Tefal FR8040 Oleoclean Pro Deep Fryer

I previously had the earlier model of Tefal's deep fryer and loved it. This model, even though it holds the same amount of oil, is much wider and therefore the depth of the oil when cooking is quite shallow, resulting in larger items not being immersed fully, as was the case in the earlier model. Also, the basket when lifted for draining only sits on one central bracket (rather than two in the earlier model) and is somewhat precarious in this position. Second time used, a slight bump to the basket handle (after a period of draining the contents, and with power switched off) caused the basket to dislodge and fall back into the cooler oil.

Best Deep Fryer

I have had quite a few fryers over my 72 yrs and this fryer is absolutely them best ever. It only takes a few minutes to heat to the desired temp. I simply love how it drains into the reserve and strains the oil, leaving clean oil for the next use. I only have to top it up now and then and have certainly saved on purchases of oil. My family is so impressed they are all going to get on as well.

Deep frying is a breeze - but it's big!

I love deep frying and I love this fryer. The good stuff. It has a big capacity, fries like a dream, and the temperature control is great. The oil box filtration mechanism is awesome. Once you've finished frying, just flip the lever and the oil will drain down into the oil box when it is cool enough. Everything except the element is dishwasher safe, so you can just throw most of it in the dishwasher and you're ready to fry again in no time. It does well with frozen chips, but if you want real chip shop chips, then you'll need to fry them twice - once at a 160 degrees and again at 190 degrees. If you're not fussed about that, then go for the smaller Tefal snack fryer, it is more compact but it doesn't have a temperature control (it's set at 190 degrees). The other ... MoreI love deep frying and I love this fryer. The good stuff. It has a big capacity, fries like a dream, and the temperature control is great. The oil box filtration mechanism is awesome. Once you've finished frying, just flip the lever and the oil will drain down into the oil box when it is cool enough. Everything except the element is dishwasher safe, so you can just throw most of it in the dishwasher and you're ready to fry again in no time. It does well with frozen chips, but if you want real chip shop chips, then you'll need to fry them twice - once at a 160 degrees and again at 190 degrees. If you're not fussed about that, then go for the smaller Tefal snack fryer, it is more compact but it doesn't have a temperature control (it's set at 190 degrees). The other stuff. It's big. Really big. I guess it's unavoidable because of the oil box below the fryer. If you have limited bench space or storage space, this fryer might not be for you. It needs a lot of oil. Between 2.3 and 2.8 litres. The timer is difficult to see, especially when there is steam coming out of the vent. Due to the height of the fryer, I found myself having to go on tip toes to see the timer. I'm 5'5" so it might be an issue for shorter people. I found that the actual frying times were shorter than in the manual. Verdict Overall, I'm very glad I bought this fryer. It would be nice if it were slightly more compact, but it produces plenty of delicious deep fried food without too much mess, so I'm happy.

Fantastic Deep Fryere

This is the first time that I have ever owned a deep fryer. After researching many models I decided on this one. I have not been disappointed. I love the fact that i am able to drain the oil into the reservoir below an then clean the entire unit. Capacity is great. Very happy with my purchase.

Game changer

The fact you can drain and store the oil after use is incredible. Its very easy to clean and everything ticks away nicely for storage. I do find the oil takes longer to heat than the light indicator suggests but its trial and error when getting used to any appliance so it is t a huge problem for me. I hate stinky deep fryers and this one is smell free!

Great features, work as advertised, a couple of minor tweak would improve greatly

Great idea that works really well. Could use a little more thought on refilling from the oil store. If you aren't careful the oil container will open too easily allowing for an oily spill. The stopper for the oil container is also a screw to hold it closed. It would be better with a drain and a slot or shelf on the machine to rest the oil container while it drains back into the pot.

Saving lots of money on oil.

What a great little fryer! Good solid construction, easy to understand instructions and the "oil filtering system" is great. I have found that I use MUCH less oil as it doesn't get that burnt effect from old crumbs and mess. Flick the switch to "Filter" when you finish frying and all the crumbs are filtered out and the oil is stored in the container in the bottom (container is enclosed so there is no oily smell around the unit when you're not using it), I throw the frying tray and lid in the dishwasher and that's my clean-up done. Next time I want to use it I pour the oil from the bottom container into the frying tray and switch the machine on. Best buy for anyone that uses a deep fryer occasionally lilke me.

Stellar features and performance

Really like the automatic oil storage system. Means at the end of the cook the oil drains into the compartment at the base of the unit(once the temp has dropped). This facilitates super easy cleaning of the unit and I can see this would dramatically increase the useable lifespan of the oil. A word of caution though when you are pouring the oil back in, be careful that the lid doesn't seperate from the reservoir and spill oil every where. Also the timer thing is useless in that all it does is beep at you, it doesn't turn the unit off. Having said that I am glad it doesn't have superfluous functionality.It does what it is intended to do very well.Recommeded!

Very good.

GOOD STUFF. Great overall solid design. Heats and reheats quickly as more food is added. Very easy to use. Filters and stores oil in lower removable sealed tank that can be refrigerated. Most parts can be cleaned in dish washer.NOT SO GOOD STUFF. Lid edges extremly sharp with multiple hand cuts while washing. No inbuilt basket holder to drain oil back into fryer and keep food warm before serving.

Well built quality product but..

The product was easy to unpack, assemble , cleanup and start using for the first time. The oils heats up pretty quickly too. I used it when I invited a bunch of friends over after the lock down and worked flawlessly when refrying frozen(defrosted) food. However I felt like the oil doesnt get hot enough to deep fry fresh battered food. I am a vegetarian and I used this to deep fry chilli with batter and onion and it took too long for the batch to get ready. I have dont this with regular pan and oil and takes half the time. Except for that part I like the convince of using this outdoors which is the main motivation behind buying this. I dont like the odour inside kitchen after deep frying. It would be great if it can go little higher than the max temperature on the ... MoreThe product was easy to unpack, assemble , cleanup and start using for the first time. The oils heats up pretty quickly too. I used it when I invited a bunch of friends over after the lock down and worked flawlessly when refrying frozen(defrosted) food. However I felt like the oil doesnt get hot enough to deep fry fresh battered food. I am a vegetarian and I used this to deep fry chilli with batter and onion and it took too long for the batch to get ready. I have dont this with regular pan and oil and takes half the time. Except for that part I like the convince of using this outdoors which is the main motivation behind buying this. I dont like the odour inside kitchen after deep frying. It would be great if it can go little higher than the max temperature on the device.