Is it just us or there’s something magical about deep-fried foods? Whether we’re talking about french fries, onion rings, chicken wings, or fish sticks, deep frying adds a signature flavor and a delicious crunchy texture that always leaves you craving for more.

Yet, trying to recreate KFC’s fried chicken is a slippery slope. There are so many things that can affect the result. Many end up disappointed when they realize that the flavor and texture are a bit off. So, what can you do to become a true frying master?

The first thing you should look at is the oil. Since the food is completely submerged in the oil for the entire cooking process, the properties and flavor of the oil can significantly impact how the food tastes.

Another issue is the price and healthiness of frying oils. You might have heard that avocado oil is very healthy, but is it worth it when you have to pay around $8 for a cup? Is there a healthy alternative that won’t cost an arm and a leg?

To address all these questions, we’ll review and rank the most popular oils for deep frying. This will help you decide what’s the best oil for your deep fryer. Whether you’re looking for a healthier, tastier, or cheaper option, we have your back.

How Can Oil Affect Food in a Deep Fryer?

To be able to make a smart decision, you need to understand how the properties of oils can affect the food’s quality and taste. Can some oils make the food crispier? Can others make the food taste weird?

Yes to all, but there’s more. There are several different ways in which the oil affects the food that you need to consider.

Smoke Point

The first consideration refers to the oil’s smoke point. And, this is something that’s commonly discussed over the internet. The smoke point is the temperature at which the oil begins to break down and burn. By burning, we mean that the oil’s chemical composition is altered and potentially toxic molecules are being released. When this happens, the oil gets a bad taste, but more importantly, it makes the food unhealthy.

Taste Naturality

The second consideration is associated with the oil’s taste naturality. Unlike the smoke point, taste naturality does not affect the food’s quality, but it’s very important for flavor. Different oils are more or less suited for different food types. However, we also need to consider that taste is subjective. What some people might enjoy, others might find repulsive. For this reason, the best oils for deep frying are usually the ones that have a very natural taste. This allows for the flavor of the food ingredients to be accented and removes the possibility of flavor mixing.

Nonetheless, we’ll include the taste of each oil we review as some people might want to experiment with different tastes.

Nutritional Profile of Oils

The third consideration is the nutritional profile of oils, which affect the food’s quality i.e health and safety. Different oils have different compositions of fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated (PUFAs), etc.) that react very differently under high temperatures. For instance, even though PUFAs are considered healthy fat, because of their composition, they’re unstable when heated. This means that they break down at high temperatures releasing some harmful chemicals. For these reasons, oils with low amounts of PUFAs are better for deep-frying.

Additionally, oils vary in their caloric density, antioxidant profile, and other nutritional values, so make sure to factor in these things as well.

Cooking Practices

Last but not least, the taste and quality of food depend on how often you change the oil and what you cook with it. This one is a no-brainer, but you might be surprised to learn that even cooking only twice with the same oil can sometimes be disastrous. Does this mean that you need to change the oil after each use? No, but there are a few things you need to consider.

Cooking any food inside the oil will leave residue, especially when we’re talking about taste. Therefore, the second meal’s flavor will be affected by the first meal. Before we wrap up this article, we’ll explain in greater detail how often you should change the oil and what type of food should never be cooked one after another in the same oil.

The Best Oil for Deep Frying

Now that you know what you need to factor in to choose the best oil for your deep-fryer, let’s review the most popular oils for deep frying.

Vegetable Oil – Best Overall

You may be surprised, but the cheapest oil for deep frying is also the best one – vegetable oil. This is what most restaurants and companies in the food industry use. It’s also what you’ll find as the number one recommendation everywhere on the internet.

There are several reasons why vegetable oil stands out from the others.

First, vegetable oil has a very high smoking point. It’s labeled as a high heat oil, with a smoke point between 400° and 450° (depending on the brand).

Second, vegetable oil is highly refined oil which means that it’s very taste neutral. Unrefined oils, although healthier and better for salad dressings or low heat meals, usually have a very intense flavor – think extra virgin olive oil or virgin coconut oil. And, we’ve already discussed the benefits of taste naturally when choosing an oil for deep frying.

Third, it’s cost-effective. In other words, vegetable oil is usually one of the cheapest options on the market and can be reused several times making it even more cost-effective. If we consider that you need a large volume of oil to deep-fry, the price is not an insignificant matter.

The downside to deep frying with vegetable oil is that it’s not very healthy. It does have a high smoking point, which is good, but unfortunately, it also has a high amount of unsaturated fats, which tend to oxidize at high temperatures. But, how big of a problem this is will depend on the exact mix of oils used in the vegetable oil. So, make sure to check out the ingredient label before buying vegetable oil. This is especially important for people with allergies. Let’s explain a little bit more.

What Exactly Is Vegetable Oil?

The term vegetable oil can be applied to all oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. This includes but it’s not limited to soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, olive oil, palm oil, canola oil, and more. However, in this context, we’re talking about the label “vegetable oil” on oil bottles in a supermarket.

What’s the difference?

Commercially produced vegetable oil is most commonly a mix of highly refined plant-derived oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. These oils are blended together in different concentrations for maximum cost-effectiveness, naturality, and to manipulate the smoke point.

Yet, depending on the brand and particular mix some can be better than others. For instance, avoid brands that use palm oil, especially in high concentrations.

Olive Oil – Healthiest Oil

Our second pick for deep frying is olive oil, especially for people who want the best of the best regardless of price.

The smoke point of olive oil depends on refinement. Regular olive oil has a smoke point of about 240°C whilst extra virgin olive oil is around 190°C. Also, regular olive oil (refined) has a more natural taste, although its flavor and fragrance are known to affect the taste of the food.

To conclude, we recommend olive oil because it’s healthy. It has a very high amount of antioxidants which rightfully makes it one of the healthiest oils out there.

However, the downsides of using olive oil for deep frying include the high price tag, its relatively low smoke point, and the more or less intense flavor (which might be a benefit to some people who enjoy the flavor).

Canola Oil – Best Lower-Fat Alternative

Another very popular choice for deep frying is canola oil. The reasons for this choice are plenty, but most people love how healthy it is while still having a high smoking point.

Canola oil is derived from the rapeseed plant. It’s light in color and has a very neutral flavor. Because of this, most chefs love to work with canola oil. It lets the flavor of the food really stick out.

