Customer Reviews
Worked fine twice then stopped working at all 
2008-08-26
This was a gift and we only used it twice, to make Rosettes, a dainty scandinavian Christmas cookie. So I wasn't even that hard on the thing. When we tried to start it up this last Christmas to make the cookies it wouldn't turn on. I jiggled the heating device and it would turn on only briefly. Looks to be an electronic issue.
Compact and efficient 
2008-08-22
I bought this deep fryer to replace an ancient Tefal unit that had finally gotten too gross to use. The DeLonghi deep fryer suprised me initially, because it is so much smaller and lighter than the Tefal, but it has turned out to be a great appliance for me -- although I'm not cooking for a family, the capacity is at least as good as the Tefal it replaced.
The best thing about the DeLonghi is that it is much easier to drain when cooking is over, and so much easier to clean that it's difficult to credit. The deep frying unit is an immersion heater rather than a built-in heat supply and the entire deep fryer breaks down into components that are very easy to wash thoroughly. There are no hinges or any other crannies to trap grease.
It also has a very nice temperature control unit, with far more settings than the Tefal had. The only downside I've found was that the magnetically-attached power cord had a tendency to fall off when I first used it, resulting in a batch of chicken wings sitting for a long time in cooling oil. Now that I've gotten the hang of it, there have been no more problems.
Messy 
2008-08-15
This product has good and bad aspects. First the good. It stays heated very well and cooks your food crispy and to perfection. It is a very good size for families and looks nice. The bad is that I don't have a dishwasher so it is a bit of a pain to clean. Since it has an immersion heating system you must take that out and clean it by hand even if you do have a dishwasher. Also the one I bought and just received TODAY leaked oil from the bottom. I am not sure if this is just a fluke in the one that I received but I will be sending it back anyway because it is TOO big for just 2 people and a pain in the rear to clean. Overall it is a great machine but not what I was hoping for.
I'm happy to say ... 
2008-08-09
... I've had absolutely no problems. Like Jimmy, below, our old 10-12 year fryer simply stopped heating, so I needed a new one - and yeah, Southern Fried Chicken was first on the list.
Why this one? It was difficult to choose a fryer because there are so many of them. This model had generally good reviews and I didn't need the timer on the upscale models.
A lot of oil? Yup, about a gallon. The advantage is that the oil temperature is better maintained when adding food.
Temperature accuracy? I preheated to 250 (F) and 350 using my instant probe thermometer to check the temp at both points. Typically, it was +/- 4 degrees at both points. That's certainly about as accurately a temp as can be set with the knob.
Ok, so how does it cook? I set the temp to 350. While preheating, I cut up a 3.75 pound broiler-fryer. I coated the chicken in flour, salt and pepper. Ran it through a light egg wash (two eggs, milk and Tabasco sauce) and then coated it in flour again. I fried up the chicken in two batches so as not to overload the fryer. Each batch went into the oven on "keep warm" on a rack in a baking sheet (never use paper towels). Then, I cranked the temp all the way up and dumped in some frozen French fries. My wife said the chicken was the best she had. We had some of the left overs cold the next day and they were virtually grease-free.
So, what about the dreaded cleanup? Actually, it was pretty easy. Obviously, the oil has to cool down. I put my empty 1 gallon oil container in the sink with a kitchen funnel in the top. I inverted a fairly large, tall pot next to the sink. I put the fryer on the pot and extended it so the oil drain was over the funnel and opened the drain. The oil drained - no leakage. Remove the heater, use a soapy sponge to clean it and rinse. All of the 'glump' stays in the bottom of the oil container. Scrape it out into the garbage and wash the container with soapy water. Done. Of course, if you're going to fry a lot, you don't have to clean it out every time. That's where the "Dual Zone" part works well.
Summary? No oil leaks, no doors that won't stay closed, the magnetically attached power cord didn't fall off, the temp was accurate and it's reasonably easy to clean. What more can I say? Yeah, I know, I've already said too much ;-)
Enjoy.
My new kitchen toy!!!! 2008-07-30
We are a family of five. My Fry Daddy was just not big enough to handle our frying needs for us in a timely manner. I wanted something bigger that was efficient and easy to clean. I checked out several fryers and even purchased a different one(Aroma Brand I think). I ended up returning it because the first time I tried to use it it would not heat up. I settled on this one and it has been wonderful. It heats up and because it is a bigger fryer, it has cut down my frying time by at least half the time it normally took me. It has also been very easy to clean with the drain in the front. I would recommend this to anyone!!! It is great!!!!
delonghi deep frier 2008-07-20
The DeLonghi Dual Zone Deep Fryer has an extra large 3-LB. (4-LITER) food capacity. Ample space allows food to fry evenly and completely, for delicious results every time. Its generous capacity makes the Dual Zone deep fryer perfect for meals and families of all sizes. Dual Zone Technology- The cool zone located beneath the heating element, prevents food from burning. This unique technology reduces odor and keeps oil clean, for tasty fried food every time. The adjustable thermostat with Indicator light, lets you easily set the temperature, giving you the flexibility to fry foods just the way you like them. Removable parts Make cleanup quick and effortless. The bowl, frying basket and lid are all dishwasher-safe. A permanent mesh filter is located inside the stainless steel lid, the permanent filter prevents the release of oil vapors and odors into your kitchen. The viewing window allows you to safely and easily view the entire frying process. A removable heating element allows for quick and easy cleanup, and it's in direct contact with the food for fast and crispy results. Cool Touch removable handle lets you lift or lower the frying basket for safe operation.
Simple, but efficient 2008-07-05
The unit is easy to set up and use. It doesn't have a lot of extra features, but it really cooks the heck out of fries and tater tots.
The dual zone works great at preserving your oil. The little bits and pieces that fall off sink to the bottom, and do not stay in the heated area, which would cause smoking and oil deterioration.
Draining the oil was easy, too. Just position a large enough container below the fryer, open the little door (which seems to have a hard time staying closed), and open the valve to drain the oil. Wipe out the crumbs from the bottom of the pan, refill and you are back in business.
This model lacks a timer, but I really didn't notice that when I was cooking up loads of stuff for us.
Very happy with this fryer 2008-05-15
I'm so happy with this fryer. It cooks fries and chicken beautifully. Very easy to clean and I love the oil drain. The only tricky part was learning how properly slide the heating control into its holding slot and getting the power cord on right. The fryer won't turn on if both bits are not in right. I have not had a problem since that first time. The fryer is well worth the money.
time saving clean-up a great plus 2008-01-07
a very good value for the price; the oil-draining spigot is a real plus for saving time while filtering and draining the oil for storage.
Great Little Fryer 2007-12-29
This fryer works great. The food comes out nice and crisp not oily. I wish it was a bit larger for larger items.
