Best For Turkeys: King Kooker Propane Outdoor Fry Boil Package

Let’s talk outdoor deep fryers!

When it comes to backyard parties, the most common menu items are turkey, chicken, fish and seafood boils. 

First up, let’s talk turkey.

Some turkey fryers come as a complete package (fryer pot with accessories plus burner), while others are just the pot (assuming you already have a heat source).

To find the best bets, we did it the old fashioned way: we fried up some turkeys, using several popular brands of turkey fryers. Which produced the best results? Was easiest to use?

For the best turkey fryer package (pot plus burner), we thought the King Kooker did the best job overall. And it is more than a one-hit wonder: you can also use this outdoor pot and burner for a seafood boil, fish fry and more.

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Easy to use.

• Comes with everything you need: 33,000 BTU propane burner, turkey pot with lid and basket, timer, thermometer, and more.

• Works on turkeys up to 20 pounds.

• Rack and lifting hook is easy to use.

• Portable.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Timer shuts off the propane every 15 minutes. We realize this is a safety feature, but that means you have to babysit the unit and press the button every 15 minutes to keep the propane burning. It would be nice if there was a beep to warn you the 15 minutes is up.

• Boil basket could be bigger. 

• Packing could be better. The unit we tried was fine, but we see some reports that the pot arrived dented—perhaps better packaging for the unit could prevent dents.

• Works well on concrete, not so good on grass or dirt. We thought the base was stable, but we see some folks found it not as sturdy on grass or dirt.

Best Fryer For Funnel Cakes: WeChef Electric Deep Fryer with Basket

Funnel cakes are best fried in a shallow basin—but a big enough capacity to fit a funnel cake. This seven-liter basket is the best set-up we could find after researching a half dozen different deep fryers that can be used for funnel cakes. We liked the quality and construction here.

What We Liked

• Electric fryer at 2500 watts—quickly heats up.

• Easy to clean.

• Seven liter capacity great for funnel cakes, but also fried chicken, shrimp, crab cakes and more.

• Stainless steel design.

What Needs Work

• Edges are sharp.

• A bit bulky.

Best For Fried Chicken or Fish: Bayou Classic 700-701 4-Gallon Bayou Fryer Stainless Steel

When it comes to fried chicken or fish, you want a fryer that is designed with a v-shaped bottom. Why?

Debris from the batter will drop to the bottom of the v-shaped fryer, enabling it to be drained and removed. That’s important because if the fryer basket doesn’t have that v-shape, the debris will float to the top of the oil and burn. That requires you to skim the oil frequently, which is quite the hassle.

For the best fryer for fried chicken or fish, we think Bayou Classic 700-704 fryer is the best bet especially folks who want to use it as a side hustle. It is excellent for church fish fries, as it is easy to use and set up. Plus it holds the oil at a constant temperature, unlike others we tried.

What We Liked

• V-shaped design keeps stray flour or batter at the bottom.

• Oil drains from valve at the base.

• Sets up in about 15 minutes.

• Keeps oil at constant temperature.

• Includes covers for fryer basket.

What Needs Work

• Temperature gauge can fog up.

• Baskets are on the small side.

• Oil isn’t separated. This is true for most of fryers we researched for this article, however. Since the oil isn’t separated, if you are frying fish on one side and french fries on the other, the fish taste will migrant to the other basket.

Best Dual Heat: Barton High-Pressure Freestanding Triple Basket Deep Fryer

Most folks fry up more than just fish or chicken at a party—they also fry up french fries or other vegetables. The best bet here is a dual heat fryer: that way you can set the temperature for each item separately . . . and the oil stays separate. Then the oil you use to fry the fish doesn’t make the french fries takes like fried fish!

For the best bet here, we like a reader favorite: Barton’s High-Pressure fryer. We like the free-standing design of this fryer and it quickly heats up.

What We Liked

• Easy to assemble.

• Quickly reaches desired temperature.

• Easy to clean.

• Relative.

• Fry thermometer included.

• Dual burner, separate areas for oil.

What Needs Work

• No drain for the oil.

• No on/off switch.

• A bit pricey.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

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