On top of that, refined canola oil is specifically made for deep frying because that brings its smoking point up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit  – more than you’ll ever need for deep frying.

And, finally, the third benefit is that refined canola oil is widely available at a very low price point. Depending on where you live you can even find canola oil for $2 to $3 per quart.

The only downside to canola oil is that it’s not very nutritious, especially when talking about highly refined canola oil. Except for maybe vitamins E and K, canola oil is not a good source of vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants. This means that the consumed calories from canola oil will be empty calories – ones that do not add any health benefit.

Peanut Oil – Best for Natural, Slightly Nutty Flavor

Last but not least, a smart choice for deep frying can also be peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil. Peanut oil has a smoking point of around 446°F and a natural, yet slightly nutty flavor that blends well with fried foods.

However, there are some concerns when it comes to peanut oil. The first obvious one is allergies to peanuts. And, while highly refined peanut oil is labeled as safe even for people with allergies, it still might be best to stay away from it just to be on the safe side.

Second, peanut oil contains around 32% polyunsaturated fats, which is comparatively higher than our other recommendations. This would mean that using it raw is better than others, when heated it’s more vulnerable to oxidation.

Finally, it’s a little pricer than canola oil, but for people that for whatever reason are looking for an alternative, peanut oil is a great choice.

Other Popular Options

For those who want to experiment, there are always more alternatives to try out. For instance, avocado oil, coconut oil, and lard are also commonly chosen for deep frying. Here’s why.

Avocado Oil

If you google what is the healthiest oil, you’ll probably end up seeing avocado oil topping all lists. The reason for this is simple: avocado oil is incredibly nutritious and has an amazingly high smoke point – around 520 °F (refined).

Still, even refined avocado oil has a very specific and mild, buttery flavor. It’s a neutral flavor that works for both savory and sweet recipes, even though not everyone might enjoy it.

On top of that, avocado oil is incredibly expensive and not everyone can afford it, which is the main reason why we didn’t include it in our top four oils for deep frying.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another good choice for deep frying. It has a really high smoke point of around 365°F, and because of the saturated fats, it’s incredibly stable even when exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time. Some studies have confirmed that the stability and quality of coconut oil remain intact after 8 hours of continuous deep frying.

This resilience to heat comes from the fact that around 90% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are saturated, which is both a blessing and a curse. Sure, it makes the oil resilient to heat and a great choice for deep frying, but organizations such as the American Heart Association have warned against the consumption of saturated fats.

Still, it is fair to note that currently, there’s no scientific consensus on whether saturated fats are big bad guys like they’re commonly portrayed. There’s evidence for both arguments.

Another drawback against coconut oil is that it has a very specific flavor that some people might not enjoy. Plus, because it is naturally sweet, it might not be suitable for some types of foods.

Lard

Lard is the most common option for people that choose animal fat, although tallow, ghee, and fat drippings are also used.

The benefits of using lard when deep frying is flavor and resilience to heat. Lard is said to make the food extra crispy, which most people enjoy.

When it comes to quality, lard is mostly composed of saturated and monounsaturated fats – all highly resilient to heat. That being said, it’s interesting that the animal’s diet can affect the fat composition of the lard. For example, if the animal was fed mainly with grains, the lard might contain a higher amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, compared to grass-fed animals.

Because of this, you should find lard from animals that have been allowed to roam and eat naturally – graze. It’s not something that’s easy to find, so make sure you trust the source from where you buy the lard.

How Often Should I Change the Oil in My Deep Fryer?

At the beginning of this article, we mentioned that changing the oil at the right time is very important and can affect both the quality and taste of your food. But, how often should you change the oil, and what oil is best for which type of food?

The general rule of thumb, which is also the short answer, is to change the oil every eight to ten uses. But, if you want to really master your skills at deep-frying and nail the taste each and every time there are a few more things you need to consider.

The following signs show that it’s time to change the oil regardless of whether you’ve used it eight to ten times.

It’s Time to Change the Oil When:

• You notice that it begins to release smoke sooner than normal.
• You notice that it has changed color. If it becomes darker it means that its chemical composition is compromised and harmful substances have been released, as well as residue from previous foods.
• You notice a rancid or burned smell. If the oil begins to smell, change it immediately.
• You notice that the texture becomes thicker. This is another bad sign that indicates it’s time to change the oil.

Still, the most important consideration when dividing when it’s the best time to change the oil is its smoke point and polyunsaturated fatty acid content. If you choose an unrefined oil with a lower smoke point, then you need to change it a lot more frequently. For instance, coconut and avocado oil can be re-used for a longer period of time, unlike olive oil which should be changed almost every time you cook.

Can you fry different foods in the same oil?

Another thing to consider when deciding how often you can re-use the same oil is the type of food you fry.

Some things are pretty obvious. For instance, if you’re cooking something sweet, such as donuts or pancakes, you should not use the same oil for frying french fries or chicken afterward. Conclusion: Do not fry sweet and savory foods in the same oil!

However, sometimes even foods that complement each other and make a great meal together should not be fried in the same oil one after another. One example that comes to mind is fish and french fries. You can fry french fries then fish, but frying fish then french fries is a bad idea because the french fries will then taste a little fishy.

Try to always fry foods that have a more subtle and mild taste such as french fries and chicken leaving the more intense-flavored foods such as onions, goat cheese, sausages, pork, fish, seafood, for last.

In fact, if you can afford it, keeping the oil separate for only one or two types of foods is best when it comes to taste.

Conclusion

Fried foods are widely consumed all over the world as they’re part of many cultures traditional cuisine, but are also a staple in the fast-food industry. Because of this, knowing how to properly prepare a delicious, tender, yet crispy meal is an important task that begins with choosing the right oil for deep frying.

Needless to say, there are many options, even though experts can’t seem to agree on what’s the best or healthiest oil to deep fry with. There is conflicting information circling online and scientists still haven’t reached a consensus when it comes to frying with oils, which makes it more difficult to separate the myths from the truths.

We hope that our article was a helpful guide that makes this challenge a little easier. By focusing on the facts and providing instructions on what makes an oil suitable for deep frying, we believe that you can now make a smarter decision that works best for you. Whether you want to prioritize your health, flavor, or find an affordable option that’s still healthy, we got your back.

