Fish Fryers

Looking at propane fish fryers for a family fish cookout.
Wandering what everyone uses if the aluminium kettle stays hot and cleans up ok or if it is better to invest in the more expensive cast or steel kettle. I noticed that they all use an aluminium perforated basket. Is there a problem draining the grease verses a wire mesh basket?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

ALUMINUM KETTLE WORKS GOOD OF COURSE S.S. WORKS BETTER . BIGGEST THING IS KEEPING TEMPERATURE RIGHT. ALUMINUM BASKET DOESN’T DRAIN THAT WELL. I DRILLED EXTRA HOLES IN THE CORNERS TO HELP WITH DRAINAGE.WIRE BASKET WORKS THE BEST THOUGH.

GOOD LUCK.
GUNDY

I have a Brinkman Smoker/Grill/Deep Fryer. It comes with the wire basket. Also comes with a grill and Smoker with water pan. I carry the grill in my Motorhome and it works great for Steaks and Burgers. The basket is the best I’ve seen on the market. I got mine at Menards. I’ve used the basket and one with holes in pan side by side and highly recomend the basket.

JIM

Ditto to Jim’s reply. Except I think Brinkman might have switched to the other basket with holes in it. I thought I had seen it at the store (Menards) the other day like that?

This one at Bass Pro Looks like it still has the Wire Basket

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=13264&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

JIM

Just use a regular wire hand-held strainer to get the fish out. Get one sized for how big your pot is. The chinesse style brass strainer with bamboo handles are great.

You want surface area for fish not depth.

You want depth for turkeys.

Do not use the stock pot style one for fish, those are for turkeys and boiling.

Get a dutch oven style one for fish. Fish needs room.

Don’t us the basket you get with the turkey fryers because they are meant for boiling.

Don’t use the basket if you are frying wet batter-dipt fillets

A burner is a burner. Go cheap on ther burner and buy pots according to what you need. Put your money into the pots. Stay away from thin aluminum. I use the commercial frying pot from Cabelas for my fish fries at the resort.

“The chinesse style brass strainer with bamboo handles are great.”
Kevin,
Trying to find a source for the strainer you described. I assume the strainer mesh opening is approx 1/4 X 1/4. If you can steer me to a source I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Scott

Quote:

---

“The chinesse style brass strainer with bamboo handles are great.”
Kevin,
Trying to find a source for the strainer you described. I assume the strainer mesh opening is approx 1/4 X 1/4. If you can steer me to a source I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Scott

---

I just googled “bamboo strainer cooking”
http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1486115 Not too bad of a price either…

BTW this is exatly this tool I used last night in my fish fry, it worked great.

Say this out loud..I just googled it!

I saw them at a Super Target near the Chinesse food isle.

Hi, I will give you a different take on what I have read. I got this tip from a fishing friend who used to own a mini donut business at the fairs etc. He told me to no use a wire basket. If you have the correct temperature 375 to 400 for fish, when the fish are done they will float to the top and you can use a simple tong to get them out. It works great for me and I do not have a basket to clean, only a set of tongs.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am going to go with a stainless pot and use a strainer,unless I can find a wire basket. I see that Bass Pro has a burner and stainless pot that looks similiar to what Kevin described. Clear lake, here in Iowa, has been having an abundance of Yellow Bass so now need to get enough for a family fish fry.
Thanks again,
Scott

What are Iowa’s yellow bass? Bullheads?

“abundance of Yellow Bass”
I sure wish I wouldn’t have added that last bit of info.