Tower T17001 Deep Fat Fryer with Adjustable Thermostat, 2L, 1500W, Black

This is a review after limited use but may help if you are considering purchase. To be clear it applies to the small 2 litre fryer as these reviews cover some very different products.First off we were not expecting miracles. This is a cheap fryer bought as we now mainly use an air fryer but there ares still occasions when deep frying is a better solution and the big fryer we have been using took too much space and too much oil.As others have noted it does have a limited capacity. That is what we bought. A small 2 litre fryer. If you need to cook for a family of four you don't want this one.Now some detail. The first impression came up to our expectations. A small, neat and quite smart device which is not taking up too much space on a work surface and is light enough so that when full it can still be easily lifted into a cupboard. No assembly required, just remove the packaging, fill with oil and plug it in. The 2 litre capacity takes it to the top of the min and max marks on the pan so is exactly correct.The lid is hinged which is better than some which have removable lids which then need somewhere to put them down when checking/removing food. There is a small filter in the lid which looks possible to clean but is simple filter cloth so should be easy to replace if needed.The only controls are a button to release the sprung lid and a temperature control. It turns on when you plug it in as there is no separate on/off switch. When plugged in there is a rather dim green light to warn you and a red light which shows it is not up to temperature. I always feel this is the wrong way round and the light should show when it is up to temperature but many cooking devices do it this way so it seems some sort of standard. The temperature knob does seem rather flimsy but as already noted I don't expect super quality at the price and it does its job. Checking the temperature with a probe shows it is about right.. I can't comment on the instructions as it is such a simple device we have not opened them.One thing we like is that the element is under the bowl. Many of these have the element inside the bowl which can make them quite hard to keep clean. The bowl itself is fixed but the whole thing is small and light so I can't imagine there would be any problems in cleaning in place.The pan is quite small but enough for a meal for two or snacks for more. It drops into the fat when the handle is folded and lifts out as the handle is pulled horizontal. We noted that it was too small for single large items like poppadoms but really that is zero problem as we just took the pan out, dropped the popadoms in the fat and lifted them out with tongs which we would have done if they were in the pan. Easy.I always try to relate my reviews to the price paid and I was looking for a small, cheap, reasonable looking fryer for occasional use for two people. On that basis it ticks all the boxes.

We use this item exclusively for frying chips, rather than any poultry, meat or fish and we have owned it for about nine months now.POSITIVES:It is well made and stable, although the basket initially looks to the eye as though it might sit a bit too high and catch on the lid (it isn't a problem though).The carbon filter works well and is changeable.If you are double-frying and want the chips to stand in the basket as the temperature is changed (between a slow cook at 130deg and a final crisp-off at full temp), you can raise the basket without opening the lid and thereby avoid filling the kitchen with fumes.If it matters to you, this is a stylish looking piece of kit.Best of all, the Tower 3Litre fryer strips down to component parts really well for cleaning purposes, including the ability to slide out the front panel and the bottom power pack (my usage so far suggests that a good clean every two months is about right, if you use it fairly regularly - a couple or three times a week).Also, I've no idea how/why the useful window stays so clean despite the bubbling boiling carnage unfolding beneath its surface.NEGATIVES:Maximum of two servings per fry-up.Takes a lot of oil, as the deep and the well-made main compartment sits a lot lower than the basket (this probably gives a good even heat though and avoids partial burning due to this design).Power flex could do with being a little longer.Best used on a tray on the (cold) hob as escaping steam/smoke is ideally removed through your cooker's extractor hood.This is definitely the best of the three deep fryers I have owned and operated in the last ten years. I did a lot of research before buying this item, and I'd say it is the best home deep fryer of its size on the market. As for reviewers' complaints about the timer being an audio "ping" only and not having a power cut-out; well you should NEVER leave a fryer on without being there, and therefore the timer is only there as a useful guide. You should be checking and attending a fryer at all times, so the timer should never lead to the house burning down.Happy frying!

This is a really nice compact fryer, it cooks really well I made chips in it they were really good. i would say its more a 2 person fryer though unless you are a small eater.I have to say i feel it feels a bit flimsy compared to others i have owned but its a good price and isnt too big. It comes with a 3 year guarantee so we shall see.The lid comes off for cleaning it has a filter which helps to keep things cleaner, but it isnt Cool Wall.as you can see from the photo it isnt very big the basket is quite small (Knife to show size) but it only needs about 2 litres of oil, and I made more than enough chips for 2 people :) Probaly would serve 3 if small portions needed.All in all I am happy with it but i was not sure it would make enough seeing the size of the basket, it is very quick to cook, so chips were ready in the basket filled to top in about 10 mins. They were crips and golden brown and tates really good :)