an outdoor fryer designed to meet all your frying, boiling, or steaming needs in relation to your kitchen. However, it doesn’t come with a stand or a glass lid. Rather, it only has a snap-on lid. But it will serve you well for cooking turkey and many other foods.
The deep fryer however is not wide enough to contain a big whole turkey. However, there should be no problem with the breast, for example. In addition, its temperature is controlled by a built-in thermostat.
This Stainless Steel Masterbuilt MB23010618 XL Deep Fryer is a versatile electric fryer that can be used for frying to boiling and steaming. You can save up to one-third of oil when frying, compared to any other typical deep fryer.
Another thing that makes this deep fryer our top choice is its extra-large cooking basket. It offers a well-thought-out cooking space that can accommodate chicken wings up to 5lbs, turkeys up to 20lbs, or a substantial amount of seafood.
Its internal design makes it very easy to wash after each use and has built-in safe components for easy washing and emptying.
The Cuisinart CDF-170 is one of the best electric fryers out there as there are hardly any versions available on the market that can beat its outstanding performance. It has an incredible 1800 watt power and has a compact, space-saving dimension.
However, with 3.4 liters of food capacity, you can’t fry that much in one batch. Most of the oil fill line is only 5cm from the base to the basket. You should make at least 2 batches of fries in case you have a large family. It only takes just a few minutes for the oil to reach the right frying temperature. Also, its control panel is very easy to use. There’s a thermostat knob, 60-minute electronic timer, and indicator lights.
The Enterprises Turkey Deep Fryer is a turkey fryer that comes with all the essential accessories anyone will need to fry a turkey. The package ordered includes an aluminum turkey pot and a lid. It’s a poultry pot that will ensure the even cooking of the whole turkey, avoiding any form of burn at the base of the turkey.
The pot is designed to distribute the oil evenly over different parts of the pan base during frying to give you a delicious and tender turkey.
It also comes with a poultry rack grab hook to help prevent any form of hand burn, as it will allow you to secure the meat and remove it from the fryer. Also included in the box is a deep fryer thermometer for turkeys and a single seasoning injector with a maximum capacity of one ounce.
The King Kooker 1265BF3 Portable Propane Pot is an outdoor oil turkey fryer with a propane stove and a hose connection system. It does fry better and has a very large cooking area that can accommodate up to 20 pounds of turkey.
Despite its large cooking area, it’s a very portable turkey fryer at just 12 inches. It takes less time to cook than other deep-fat fryers thanks to its powerful 33,000 BTU cast iron burner.
It comes with a large 29-liter aluminum pan for frying turkey and a lid. It also comes with a perforated aluminum basket, ideal for cooking, and an 11-liter aluminum pan. The additional basket is designed with heat-resistant handles for ease of use.
Masterbuilt is a leading manufacturer of the best fryers, which is why this model makes it the third entry into our list. With over 45 years of rich history and well-deserved goodwill, Masterbuilt has remained true to its vision of designing and building the most innovative products available. The Masterbuilt MB20010118 electric fryer produces no smoke during its operation.
It is an outdoor fryer designed to meet all your frying, boiling, or steaming needs. Comes with a lifting hook and turkey frying pan which will serve you well for cooking turkey and many other foods.
The cooking pot holds up to 12 pounds of turkey. It’s a reasonably large cooking basket. In addition, its temperature is controlled by a built-in thermostat. A unique feature of this turkey deep fryer is that it can give an invisible smoke sensation to turkey or any other roasted meat.
A regular turkey fryer has many components like a burner, a storage tank, a poultry holder, a lifter, and a thermometer.
A standard propane tank is used to provide fuel supply to the burners which are placed lower these days. The reason behind this is the avoidance of a tip-over of the poultry. A standard 15-pound turkey requires almost an hour to get deep-fried.
Deep-frying is a technique by which any food item is cooked within the smoke point of any oil like sunflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil, etc. The turkey which is to be fried can be seasoned with the help of marinade since fried turkeys can neither be stuffed nor be served with gravy or broth.
The taste of a fried turkey solely depends on the marinade and the quality of deep-frying. If the frying is not of good quality, the food lacks proper crunch and taste.
That’s why it is very crucial to decide the right turkey fryer and use it correctly. There are several types of turkey fryers categorized based on some critical features.
A turkey fryer needs to get hot to deep fry a whole turkey. So, it requires the best fuel which can raise the temperature of the oil rapidly but safely. There are two options for the choice of fuel, viz. wood and propane.
A standard propane tank is used to supply fuel to heat the oil in a propane turkey fryer. In the case of a wood turkey fryer, logs of dried wood are burnt, and that heat is used to raise the temperature of the oil used to deep fry the turkey.
For propane fuel, one needs lesser time to heat the oil and start frying while in wood fuel, the woods take more time to catch fire and start the process.
Also, the heating done by propane can be easily moderated. One can control it by a button or a knob placed by the cylinder. The flames can be adjusted, and heating consistency can be maintained.
The chopping of woods into the required shape, monitoring the flames and maintaining their flexibility can be a bit tedious. But, if you have a hobby of it, then it is fun. The propane fuel tank can be refilled easily.
The pressure delivered by the propane burner is a crucial factor to be considered. The low-pressure propane burners are generally used for closed space equipment like boilers. But, for stuff like turkey fryers, there are powerful propane burners used.
High-pressure propane burners work in a way to provide a maximum pressure of the fuel from a small space. The small size of the burner gives comparatively more fuel under higher pressure, and that helps in better heating.
