List Price: $140.00
Sale Price: $96.57
Today's Bonus: 31% Off
UPDATE JANUARY 2013: Judging by some of the follow-up comments to my initial review, it appears DeLonghi finally has filters available (third-party, too) and has decided to support this fryer. They're not the first company to get ahead of themselves in a new product launch as appears was the case here. You should read the comments and pay particular attention to the dates they were written. New information always is good.
While Delonghi may have a good idea with the introduction of the D28313 Roto Deep Fryer, here are several things about which a potential buyer should be aware.
FIRST, many retailers are using descriptions of older model fryers in their advertising and descriptions of the D28313. For example, there is no included oil container in which to drain the used oil. The basket capacity is 2.2 lbs, not 1.5 lbs.
SECOND, you might want to know the cost and availability of filters when considering this model. Delonghi parts lists one filter, P/N 5312510071. The cost is $15.90 for one filter, which includes shipping and handling. The same Delonghi customer service department representative told me the filter may be used twice if frying fish. That means you must factor in $8 per fish dinner, plus you must order and have on hand filters sufficient for your use.
THIRD, there are no replacement filters available at any price. Delonghi doesn't have them and has no idea when they will. Filters for Series 5 and 8 fryers will not fit.
FOURTH, the owners manual (with the unit and online) says not to use the unit with clogged filters, but the manual makes no mention of using the unit without a filter. But then, one of the benefits of a closed fryer, namely, low odor, immediately is lost. The owners manual is so vague ("... if your unit has ..."), there's no telling whether or not use of the fryer without a filter would be hazardous.
BOTTOM LINE: Buy this fryer, use it two or a few times, and you've got a $100 paperweight. They're not the first company to get a product launch out of sequence, but at least until Delonghi decides they're going to support it, I'd stay away from this fryer.
Thank goodness for Amazon and their return policy.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I got this fryer for my husband for his birthday and it is wonderful. It is completely self-enclosed so there is no smell and you can actually use it in the house. I used to make him use his old fryer outside on the porch! It is easy to clean with the spout and uses very little oil compared to other fryers. Great buy and the best one I have ever seen.Best Deals on DeLonghi D28313UXBK Roto Deep Fryer, Black/Silver
I purchased this fryer 6 months ago. Previously I have owned two of the Delonghi Roto Fryer Model 895UX and have been supremely happy with them. My first lasted for at least 5 years, using it 4-5 days a week. The second unit was still working after 6 years of almost daily abuse, but I decided to treat myself to the newer model when my kitchen color scheme changed. I purchased the Delonghi Blk/Silver Model D28313UXBK six months ago, wrongly assuming that because it was more expensive, it would be an upgrade from the units had previously owned.Bizarrely, this unit does not have an On/Off switch or an attachable cup for draining the oil, both of which came with the older model. The timer is inconveniently placed below a puffy metallic sticker which not only is a nuisance to clean, it is so annoyingly reflective that it glows much brighter than the actual power indicator light. The power cord is much shorter than on my older models, limiting its' placement to within 12 or so inches of an outlet. The weird magnetic connector that attaches the cord to the unit itself, disconnects much too easily if the cord is slightly stretched or moved. I have to be very careful lifting the fry basket out of the fryer. The mechanism that allows the basket to spin occasionally releases from the handle without warning sending more than one batch of French Fries to the floor. But the worst is the spring opener for the lid which is so strong that if you're not careful, can send the lid literally flying off. The new lid and hinge are far less substantial than the older units, obviously made of a cheaper plastic. The hinge assembly has already broken on my unit.
I really have a hard time understanding the decision making process that went on in the Board Room at Delonghi. Who thought it would be a good idea to take a well made, reliable product and "improve" it by removing convenient features, and using lesser quality materials. Did they think that by dressing it up in black and silver, they could slap a higher price on it and nobody would notice how poorly thought out the design was, not to mention the shoddy construction? I have a number of Delonghi products in my home, but this will definitely make me think twice about purchasing any more. I am not sure I will even try to replace this unit with the other model (which I LOVED!), for fear that the use of lower quality materials may now be across their entire product line.
Honest reviews on DeLonghi D28313UXBK Roto Deep Fryer, Black/Silver
I really wanted to like this product, but in the end found it to be pretty useless. We did our best to make it work and probably cooked in it a dozen times before determining it to be pretty much a waste of time.The sales pitch behind this unit is that it uses less oil, because of its unique rotating fryer. True, you put less oil in the machine, but at the same time, you can fry less chicken in it. We found that with this system, the cook basket has extremely limited capacity. So yes, you use less oil, but you also cook less chicken in a batch. The end result is that in making buffalo wings, we could cook maybe seven or eight at a time, which means you spend a LONG time cooking a batch of wings. Limited oil capacity results is smaller frying batches.
The second major limitation of this unit is that the food sticks to the basket. When you are able to fry up a nice batch of chicken, the chicken is pretty much demolished when you take it out of the cook basket. Big chunks are left stuck to the basket. Remember from the point above that you have to make multiple batches, so between batches you have to scrape all the old chicken off the basket.
The third issue we had with the unit is that it is not particularly easy to clean. It is no worse than other fry units, but we did not find it noticeably easier, which was one of the selling points the manufacturer touted.
Another issue is that the unit does not maintain temperature when the food is put in. Because the unit has half the oil, the heat capacity of the oil bath is less, and when you put the food in, it REALLY lowers the temperature of the oil. Less oil means greater temperature drop when the food goes in, and that means it is harder to get crispy outside and done inside.
Finally, this is a relatively big unit. Most of us have limited storage space in the kitchen and have to pick and choose what gadgetry is worth storing in the kitchen. This unit is pretty big and takes up a lot of space, for what it does.
In the end, we got rid of the unit. The bathes are too small, the chicken sticks to the basket, it is hard to clean up, and it takes up lots of space.
For making wonderful fried foods at home, we have found the best solution to be a stove top pressure fryer. These fry big batches of chicken Quickly, they are easy to clean up, and can double as pressure cookers.
No comments:
Post a Comment