J wrote:

> I'm thinking about getting an electric deep fryer and have a couple of
> questions....
> 1. Are these worthwhile or is the good old pan and wire basket the only way
> to go?

They are a lot safer than an old pan and wire basket on the stove. I know two
people who have accidentally started kitchen fires using the stove top method,
and one of them ended up burning his hand quite badly when he tried to take the
flaming pot outside. So as far as I am concerned they are worth it just for the
safety issue. It's a bonus that they are thermostatically controlled.

> 2. What is the healthiest oil to use?

I use Crisco. I don't know about it being the healthiest, but I only use it once
in a while.

> 3. What about changing the oil? Do you change after every use? Scoop out the
> floaters and re-use?

You don't need to change the oil every time you use it. You are well advised to
pour off the oil and save it, filtering out the gritty bits.

> The usage would be for 2 people at a time max and more likely to be titbits
> as opposed to buckets of chips etc.

There are small deep fryers available, but their small capacity makes it
difficult to cook any amount of food and to keep the temperature high. Putting
things into a fryer with a decent capacities allows you to keep the oil nice and
odd, resulting in faster cooking and your food being less greasy.