The “Oil-Less Turkey Fryer” is a device which looks just like a normal turkey frier, but, as the name suggests, cooks it without oil. This can only be described as a lie. To fry, you need oil. That is the meaning of the word fry.
Misleading semantics aside, how does the “fryer” shape up against a real deep-fryer, or even a standard oven? Not very well. My copy of the Larousse Gastronomique recommends cooking the bird for 25 minutes per pound in a 325º F oven. The Perfect Turkey website tells us that in a 425º F oven, an unstuffed 14lb turkey will cook in 112 minutes, or around 8 minutes per pound. The Oil-Less Turkey Fryer claims 8-10 minutes per pound, or roughly the same as your kitchen oven. Real deep frying gets the time down to around 3-5 minutes per pound.
The “fryer” uses a propane tank to cook the meat, although judging by the product blurb it does so indirectly, possibly by heating the walls of the container:
Infrared cooking technology penetrates meat evenly and seal in juices
That part about sealing in the juices is also wrong. The only way to seal meat is to coat it in plastic or, perhaps, carbonite. Further, the product promises “less fat and cholesterol”. Again, not quite true. Deep frying in hot oil turns water inside the food into steam, creating an outward pressure that will stop oil from penetrating. The only fat that is added is a thin coating on the outside, most of which will drain away when the meat is resting.
So, should you buy this device? It might be handy to free up the oven for roast potatoes and other accompaniments, but if you already have a gas-fired barbecue, you could put an unglazed floor-tile or pizza stone inside and just use that instead. Or use a real turkey frier. Or flatten the turkey out and grill it. Anything, really, other than spending $200 on yet another pointless kitchen gimmick.
Product page [Frontgate via Uncrate]
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