Finally, remember that choosing the right oil for deep frying is just as important as your cooking practices. In other words, re-using the oils for longer periods of time can have the same effect as using an unsuitable for just once. Also, frying different types of foods in one oil can be tricky. Be mindful of these things when choosing what oil to buy and don’t be afraid to experiment to find the right one for your deep fryer.

For many, the Instant Pot is a smart investment. This multi-purpose kitchen appliance can save space, time, money, and energy. However, that’s only true if you know how to get the most out of it. And, many people are missing out by using the Instant Pot for pressure cooking only.

In an Instant Pot, you can do almost if not everything – from sauces and yogurts to air-frying healthy snacks, or dehydrating fruits. In fact, you can even prepare an elaborate and delicious dinner for your loved ones without being stuck in the kitchen for hours on end. The whole process is easier than you think.

In this article, we’ll explain how to use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker and what the benefits are. But, first, let’s talk about slow cooking in general.

Why Slow Cooking?

The Instant Pot is notorious for shortening the cooking time for incredibly long recipes. That’s why so many people with busy schedules swear by it. But, with that in mind, what can we expect when we want to use the slow cooking method for our meal?

Just like baking, frying, deep-frying, or simmering, slow cooking is a specific method of preparing food. It relies on using low heat for a long amount of time, hence the name.

The reason why people sometimes prefer to slow cook a meal is related to texture and taste, but also health. Foods that are prepared over low heat are more nutritious, taste better (more intense flavor), and are usually a lot more tender in texture.

Slow cooking is usually done with a special kitchen appliance called a ‘slow cooker.’ Basically, this is an electronically heated (with few settings), ceramic bowl with a glass lid that offers three main benefits:

• hands-off cooking;
• conservation of energy;
• extraction of flavor.

Slow cookers offer incredible convenience. You can leave the food unsupervised for a long period of time while you tend to your other responsibilities – without impacting the quality of food.

Slow Cooking With an Instant Pot

From the description, you might have noticed that slow cookers have a lot in common with the Instant Pot. This is not a coincidence. The Instant Pot is designed to be a multi-cooker with pressure cooking, sautéing, slow cooking, steaming, rice cooking, and yogurt making as some of its best features.

So, if you were wondering whether you can slow cook in an Instant Pot, we’re here to assure you that you absolutely should, and here’s how!

How to Use an Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker?

Contrary to popular belief, slow cooking is not an intimidating or complex process. In fact, slow cookers are made for one-pot recipes that require almost no food preparation. In most cases, slow cooking means cutting the ingredients into large chunks, adding seasoning, liquid, and pushing a button. Doesn’t sound like you need chef’s skills to do it, right?

Nevertheless, you do need confidence, which is why, we’re going to break down the process, step-by-step.

A Few Considerations Before You Start

Let’s start by making sure that you have everything ready to start cooking – and we don’t mean the ingredients for your chosen recipe.

There are two important considerations you need to know before slow cooking in an Instant Pot.

The first one is the glass lid. As we already mentioned, slow cookers are traditionally made with a glass lid that allows a little bit of steam and moisture to escape the cooker. However, the standard lid for the Instant Pot has an air-tight lock mechanism that completely traps steam and moisture – perfect for pressure cooking but not slow cooking.

You might already have a glass lid as it’s a common accessory for the Instant Pot, but if you don’t you can buy one from Amazon. The glass lid won’t cost more than $30, but if you haven’t bought an Instant Pot yet, it’s a smart idea to get one that has a glass lid included.

The second consideration concerns the recipe adjustment. What we mean by this is that adding water or broth is really important when pressure cooking with an Instant Pot, and also for slow cooking in general. However, since the two cooking methods are very different, the liquid concentration needs to be adjusted. This is also true when you’re following recipes designed for a slow cooker.

The rule of thumb is that you won’t need more than a cup of liquid when using the slow cooking setting in the Instant Pot. However, to make sure you have just the right measurements, let’s see how to convert any recipe into an Instant Pot recipe.

How to Make Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Conversions

Liquid Concentration

The first difference you may notice in some slow cooking recipes is that they might ask for no liquid at all. And, that’s okay. When you’re using a slow cooker, you don’t need a liquid, but it’s a very different story when using the Instant Pot.

The Instant Pot needs liquid, even when using the slow cooking setting. If your original recipe is without liquid, add around at least 1 cup of liquid.

If you’re worried about creating a watered-down version of your recipe, you have two options:

• Use the steamer basket (accessory) to keep your food above the water line.
• Use the Saute function after the slow cooking to boil off excess liquid.

Time Adjustment

The second difference between slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes is the time. Since they’re two different appliances with different properties, the time to cook the food won’t be the same for the two.

Most slow cookers have three settings:

• Low setting – cooking time can take 9+ hours (cooking usually starts the day before).
• Medium setting – cooking time is up to 6 hours.
• High setting – cooking time is up to 4 hours.

In slow cookers, the max temperature is around 209 °F regardless of setting. The low and high options refer to how much time it takes for the cooker to reach a simmer point – not the temperature with which it will cook the food.

The Instant Pot’s Slow Cooking setting has three options which are temperature-associated:

• Slow cooker setting + Less = cook at  190 °F.
• Slow cooker setting + Normal = cook between 195-205 °F.
• Slow cooker setting + More = cook at around 200-210 °F.

Usually, if the recipe says to use the low setting on a slow cooker, this would correspond to the less option of the slow cook setting in the Instant Pot. Alternatively, if the slow cooking recipe says that the meal needs to be cooked eight to nine hours, that’s your cue to use the less setting in the Instant Pot.

Disclaimer: In this article, we’re teaching you how to use the Instant Pot as a slow cooker. This means cooking just as you would in a slow cooker. However, since the Instant Pot is designed to speed things up, you can actually convert slow cooking recipes to Instant Pot recipes (pressure cooking) and achieve relatively the same result in less than an hour.

Using The Slow Cook Option

Let’s start cooking.

1. Prepare all the ingredients!

Cut all the ingredients into large chunks and place them inside the Instant Pot with at least one cup of liquid (water or broth). Alternatively add one cup of water into the Instant Pot and insert the steamer basket. Then, load all the ingredients into the steamer basket making sure that all the food is above the water line.

Tip: Be mindful about the amount of ingredients you need. You may need to scale down your recipe to fit, as you should be careful not to overfill the Instant Pot.

