Cuisinart CDF-100 Compact 1.1-Liter Deep Fryer, Brushed Stainless Steel

Comment: I spent a lot of time looking for a deep fryer. This little fryer is perfect for me and it didnt cost me an arm and a leg. French fries and fried zucchini were perfectly brown and crispy. Im glad I bought this model because its exactly what I wanted.

Comment: I will admit this is my first deep fryer. For what I needed I couldn't ask for a better product... except MAYBE digital temperature. Otherwise this fryer is great. People complain about the basket collapsing on them: I have not experienced this because I recognized the problem on initial use and realized a set of tongs solves it all. There is a need to be smarter than the product to use it. I would highly recommend this... especially for people new to fryers like me.

Comment: I really like this little fryer, it's a great replacement for my large fryer that I used when the kids were all home. It looks great, heats up quickly and the rectangle shape and deep basket are just perfect for frying for two. Cleaning this appliance is easy with the removable lid and frying with the lid closed avoids most of the mess associated with deep frying. I'm not real impress with the magnet type plug in but haven't had any problems with it.

Comment: I love this little fryer. I live alone, so it's just the right size for me. I can cook chicken nuggets, french fries, and that type of thing and get great results. I've found, however, that you have to wait for the oil to come up to high temperature before you add the next batch or your food will stick together, just with any fryer. That means you have to wait until the temp indicator shows green again. It's no big deal, just pop your first batch in the micro if you need to. I, myelf, don't have to do that. I find it comes back up to temp in no time after your first batch.

Another thing I've read on other posts is that all their food sticks together. That's normally because they're putting too much in the basket at a time. You need to make sure you only have enough food in the bastket to cover the bottom, not overflow it. I believe that's written in the manual, as another poster said.

The reason I didn't give it 4 stars is because I had the darnest time finding the pour spout. I finally figured out it was on the lid. The manual says it's on the BOWL, and I found it on the LID. If the manual would have been more specific, I would have been able to find it immediately so I could drain my used oil to use it again.

Comment: This deep fryer is great for many reasons:

1) First of all, it is small and fits nicely on a crowded kitchen counter. The ONLY way I would recommend positioning it is with the dial facing you, allowing for at least 6 inches of empty space on either side of the fryer. If you are using the basket, this is the only way you can simultaneously reach the basket handle and the lid handle without reaching over the hot oil and burning yourself. (I mention this because some people who wrote negative reviews complained about burning themselves, but you can avoid that by using the fryer in this position.)

2) Secondly, the oil is heated by a heating element that is hidden away under the frying bowl. This means that there is no heating element directly in the oil for food to stick to or get stuck under. Therefore, you can just place your food directly into the frying bowl instead of placing it in the basket first. If you are adept at using wooden utensils (chopsticks, spoons, etc.), you will have no problem getting your food out, and you won't need the basket at all. I HIGHLY recommend using the fryer this way, since in my experience battered (i.e. shrimp) or soft (i.e. tofu) items will stick to the basket, but won't stick to the bottom or sides of the frying bowl. (The basket is useful if you want to fry batches of things that you know won't be sticky. For example, I used it to fry 4 spring rolls at a time, and it worked beautifully.)

3) Thirdly, the lid and filter really do what they are supposed to do. The lid is NOT spring-loaded and not heavy, so opening and closing it is safe and easy. (The lid stays securely on the hinge if put on properly, yet will come off when you need to clean it.) The filter in the lid significantly decreases the odor released into the air. (I say DECREASES, because of course it's not going to totally eliminate it.)

4) Finally, the fryer gets the oil hot enough, and doesn't burn it. Some people have complained about this fryer not getting hot enough, but in my experience it is perfect. Before I used this fryer, I deep-fried with oil in a pot and it was such a hassle to maintain the temperature. I would occasionally overheat the oil and it would burn. This fryer only goes up to 375 degrees, so I always just set it to the highest setting, wait until the light sensor turns green, and then start frying. After a batch of food, I have to wait until the light turns from red back to green, but it's not a problem. I have cooked batches and batches of food for a large party with this fryer and not had any problems with temperature.

Some minor flaws with the fryer are: 1) the temperature dial isn't precise if you want to set it to a temperature that is lower than the max setting; 2) the basket isn't non-stick. However, these flaws don't detract enough from the entire product for me to deduct any stars from my rating.