If you are looking for a home fryer that saves space and can quickly serve golden and crispy French fries, fried chicken nuggets, and fried shrimp chips, Presto FryDaddy Elite 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer (hereinafter referred to as “Elite”) may have already appeared on your shopping list.
As a classic upgraded model of Presto, a long-established small appliance brand in North America, this 4-cup tabletop electric deep fryer has long maintained a rating of 4.7/5 on Amazon and is called “the source of happiness in the kitchen” by countless users.
Today, we will dismantle this “small steel cannon” from five dimensions: appearance design, core performance, real-scene testing, cleaning and maintenance, and pros and cons summary, to tell you whether it is worth buying.
1. Surprise when unboxing: minimalist appearance, but hidden details
The body of Elite is made of integrated cast aluminum + black matte coating, which is visually low-key but not without texture. The height of the whole machine is less than 22 cm and the diameter is about 21 cm, which is equivalent to the floor space of half an A4 paper; the weight is only 1.36 kg, so even girls can carry it with one hand.
The transparent tempered glass cover and foldable metal handle that come with it can not only prevent oil droplets from splashing during frying, but also serve as a dust cover when storing. The hidden power cord storage slot at the bottom is extremely friendly to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In a word, it will not be out of place in any corner of the kitchen.
2. 4 cups of capacity = “one person’s meal” or “family bucket”?
The official nominal 4 cups ≈ 950 ml of oil, which seems small at first glance, but in actual testing, 340 g of French fries or 6 medium-sized chicken wings can be put in at a time, which is enough for a family of three to watch TV series and snacks. Visit this site to find the frying time.
Presto’s control of the amount of oil is quite precise: only 500 ml is needed to completely immerse the ingredients, which saves more than 60% of oil compared to the traditional 3L large oil pan. This design is a blessing for users who occasionally “crave” but don’t want to leave any oil.
3. Core performance: 1200 W fast heating + constant temperature “black technology”
Elite uses a 1200 W stainless steel ring heating tube, and the official claims that it can reach 190 ℃ after preheating for 6 minutes. We used a thermocouple probe to measure: the room temperature was 22 ℃, 600 ml of peanut oil was poured in, and it reached 188 ℃ in 7 minutes and 12 seconds, which is basically consistent with the nominal.
It is worth mentioning that when Presto is heated to the middle and later stages, it will automatically enter the “pulse constant temperature” mode – that is, it will be maintained with residual temperature after a short power outage, which not only avoids continuous boiling and destroying the oil smoke point, but also saves about 8% of energy consumption.
Frying performance:
Frozen French fries (340 g, 8 mm thick): 4 minutes and 30 seconds out of the pan, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the oil content is only 7.1% after weighing with oil-absorbing paper.
Homemade chicken popcorn (coated with thin crisp batter): golden brown in 6 minutes, with excellent gravy lock.
Mini donuts: The oil temperature is stable at 182 ℃, and it only takes 40 seconds to turn over on one side, without burning.
In terms of noise, it is kept below 52 dB throughout the process, which is equivalent to the sound of normal conversation, and the open kitchen does not disturb people.
4. Cleaning and storage: minimize “trouble”
The most troublesome thing about traditional fryers is brushing the oil barrel. The inner tank of Elite is a food-grade non-stick coating. After cooling, pour out the oil directly and wipe it with kitchen paper; stubborn scorch residue can be removed with a soft sponge + neutral detergent, and steel wool is officially prohibited.
The heating tube is integrated with the body, with no exposed gaps to avoid grease and dirt. The upper cover and frying basket can be put into the dishwasher, and it can be cleaned up in 3 minutes.
The volume advantage is further magnified in the storage link: it can be directly stuffed into the 20 cm narrow gap between the cabinet and the chopping board without any pressure.
5. Advantages and disadvantages: rational planting
Advantages
- Space-saving, fuel-saving, and electricity-saving, extremely friendly to small kitchens.
- Precise constant temperature, novices will not fail.
- Easy to clean, dishwasher party ecstasy.
- The price is always in the range of 35-45 US dollars, and the cost performance is outstanding.
Disadvantages
- There is no temperature adjustment knob, and you can only rely on the default curve of the chip. If you want to fry steak at low temperature, you need to manually unplug and plug the power supply.
- The power cord is only 0.9 m, and the kitchen island far away from the socket needs to add an extension cord.
- There is no filter, and you need to bring your own fine sieve to filter the remaining oil.
6. Who is the most suitable to buy?
Renters/small kitchens: small space and easy to store;
Lightweight fried food enthusiasts: occasionally satisfy their cravings and don’t want to stock up on leftover oil;
Kitchen novices: one-button operation, low failure rate.
If you have a bucket of fried chicken every week and like to DIY crispy pork belly, it is recommended to go straight to the 3-4 L large-capacity model.
7. Tips for buying and using
First time to “open the pot”: Pour the maximum amount of oil into the pot and cook it for 15 minutes without heating to remove the odor of the new fryer.
Best oil: peanut oil or sunflower oil with high smoke point, avoid olive oil.
Frozen ingredients do not need to be thawed, just put them into the pot directly to avoid oil overflow.
After each frying, let it sit for 10 minutes before opening the lid to prevent condensed water from dripping back into the hot oil.
Presto FryDaddy Elite 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer uses minimalist design, precise constant temperature, and ultra-low oil consumption to make “frying” easy and healing.
It is not the most comprehensive fryer, but it may be the best solution in the triangle balance of “space, budget, and frequency of use”. For those who want to eat crispy fried food at any time without taking up half of the cabinet, it deserves to stay on the countertop.