The Best Turkey Fryers (Review) in 2020

Features to Look for in a Turkey Fryer

Just like any other purchase, a turkey fryer should be bought after taking important factors into consideration. Different people have different needs, so make sure your fryer suits your needs perfectly before deciding on one. The important factors are:

• Usage and versatility:

How do you plan on using your fryer? Will it be something you keep stored round the year and use during the holidays only, or do you wish to use it throughout the year in cooking various meals? Depending on your choice, make sure that the fryer has the features or accessories that you might need (for example, having certain additional accessories should make it easier for you to prepare almost anything in your turkey fryer). We recommend you make the most of your money by keeping it in regular use and cooking other non-turkey dishes with it too, so make sure it is capable to do so.

• Capacity:

A pro tip: don’t buy a fryer that’s exactly the size of the first turkey you’re about to cook. For example, if you want to cook an 18lb bird, it is better not to opt for one that says, “can take up to 18lb of turkey”. This usually means that 18lb is the highest limit the fryer can take but it has the chance of burning the skin of your food without cooking through to the center.

In easier words, choose a turkey fryer that is big enough to PROPERLY hold the amount of food you plan on cooking. You won’t be buying one every day, so make sure that yours is worth the investment.

• Safety:

If you’re someone who often to forgets about food when it is being cooked or leaves it unattended for a while, then it is better to buy a greaseless, auto-shutoff fryer. Also, if you want to use the machine indoors, make sure it has the necessary safety features.

• Type of cooking and source of heat:

As we have mentioned, different types of turkey fryers prepare the turkeys in different ways, such as deep frying or air frying. Each method has pros and cons, so make sure you know the one you actually want before making your decision.

Alongside, make sure the source of heat you want to use is suitable for the place you want to use it in. many propane burners cannot be used inside while many electric fryers cannot be used outside. It will be a shame if you want to cook a true, deep-fried crispy turkey with your friends on the lawn but end up buying an electric air fryer made for the indoors.

• Transparent lid:

This can be a really useful feature if you are a perfectionist when it comes to cooking. Achieving the perfect brown skin can be difficult if you have to keep opening the fryer at intervals as it will release all the stored lid.

Benefits of Using a Turkey Fryer

How Do They Work?

When it comes to the mechanism of turkey fryers, models of a specific type usually work the same way, regardless of their brand. Even then, some might have added features, so we have tried to cover the basics of all types of models.

• Traditional fryers:

These fryers have the simplest mechanism. After connecting all the apparatus and setting up your propane burner, make sure that the drain valve of the fryer (if it has one) is closed tightly. Then pour in your required amount of oil and allow it to heat up, after which you will positioning your turkey on the rack and lower it into the pot using the lifter or hook. Wait for it to cook through and get the color you want and take it out when you think it's done.

• Air-fryers:

In air fryers, the natural oils of the turkey come out of the meat when it is heated, and then they are circulated around it instead of cooking oil, but you can still add some if you want extra softness. Its natural oils give it a slight crisp on the outside. The whole mechanism of the circulation is done by air (as the name suggests), which is heated by the heating element present at the bottom of the fryer. The air is heated to such an extent that it starts bouncing off the walls of the fryer.

• Infrared fryers:

In infrared fryers, a special type of burner is used in which propane is needed as the fuel. The burner is placed between the inner and outer walls of the fryer; therefore, it does not come in direct contact with the turkey. Instead, it heats up the inner wall which in turn radiates heat to cook the meat. So even though this is an oil-less fryer, you will still have to buy propane to use it.

• Electric or radiant heat fryers:

An electric turkey fryer is basically as simple as plug and play. The heating element at the bottom of the fryer uses electricity to heat the bird, so you have to allow it to heat up to your desired temperature first and then put in the turkey. The heating element is controllable so you can set it to any temperature you need. These fryers also usually have a user-friendly, digital interface which also makes them very easy to use. They are often equipped with timers and auto-shutoff features; hence they are quite convenient.

Types of Turkey Fryers

There are many different types of turkey fryers, so you do not have to worry about being stuck with a machine that will not suit your desires. The different types of turkey fryers are:

• Turkey fryers that use oil

In other words, traditional turkey fryers that many people are familiar with. These fryers involve a lot of cooking oil (peanut oil to be exact) and propane which is usually used as the fuel. Turkeys that are deep-fried in oil have the BEST taste and texture, hands down. The smell and crisp skin of a fried turkey is to die for.

However, the taste of a deep-fried turkey comes with quite some risks too. First of all, the huge amount of blazing hot peanut oil used is enough to be a huge risk itself. Any sort of mistake while handling the pot might result in a huge accident. If you have kids running around you, then using such a fryer might be too dangerous for you.

Some other important points to notice are that these are harmful to your health as well as your pockets. Deep frying something in oil just heaps on calories and fat on to it, which are stored inside the blood vessels of our body. Moreover, the huge amount of oil needs to properly fry a turkey (both peanut oil and propane) is very expensive indeed.

