The Best Deep Fryers

The Breville Smart Fryer is the only model in our research named Best Overall by two independent labs, Reviewed and Food Network. What sets it apart is control. Instead of an analog dial, it uses a digital element that holds your target temperature and recovers quickly after cold food drops the oil, which is where cheaper fryers stumble and turn out greasy results.

It also removes the guesswork. Seven one-touch presets cover fries, wings, fish, calamari, and more, and a fresh-or-frozen setting adjusts the temperature for you. An LCD and digital timer round out the interface, so you are reading numbers rather than eyeballing a dial.

The brushed stainless build is sturdy, the 3.8-liter vessel lifts out for cleaning, and a mesh filter keeps splatter and odor down. It does not filter and store oil the way the T-fal does, so you handle used oil yourself. For most buyers the precision and presets are worth more than that convenience, and at $199.95 it undercuts the pricier All-Clad while frying more accurately than anything else we saw.

The T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean solves the messiest part of deep frying for a lot less money. At the push of a lever it drains the used oil through a filter and seals it in a storage box for next time, and every removable part goes in the dishwasher. America's Test Kitchen made it their Winner for exactly this reason, praising even, consistent frying on top of the easy cleanup.

The key value story is what it shares with the All-Clad. That $249.99 premium pick uses the same patented oil-filtration system, so the T-fal gives you the headline feature for around $100 less. Food Network singled it out for reusing oil, and BestReviews tapped it for everyday use.

You trade away digital presets for a simple analog thermostat, and at 1700 watts it is a touch less powerful than the Breville. Neither matters much once you have used a fryer that cleans up after itself, which is why it is our value pick.