Stick to oven chips (Russell Hobbs 10356)

Member Name: Fiver29

Product:	Russell Hobbs 10356
Date:	13/09/09 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Cleaning

If you think this looks like a decent fryer and wonder whether to buy one or not, let me just say, wipe that thought right out of your head, bleach it out if you have to, but make sure you never buy one of these fryers, because you'll regret every minute of it.

I bought one because it looked like it'd be much easier to clean than other fryers; I'd had a round one previously, where you had to pick up the entire body to tip the oil down the sink (not that I'd ever tip oil down a sink of course!). With this one you can take the bowl out and it makes it easier to tip the oil out.

That is the only decent thing about this machine. Firstly it's brushed steel, which shows and holds onto far more stains than stainless steel (it's not called stainless for no reason), and within a couple of uses the sides and lid needed scouring. Now it's been used a lot, it needs a regular scrub on the outside with a Brillo Pad.

You can't keep the lid on the fryer when you're using it, so there is nothing to stop the steam (with added grease) spreading around your kitchen. So it has to sit under the cooker hood, which firstly means two of the oven hobs are out of action immediately because the fryer is sat on them (apart from the time I accidentally turned the wrong ones on and melted one of the feet), and also means you need to use a grease remover on the cooker hood every time you use the fryer.

Cleaning the entire thing is no easy job either. The base and the bowl can be cleaned separately, as can the basket and handle, but then the element sits in the oil rather than heats it from underneath the bowl, so that has to be cleaned to. But the element is also attached to the thermostat and power unit, so you can't just dunk it in the water, you have to mess about making sure the power cord doesn't drop in your washing up bowl, whilst at the same time trying to clean off all the oil and bits of food that have attached themselves to the element.

But cleaning aside, I suppose my first thoughts might have been a bit harsh; it does have a decent adjustable thermostat (but then don't they all) and it does heat up relatively quickly (but then again, don't they all).

There's nothing that this fryer does that other fryers don't, and it's a nightmare to keep clean.

Summary: Not recommended

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