I like making my own fries, but I hate the fryer I have (see below).  I've had several fryers and none are big enough to make enough fries for the family without two batches.  Due to the moisture content of the potatoes, this little Pro Fry can't cook much at all without the oil almost overflowing.

I've been thinking maybe I need a turkey fryer??  Thoughts/Suggestions?

Unless you have a commercial fryer, your batch sizes will be limited. It's not so much a capacity issue as a thermal mass issue. If you drop too many fries in at once, the temperature drops too far, and you end up with greasy food as the oil can't regain the proper temperature quickly enough.

Might want to try posting this in the cooking subforum.

I just throw them in the oven till they are done, this way I don't have to mess with grease.

We've got a cooking forum??  Where have I been.  

VA-gunnut, can you move it?

If you want really good fries, get a French-fry cutter ($75. or so on ebay). and cook up some fresh ones. Frozen french fries suck. You don't need to peel the potatoes first. Just scrub 'em down with a brush, wipe 'em off with a dish towel, run 'em through the cutter, and drop 'em in the hot oil. You'll be amazed at how much better they are compared with that frozen shit.

I fully agree. Take it one step further and cook them off unil about 90% done. Take out and let cool for a couple minutes on a wire cooling rack. Then take those fries and dump them back in the frier and they will be perfectly crispy in no time at all. This is how I do two batches in a Dutch oven on the stove top and get them both on the table while they are still hot.

The trick to a good French fry is the twice fry method.  The first fry should be at around 250 until they're firm yet soft enough to pinch (think mashed potato middle).  Let em cool.  Then fry again at 375 till golden.  After this first fry they'll keep cold for a day+, if for some reason you cut more than you wanna fry/eat.

Turkey fryer would work, but as mentioned don't drop your temp to low, otherwise your food will just absorb the oil.  

If you wanna do a lot, get an 20-40 qt pot with an liner holed pot that fits inside.  This way you can dunk and remove each batch as a whole.  These are also useful if you need to wash excess starch off.  Dip in pot with cold water. Remove and let drain.  Dip in fryer oil.  Cool.  Turn up temp.  Fry again. Profit.

I cut my own fresh fries, I don't use frozen store bought stuff.  I've got a nice cutter that makes nice even fries and I keep the skins on.  I rinse them in salt water after cutting them and then pat them as dry as I can before dropping them in the fryer.

I'm looking for a recommendation on an actual fryer that will accommodate a group of 8 people without me having to make 4 batches, which sucks.  But I think I see the issue, in part, since the temp light drops within 15 seconds of dropping the fries in. And then they are in longer and get limp and greasy.

I was thinking that a turkey fryer would give me 1) more capacity, and 2) more control of the heat. But I've never even seen a turkey fryer, let alone used one.

I'm frustrated.

Have you never been to Bass Pro Shop??? The one in Hampton always has them in stock.

I don't know how dedicated you are in this quest.  But I suggest you take a trip to your local restaurant supply store.  

Plenty of commercial counter top fryers availavble.  They will have a much faster temp recall and be able to keep up with your needs far better than any residential model.

No.  

Hmmm... this is starting to sound expensive.  I just want to make the worlds best fries - is that too much to ask, God?  I mean, come on!

The best frying i've ever done was in a good sized dutch oven with a fry thermometer.  Letting your grease heat back up after each batch helps.

IMHO, the most economical method is going to be the turkey fryer with a high-pressure, adjustable burner. The low pressure burners are generally a large ring with a LOT of small holes in them. Sometimes they are not adjustable. These will not lend well to frying French fries or other high-water items.

A decent, high-pressure turkey fryer with a fry-basket shouldn't be more than $50. It keeps the stink/smell out of the house and has a GREAT deal more versatility. That would be my recommendation.

Regarding the best way to make French fries it's no secret that a double-cook with a chill in the middle makes them the best but I will go slightly contradictory to what was recommended up-thread. A few months ago there was a thread here that had a video on the quest for the best fish n chips ever made. In that video IIRC, the first cook was BOILING the potatoes similar to what you would do when making mashed potatoes, then chill, then fry. There is some sort of chemical change to the starches that happens when you cook them, then chill them before cooking again that makes a wonderful crunchy texture. It was determined that boiling vs. frying wasn't that big of a deal but the water lent itself to washing away the stray starch granules etc.

Of course, that is all from my recollection; it is my intent to try making those fries sometime but I haven't done so yet.

Thoughts?

King Kooker - Amazon

If it plugs into a standard outlet, you are constrained to about 1800-ish watts of heating. Because of this and the relatively small amount of oil in the flyer, it takes a long time for the temperature to recover when your food is dropped in.

Thawing the fries first may help some, but another energy source (gas or 220v) are about the only real fixes for this problem.

Good product. I have their 4 burner square job for field kitchen use. Quad 170,000 btu burners have earned it the local nickname of "The Hovercraft".  :)
Be aware that one is their low pressure burner.

Home Depot around here carries Turkey Fryers, especially in the fall. I'm pretty sure I still see a small display year-round.

I bought one of those Bayou Classic Turkey Fryers years ago. I thought my oven/bag turkey was better. I did have fun converting the burner over to natural gas. That was fun.

Potatoes... use raw fresh. I have a counter top deep fryer. Best to do smaller batches at high heat, so the temp can recover. Potatoes will stay very hot for a long time. Long enough to get the second batch out of the fryer and serve with the first.

There is a guy locally that make fryers Ive seen them on craigslist. A workmate has one. It is a 1 or 2 basket deal, with a cover that locks in place. Ive seen them in the back of pick-ups around town. From what I have seen of them they look like they operate the same as a standard commercial gas fryer, but not thermostatically controlled but not hard to modify. They are just sheet steel and angle iron. I think they are under $250.00 for the 1 basket. Ideal if you cook alot for bunch of people.

I use my turkey fryer. It came with a short 1.5-2 gallon pot with basket and a 7 gallon pot with steamer basket. I fried a few turkey in it and boiled lots of crawfish too.