Fish Fry Pot

I have a turkey cooker and have decided it’s finally time to purchase a fry pot for fish. I have a few questions before making my decision:

1. Aluminum v.s. Stainlesss

2. What size?

3. How do you store yours? (with/without oil)

4. If you reuse oil, how many times?

5. Do you only use peanut oil?

6. I’m having a hard time finding one locally, any ideas?

7. Does anyone have a used one they would like to sell?

Thanks for the help!

Ryan

I’d go cast iron, get a Lodge dutch oven or big fry pan. You might find one cheap at camping supply close outs. The heavy pot will not burn up your oil too quickly (smoke point) and it will maintain a propper temp easier when adding fish. I like peanut oil, I filter it after use and can usually re-use 5-6 times. Remember not to blast that turkey fryer, a good medium flame, watch your oil temp, once oil gets to about 300 it will climb real fast so be ready to turn the flame down a tad. Let oil get back to around 350 between batches, and do not let your oil start smoking, once you have over cooked your oil it is useless.

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I have a turkey cooker and have decided it’s finally time to purchase a fry pot for fish. I have a few questions before making my decision:
1. Aluminum v.s. Stainlesss Not sure, didn’t look that close
2. What size? The fish fry size found at gander/cabelas/fleet farm. Something like this

fish fry pot
3. How do you store yours? (with/without oil) without oil, cleaned in the box it came in
4. If you reuse oil, how many times? If frying a lot of fish, only use oil once, for smaller batches 2-3
5. Do you only use peanut oil? No, don’t have BK’s money
6. I’m having a hard time finding one locally, any ideas? Gander/cabelas/fleet farm
7. Does anyone have a used one they would like to sell?
Thanks for the help!

Ryan

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Jami

I have the same one as Jami posted. It works great and is pretty inexpensive. My answers are the same as Jami’s except for reusing the oil. Per the instructions on a different deep fryer, they don’t recommend reusing the oil when frying fish. If your cooking fish multiple times per day, or again the next day, its probably not a big deal. Even if you use peanut oil in this one, your talking about 6.00 worth of oil. Find someone you don’t like and give them the old oil.

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I have the same one as Jami posted. It works great and is pretty inexpensive. My answers are the same as Jami’s except for reusing the oil. Per the instructions on a different deep fryer, they don’t recommend reusing the oil when frying fish. If your cooking fish multiple times per day, or again the next day, its probably not a big deal. Even if you use peanut oil in this one, your talking about 6.00 worth of oil. Find someone you don’t like and give them the old oil.

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Nix on reusing too, seems the oil picks up flavors and the more you use it the worst it gets, might be the breading or?? but I rarely reuse oil

Cast iron works well because it retains heat and keeping the oil at operating temps is critical, if it cools down as you put fish in it, the fish starts to come out greasy imho

There a multi layered pans out there that use aluminum and stainless steel, if you can find them on sale or used they would work well to, usually to expensive for most though.

I’ve used canola oil and vegetable oil, either work well but you have to watch over heating.

I have used peanut oil in the past, but after learning that my then 2 year old was allergic to peanuts, I found Cotton seed oil. I have actually come to like it better than peanut oil. It seems to be “lighter”. If that makes any sense at all.

FDR

Menards had some fryer pots and baskets too, I’ve heard if you fish frying with potatoes that the potatoes absorb the “bad” flavors and help keep the oil cleaner for longer, myself I’d bite the bullet and toss it myself. We too use cottonseed oil, (wife, peanut allergy) and Ive had it both ways, didnt see much of any difference. Peanut oil in a perfect world shouldnt be an issue if it’s well filtered, they are not allergic to the oil, they are allergic to the peanut protein, which the well processed shouldnt really have… but try telling that to someone allergic to peanuts it’s safe… IMHO, never going to be worth the risk.

At the cost of peanut oil (which is not real peanut but just a mix of it) I reuse my oil. I buy paint strainers (medium mesh) and a funnel from the local hardware store and funnel out all the left over particals after each use, it helps with flow to warm the oil a little before straining. It is a little messy and you will need to clean the screen on the paint strainer as it clogs with partical. I use my oil for a season. Buy one conatainer of oil and use it for fish only, I buy another and use for turkey / french fries only. This system has worked great for years. I never had anyone complain about my fish and its taste at the end of the season. As far as pots go I have bought the stainless turkey pots but anything works. I have a porcelin canning pot I like to use now because it has such a large opening. Plan on having this pot as your specialty pot for just boiling fish. Oil will burn as it was pointed out so a thermometer and flame control is key, one other key weapon is a nice scoop with a strainer to grab your floating fish filets from the boiling oil and allowing them to drain…. boiling the crap out of stuff with oil it is fun!

Cast Iron will last you forever…But I like my Stainless for ease of clean up. There are a couple of Used Restaurant Equipment and Supply Stores in and around the city that are worth shopping for a good kettle. The most critical piece of frying equipment is a good thermometer. When you can maintain your oil temp between 340 and 350 degrees you will get the best cooking result. For those that like to reuse oil a thermometer will help get an extra cycle or two. The final tip I would offer is not to over fill your kettle with oil. You do not need to recreate a commercial grade deep fryer on a camp stove! Use enough oil to float your fish filets and then add a little more as needed for the next round. This will save you a lot of money in frying oil. Proper Cooking Techniques = Good Eating!