Slinkey, OK I pulled it out with the manual - it does have an on/off switch. I've only used it twice. Both times I did seafood that I first dipped in egg, then seasoned corn meal, and then egg again. While not a true batter, it was pretty wet and there was no problem with it sticking to the basket. The manual has recipes for fritters and batter dipped chicken, so I guess it would be fine for batters. Hope this helps.

Trailrunner's is Miele. I know that that what impressed me in her description was something about a place where little bits that fall off sink to, and something about where the colder oil goes. I know that's vague, but, as I said, it was impressive. :) She's the only one I know who has a fryer. I don't know about choosing between Wolf and Gaggenau other than both are excellent at the other things they offer. ;) I have the vacuum sealer (a new purchase), steam oven (Gagg), and under counter fridge drawers. I gather you're using your vacuum sealer for sous vide. Mine is mostly for freezing. There might be some point in choosing a sealer that is made by the same company as your circulator to make sure that the seal is correct. You might benefit from posting your plans in the Kitchens forum for the very clever people to help with. My first impression is that it would be great to have a cabinet, with or without doors, with outlets, and heavy duty rollouts for the slicer, sealer, circulator, et al. It would make it so much easier to use, and to compact that way. That is...if the circulator is manual drain. If it's plumbed, you probably want it in the vicinity of the steam oven to keep the plumbing sane. You say "dream kitchen", so I'll ask the tough question: Have you used a French top regularly? Or a plancha? I'm not sure you really need both for home cooking. I was all set to buy the Gaggenau teppan yaki (oh, pitter pat!) but decided I wanted the cabinet space underneath more, and they'd just raised the price, so I gave it a pass. When I started out, I was convinced I wanted a French top, but there were some pros here who were talking about how they were moving away from those and using vacuum bottles to hold sauces and such like. That actually made a lot more sense to me than having uneven heat in the pans and all of that. Plus, the amount of energy and time that it takes to heat up the French top wasn't worth it. That's where I segued into the teppen yaki, then decided I really wanted to cook on induction and changed my plan to half induction, half gas, no specialty units. I have no trouble using a cast iron plate for anything I'd have been using the teppan yaki or a plancha for, and the excellent temperature control of the Gaggenau induction and Wolf gas handles anything I would have done on the French Top. Much less romance, lots of utility. Just offering my experience as a check. If you have the space and want the romance, by all means go for it! I LOVE my fridge drawers. They're the one don't really need it toy I just had to have. I had wanted fridge drawers in my prep area since I first saw some. Mine are Marvel. The best feature is the depth of the bottom drawer, which holds standing opened wine bottles. I also had the sense that they had more usable space than the other 24" units I'd seen. The worst feature is that they're loud when they cycle. Not a bother when the rest of the kitchen is running, but a bit shocking if one is sitting quietly. I also adore the Gaggenau combi-steam. I hate blanching and steaming the old fashioned way. Just tossing them in, and being able to check progress and pop them back and all of it is just wonderful. The regenerate setting is amazing. You put in a plate of cold leftovers all made up, and it comes out with everything warm, and nothing overcooked, shriveled, or petrified. I mostly use it for steaming vegetables and as a secondary oven when I'm making several mains, but my kitchen isn't completely finished, so I haven't gotten into a lot of experimenting, yet.

I have a commercial countertop fryer that I love. I was convinced the $50-$100 home style ones wouldn't do the job. I did a ton of research and ended up buying one on ebay. It's an Anvil ffa8110 which is 220volt (they also have a 110v model). The 220v is $280 and the 110v is $250. I also bought the cover for it (which I think is important). I use it several times a week. It doesn't have a spigot but the oil pan lifts out very easily and I pour the oil through a strainer into a big bowl and that gets all the crumbs out. I do wash mine since it's already out. I don't strain it after every use. And I reuse and store the oil in the fryer for weeks also. I think it's important to have one that reaches the proper temperature and stays there. It's surprising how little oil actually gets used. I use canola oil. It takes a little over 1 gallon to fill. There is only two of us, so the small size is perfect. Fried chicken is so easy. Just drop it in and come back in 20 minutes. Fish & chips are perfect (with real french fries, not baked ones). I have a lot of fun with mine. Here is a link that might be useful: ebay store I bought from

I just was scanning through Kenji's new book last night,& he discussed oil a good deal. He said if you are deep frying on the stove, you can reuse the oil-whether cooking chicken or potatoes-up to 8 times, but you must be meticulous about removing debris from it before storing it. Run it though cheesecloth or heavy paper towel. If it starts getting dark, don't reuse. According to him, restaurants can get away with reusing their oil for a long time because their fryers don't heat from the bottom-can't remember exactly his reasoning, something about the bottom burning more. Countertop electric deep fryers use the same concept, so you can reuse the oil even more than the 8 times. Temperature control seems to be the thing. Recommended peanut oil. He says he disposes of his excess oil through a company that converts the oil to fuel, but if you don't have that option, to pour it into an empty bottle & put it in your trash. Small amounts he puts in his disposal. And store at room temp, either in its original bottle, or an empty soda bottle. I love this book, just an interesting read. A large book, but most of it is devoted to the science of cooking. Most of the recipes are almost for a learning cook, like how to fry an egg or burger, although some recipes are kinda detailed & more steps than I would bother with. Like cooking steak fries 4 times or more. Some things he says go against what I hear from other chefs on TV, but he explains his reasoning & I found that interesting.