The fats in a fryer go through stages that influence the quality of the fried product. At the “new” and “break-in” stages, foods absorb too little oil; just the right amount is absorbed at the “fresh” and “optimum” levels that follow; and then too much soaks in at the “degraded” and “runaway” phases. Many professional chefs claim that foods fry best in oil that has been used at least once. Read more »