2. Place the Glass Lid on Top!

Do not close the Instant Pot with its standard top that has an air-tight lock mechanism because this will create pressure inside the pot. Instead, use the glass lid that comes as an accessory or the regular tempered glass lid that you bought from Amazon.

Tip: If you do not have a glass lid to use, then you can use the standard lid by putting the steam release handle in the venting position.

3. Press the “Slow Cook” button.

The next step is to plug in the device and choose the “Slow Cook” option by pressing the labeled button.

4. Set the Time.

The Instant Pot allows you to set the desired cooking time anywhere from 20 minutes to 20 hours. Use the “+” and “-” buttons to set the time. The buttons are under the time display where you can read the time you’ve chosen.

5. Choose the Cooking Mode.

Older models do not have a special button, but you need to press the “Slow Cook” button more than once to change the cooking mode – which you can read on the display. However, the newer models have three distinct buttons located next to Timer and above Manual. They read “Less,” “Normal,” and “More” and correspond to the standard settings of Low, Medium and High in most Crock-Pot slow cookers.

6. Wait 10 seconds!

Ten seconds after you push the last button the Instant Pot will start cooking. At this point, you can go about your day and leave the Instant Pot to do its business. You don’t even have to be there when it’s scheduled to finish. Once the timer runs off (cooking is complete), the Instant Pot will automatically shift to a “Keep Warm” setting for up to 10 hours. That’s all!

Conclusion

Cooking in the Instant Pot is a fuss-free experience regardless of what you want to prepare or how you want it prepared. Even when you want the benefits of a deciduous and tender, slow-cooked meal, you can press a few buttons and leave the Instant Pot to prepare the food while you go about your day.

In fact, with the Instant Pot and a glass lid you can mimic standard Crock-Pot slow cookers to the T. But, unlike traditional slow cookers, with the Instant Pot you can choose the exact time you need your meal to be ready – from 20 minutes to 20 hours. On top of that, the Instant has a smart function where it automatically shifts to keep the food warm (up to 10 hours) once it’s done cooking.

So, what are you waiting for? We hope that our guide gives you the confidence you need to start slow cooking some amazing recipes in yot Instant Pot making the most out of this magical multi-functional cooker.

If you are someone who enjoys cooking, you’re likely to have crossed paths with a pressure cooker. Even if you’re not planning on becoming a “home chef”, the convenience that pressure cookers provide may still have drawn you to them.

Pressure cookers are incredibly convenient and great at cutting down cooking time, especially when it comes to cooking meat and legumes, which are not only harder but also trickier to cook well. But despite their advantages, many people hesitate to use them because they are intimidating.

One of the things that people feel uncertain about when using a pressure cooker is deciding on how much water or liquid to put in. And today, we’re here to help you learn all about it. But first, it’s important to share a little bit about how pressure cookers work and whether there are significant differences in the amount of water you need based on the type of pressure cooker you’re using.

How Do Pressure Cookers Work?

The Science Behind Pressure Cookers

The science behind pressure cookers is actually very basic. Simply put, pressure cookers utilize the combined power of steam and high pressure to speed up the cooking process. Heating the pressure cooker causes the water inside to evaporate and turn into steam, and the air-tight lid prevents the steam from escaping, which increases the inner pressure of the cooking chamber. The high pressure inside the chamber raises the boiling point of the cooking liquid, allowing higher heat exposure, which, in turn, cuts down on the cooking time by a large margin.

According to an article by Michigan State University, a traditional pressure cooker can cook the food at around 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celcius), while the boiling point of water under normal pressure is 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celcius). Some modern pressure cookers can achieve even higher boiling points and therefore can cook even faster. The math is very simple: the more you allow the liquid to heat up at a higher temperature without boiling, the faster the cooking time you’re going to get.

The Parts of a Pressure Cooker

​​To ensure safety in the kitchen when you’re cooking it’s important to be familiar with the parts of your average pressure cooker and know what these parts do.

In a traditional pressure cooker, the cooking chamber itself is usually made out of stainless steel or aluminum. The lid or the cover of the chamber usually has a safety valve to ensure that the internal pressure of the chamber doesn’t go above the chamber’s capacity, preventing the cooker from exploding. A rubber piece is usually placed around the lid to prevent the steam from leaking.

In addition to these parts, electric pressure cookers usually contain a secondary chamber placed inside the outer chamber, where the food is actually contained. These pressure cookers often also contain a condensation collector part that is attached to the outer chamber of the appliance.

And lastly, even though it’s not an essential part of a pressure cooker, most modern stovetop pressure cookers also include a digital timer attached to the lid.

Types of Pressure Cookers

Now that we have a general understanding of how pressure cookers work, let’s take a look at what kind of pressure cookers there are and the main differences between them.

Fundamentally, there are two types of pressure cookers: traditional stovetop and electric. Even though stovetop pressure cookers are the more established type, as they have been around for a while and are probably more well-known, electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot have brought pressure cookers back into the spotlight.

Stovetop pressure cookers are exactly what the name suggests: they need a heat source to work. Despite being quite straightforward, they are the type that requires the most diligence to use because they lack certain safety features that most electric pressure cookers have. Beginner cooks may want to be more cautious.

On the other hand, electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot don’t need a heat source — they need an electric outlet to plug the device in instead. These appliances are much easier to use and therefore more beginner-friendly, as many of them have automatic cooking modes for different types of food.

You can read our Pressure Cooker Reviews to find out more about various models of pressure cookers.

The Basics of Using a Pressure Cooker

Now that we’ve established the basics of pressure cookers, we can finally get to learn about using one!

Learning how to use a pressure cooker boils down to knowing how much liquid you need to add in and what you need to do to make sure you’re using it safely.

Here are some general points on using a pressure cooker that will help you get the best out of your cooking experience.

How Much Water to Put in a Pressure Cooker?

When you’re cooking with a pressure cooker, avoid filling the pot with too much water. If the pressure cooker has a maximum limit, do not exceed this limit by putting in too much water or food.

Generally, leaving at least ⅓ of the pot empty is a good rule of thumb to follow. Too much liquid in the pressure cooker may clog the safety valve, which may cause your cooker to explode and it may damage your kitchen or cause burns.

It’s also good to remember that putting enough liquid in a pressure cooker is just as important as not putting too much liquid in.

