Commercial Deep Fryer

The Fight for the Best Deep Fryer: Electric Deep Fryers vs. Propane Deep Fryers

It all started with a boxing match. My wife and I were watching a boxing match on TV, when a commercial on electric deep fryers came on. Because we are both foodies who are obsessed about every little detail when it comes to food, my wife and I launched into a friendly argument about the pros and cons of electric deep fryers vs. propane.

What started as friendly bantering soon turned into a full-fledged debate. By the end of the boxing match, my wife had sworn to do research to back up her claim of electric being better. Not wanting to be outdone, I too vowed I would prove to her that propane was the way to go when it came to the art of deep frying.

What are the pros and cons of an electric deep fryer? Compared with a propane deep fryer, which appliance can produce knock-out fried food? If you want to know all about what my wife and I discovered during our Fight for the Best Deep Fryer, read on.

Round 1: Efficiency

Gas or propane deep fryers heat the oil by heating the metal container first. This takes a lot of energy. Electric deep fryers, like the Waring deep fryer, on the other hand, have a built-in heating mechanism that directly heats the oil, resulting in greater energy efficiency.

Winner: Electric

Round 2: Heating Speed

My wife and I literally made a contest out of this round. We borrowed electric and propane deep fryers from friends and put it to the test. The result?

Electric fryers take a longer time heating up than propane ones. Plus, propane fryers achieve higher temperatures than their electric counterparts.

Winner: Propane

Round 3: Cost

In the past, gas was always the cheaper option. However, with the increasing price of petroleum today, as well as the building of hydroelectric dams in the U.S., the cost of electricity has dropped to an all-time low. In some areas, electricity costs even lower than gas. Which commercial deep fryer is cheaper? Well, it depends where you live.

Winner: Tie

Round 4: Oil Recovery

Because electricity is a more consistent in terms of supplying steady heat, electric fryers recover more quickly between frying cycles. Propane tends to lag behind.

Winner: Electric

Round 5: Portability

When it comes to transporting and lugging deep fryers around, electric deep fryers have an edge since they are not tied to a gas line. Small, propane deep fryers are easier to carry around, but you will have to bring propane tanks along with you.

Winner: Electric

Despite my manly efforts in researching to prove how propane is better than electric when it comes to deep fryers, my wife went home with the trophy. With gentlemanly courtesy (and choosing to ignore a lot of gloating on her side), I accepted my defeat.

An electric deep fryer now sits on our kitchen counter. Sure, it gets the job done and my wife smiles every time she uses it. So, go ahead and buy yourself one. Just letting you know, though, there are still days when the caveman in me still wants to deep fry using real fire.