To have never deep fat fried anything

[KnittedBlanketHoles]

Not the sort of thing I grew up with. My daughter raves about dff chips though and so I'm tempted. I have about £30 I could blow on a fryer and Argos is the most convenient store. Do I want a round plastic one or a rectangular metal one, and why?

The four I've been looking at are www.argos.co.uk/product/4234920 www.argos.co.uk/product/4234528 www.argos.co.uk/product/4234865 www.argos.co.uk/product/9075919

But then is deep fat frying only for... I don't know... (whispers) 'bad' people?

My mum would think I've turned into a commoner if I bought one (ignoring the fact that I already currently live in social housing). I think I have some serious hangups. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with deep fat fryers is there, so why does it feel like an unreasonable thing to spend money on and bring into my house and life? Especially when it would make my daughter happy...

I suggested to DD that I buy a basket that can go in any stove top pan but apparently it's just not the same at all and I just don't get it. That suggestion was met with derision, a roll of eyes, and the implication that I am an alien.

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[ailPartout]

MissVictoria et al, chip pans are extremely dangerous. DFF are not. They keep the oil below flash point meaning it will not catch fire.

My brother is a fireman, has a DFF but would NEVER have a chip pan.

I'd place a wanted ad somewhere OP (freecycle, local Facebook selling). Many people I know, including us, bought one, fried everything we could find for a week or two and then barely used it. If money's so tight you won't spend over £30 then do yourself a favour and get as cheap a one as possible as it's likely to end up in storage fairly quickly.

If you are going to buy new, get one with a sturdy handle and make sure it goes to 230c. Rectangular ones are better as they'll tessellate with other things in your cupboards.

Oh, and just so you know, home DFF chips are amazing as is homemade KFC.

[Huldra]

If your mum asks say you are making Tempura or Bhaji.

I grew up with one, my Dad made very good fish and chips and we also used to make things like donuts sometimes. We don't have one because I can't justify the space it would take up for over how much it would get used. We all like oven chips, when we do want chips it's because we want a quick very easy meal. We do have a large wok which we give a deep layer of oil if we need for some kind of fritter but on the whole don't deep fry.

[Surreyblah]

My dad used to make amazing chips in a chip pan every couple of weeks AND we had good fish and chip shops (yorkshire and scotland).

Chippies near us are mainly so poor I won't have fish and chips.

When I met DH (teens) he and his older brother (lived alone) used to deep fat fry everything - pies, pizza, sausages. Urgh!

Might consider a DFF just for the lovely chips, but probably too much faff to clean etc for occasional use.

[memyselfandaye]

I bought one to make sweet potato chips and homemade chicken nuggets, I also do beer batter prawns, but that's it, it's not even used once a month.

They do stink too, so I keep the back door open to try and reduce the smell.

[80sWaistcoat]

See them on cookery shows and get tempted.

We had a chip pan growing up, sacks of potatoes, a catering quality chip cutter. Large family and a Scottish dad who was keen on dff. Including, hoesstly, Christmas cake.

I have deep fat fried stuffed courgette flowers in a pan. Delicious.

[StubbleTurnips]

DHs Gran had a chip pan with no handle that she used to move with a tea towel when hot, madness I tell you

We'd love one but I can not reconcile myself with the lingering smell in the air / clothes. I was mercilessly teased at school for smelling like a dff.

Also another that was not allowed to McDs as a child, Mum was convinced that they sponsored the IRA so it was off limits

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

I've never used a DFF.
Too much boiling fat for my liking.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

A dff is much safer than a chip pan on the hob,that's why there use to be loads of fires.

I've never had one- purely because I can imagine myself frying EVERYTHING

[TheCatsMother99]

I've never dff anything either, I didn't realise people still used them if I'm honest.

[LunaLoveg00d]

I've never cooked in a deep fat fryer either, and I'm 44. Growing up we did have fish and chips, but we definitely didn't have a chip pan. Oven chips were around in the early 1980s and we occasionally had chips from the chippie.

DH's parents have a deep fat fryer and it stinks. As does the kitchen after they've used it. And everyone's clothes. It's pretty rank. Traditional chip pans are incredibly dangerous. In the OP's position I'd get one of those air fryer things which give the same results with a teaspoon of pil or something.

[LunaLoveg00d]

I also never went to McDonald's as a child

Me either - the first McDonald's didn't open where I grew up until about 1989 when I was an older teen, until then it was all about Wimpy.

[DiscoMoo]

Aldi had air fryers in for around £30 when I was there on the weekend.

[CwtchMawr]

I binned my DFF a few years ago. They absolutely stink and are a total pain in the arse to clean. I'd never have one again, much to OH's dismay!

[Camomila]

I never had a diff/chip pan as a child. Even oven chips were a treat!

My parents probably 'deep fried' twice a year...chiaccere (sweet fritters) for lent and the occasional vegetable fritura in the summer.

Personally I think I saw too many scary chip pan fire videos at primary school in the 90s and would never have one.

[lovelearning]

90% of the fires they Clare called out to are caused by drunk people putting on their DFFs and then falling asleep

KnittedBlanketHoles

Make sure you have a fire blanket

sweet potato fries

Delicious and nutritious

groceries.iceland.co.uk/iceland-sweet-potato-fries-700g/p/59237

[Jellybean83]

As much as I love dff chips I'd never have a fryer. From time to time I make croquettes, donuts or churros at home but I'll just fill a pot with oil. We never had one growing up, it was always oven chips my mum made, I always remember going to some friends houses and gagging at the smell of the burnt, dirty oil when their parents had their dff on.

[Eevee77]

I wouldn't buy one personally. I'd put the money away and wait to get an air fryer. MIL has one and it's amazing. She does potatoes in them and they're beautiful

[lovelearning]

About sweet potato

For weight loss, switch from regular to sweet potato

www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/how-eating-sweet-potatoes-can-help-you-lose-weight.html

[Surreyblah]

DFF Xmas cake! In batter?

[MLGs]

Sounds like a faff to clean to me. (unhelpful)

[HeWoreAGirlsCardigan]

No ones mentioned free radicals yet though

[Gottagetmoving]

I don't deep fry anything really but if I wanted to I would use one of my heavy deep pans and put oil in it. I wouldn't spend money on a deep fat fryer.
For proper chips deep fried you should use Lard or Beef dripping really.

[lovelearning]

Lard or Beef dripping

Coconut oil is the healthy alternative

[FrizzBombDelight]

My aunt always made the best deep fat fried chips. Her secret? NEVER changing the oil I would never have one of those things in my house now, they stink and are so bad for you! And of course too delicious to resist...

[DailyFail1]

A lot of Indian festival/feast food is deep fried - I use a karai filled with oil for that as the fryers tend to be shit for space unless you get an industrial one. But I still hate dff chips.