To explain this simply: you need steam in order for your pressure cooker to work and for your food to cook properly. If there isn’t enough water in there, there isn’t going to be enough steam inside the pot to create the pressure needed to cook the food through.

When you’re cooking with a stovetop pressure cooker, it’s normally recommended to put in at least one cup (237 ml) of water or any other thin liquid such as chicken or vegetable stock, but of course, different recipes may call for different measurements.

The official user manual of one of the most popular electric pressure cookers, the Instant Pot, also recommends putting in at least one cup of liquid, although other models’ manuals may even suggest at least 500 ml of liquid, which converts into a little less than two cups. This is mainly due to the sizes of the pressure cookers varying from model to model, which changes the amount of liquid needed.  You can read our review of Instant Pot’s programmable pressure cooker to learn more about Instant Pot.

Don’t Forget to Add Water

It’s generally not safe to use a pressure cooker without any liquid inside, as it may lead to explosions. As a safety mechanism, most electric pressure cookers will give an error or will not start cooking unless there is a sufficient amount of liquid inside, but this is still a good rule to keep in mind.

Also, if you intend to use thickening ingredients like corn starch for thicker consistency soups and stews, be sure to add these ingredients after the pressure cooking process is done. Adding the thickening agent early will thicken the liquid inside the pot and this will allow less steam to be created and the food may not cook evenly and well.

General Safety Rules

• Whether you use an electric pressure cooker or a stovetop one, the first step is to check if your pressure cooker is in good shape. You need to make sure that none of the parts are missing or broken, and that the rubber part that goes around the lid and the valve that lets the steam escape is perfectly clean. This will allow your pressure cooker to work properly while keeping you safe in the process.
• Additionally, if you’re using a very old stovetop pressure cooker, you may need to set the steam valve up vertically when you start cooking, to allow the cooker to balance the inner pressure.
• If you’re using an electric pressure cooker, make sure that the inner chamber is placed properly and do not put food or any liquid directly into the outer chamber.
• Another important step for both electric and stovetop pressure cooker users is to release pressure at the end of cooking. Generally, you can either let the steam out manually or wait for the pressure cooker to release the steam by itself over a while. However, most recipes that involve pressure cookers will include instructions on how to release the pressure once you’re done cooking.
• And lastly, to be on the safer side, it’s always a good idea to let the pressure cooker rest without you touching or moving it for at least 5 to 10 minutes before releasing its pressure.

Conclusion

Pressure cookers are very convenient kitchen tools. They can cut back on cooking time and may even create less dirty dishes than usual because you can make complete meals in them alone. But it’s always important to remember that you’re dealing with high amounts of pressure and therefore need to be extra cautious by keeping the pressure cooker in good condition.

Another crucial thing to remember is to put at least 1 cup of thin liquid like water or stock inside the pressure cooker before you start cooking and not to fill the pot too much with liquid or food.

Now that you have the basics, hopefully, thanks to this article, we hope it’ll inspire you to explore a world of delicious pressure-cooked recipes!

The Instant Pot has been a real game-changer to many people. People with a busy schedule; people who make a lot of yogurt or rice; people who could benefit from a multi-purpose kitchen tool; and people who enjoy pressure cooking. However, what about people who love to take up canning? Is the Instant Pot a good solution for canning food?

Canning food can be an intimidating process at first. There’s certainly a learning curve with a lot of safety precautions. However, most people agree that once you get comfortable with it, the outcome is very rewarding. Canning food can help you save time, reduce food wastage, and preserve fruits and vegetables that are otherwise unavailable all year long.

Whether you’re new to canning or you’ve recently bought an Instant Pot and want to know whether you can use it for canning food, we’ve put together a little guide to help you make a good decision.  But, first, we need to talk about canning in general.

What Happens to Food When You Can?

People have always looked for ways to preserve food for longer periods of time. And, in 1809, Nicolas Appert of France found a new way to prevent food from spoilage. He invented canning, a method that would change the food industry forever.

Canning is a way to prevent food from spoiling by storing it in containers that are hermetically sealed and then sterilized by heat. The process behind it seems so logical and simple to us now, but then it took people another 50 years before they found out how canning preserves food.

Hermetically (completely airtight) sealing the food in a jar and then heating it to a certain temperature kills all the microorganisms inside the jar. And, because the food is hermetically sealed, new organisms can’t reach the food until we open it to consume it – successfully prolonging the food’s shelf life. In fact, the Canned Food Alliance has claimed that even food in dented or rusted old cans can be safely consumed if the container remains sealed.

Additionally, a lot of studies have confirmed that the nutritional value of canned food is preserved and does not deteriorate for at least two years from the moment the food has been canned.

The only real danger from canned food is clostridium botulinum bacteria – one of the most lethal substances that cause severe and dangerous food poisoning. It’s a rare toxin but one that can be caused by improperly processed foods, including homemade canned and fermented foods, which is why this process requires a lot of caution.

Pressure Cookers and Canning

Knowing that canning could potentially be a dangerous way of preserving food, the canning methods and safety precautions have been thoroughly researched. Today, we have a good idea of what someone needs to do to ensure a safe canning process. Can pressure cookers such as the Instant Pot guarantee a safe canning process?

A lot of electric pressure cookers have been advertised as a great tool with which one can process home-canned foods. Some models of the Instant Pot even come with a “canning” feature/option. Yet, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recommended against electric pressure cookers being used for canning. This was also supported by preliminary research conducted by Utah State University.

The reason behind this is that it seems pressure cookers, including the Instant Pot, do not hit the high temperature needed for canning safely at home. This is mostly because the Instant Pot is regulated by a pressure sensor, and not by a thermometer. The pressure sensor is not a reliable indicator of the cooking temperature. For instance, the altitude of your location can significantly impact the actual cooking temperature, which in some cases can make canning an unsafe procedure.

For many, this is more than enough to end the conversation and never attempt to can in an Instant Pot. This would be a totally reasonable conclusion. However, more experienced canners might wonder whether the same conclusion can be applied to all types of canning. This is a valid remark, so let’s break this down.

Types of Canning

Essentially, there are three methods or types of canning: pressure canning, water bath canning, and atmospheric steam can. We’ll explain each method in more detail and see whether some of them might be a safer alternative for home canning.

Pressure Canning

Pressure canning is a technique of home food preservation that uses a pressure cooker or similar equipment to process food at a higher temperature than other canning methods, such as the water bath canning technique. In other words, everything that we’ve been talking about so far in the article referred to pressure canning.

