Every commercial deep fryer gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Fryers are grouped as single-tank countertop, dual-tank countertop and floor fryers, and use the same scale in every group.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Heating power | electric watts or gas BTU per pound of oil, for recovery between batches | 30% |
| Oil capacity | total oil capacity in pounds | 20% |
| Listings | sanitation (NSF) and safety (UL, ETL or CSA) listings | 15% |
| Features | drain valve, high-limit cutoff, cold zone and included cover | 15% |
| Warranty | parts and labor warranty | 20% |
Where the numbers come from
Oil capacity, heating power, electrical needs, features, dimensions, listings and warranty come from the maker’s spec sheet, or from the maker’s own copy on a retail listing where no spec sheet is published. Prices are checked at the stores each page links to, and the lowest price is used.
The factors
Heating power is the heat per pound of oil, which sets how fast oil recovers after a basket of frozen food goes in. For electric fryers it is the rated watts divided by the oil capacity: 100 W per lb scores zero and 400 W per lb full marks. For gas fryers it is the BTU per hour divided by the oil capacity: 1,800 BTU per lb scores zero and 2,800 BTU per lb full marks. A dual-voltage fryer is scored at its higher voltage, and a dual-tank fryer on both tanks together.
Oil capacity is the total oil the fryer holds, on a log scale so going from 8 to 16 lb counts as much as going from 40 to 80 lb: 8 lb scores zero and 80 lb full marks. When a maker gives oil capacity only in liters, it is converted at 2.03 lb per liter (cooking oil weighs about 0.92 kg per liter) and marked estimated. Tank volume to the brim is not oil capacity and isn’t used.
Listings is 60% for a sanitation listing (NSF, or ETL or UL sanitation to NSF/ANSI 4) and 40% for a safety listing (UL, ETL or CSA).
Features is 35% for a drain valve or spigot, 25% for a high-limit cutoff that shuts the heat off if the thermostat fails, 20% for a cold zone below the heat, and 20% for a tank cover in the box. A feature the maker doesn’t mention counts as missing, and the factor is marked estimated.
Warranty is the parts and labor warranty, from none (zero) to 3 years (full marks).
What isn’t scored
Pounds of fries per hour, tank volume, number of baskets, thermostat range, timer, controls, voltage, current and plug, dimensions, weight, the maker’s duty rating and release date are listed but not scored.
Missing data
Heating power is the factor that most separates one fryer from another, so when the oil capacity or the heating power isn’t published, that factor scores zero and is marked estimated. Warranty works the same way: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero and is marked estimated. A missing oil capacity gets the neutral middle score (50) for the capacity factor, and a fryer whose maker publishes none of the four features gets the neutral score for features; both are marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.