Cooking with oil can also become very messy and require heavy clean up afterward. But, at the end of the day, no other method of cooking turkey beats the old, traditional, outdoor deep frying of turkey in terms of taste and flavor.

There are many types of these fryers, such as models that have all parts built from stainless steel and others in which the pot is made from aluminum and the burner is made from steel. All of the pretty much work the same way.

• Oil-free turkey fryers:

Technically, these shouldn’t be called fryers because you will not be deep frying your turkey in oil using these. Instead, you will be roasting your turkey in really high temperatures inside a cooking pot that will be heated from the outside.

Even though you will definitely not get the exact flavor, texture, or taste of an actual deep-fried turkey, it’s a much safer option as it does not involve you using huge amounts of highly heated oil. It’s also much healthier as deep-fried turkeys are soaked and cooked in a lot of oil, which can be a huge health hazard if you have children running around you.

Another important advantage is that, unlike traditional ovens which can make your turkey dry, these turkey fryers make sure that your turkey is juicy even if it does not have the accurate flavor of a deep-fried turkey. Moreover, they are a bit cheaper as you will not need huge amounts of cooking oil.

Bear in mind that, within these types of oil-less turkey fryers, there are 3 further sub-type: Air fryers, Infrared fryers, and Electric fryers.

Best Turkey Fryers FAQ:

Q: Are they safe?

A: Turkey fryers are completely safe if safety procedures are followed; don’t use an outdoor fryer indoors, and don’t set it up on a tilted plane so that it does not tip over. You should also ensure that all the parts are assembled correctly and are in place.

If you want to use a propane burner ensure that children or pets don’t get too close to it, and if you are thinking about an electric one, set it up in a place where people will not walk around too much.

Be very careful when removing the lid as it will release a lot of steam and heat, so standing directly above it might cause injury

Q: Can a turkey fryer be used for anything else?

A: Turkey fryers can be used for many different types of poultry, or meat even. Just make sure you know the recipe and temperature/cooking time properly as different meats take different times to cook. Many people use their turkey fryers to cook chicken or steaks.

They can also be used to boil large amounts of sauces or dips or to cook seafood even. Since the pot used in frying is quite big (especially if you have a traditional one) it can be used in any task in which you might need a huge container, such as boiling crawfish. Or even do laundry!

Q: How do I clean my turkey fryer?

A: Despite their complicated exterior, cleaning a turkey fryer can be surprisingly simple. This is especially true if you decide on a dishwasher-safe turkey fryer, as all you’ll need to do is pop all the parts in the dishwasher except the source of heat, which is usually separated, anyway. For those who don’t own a dishwasher, try using the following method:

1. Start off by letting the contents of the fryer to cool down enough to avoid burns from the oil, while remaining warm enough to still be able to move the oil from your appliance.
2. Drain the oil into a clean metal can using the draining valve (if your fryer has one) or by carefully pouring it out of the pot. What you do with this oil is up to you as you can throw it away or reuse it again. We recommend you reuse it as it will save you a lot of oil costs but check the smell of the oil before you decide to reuse it.
3. Next, you’ll need to take a plastic scraper or spatula and use it to scrape down the residue from the fryer walls (try to get as much as possible) then dispose them into a trash bag. You should then scrape it down using a paper towel to get rid of excess oil. This will make the final wash much easier as you have gotten rid of much of the excess oils and greases.
4. You should now boil your fryer with water. Fill it with water to the same level you used while pouring in oil (or a bit higher if there’s space). While adding the water, add some detergent or dish soap that can remove the grease efficiently, but be careful to not use too much as it might bubble up and spill over. When you’ve added the water and soap, bring the mixture to a boil. The foam should get rid of the leftover gunk.
5. When you’re done boiling the water, you have to allow it to cool. Check whether any food or gunk is left. If there are remnants still, take a sponge or a scrubby and carefully remove all that’s left behind from your cooking. If you can see splashes of oil on the outside of the fryer, you can remove them using a mixture of baking soda and water, mixed in a ratio of 1 to 1. Then get rid of this soap water and rinse the fryer’s internal and external surface thoroughly and completely so that no soap or oil remains. Make sure you make it dry using paper towels or a dry cloth.

Q: Can I Mix Different Oils in a Turkey Fryer?

A: Oil mixing can be both effective and useful- and you can absolutely combine two oils in a deep fryer such as an outdoor turkey fryer. If you’re looking to mix up your cooking a little, check online for some great ideas as each combination can have a slightly different taste. Of course, this can sometimes lead to some disasters, as well as huge hits- so the best thing to do would be to try out each mix and do taste tests, before using an expensive turkey in your fryer!

Sources:

1. 7 Safety Tips for Using Turkey Fryers - Erie Insurance