The 7 Best Deep Fryers of 2020

Best Overall: Cuisinart CDF-200P1 Deep Fryer

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At one time, Cuisinart was most known for food processors, but since then it's branched out, making a wide variety of high-quality kitchen products. This deep fryer checks all the boxes for a deep fryer, including a removable 1800-watt immersion heating element that can heat the oil quickly and recover the temperature just as quickly after food is added. Because of its compact size, many reviewers are happy with how easy it is to store away, and how little oil it requires, because this means easier cleanup. However, they do note that this is not for cooking large batches of food for big gatherings or big families.

The temperature is adjustable from 175 to 375 degrees with a simple dial, and lights indicate that the cooker is on and when the temperature is reached. A second dial lets you set the cooking time up to 30 minutes.

The basket is made from stainless steel and has a handle that will stay cool while you’re cooking, so it will be easy to remove the basket, shake the food, or empty it when cooking is done. The removable lid has a small window so you can check the food as it fries. The cooking container has an enamel coating for easy cleaning and a pouring spout so you won’t make a mess when emptying the oil when cooking is done. Then, the basket, oil container, and lid are dishwasher safe, so cleaning is effortless.

Best Budget Fryer: Presto FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer

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This wallet-friendly deep fryer saves you money when you buy it, and it saves you money on oil costs since it’s designed to cook the food in just 4 cups of oil. Along with the lower cost comes less flexibility, since this has no temperature control, but it’s designed to maintain a proper frying temperature. Many customers love how easy it is to use: just turn it on, let it heat up, and start cooking. Another feature customers often highlight is how the oil container has a nonstick coating, so it’s easy to clean—even if you happen to burn something.

Since this doesn’t have a basket to contain the food, it includes a scoop for removing the food from the oil and allowing the oil to drain. If your oil is still usable, there’s a snap-on lid, so you can keep the oil right in the fryer to use the next day.

Best High End: Breville BDF500XL Smart Fryer

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This high-end deep fryer comes with features you won’t find elsewhere, including a dial control with digital readout with presets for a variety of foods from calamari to donuts to fries, along with a custom option to set your own preferred frying temperature and time for your favorite egg rolls or cracklins. It also has a twice-fried option for French fries and is able to make adjustments for cooking either fresh or frozen foods. Several customers gave the fryer high marks for how accurate its temperature control was when they checked the oil with a separate thermometer.

The proprietary cool zone technology prevents excessive burning, so your oil can be used longer, while a mesh filter reduces odors from frying. When you’re done cooking, the frying basket and cooking pot are both dishwasher safe, so cleanup is fast and easy.

Best for Easy Oil Handling: T-fal Deep Fryer with Basket

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One of the least-liked tasks, when it comes to deep fryers, is handling the used oil. While it can be used several times if it’s strained well and stored properly, that process can be messy. This fryer practically does the work for you: many reviewers gave the fryer points for how the oil strains and drains into an integrated container below the fryer, and that the container can be removed for easy clean-up and storage until the next use.

This fryer can hold up to 3 1/3 liters of oil, and it can cook over 2 1/2 pounds of food in one batch—though some customers note that the actual cooking space is not very deep, meaning they had to turn over most of the items they fried halfway through. The fryer basket can lift high and stay in place for draining excess oil from the just-fried food. The immersed heating element rapidly heats the oil, so it’s ready quickly and the temperature rebounds fast after food is added. When frying is done and the oil has drained, the removable parts are all dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Best for Burn-Free Oil: Delonghi D14522DZ Dual Zone 4-Liter Deep Fryer

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This fryer is designed with a cool zone under the heating element that prevents fallen food and errant bits of batter from burning and contaminating the oil, so that oil will stay cleaner—and reusable—for much longer. The temperature can be set from 300 to 370 degrees, and an indicator light shows when the temperature has been reached. This holds up to 3 quarts of oil and can handle up to 3 pounds of food in one batch.

There's also a magnetic power cord that pulls out of the appliance with a tug for safety, so the fryer won’t tumble to the floor if someone pulls on the cord. This fryer received its most positive reviews for how easy it is to clean: when cooking is done, a hose in front of the fryer pulls out to drain the oil into another container. The frying bowl, basket, and lid are all dishwasher for easy cleaning when cooking is done.

Best with Multiple Baskets: KRUPS KJ502D51 Deep Fryer

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This handy fryer comes with three baskets. The large basket can be used on its own for big batches of food, or the two smaller baskets can be used at the same time to cook different foods separately. This holds a maximum of 4 1/2 liters of oil and can fry up to 2.6 pounds of food in a single batch. To make frying easy, it has four presets for popular fried foods: French fries, onion rings, donuts, and chicken. Those presets automatically set the proper temperature and cooking time, so there’s no need to double-check a recipe before cooking. It also has manual settings and a digital screen that make it easy to fry anything. Many reviewers say the fryer did well crisping up a wide variety of foods—from pork chops to jalapeño poppers to fish—without them coming out oily.

For safety, this KRUPS model has a breakaway cord, so the fryer won’t tip or fall if the cord is accidentally pulled. The heating element removes easily for cleaning, as does the frying bowl, and the baskets are top-rack dishwasher safe. A large window on the top of the fryer makes it easy to safely monitor the food as it cooks, and an integrated odor filter helps reduce frying odors during cooking.