The study from Utah University and the recommendations from the USDA were also made for pressure canning in electric pressure cookers. This is important to know because pressure canning works very differently than water bath canning.

Pressure canning uses a lot less water than water bath canning – the jars are not covered in water. Instead, the Instant Pot traps steam inside the pressurized container which helps raise the temperature beyond 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

The advantages of pressure canning include:

• Ability to preserve lower acidic food without the need of adding acid.
• Ability to maintain the natural flavor of foods (more so than other methods).
• Using less water and energy during the canning process.
• Ability to keep the canned products at room temperature.

However, one of the biggest disadvantages of pressure canning is the inability to control the temperature at different altitudes because the Instant Pot is regulated by a pressure sensor and not a thermometer. This is a very serious safety concern that should not be ignored.

Can You Pressure Can In an Instant Pot?

To conclude, we do not recommend pressure canning in an Instant Pot because of the studies and USDA recommendations. Remember that an improper canning process can cause botulism – a potentially fatal food poisoning.

Water Bath Canning

The classical way to can your food at home is through a so-called water bath technique. In fact, this is what we explained when we discussed Nicolas Appert of France who invented canning.

Water bath canning, also known as boiling water canning, is a very easy method of canning through which you can preserve your favorite jams, pickles, or sauces. It works by hermetically sealing the jars and then submerging them completely in boiling water for at least 10 minutes, but maybe more depending on the recipe and type of food.

However, there’s a “catch.” Water bath canning only works for high-acidic foods. For example, you can preserve tomatoes, fruit, fermented vegetables such as pickles or sauerkraut. You can also preserve different jams, jellies, and sauces.

With the water bath method, you can’t preserve meats, beans, seafood, corn, or any low-acidic vegetables such as cucumbers. For these foods, you need to do pressure canning.

Can You Water Bath Can In an Instant Pot?

This is another advantage of the water bath canning – you can absolutely do this in an Instant Pot under three conditions:

1. The lid needs to be off! Do not put the lid off – you should not create a pressurized environment.
2. The jars need to be elevated! You need to have a rack that fits inside the Instant Pot because if the jars sit directly on the bottom of the pot the heat can crack the jars.
3. The jars need to be fully submerged in water! This method won’t work if your Instant Pot doesn’t have enough height to fully submerge the jars underwater.

If you can fulfill these three conditions, then you can safely do water bath canning in the Instant Pot.

Atmospheric Steam Can

Finally, the third type of canning is a so-called atmospheric steam canning, which is an alternative to pressure canning.

To safely can foods under pressure you need at least 10 psig (pounds-per-square-inch gauge). At sea level, this is needed to create a boiling temperature of 240 degrees F. The Instant Pot claims to be able to reach 15 psig. That’s great, however, we’ve seen studies that claim that the Instant Pot’s 15 psig is not enough to kill all the harmful bacteria. The reason for this is altitude. For instance, if you live more than 1000 feet (300 meters) above sea level, the minimum psig should be increased. The SpruceEats have a nice guide on how to safely do pressure canning at higher altitudes.

What has this to do with atmospheric steam canning? Well, both pressure and steam canning use pressure instead of water to create a high temperature. However, unlike pressure canning where the environment is created artificially (induced pressure), the steam canners use natural atmospheric steam to reach sterilizing heat. Here, the jars are enclosed in a pot that uses natural steam to process the food.

The University of Wisconsin has conducted a study where they concluded that atmospheric steam canning is safe for home food preservation of high acidic foods.

Unlike pressure canning, steam canning has the same limitations as water bath canning when it comes to the type of food you can preserve. However, it does share some of the benefits of pressure canning – it saves water and energy and it saves the flavor of the food.

Can You Steam Can In an Instant Pot?

Unfortunately, no. You can’t steam can in an Instant Pot. To preserve food under steam you need an atmospheric steam canner. Tools that are specifically designed for canning under steam are your best bet if you don’t want to risk food poisoning or simply spoiling food with improper techniques. Also, don’t use old models that are out of production – they may not be safe.

Conclusion

Canning foods for preservation is a centuries-old technique that some cultures have heavily depended on for survival during winter days. In fact, in many countries throughout the world, canning through the water bath method is a tradition that is still practiced today, especially in Slavic countries. However, for someone who’s just starting with canning or wants to modernize traditional canning techniques, using the Instant Pot might seem like the most practical solution.

There are many things for which the Instant Pot is indispensable, but when it comes to canning – the verdict is not in its favor – at least for pressure canning. Sure, you could can in an Instant Pot, especially if you have a newer model such as the Instant Pot Max, but there are safety concerns backed by science.

You could avoid these safety risks by taking further precautions, but this can be very overwhelming for newbies.

Our recommendation is to begin with water bath canning, gain experience and confidence, and then slowly progress as you learn more about this process. The good news is that you can do water bath canning in an Instant Pot.

If you find yourself on a vacation in Italy, it’s not very likely that you’ll find the term ‘Italian sausage’ on the restaurant menu. You may simply see a ‘salsiccia’ on the menu, although, there are many different types on Italian menus. However, if you’re looking for a place to eat a delicious sausage somewhere in the cities of North America, you may find yourself intrigued by a special type of pork sausage, commonly referred to as ‘the Italian sausage’.

This type of sausage is also known as ‘Sweet Italian Sausage’, ‘Mild Italian Sausage’, but also ‘Hot Italian Sausage. The terms ‘sweet’ and ‘mild’ you may use interchangeably, as they usually refer to the same type of Italian sausage.

In most cases, we are talking about a pork sausage made with anis, fennel seeds, and in the case of hot sausage, some hot spice is expected as well (e.g. minced hot peppers), according to preference.

If you’re an Italian food lover, you must have run into this type of sausage when ordering pasta, pizza, and many other meat-containing Italian dishes.

Also, if you have a recipe that requires a hot Italian sausage, but you have only found the mild/sweet one, all you need to do is add some crushed pepper, chili, or minced hot paprikas, and you’re good to go.

If you find yourself in Italy, and there is a ‘sasiccia fresca’ or ‘fresh sausage’ offered in the restaurant or supermarket, and if its primary seasoning is with fennel, you can rest assured that you are dealing with Italian sausage.

History of the Italian Sausage

This may be a bit unexpected, but the evidence of the Italian sausage as we know it today dates back all the way to the 1st century before Christ.