Also, some turkey fryers have a pressure valve to adjust the pressure of the burner. The pressure can be adjusted from around 10psi to 20psi. The more the pressure, the better and faster is the heating. Better the heat, quicker is the deep frying.
The number of burners in a turkey fryer is an important feature. It determines its efficiency and quality. Generally, there is one or maximum of two burners in a turkey fryer. The turkey fryer with only one burner can be used for lesser cooking. They work slower than the one with two burners. If one has to cook for many people and fry many turkeys, faster operations are required.
Then, turkey fryers with two burners can be used. Two burners can heat the oil faster and speed the frying up. It can be used if cooking is done on a larger scale or needs to get faster. But, two burners consume more fuel than one burner. If one is okay with that, two burners can be the choice.
The turkey fryer comes from various materials. But, you can choose the material you want on the basis of your usage. The most common materials are stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, and steel.
Cast iron is made up of iron mixed with carbon. This material is generally used to make those turkey fryers that work on solid fuels like wood. The mass of cast iron is more, and it builds up heat and then distributes it. It is precisely concurrent with the functioning of a wood-fuelled turkey fryer. But, in the worst cases, the cast iron is susceptible to rusting. Hence, timely cleaning is advised.
The steel stoves heat up quicker than cast iron. That helps propane-fueled turkey fryers. Since the heating is quick, there is less wastage of fuel as compared to cast iron. But, it has some disadvantages like weak resistance against extreme heat. If exposed to heat continuously for long periods, the steel surface may show discoloration.
Aluminum turkey fryers can be used by those who have the least usage of them. The reason behind this is that if an aluminum pot wears out, its aluminum content melts and dissolves in the food. If that happens extensively, that is dangerous to health. But, on the other hand, aluminum turkey fryers are light in weight and quite cheap in contrast with other materials.
Stainless steel is reported to be the best option among all of them. It doesn’t rust. It has no health hazard. Though it is cumbersome, it is easy to clean. That makes it user-friendly.
The hose and regular are necessary components when it comes to safety while cooking with a turkey fryer. The regulator helps one regulate the supply of fuel to the turkey fryer. It can be used instead of raising or lowering the turkey.
Raising or lowering is risky since the turkey may overturn. That might lead to severe burns or accidents. The hose should be of the right material and superior quality.
As we all know, thermometers are used to measure heat. In a turkey fryer, the temperature is of the utmost importance. If that is not controlled, the turkey may remain raw or may burn due to over-frying.
Hence, the inclusion of a thermometer in a turkey fryer helps the user keep a watch on the temperature and adjust it. Temperature can be adjusted by controlling the fuel supply. That makes the inclusion of a thermometer necessary.
Health needs to be taken care of daily. That should become an integral part of our food routine as well. Deep-fried turkey contains a lot of oil. Excessive consumption of oil is hazardous to health. That paves the way for oil-less frying technology.
In this method, the air near the item to be fried is heated to about 200 degrees Celsius. The frying is done on the least amount of oil, and the maximally used frying agent is heated air. That is an excellent option for health-conscious people who can’t stay away from a fried turkey.
One must always know all the physical characteristics of all the equipment one wishes to buy. The dimensions are to be considered along with the weight. Too heavy equipment is hard to carry around and place according to one’s convenience.
The finish of the product and the guidelines for product care should be read carefully. The safety instructions are the most essential when it comes to hazard-free cooking.
Also, one must be aware of the warranty and guarantee conditions applied. Last but not least, one must look around in the market for better options concerning the price as well. It is unfair to pay more for the same product.
Hence, all these aspects should be considered minutely while comparing the price.
Accessories are those components that aren’t necessary for the usage of a device, but they enhance it effectively. In the case of a turkey fryer, there are several accessories that make its applications more comfortable and safer.
The first one is heat-resistant gloves. Since the whole setup is extremely hot, one can’t function without these insulated gloves; else it may lead to burns.
Sometimes, turkey fryer seasoning packs are also offered. The next accessory is deep-frying seasoning injections which can help one inject the marinade into the turkey for better flavors. Some other complementary accessories may include more baskets for frying and a book with recipes for fried turkeys.
There are more than 100+ uses of a turkey fryer as stated in most of the user manuals. When one is not in the mood for a fried turkey, there can be several other ways to use a turkey fryer.
Thus, It can flash-cook different Asian vegetables, crisp and tender, and taco fillings. A good shrimp boil can also be done with a turkey fryer. One can also boil maple syrup, cook prime rib roasts and lobster boils, or make a Camper’s fish fry with onion rings and egg rolls with a turkey fryer. Thus, choosing a multi-functional turkey fryer is more convenient.
A crisp, golden exterior with a tender, juicy flesh on the inside is a turkey lover’s delight. We’ve tried our best to select the 10 best fryers for your Thanksgiving turkey. When choosing a fryer for turkey, don’t choose models that are less than 5 liters in capacity if you want to fry turkeys in the whole size. This is one of the reasons the Cuisinart CDF-500 is our top pick. Meanwhile, if that’s not enough, take a look at the King Kooker 1265BF3 Outdoor Fryer. This is an 11-quart fryer for frying turkey in full size.
A turkey fryer is one of the most widely used cooking equipment. It is used to not only deep fry a turkey but also for various other uses. One must have a thorough survey and research of any turkey fryer before buying based on many parameters, as stated in the article.
The material, accessories, safety measures, and user guidelines should be studied keenly before its usage. That is indeed the most perfect and tastiest recipe for buying a good turkey fryer!
This post was last modified on January 22, 2022 5:57 pm