Waring Pro DF250B Deep Fat Fryer

Waring Pro DF250B Stainless Steel Deep Fat Fryer

With its brushed stainless steel body and eye-catching black accents the Waring Pro DF250B deep fat fryer is likely to appeal to many a style conscious home chef. And unlike many of its competitors the DF250B offers a good trade-off between the power and capacity of a semi-professional fryer with the safety and convenience of a consumer model.

The DF250B measures over 18 inches deep and more than 12 inches wide. Make sure you have enough room in your kitchen to place it properly. You should also know that the underside gets very hot under normal use. A heat resistant surface is absolutely essential in order to avoid burn marks. If you have a flat stable surface on your stovetop, so much the better.

For anyone intimidated by today's high-tech electronics the DF250B will be a welcome relief from the beeping and flashing gadgets invading everyday life. Basically you have a temperature dial and timer, both the old fashioned mechanical type. Operation couldn't be simpler. Fill the bowl with the the oil of your choice then select the desired temperature. Wait for the oil ready light and you're good to go. The timer can be set from 1 to 30 minutes and will ring when that time has elapsed, but will not shut off the power automatically.

The DF250B has an oil capacity of 1 gallon and the basket can accommodate a little over 2lbs of food. This ratio of oil volume to food weight should be enough to maintain an even oil temperature throughout the frying process. This is essential to avoid oil soaked, uncooked food. We also found the temperature setting to be accurate. With a little practice you should be able to turn out restaurant quality results consistently - crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

One small shortcoming is the fact that this fryer cannot handle bulky items. Even with the basket fully immersed the oil depth is still quite shallow. You might need to cut things into smaller pieces or be prepared to turn larger items manually as needed.

Deep fat fryers are inherently messy and it seems that Waring have given a lot of thought to the tedious task of clean up. First off the whole fryer can be quickly disassembled and everything except the heating element is dishwasher safe. To help with oil draining the chamber has a pour spout and the basket handle can be folded flat into the basket for easy storage.

Putting everything back together is straightforward enough but re-seating the heating element can be a bit tricky. As a safety measure the fryer will not operate unless a small plastic cut-off pin is correctly positioned. It can take a bit of trial and error to get everything lined up properly.

Unlike most fryers in this category the DF250B comes with the ability to lower the basket into the hot oil with the lid on. In addition the domed lid design channels condensation away from the oil chamber, keeping spitting to a minimum. The lid also comes with a handy viewing window and permanent mesh filter. If safety is a high priority you will probably find this arrangement very useful.

The Waring Pro DF250B deep fat fryer packs a lot of fryer for the money. Professional styling and consumer convenience make it both versatile and simple to operate. Despite a few design missteps it should make a welcome addition to any modern kitchen.

Specs