Fearless frying

Although it isn’t as difficult as you’d think to deep-fry foods at home (all you need is a thick-bottomed stockpot and more oil than you might otherwise use in a year), it can be a messy and somewhat tricky business, especially if you want to fry in large batches. Keeping the oil at a constant temperature, frying foods evenly, and preventing spatters and burns are all issues.

A small electric deep-fryer is the answer. And at just under $50, it’s less expensive than all the aloe plants and burn salves you’ll no longer need. Looking a little like a small bread machine with its own wire frying basket, Rival’s Professional Cool Touch Deep Fryer fries up to a pound and a half of food at a time. Best of all, a light illuminates when your oil reaches the proper temperature. A lid on the fryer maximizes heat retention and minimizes the oil haze in your kitchen. The unit cleans up in a snap: Lift out the basket, the frying bowl and the heating element, safely discard your oil, and toss the basket and bowl in the dishwasher.

At selected Target stores and www.target.com, and by mail order from Rival, (800) 323-9519; $49.99.