Why doesn't everyone use one of these?

I remember as a kid when the Presto Fry Daddy came out.  My folks liked it, but due to its rather puny size, it was considered more a household novelty than a useful appliance; something for cooking up the occasional batch of 'fast food' style fries.  My dad thought it was great for frying hushpuppies, but it would only cook about four at a time.  And then one day, someone put the plastic lid back on while the oil was still hot, and melted a hole through it.  That's the last I recall ever seeing the thing, or for that matter, even thinking about it.

Around my house, we are not so much 'health conscious' as we are 'good food conscious'.  This usually means good inexpensive food, so we like to eat a lot of Mediterranean foods, especially during the summer. And, one of the staples of a good healthy Mediterranean meal is falafel.  It's cheap and easy to make, and even though fried, is quite healthy.  But, using the right amount of oil at the proper temperature  is the key to great falafel.  It's also the key to ensuring that your fried food is less likely to be an artery clogging experience.  Deep fried food isn't exactly healthy, but as long as the oil is heated slowly to the right temperature, the food will absorb less fat.  And this fryer does just that.

One day in KMart, I noticed a big section of small kitchen appliances dedicated specifically to the Presto brand.  Actually, the display of bright yellow boxes more or less screamed out to me, so I wandered over.  I had never heard of the 'Granpappy', so I first assumed it was simply the Fry Daddy renamed.  However, I quickly surmised that this was indeed different, bigger.  And, since bigger is always better, I just had to take this guy home to try it.

My memories of my dad using our old Fry Daddy weren't exactly pleasant.  It seems that, for there to be enough oil to fry anything, the oil level had to be such that you risked boiling over if you put more than a few french fries in.  I also seem to remember that it would get hot enough to smoke the oil.  So I honestly did not have real high hopes for this newer offering.  What I did not remember from the old days is how sturdily built these things are; heavy duty aluminum construction; thick walls.  The quality of this thing did impress me from the outset.

The oil level is clearly marked; not with a faint line, but with a shallow ledge.  The power cord looks like the traditional affair, but is magnetic. And there is only one way for it to attach, which is clearly laid out in the easy to follow instructions.  The first thing one will notice when setting up the fryer is that there are no controls; no dial, no temperature control of any kind.  It heats to one temperature; the proper temperature for deep frying.  If you ask me, this is a smart move by the manufacturer.  It keeps people from messing around with the temperature, and getting poor results that might cause them to blame the product.

The construction is impressive, the instructions simple and straight forward; but how does it work.  For my purposes, it works great.  It gets used for falafel, and the ocassional batch of french fries.  But mostly, I use it for frying falafel.  And my falafel turn out a deep golden brown every time; crispy texture outside, and moist (not greasy)  inside.  Perfectly cooked, and without a lot of fuss.  But, be advised that you must watch your food while frying it to avoid overcooking it. 

For the small kitchen that only ocassionally has use for a deep fryer, or has limited use (such as for only frying falafel) for one, this truly is the thing to have.  It is big enough to handle cooking half a dozen ping pong sized balls of dough, or a couple chicken wings at once, yet small enough to put away in a cabinet after it has (thoroughly) cooled down.  And it's inexpensive enough that you don't have to use it every day, or even every week, to justify having it.  Since it takes no more than six cups of oil, and for many things can get by on four, you don't have to worry about having those 5 gal. jugs of cooking oil handy. 

As small kitchen appliances go, the Granpappy isn't a necessity.  But, it is practical enough that it's not a luxury.  It's one of those things that you can get through life without, but it makes life a whole lot easier if you want good french fries (or falafel, or tempura, or whatever).  Once you own one, you may not be wondering how you have gotten through life without it, but you will be asking yourself why you didn't think of getting one much sooner.