The recipe and the dish were first described by the Roman historian Marco Terenzio Varrone. Thanks to him two thousand years later, we are still able to enjoy this delicious meal. And the best part is that today it’s not only available and known in Italy and countries that previously belonged to the Roman Empire, but everywhere in the world.

In his writings, Varrone called this delicates dish ‘lucanica’. It is possible that the sausage was previously called also ‘luganega’. Lucanica is how the Roman soldiers who were the first ones to learn how to prepare it, used to call it. Lucanica was a dish made of minced meat that was packed into a case and well seasoned. According to Martial and Cicero, the sausage was named by the region of its origin – the Italian Lucania.

In the US, thanks to the rich cultural mix in most parts of the country, along with the people migrating from Italy, came also the famous Italian sausage… and since it’s so good, it stuck around for quite some time.

Now, let’s dive a bit deeper into the topic: what is this sausage made of exactly, and is it possible for you to make it at home?

What Is Italian Sausage Made Of?

Making an Italian sausage at home is possible, as it doesn’t require any kind of special machinery. Of course, everything is much easier to make with industrial machines, however, it’s also less tasty, and you have no control over the ratio of ingredients as you have when you’re preparing your food at home.

However, stuffing sausages at home can be quite demanding, so many people prefer to avoid going through all the trouble, and simply purchase them at the local shop. On the other hand, if you are buying bulk sausage from your local butcher or you plan to use crumbled meat from a casing to prepare a dish, you can simply buy ground pork too and season it with your own seasoning.

The original Italian sausage usually contains:

• Fennel (but also ground fennel seeds);
• Parsley;
• Onion;
• Basil;
• Crushed red pepper;
• Garlic;
• Oregano;
• Sweet paprika;
• Salt;
• Black pepper;
• Dried thyme;
• Anis;
• Red wine vinegar.

A good thing about the Italian sausage is that you don’t have to use all the ingredients if you don’t like something. Even if you lose an ingredient or replace some of them, it will likely preserve its original taste.

If you don’t want to bother with buying each of these ingredients individually, you can for sure find an ‘Italian seasoning blend’ in your supermarket, buy a few bags of those, and take a shortcut.

Also, if you don’t consume pork meat, you can still prepare the Italian sausage using others types of meat, such as chicken, or cow. The secret is in the seasoning and the spices, so although the type of meat does change the taste of the dish, it’s not crucial for it to be pork.300

For achieving the best results with your Italian sausage, we strongly recommend purchasing the ingredients from the local fresh market.

For example, it’s really important that you find some fresh fennel, as this celery-like vegetable from the carrot family can taste really bad otherwise. The same goes for sweet paprikas, as these are the richest with flavor if they are organically grown and fresh.

When it comes to parsley, it’s always nicer to use fresh leaves, however, if you can’t find any, dried leaves will do the trick too. For those of you who are sensitive or dislike the strong taste of garlic, you can either put less fresh garlic or use the dried ones. Red wine vinegar is optional.

The process of preparing is something that not everybody likes to do. You basically need to knead the pork meat with red wine vinegar and the spices, until it’s evenly distributed through the sausage.

You can add the spices according to your preferences, and simply use more of what you like to taste.

After you’re done with the kneading, you should split the sausage into three pieces, and wrap them in plastic foil. Then, you can either freeze them or store them in the fridge before use.

Another option is to smoke the sausages. To do this, you need to separate the meat pieces to make sure that the air will circulate between them. This is why you can often see meat hanging from a rack when being dried. If you don’t have the conditions for this way of drying, you can also put them on a grill and smoke them for a couple of hours at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and then slowly increase the heating. The final internal temperature of the sausage should be around 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How Can I Use the Italian Sausage?

The Italian sausage is actually surprisingly versatile when it comes to different ways you can combine it in your home cuisine.

One way to use it is to add it to a soup, along with other vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, celery, or anything else you like to put in a soup. The sausage should give a very nice aroma to the soup, and thanks to it being well-seasoned, you don’t have to bother too much with the spices.

Another way to use it is to put it on a pizza and mix it with other common pizza ingredients that you like.

Of course, you can also frill the sausage, and eat it with a fresh bun, pita bread, or in a tortilla, combined with some fresh vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, fresh onions, and sauces of your choice.

Other options are to simply mix the sausage meat with eggs, mix it with pasta, or simply eat it fried. It mixes well with all kinds of red sauces and stews as well.

Conclusion

Italian sausage is one of the go-to dishes when you’re not sure what to make and you don’t want to put in too much effort, while still getting an excellent and tasty meal as a result.

The long history and tradition of this simple dish make it an interesting option when you’re having guests, as there’s also a story to tell about the (at least) two thousand years old sausage recipe.

The main benefits of the Italian sausage are that it’s very straightforward to prepare, the ingredients are usually available regardless of where you live, and it tastes amazing – there’s hardly anyone who wouldn’t enjoy it.

The dish is very well mixed with all kinds of foods: leftovers of cooked vegetables, soups, fresh salads, cream salads, stews, but it also combines well with a simple bun.

Although it’s not recommended to eat such heavy food for breakfast, from time to time it is quite delicious to combine it with your morning scrambled eggs and season with some rocket and cherry tomatoes.

Fried foods are among the most popular comfort meals across the globe. One may even say that they’re the type of food that brings people together the most, as deep-fried snacks are a staple for parties, family get-togethers, or even sports events.

In fact, food or snacks that are cooked in oil are also one of the food groups people crave the most when they’re on a diet.

But, if you’re guilty of using up a gallon of oil to achieve that fast-food-like deep-fried taste at home, you might have a lot of oil that has now been used once. What do you do with all the oil once you’re done cooking? Is that safe to reuse? Many recipes online do not tell you exactly what kind of oil to use; can you use anything? All of these questions are quite common and very valid.

But in order to come to a verdict on whether deep frying is healthy or not, or if you should reuse it; we first need to talk about the different types of oils, what their uses are, and what causes them to behave differently during the cooking process.

Types of Cooking Oils: What’s the Difference?

There are numerous types of oils available on the market. Some, like olive oil, are well-known, while others like grapeseed or avocado oil are less-known or even unknown by most people, but they are slowly gaining popularity nowadays because of their health benefits.

