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Friday Fun Thread for January 17, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I don't have a lot of air-fryer experience, but a "real" (home) deepfryer is much easier to maintain than usually represented. Mine cost something like fifty bucks decades ago, and I just change the oil when it gets dark and stick it in the pantry when not in use.

(@2rafa's approach does sound more delicious, but "chop potatoes into french-fry shaped objects and throw in fryer" also happens to be about the laziest/fastest way to make pretty good fries -- I do have some tricks to crisp them up more, but for regular family meals the results from my (simple) approach are pretty damn good. One easy thing that helps (originating with Kenji Lopez I think) is to pull the basket when the fries are about half done, then give them a second plunge to finish just before serving. The (small) oil reservoir has heated back up again by then, and you get a nice crisp product without having to faff about par-boiling etc)

I guess it depends on how often you deep fry and change the oil but I can't imagine it's good for all that oil to be oxidizing like that. Also disposing of large amounts of oil is a pain.

I can see when it oxidizes, because it changes colour -- sitting in the pantry unused the effect is minimal. (probably because only the very top is exposed to air)

It needs changing about once a month in my use pattern (fries a few times a week, other stuff if I feel like it) -- I burn the old oil in the fire, but I imagine you could take it to the hazardous waste drop-off like used motor oil if you don't want to do that. Dropping off a gallon of oil once a month-ish seems pretty easy?

I burn the old oil in the fire

What do you mean by this?

I pour it on some wood and light it on fire. It's free BTUs, and carbon neutral!

Same, I just slosh it over the kindling when I'm feeling lazy. Instant blaze.

Doesn't that smoke like hell?

Not really, once the fire gets hot. Kind of like how a diesel/kerosene heater will smoke a little when you first fire it, but not once it gets going.

Anyways I have a chimney for that -- but I also use it as fire-starter for marginal bonfires outside, and it's not smokier than just wood.