Presto FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer, Black

The Presto fry daddy is a very simple, convenient, easy to use counter top deep fryer. I recently purchased this newer version, but this has been my experience after years of use in my kitchen with the older versions. I don’t seem much change in design but maybe some minor improvements…

Pros:
1. Easy to use and setup for small batch deep frying.
2. Not hard to clean if you clean within a day of cooking, and you’re mindful of the outside of the pot where the electrical components are.
3. Perfect size for one to two people.
4. Presto (fry daddy/fry baby) deep fryers have been around a long time and have proven to be a reliable, popular, and simple to use deep fryer (I’ve owned a fry daddy and fry granpappy for years myself).
5. The small platform makes it easy to store in your cabinet.
6. I don’t get grease splatter all over my range top by using a Dutch oven to deep fry on my stove.

Cons:
1. Grease splatter. Not terrible but you will always get some splatter around the unit when frying, especially if you drop foods into the hot grease that have a high moisture content. I use a large aluminum pizza pan under mine to help keep splatter off my countertops while cooking, and clean up soon after the unit has cooled. I haven’t myself, but you also may want to try a splatter screen.
2. No temperature control. I spent a lot of time in Tampa Florida in my youth and like to cook Ebor City devil crab rolls, which are basically a relatively thick crab meat croquette with lots of Cuban and Italian spices. I’ve found these need to be cooked at frying temp of no more than 325F to get the center heated right and the breaded outside browned correctly. Unfortunately, all the Fry Daddy, Fry Baby, Fry Granpappy temps are too high to cook these seafood delicacies correctly. It would be great if I could just turn down the heat down by 50 to 75 F to cook my favorite seafood dish. I even bought a second (less convenient) deep fryer, mainly to cook my beloved crab rolls. Come On Presto! Not Everything Needs to be Cooked at 375 degrees F.
3. 1. Not good for large batches of fried food. Get the Fry Granpappy for large batches.
4. Sides of unit gets hot so don’t try to move until relatively cool.

Recommendations:
1, Again, this is a very simple and easy to use deep fryer, that can easily accommodate enough food for two adults (maybe even a 3rd or 4th depending on how much fried food you’re planning on serving), just don’t expect to cook for large gatherings.
2. Put a large pizza pan or your largest cookie sheet under the unit when frying to keep countertop splatter to a minimum.
3.Don’t use the deep fryer as a long term storage container for used oil. I recommend straining the oil through a fine mesh sieve after cooking and the oil has cooled enough to handle, then storing in a container in the fridge. Those little bits of burnt breading, etc. will effect the flavor of your used oil after a time. If you are going to fry again within a few days, no problem, but don’t just use the deep fryer as and oil storage container. Using some recently used oil again won’t have any noticeable effect on the flavor of your fried food as long as you dont let the burnt bits set too long. Also, never fry any “turf” (land) meat or veggies in oil you previously used to fry “surf” (ocean). You can reuse fish grease to fry more seafood, just never fry “turf: with previously used “surf” grease. Should be okay though to fry “surf” with “turf” grease. REGARDLESS, Don’t used your Fry Daddy as a Long Term Grease Storage Container.
4. (Can’t stress this enough) Please let your deep fryer cool to a safe temperature before trying to move, save the used oil, or clean. Hot oil/grease is VERY DANGEROUS. This is a relatively safe deep fryer but very basic and you still be dealing with a HOT POT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE OIL. Be very careful!

Conclusion: Worth the money. No unneeded bells and whistles. Temp control would be great.

I struggled over buying Fry Daddy due to its lack of temperature control.

The two things I was really invested in frying, homemade onion rings and corn fritters, both require a higher fry temp (375 degrees) then Fry Daddy, at 350 degrees, is set for. I haven’t yet fried anything else but for these two items the lower fry temperature doesn’t appear to matter one bit.

Fry Daddy makes wonderful rings and fritters – I’ve made a batch of each every day since I got my fryer and I am in 7th heaven! FD heats up quickly, fries evenly and the included drainer spoon makes it easy to scoop out your food. It is not designed for a big family, but for one or two people. So for me, it’s perfect.

FD comes with a little booklet that tells you how long to fry other foods, like chicken or fish, so if I ever want to fry those, I expect FD will handle it.

I keep my fryer with its oil on the counter – FD comes with a cover you can use when the unit cools down – and just replenish it as I need to. For rings and fritters the oil stays clear and I haven’t had to change it. Be aware that the unit gets VERY hot when in use so keep it away from anything plastic – FD will melt it! (spoken by a woman who got her FD too close to the lip of her Keruig coffee maker!)

I’m pleased with FD. The price was right for what I wanted to fry and the lack of a temp control has not been an issue so far.

Muy buena freidora, me sorprendio la calidad y lo rapida y ahorradora de aceite puede ser, es facil de limpiar deja los alimento crujientes y bien cocidos y es de muy buena calidad la recomiendo, esta es la freidora no lo dudes

I really like how well this works. Add oil to the line, heat the oil for 12 minutes, add your items following the instructions. I like making wingettes. I cook the wings for 15 to 17 minutes and they come out perfect every time. And I can use the oil more than once. Perfect for a single person or small batches. Easily fits in the fridge (to preserve the oil for another use) and fits in the cabinet because I don’t have room on the counter in my small kitchen. So glad I bought it.

Easy to clean and great durability so far. It fits in with my pot sets. Easy to store it doesn’t take up much room under my sink. I leave it on my counter.

I have been researching mini deep fryers for months. All I wanted was a small, uncomplicated fryer that didn’t require lots of oil and was easy to clean. Then I came across the Fry Daddy – the size looked perfect but it seemed like such a basic unit compared to the other more “fancy” deep fryers. For example the Fry Daddy has no temperature control dial and no wire basket. So I went to the manufacturer’s website and watched their video and learned that the temperature is perfectly controlled. The oil heats up and maintains a steady perfect temperature for deep frying. The reason there is no wire basket is that wire baskets take up area in the unit AND are very messy when removed, oil drips all over the place. That made perfect sense to me. Then I moved onto online reviews starting with America’s Test Kitchen whom I normally trust but they gave it such an awful review that I decided to read some of the comments and so many people who owned the Fry Daddy said otherwise, they were upset that ATK was recommending the fancier brands and not giving the FD credit where credit was due. I agreed, ATK can be very snobbish in their reviews. They also made fun of the plastic spoon that comes with the FD – take it from me – IT WORKS. Sure it will melt if you leave it in boiling oil! But it works just fine to remove cooked food. They also did not consider the mess factor of a wire basket and made derogatory comments about the absence of that. Next, I watched video reviews by “real” everyday people – and the more I watched the more I knew this was the fryer I wanted. The day it arrived I deep fried fresh cod in batter (homemade) and also some large shrimp. I was able to fry 3 thick pieces of fish in one batch and all 8 shrimp at once. I knew the minute I took the fish out to drain on paper towels that the fish was NOT oily! I was thrilled. This proves that the oil IS maintained at the perfect temperature for frying. The fryer uses only 4 cups of oil. You can store the oil in the unit (it comes with a plastic lid – only seal once the oil is completely cooled down) but I didn’t do that because we don’t deep fry that often. So I strained it and poured it into a clean jar to reuse another time. Cleanup was A BREEZE! A gentle wash with dish soap (not submerged of course) and dried with paper towels. The unit is non-stick which makes cleaning even easier. This small unassuming little fryer is perfect for a couple or small family. It takes up very little room and if you’re buying it in the US it is very affordable. I think it is worth every CAD$ I paid for it on Amazon.