This Starch Madness, Grab Our 9 Tested-and-Approved Frying Essentials

Including the best deep fryer and splatter screen.

Published March 24, 2025 04:00AM EDT

A person taking the temperature of deep fryer — Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore

Starch Madness 2025 has been off to a crispy and sizzling start. As the brackets continue to narrow, your mouth might start to water at the mere thought of crunchy French fries or thick slabs of tonkatsu. If you’re simply itching to tackle a few of the recipes yourself, you’ll first need all the frying essentials. Whether you go all-in on an All-Clad deep fryer or keep it simple with a sturdy Le Creuset Dutch oven, we rounded up the best frying tools we’ve tested over the years.

The Best Frying Tool Essentials at a Glance

The Best Electric Deep Fryer: All-Clad Electric Deep Fryer with Basket and Lid
Our Favorite Dutch Oven, Ever: Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
A Super Efficient Air Fryer: Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer
A Multitasking Toaster Oven Air Fryer: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
A Lightning-Fast Thermometer: ThermoWorks Thermapen One
A Versatile Spider Strainer: Hiwire Spider Strainer
The Best Budget Splatter Screen: BergKoch Splatter Screen for Frying Pan
The Best Cooling Rack: Mrs. Anderson's Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack
A Handy Set of Quarter Sheet Pans: Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet, 2-Pack

All-Clad Electric Deep Fryer with Basket and Lid
Amazon
$210 at Amazon
This deep and narrow electric fryer has a built-in cleaning function that drains cooking oil through a filter into a storage container. It excels at producing golden deep-fried pickles and beautifully browned fried chicken (with all the crispy bits!).
We Tested 6 Deep Fryers to Find the Best for Crispy, Crunchy Food
Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Amazon
$420 $293 at Amazon
If you’d rather go old-school, grab this Dutch oven that makes the best fried plantains. It holds heat incredibly well and keeps oil piping hot for each round of frying. When you’re not frying with it, the heirloom piece of cookware can stew, bake, and braise. It’s also $127 off.
We Tested 18 Dutch Ovens to Find the Best Ones for Stews, Braises, and Loads More
Serious Eats / Grace Kelly
Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer
Amazon
$140 $90 at Amazon
We like to offer plenty of options, so here’s the best air fryer you could get if you want shatteringly crunchy chicken wings—minus the frying oil. The Instant Pot Vortex aced all our tests and is on sale for 36% off.
We Tested 34 Air Fryers (Making Enough Wings and Fries to Last a Lifetime) to Find the Best Ones
Serious Eats / Will Dickey
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Amazon
$400 at Amazon
We adore multitasking appliances, which is why this toaster oven air fryer ranks at the top in our review. It can toast, bake, broil, warm, and, of course, air fry. We were impressed with the golden chicken wings that came out of its easy-to-clean stainless steel basket.
To Find the Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens, We Went Through 12 Pounds of French Fries
Serious Eats / Nick Simpson
ThermoWorks Thermapen One
Amazon
$115 at Amazon
Small yet mighty, the Themapen One is the best instant-read thermometer we’ve ever tested. It’s accurate, fast, and easy to read from any angle. It’s essential for measuring the temperature of your oil to make sure food will fry just right.
Our Favorite Instant-Read Thermometers Are Lightning-Fast and Incredibly Accurate
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Hiwire Spider Strainer
Amazon
$13 at Amazon
This editor-loved spider strainer is an expert scooper. It’s great for grabbing dumplings out of boiling water or snatching just-done doughnuts. It also wicks away liquid and oil to preserve the best possible texture in foods.
This Spider Strainer Is One of My Most-Used Kitchen Utensils
Serious Eats / Eric Brockob
BergKoch Splatter Screen for Frying Pan
Amazon
$18 at Amazon
If you’re scared of stray oil that’s sizzling hot (we’ve all been there), grab this splatter screen designed to keep grease from ending up on your counters or your arms. When we tested it, there wasn’t any residue on the stove after frying eggs, and the silicone handle stayed cool.
I Tested 10 Splatter Screens to See Which Could Keep My Stove and Counters Clean
Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore
Mrs. Anderson's Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack
Amazon
$17 $12 at Amazon
Once you’ve scooped out your fried chicken or calamari, you’ll want to ensure it doesn’t get soggy in a bowl or on a plate. We recommend resting them on a cooling rack like our favorite one from Mrs. Anderson’s. This way, any excess oils can wick away, and the food’s heat doesn’t create moisture, ruining all your hard-earned crunch.
I Baked Dozens of Cookies to Find the 3 Best Cooling Racks
Serious Eats
Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet, 2-Pack
Amazon
$22 at Amazon
A quarter baking sheet is essential for coating tonkatsu cutlets in an even layer of panko crumbs. The flat, wide surface allows plenty of room for getting into every nook and cranny of a piece of meat. Plus, they’re handy for roasting vegetables and housing bottles of oil on the countertop.
Why You Need a Stack of Quarter Sheet Pans in Your Kitchen