Does anyone still use a deep fat fryer?

Soutra - because I burnt the kitchen down (yes I really did) or at the thought that I may have worn a chip pan on my head?

I'm with jings, thermostat only. I had friends who got drunk one night and burnt their house down. They hadn't been married long. They got in and he wanted chips, so she said she would get them started and went to bed. He in the meantime passed out on the loo. I don't remember how it was that they survived, but I do remember them having to live with her parents until they were back on their fee,t and he said that alone was enough to put him off late-night chips for life.

KATY, I think you have got your SOONTOBE"s mixed up with your SOUTRA"S.
x

Oo yes I have. Apologies soontobe.

I just cooked the tea, left the kitchen and was sitting at the dining table with DH when my daughter, who was upstairs in the bath, shouted down 'there is smoke coming through the bathroom floor'. It is so easy to do, and frightening to think how much worse it could have been.

I took my first baby, then aged just 5 months, outside to watch the Whit walks going past our house, forgot the chip pan was on the ring, went back inside 20 minutes later to a house full of black smoke. My neighbour`s husband went in, brought the burning chip pan outside and smothered the flames, but the newish electric cooker was a mess, the wooden wall behind it was burnt and blistered, and the light switches were no more, plus the kitchen walls and ceiling were black with soot. Hubby was at work, I waited outside for him to get off the bus opposite, and said "promise you won`t shout?" He didn`t, but I think he wanted to! Thank goodness I took the baby out with me, I nearly didn`t, cos I was only going outside the front door, just a few feet from her pram. I still use a chip pan, but it was a while before I did use one again.

I've never set fire to the kitchen with a chip pan but I did while cooking steaks - well the recipe did say flambe.

yankie doodle dandy to these true stories.

I once set fire to a chip pan, but managed to put the fire out before it got worse - threw the pan out the window!
Since then we have rarely made chips, but we have a deep fryer now and I occasionally use it. It's kept outside in the barn, as I hate the smell of hot oil.
But I have a problem - the chips won't go brown. Am I using the wrong kind of potatoes?

TriciaF I wouldn't think that was the problem although I think Maris Piper are the best chippers.. are you getting the oil hot enough? I usually peel and chip the potatoes then wash them well in a bowl of cold water before drying them well with a clean tee-towel then into the hot fat till they are brown and crispy..

yankie doodle dandy to these true stories - what does this mean soon

it means yikes

Oh

Thank you soon. Must say that I've never heard of that expression.

Thanks Tanith - I'll try to find those potatoes, or some of the same kind.

When our chip pan went up in flames my DH wrapped a wet tea towel around his hand and grabbed the pan and threw it outside (not to be recommended). Unfortunately some of the kitchen cupboards had caught light and part of the ceiling. My DD was in the bath directly above and hence the smoke coming through the bathroom floor. Two fire engines arrived quickly and put the fire out. My DD and myself were standing outside crying and the fireman said 'what are you crying about, you'll get a nice new kitchen won't you?' !! My DH had to go to hospital as some plastic items which were on top of the cupboards had melted and spilled onto his arm as he was doing his heroics. We have a life long chip pan ban in operation.

Some potatoes definitely brown more than others. But they all will burn darken eventually, especially if the cook is on Gransnet at the time. Thank the Lord for thermostats.

It is NOT a very good idea to just open the back door and throw out the blazing pan, although it is the first thing you think of. The flaming oil can spray all over the place, and if it is breezy outside it could fan the flames back at your. Don't throw water at an oil/fat fire either, it just makes it bubble up worse.

The fire service don't recommend the wet towel treatment any more. They say "Historically, the advice was that it was possible to tackle and extinguish a chip pan fire by running a tea towel under a tap, wringing it out and then placing it over the rim of the pan. The new guidance ‘to get out and stay out’, is in line with all the other advice given to the general public by fire and rescue services about not tackling fires. "

There is more advice at www.firesafe.org.uk/fires-in-the-kitchen/

Oh at least bung a saucepan lid on it. That's what I did! You can't just run, and let the kitchen burn!

The Lakeland one (linked to further down/up) comes with a lid. Ready for when needed!

You can get fire blankets to keep in the kitchen. They are folded up into a package that hangs on the wall, you pull a string to release them quickly.
blog.fireprotectionshop.co.uk/what-is-a-fire-blanket-and-how-does-it-work/

Yes we did everything wrong. It was panic. It was a long time ago. We now have a fire blanket.

It was panic with me too, I know it was stupid to throw the pan out the window.
I was just married, and young, and we were living in 2 rented rooms upstairs in someone else's house. So the pan landed in her back garden - she wasn't very pleased