Presto 05411 GranPappy Electric Deep Fryer

I have been looking at deep fryers for a while and narrowed my choice down to this one. I am glad I did!It works exactly as it is advertised to.The measurements are 8.25 inches in diameter, and 8.25 inches from the counter to the top edge of the pot. I couldn't find anything that measured 10 inches except the strainer ladle, which has a 4x4 inch spoon. It is sturdy and not likely to bend or get soft from the heat.The outside of the pot DOES get VERY HOT! So be very careful when using it. Don't have anything plastic or otherwise non-heat resistant, including the lid, near the fryer when it is plugged in. And do NOT touch it with your bare hands/skin!Depending on the material your countertop is made with, you might consider placing the fryer on a 1/4 baking sheet to protect your countertop from heat.The plastic lid snaps on easily AFTER the oil and fryer have completely cooled, and fits well.So, I received my GranPappy yesterday. After reading through the little manual for instructions for use and cleaning, I washed it as directed, made sure it was thoroughly dry, filled it to the oil line with vegetable oil and allowed it to heat up for 15 minutes before making some French fries.Because I am an avid cook for close to 50 years, I know that oil and water do NOT mix! With that in mind, I placed my frozen fries on a paper towel and zapped them in the microwave for a minute or two until the ice crystals melted, then gave them a quick pat with a paper towel to remove any remaining moisture. I didn't want hot oil splattering everywhere; especially not on me!The fries took about 12 minutes to cook to a nice golden brown. The time it takes your fries to cook might vary depending on the thickness of your fries, whether they are fresh, thawed, or frozen, and how many you put in the fryer. You don't want to over-crowd food in the fryer or it won't cook properly.Tonight, I decided to fry up some chicken!I had 4 pretty good sized thighs that I had just bought. The were raw and unfrozen. I read several comments here saying bone-in chicken wasn't completely cooked and when left in the fryer to fully cook, the chicken ended up burnt. Because of that, I am passing along another tip --I placed my chicken thighs in the microwave on DEFROST for about 10 minutes. Then I breaded them with a double coating for some extra crispy chicken, place them immediately in the fryer for 14 minutes and they came out perfectly cooked, golden brown and crispy as ever! And the crispy stayed ON the chicken. I did put all 4 thighs (1.95 pounds) in the fryer at the same time without difficulty.I am VERY pleased with my GranPappy and look forward to frying shrimp, okra, apple fritters, oysters, potato chips, donuts, and more!

I’ve owned one of these before, and I must say it’s worth coming back to. This appliance heats up remarkably quickly, making it perfect for those busy evenings. Although I don't eat meat, I appreciate its versatility; it can easily fry a variety of proteins for anyone who does. The cleanup process is incredibly straightforward, as it doesn’t retain the unpleasant greasy smell typically associated with frying foods.To use it, you simply plug it in, and it powers on effortlessly. Within moments, it's ready to cook, which is incredibly convenient. I particularly enjoy using it for making a batch of delicious French fries, as it delivers that perfect crispy texture that I crave instead of relying solely on the air fryer. Overall, it’s a fantastic kitchen tool for preparing tasty meals with minimal hassle. I almost forgot to add that it also makes stews or soups for 1-3 people and three is pushing it depending on the serving size. I used to make Gumbo and lasagna soup in mine.

The Presto GranPappy Deep Fryer is fantastic! It heats up quickly and maintains perfect temperature for crispy, golden results. The large capacity is great for family meals, and cleanup is easy. The adjustable thermostat ensures precise control. Durable and efficient, it’s a must-have for fried food lovers. Highly recommend!

As a man who has been married for 20 years, I can tell you the pain of not being "allowed" to purchase a deep fryer."Why do you want a deep fryer? It's unhealthy. It's going to make a mess. Are you going to clean it?"Sound familiar?I decided to buy this model in specific, because I determined through LOTS of reading that it's going to be EASY TO OWN. Meaning, I think I can mitigate the mess with some good quality Costco paper towels AND cleaning it should be easy, it's only 2 parts. And I was right! Cleaning it takes 2 LITERAL minutes, if you have a hand-held sprayer (on your sink) like I do, cleaning this thing is a snap. Just make sure you have Dawn dish soap. That stuff kills oil quick!To give you an idea of the capacity in real-world units, I used to work in a restaurant. A SERIOUS handful of frozen fries equaled 1 portion. Serious, meaning the fries are in your hand, but good luck with that grip. If you don't get them into the oil, they'll be on the floor. Got me? Anyway, this unit will EASILY cook 3 portions using the mentioned method. I've made a dozen Nathan's onion rings at once and I've also been able to fit 8 Gortons beer batter fish fillets at once.I've been using Vegetable Oil (ALDI has the best deal!) and I have been getting 3-4 uses out of the oil, BUT I also purchased a Funnel/Strainer to "clean the oil" before I put it back in the original bottle. B08L3S1KVJ is the model I purchased from Amazon and it works great and it's super easy to clean.So yeah, quit listening to your wife.You know what your stomach wants. It's only $39!You've wasted more than that on other junk.And your wife has thrown away way more than that on shoes/clothes/Costco, etc!It's not an impulse buy, it's not a mistake.It's a great purchase and from what I can tell from the reviews, it should last me for years.And to those of you always trying to sniff out a fake review... I'm sure by now some of you have your Spidey-senses tingling with this review. I swear, I'm a real person, I'm not being paid, I have nothing to do with the company that makes any of the stuff I've listed. I just like to give thorough reviews. Any questions, I'm happy to answer them! :)NOTE: Once I have a chance to do chicken wings I will update this review. It seems there are a bunch of people having problems. My initial thoughts are that their technique needs to be changed a bit, but I'll know for sure once I try it.UPDATE 4/21/21 - I have stopped using Vegetable Oil, as I only get 3-4 uses out of a bottle of oil. I'm now using Canola Oil and to my shock, not only is it cheaper to buy, but I'm up to 6 uses and the oil is still holding up! The Vegetable Oil was "fine", but it was turning brown too quickly. Still haven't made wings yet, but I'm making fried fish sandwiches with fries and onion rings every Friday night. Purchased some spring rolls at Costco that were supposed to be baked, put them in the fryer - BAM - 5 minutes and they're perfect!NOTE2: I was originally letting it heat up for about 15 minutes (like everyone here says to) and that's just too long. I have settled on exactly 8 MINUTES of preheat. I ordered an instant read thermometer, when it gets here I'll determine if I need to bump it up another minute or 2. For now, 8 seems to be the sweet spot. I think that's why some people are disintegrating their chicken wings. Just my thoughts.UPDATE 5/22/21 - Now that my thermometer finally got here, I can confirm I nailed the timing @ 8min to 350F! If you're following the directions and waiting for 15 minutes, I can't imagine how hot the oil must get. 400F maybe? I still haven't done chicken wings (long story), but I promise I will update this review as soon as I do. I suggest you try to throw your wings in @ the 8min mark and seeing if that does the trick. Of course with that said, your mileage may vary. It COULD take YOUR unit 15 minutes to heat up. As with all things, use your best judgment. :)PS: 3 MONTHS IN AND I'M STILL LOVING MY GRANPAPPY!