You can deep fry in any pan. Size will depend on what you are deep frying.

I have a vintage Griswold cast iron pot that is the perfect size for frying french fries, or chicken.

But I also have a small but deep ceramic wok style pot that is perfect for doing small batches of fries.

It should go without saying that you need to be really concerned about safety when deep frying on the stove top. I always use a thermometer, and I never walk away from the kitchen when I have a pot of oil on the stove. Also, you want to be very careful when adding potatoes or chicken, etc. to the pot. Make sure the potato slices are as dry as you can get them. And I also remove the pot from the burner when I add the potatoes/chicken, etc.. just to be on the safe side in case the oil does bubble up and boil over. Last thing you want is a grease fire.

I will use the same oil more than once if I'm frying potatoes. I never reuse oil that I cook meats/fish in. We have organic garbage pick up each week, (meaning compost) and I can dispose of the oil/grease this way. I just pour it into empty milk or cream waxed cartons. Also accepted in our organic pick up.

~Ann

As for a dutch oven, check Costco. They have a very nice large one for $90.

Here is a link that might be useful: 6.5 qt Dutch Oven

I had the same problem as you have. I kept the fry basket and used it in a dutch oven, came with my cook ware set. No need to buy something special. I let my oil cool off, pour it into bowl with cheesecloth rubberbanded over edge to strain it. And I keep it in a large glass jar with a metal lid, in my fridge. Oil can and will get rancid. If I find oil on sale, or shortening on sale, I buy them, but I keep them in the fridge as well. Even new unused oil and shortening can get old and taste nasty. Can't afford to waste money I've tried to save. You can use any size pot you have for frying or even a large skillet for chicken or fish. I've never tried to save that oil. Good luck.

One thing the appliance does for you is regulate the temperature. You should also get a frying or candy thermometer. You need the temperature you fry at to be above 350ð F for browning, so go to 375ð before you start to help make up for the coolness of the food. Too high a temperature and the oil breaks down (though some will say that even 350ð is too high for the health of the oil).

I have a friend who fries frequently and uses a Fry Daddy, and he doesn't even have an open flame stove (much less chance of fire). Apparently it makes the whole business that much easier. Do you have a spot it could go in the garage or basement or storage closet/shed? Why not clean it down best you can with Dawn or other grease fighter, wrap it in a plastic bag, and put it away in a small box? Since you don't use it often, getting it out occasionally wouldn't be hard...

I'm just trying to consolidate stuff. DH and I are both getting to old to get down on our knees and pull out a meat slicer, rice steamer and crock pot to get to a waffle maker. And all of our kitchen storage is under the counter. I have another bakers rack stuffed with gadgets, pans, baking sheets and appliances down in the pantry. I should just get rid of everything in/on it, except my roaster. It's down two flights of stairs, back up two flights, back down to flights to return it and back up two flights every time we use the roaster. May not seem like much to some of you, but I have to sit and rest for a few minutes every time I make it up or down the stairs.

I wish we could burn this house down and replace it with a rancher. I would sure be able to accomplish a lot more.

For deep frying, I use a tall pot to minimize splatter.

Around the pot on the stove, aluminum foil also.

I have a small dish of cut up rice noodles, 1/2" long. Drop one into the hot oil, if it puffs up, the oil is hot enough for frying. No need for thermometer.

dcarch

Angelaid, would it help to retrofit your lower storage to rollout tray shelves? The cupboards would hold a little less but it would be a lot easier to get at what you have. Definitely get rid of the Fry Daddy since storage is out. Maybe you can rearrange the contents of your cupboards and baking rack so that the only things that are downstairs are once a year kinds of things that you can take up and down in stages and at leisure, and more regular things, like the roaster, even though it's big, can live in the kitchen.

Maybe even keep a small table or basket by the stairs on each level for things that are going up or down. I do that and it works well for me. For frozen things going down to the big freezer I leave a nylon tote bag there to remind me to take them. I'd keep all the "discards" for at least a year, though, to make sure I really didn't want them anymore. Whenever I don't do that, I get rid of something I end up wanting.

DC, good idea about the rice noodles. I have them. :) It won't get me to put away the thermometer, but definitely easier to use. :)

I also use a vintage Griswold chicken fryer, cast iron, it's a 10 1/2", or my cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven, it's a 7 quart.

Elery has an electric deep fryer, I don't know the brand because it's stored out at the farm, we never use it. I have a Taylor clip on thermometer that I use for everything from frying doughnuts to checking the water for scalding chickens.

I do like to use the thermometer, although I was taught that if I flipped a drop of water from my finger into the oil and it spattered, it was "hot enough". Still, I like to regulate the temperature a bit better than that.

As has been noted, if you put a bunch of fresh potatoes cut into fries into the hot oil, watch it carefully. It will bubble up and can boil over.

Annie

We keep ours out in the garage, covered and wrapped in a plastic bag. Works for us!

Donna

Pillog, there is nothing I would love better than the rollout shelves. I drool over them on HGTV shows. LOL
Unfortunately, replacing our roof is top priority right now. Trying to save up enough to have it done before winter. Next on the list is replacing all of our old aluminum windows.
We have a couple of cast iron dutch ovens. And I have a couple of good thermometers.
Annie - those donuts look scrumptious!

I got rid of my fry daddy abt 20 yrs. ago. I never deep fry any more. And no room.

Thanks, Angelaid, those were County Fair winners this year, took second place for the Monkey Princess. Well, not those exact donuts, that's an older picture, but same recipe.

I don't fry very much, so it's pretty easy to haul out the cast iron and heat up oil. Usually when I do fry something, I also make French fries for Elery, he loves them. Fry them twice and they are deliciously crunchy.

Annie

I do get it as to why the roof has to come first.

In the meantime, why not take your measuring tape around the house and find trays, baskets and boxes that will fit in your lower cabinets? Without rails to hold them up they're not as nice as rollout trays, but they sure help! You can also keep a little stool around that you can tilt them out on to make pulling them in and out easier.