Presto 05420 FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer

Why it's worth it

The FryDaddy is a cast-aluminum pot with one job: heat four cups of oil to frying temperature and hold it there. There's no dial, no basket and no timer, and for a first fryer that simplicity is the whole appeal.

Zero setup is the feature. Plug it in, pour in four cups of oil, wait. It climbs to a preset frying temperature and stays there. Nothing to calibrate, nothing to second-guess. If you've been curious about frying at home but the idea of managing a gallon of hot oil sounds like a project, this is the version that doesn't feel like one.

It's small enough to store, which means you'll use it. It's roughly eight inches square and weighs about three pounds, so it lives in a normal cabinet rather than owning your counter. The handle swings up and the lid snaps on, so you can store the oil right in the pot between sessions. Fryers that are annoying to get out get used once. This one isn't.

From our review of 8 home deep fryers, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Zero setup is the feature
• +It's small enough to store, which means you'll use it
• +Four cups of oil is a modest commitment
• +The cast-aluminum body and ceramic nonstick surface wipe out easily

What to know

• –The temperature is fixed, so you fry what it's calibrated for
• –There's no basket
• –Capacity caps you at two or three servings