Our family has always cooked homemade chips using a deep fat fryer as they taste ten times better than frozen oven or microwave chips (although we make a point of eating them sparingly). This De'Longhi is our latest fryer and cost about £55 from Curries which I thought was fairly reasonable.

The fryer came securely packaged in a box along with the frying basket and a fitted plug. There is also an instruction manual and a 1 year manufacturers guarantee although chances are that you won't need either of these last two. The appearance is fairly basic with a glossy white plastic covering. On the front are the controls which consist of a lower dial for adjusting the temperature and an upper silver button for releasing the lid. The fryer can accommodate a maximum of 1kg of food and 1.2L of oil. The fryer is quite large and measures L24 x W31 x H36cm and weighs 3.46kg according to Amazon. It has a longish cord which can be stored inside the fryer.

USAGE AND FUNCTIONALITY

This fryer is one of the most straightforward I have ever used. You simply place the oil inside and then use the dial to select the appropriate temperature. It ranges from 150-190 degrees C depending on what you are cooking. I tend to use 180 for cooking chips and find this cooks them very quickly within minutes. When the fryer has reached the required temperature a green indicator light on the front will illuminate to let you know and you simply place the basket filled with food inside and close the lid firmly. You can monitor the progress of the food using the viewing window in the lid and can also adjust the position of the basket without opening the lid using the protruding handle with a rubber covering. Once the food is done you just press the release button to open the lid and lift out the basket. I have never had a bad experience with this fryer and the chips have come out a rich golden colour with a crunchy texture on the outside and smooth on the inside every time. The results are brilliant, particularly when you compare them with oven chips. I also occasionally use my fryer for things like meat, french bread or onion rings and these are equally delicious.

FEATURES

This particular fryer has some great features that our previous ones never had. The most useful of these is the angled, rotating basket called the "rotofryer" system. As the food fries the basket turns to ensure the food is evenly fried and most importantly uses only half the amount of oil that a standard fryer would use making it quite economical. The second feature is the "easy clean system". The fryer has a drainage tube from which the oil comes out and allows you to easily collect the oil into a container. This makes cleaning very easy, particularly as the lid also detaches allowing you to reach all areas. The lid of the fryer has a filter which prevents greasy odors from spreading around the house. This can be removed and either washed or replaced. Also like most fryers it has cool-touch walls so that the external surface remains cool despite the heat from the metal layers. This allows you to move it easily and is particularly vital for those with children in the kitchen.

Overall this fryer has been very reliable and produces amazing homemade chips that taste great. I would definitely recommend this fryer.