Oil is produced from a wide range of plants’ seeds and fruits. Some oils such as sunflower, olive, and canola oil are widely used and therefore usually produced on a large scale. On the other hand, grapeseed, linseed, or walnut oil can be produced on a smaller scale for personal use. This is because they have more specific uses and are also usually less profitable to produce.

But how can we tell which oil is the healthiest option? Can you cook and fry using the same type of oil? Let’s explore different types of cooking oils and find out.

In order to have a better understanding of why different oils have different uses, it’s a good idea to explain what the “smoking point” of oil is.

What Does “The Smoking Point” Mean?

Different types of oils have different smoking points. The smoking point is the temperature at which the oil starts to create smoke; an indication that it’s starting to burn. At this point, the oil’s qualities begin to quickly deteriorate and the cooking oil becomes unsafe to use.

It’s important to note that going above the smoking point may cause the oil to combust and can lead to serious injuries, so it’s always a safe practice to stop heating your cooking oil once it starts burning.

Smoking points can also vary between the refined and regular versions of the same type of oil. This is because refined oils are rich in various minerals and enzymes and are, therefore, more flavorful.

For example, the smoking point of refined olive oil is higher than regular olive oil. This is why refined oil is more widely sold as cooking oil, although it won’t taste nearly as good as the unrefined olive oil on a cold salad.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular cooking oils’ smoking points, from the highest to the lowest:

• Refined Avocado Oil – 520°F (271°C)
• Refined Olive Oil – 465°F (240°C)
• Refined peanut oil – 450°F (232°C)
• Ghee/Clarified butter – 450°F (232°C)
• Corn/Sunflower oil – 450°F (232°C)
• Canola oil – 400°F (204°C)
• Grapeseed oil – 400°F (204°C)
• Extra virgin olive oil – 375°F (190°C)
• Butter – 300°F (148°C)

Best Oils for Cooking

As mentioned above, unrefined or “raw” oils are oils that have been left in their natural state. These oils tend to be packed with flavor and they also provide more health benefits than refined oils.

Unrefined oils, on the other hand, have lower smoking points and oxidize more rapidly when they are exposed to heat. This is why it’s generally recommended to use these types of oils in low-heat cooking and sauteing, or just heat them up without allowing them to reach their smoking point. It’s also a great idea to use them in salad dressings. Unrefined oils also require better storage conditions as they can go bad easily.

For any kind of high-heat cooking like frying or deep-frying, it’s recommended to use oils with higher smoking points. You can never go wrong here with refined avocado oil or refined peanut oil, which is arguably the most popular oil used in Asian cuisine.

Since the health benefits of the oil come from whether it contains more unsaturated fats than saturated fats, flaxseed, olive, and canola oil are among the cooking oils you can always rely on. To find out more, you can read our article titled Can you deep-fry with olive oil?, which explains the health benefits of olive oil.

How Long Does Used Cooking Oil Last?

Having learned about types of cooking oils and their smoking points brings us to our main question: how long does used cooking oil last? You may have already realized that this question also depends on what kind of oil is being used, whether it’s refined or unrefined, and whether it has been stored properly or not.

Ideally, cooking oils should not be reused. But it’s most certainly not an uncommon practice to reuse deep frying oils. So the next best is this: as long as you take good care of your cooking oil, it should be fine for a couple more uses. The important point here is to remember that even if you have done everything to take great care of it, you shouldn’t cook with used cooking oils for longer than 1-2 months.

Is It Safe to Reuse Cooking Oil?

Whether it’s safe to reuse cooking oil depends on what is the specific oil you’re using, yes, but it also largely depends on what your cooking technique is. If you’ve heated your oil past the burning point during the cooking process, you probably don’t want to cook your food using that oil again.

When deep-frying, maintaining the cooking oil at a certain temperature is not only crucial for getting the right amount of crisp on your snacks but it’s also important to keep the cooking process as safe as possible. As long as you fry your food at around 190°C (374°F), your cooking oils should last longer.

What Changes Does Cooking Oil Go Through After Use?

As explained above, you can only reuse your cooking oil so many times. Once your oil is destabilized by being exposed to high heat too many times, not only will the taste and the color start to change but the oil will also eventually start to decompose.

Although it’s easy to tell when your oil starts decomposing, due to it starting to thicken in consistency and darken in color; it’s not always easy to spot a destabilized oil. To prevent using oil that is no longer healthy, make sure to open up your deep fryer to smell the oil. If it has started to go bad, it may also be bubbly or foamy on top, or its color may change.

It’s always a good idea to check every once in a while to see if your used or unused cooking oils are in good shape and make sure to throw away anything that looks or smells suspicious immediately.

Is It Possible to Clean Used Cooking Oil?

As explained above, taking good care of your cooking oil after you use it is crucial if you want to reuse it. Here are some helpful tips to help you successfully recycle your cooking oils:

• You can strain your cooking oil after it cools down with a fine strainer or cloth to remove leftover food or batter pieces. Leaving these in will cause your oil to deteriorate faster.
• After straining all the leftover bits, store your cooking oil in the fridge to keep it fresh longer.
• When you deep-fry food, try not to use too much batter to avoid further contaminating the oil as much as possible.

How Long Does Unused Cooking Oil Last?

Since we’re on the subject, let’s now talk a little bit about how long you should keep an open bottle of oil. As long as you store your oil in dark, low-temperature storage, the general consensus seems to be that most popular cooking oils like refined sunflower oil, peanut oil, or olive oil can be stored for up to 2 years.

However, this does not mean that your oil will be in the best shape for the duration of 2 years -the taste and color are bound to deteriorate over time. If you want to get the best tate out of your oil, it’s recommended to not use an open container of cooking oil for longer than 6 months.

Conclusion

We all love deep-fried food, but not everyone wants to be involved in the process of actually making it. We get it: it’s a stressful process, you don’t know what to do with the oil after you’re done cooking, and there’s a lot of hearsay about what not to do. But now that you’ve learned the basics, you can safely enjoy cooking your favorite fried dishes!

As long as you maintain a safe temperature while cooking, strain and refrigerate your oil after you use it, and don’t use your cooking oil for more than 1-2 months, you should be fine.

And lastly, remember to check on your deep fryer to see if there’s any abnormal smell coming from the oil, or if it has deepened too much in color. In case of any suspicion, the best practice is to replace the oil to ensure the deliciousness of your food, as well as your safety.