Tempura is a Japanese method of frying food. Unlike the heavy batter of America Deep Fry Chicken, this batter is lighter and crisp. There are many type of food that can be used in tempura. Things like seafood, vegetables and even flower are fried. In some cases, it has even become a art form. But to be able to make tempura, you need a good tempura fryer. The Best Tempura Fryer are models which are wide and heavy. They maintain temperature and prevent crowding when frying.

What is a Tempura Fryer?

A Tempura Fryer is a pot designed to make tempura. While there are many specialized pots on the market, a simple heavy pot can do. In Japan, they have large copper pot for making tempura. But for home use, having a wide cast iron pot will do. Some people might use their wok, but they are too light and flimsy. If you dont have a good heat source, it can drop too much in temperature.

As with most frying, the most important thing is temperature control. Having something to monitor the temperature is important. Using a thermostat can help greatly in this aspect.

Tempura Air Fryer?

A air fryer is not deep frying. How air frying works is by heating and drying the skin. The end result is a semi crispy exterior. Tempura and Deep Frying involves submersion of the batter into oil. This then crisp up the batter and adds flavor. If you see things advertising tempura air fryer, just be prepared its going to be very different.

How to Make Tempura

As with most food, prep is key. Cutting vegetable to shape and drawing out moisture is crucial. When making tempura, its an art as well as a science. Cut the vegetables and proteins to the desired shape. It should take that form once its fried.
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When heating the oil, take it to a temperature of around 335 degree Fahrenheit. If the oil is too cold, the tempura will become too greasy. Having it too hot, then you can burn it. When making the batter, you can buy pre mix or make it yourself. Just be sure to use cold water and make sure its well mix.

Before frying, dredge the food into flower then drop it into the batter. Once done, drop it into the oil. As you fry it, watch it fry and make sure it doesn’t over cook. You want it to have a light color of white. Be sure to get rid of excess tempura in the oil. You can also drizzle more batter onto the food if you want a extra crisp.

What to Look for in a Tempura Fryer?

The most important thing about a tempura fryer is weight, size and temperature control. Having a heavy pot means that it can maintain the temperature and keep it frying through service. With lighter pot, it can drop the temperature too low. Having a thermometer is good way of monitoring it.

Fryer that are wide is better. This means you can avoid crowding and ruining the fry. Models that resembles a wok are good. In Japanese restaurant, they would use a huge giant copper pot just to fry tempura.

Best Tempura Fryer List

Below, you will find a list of some of the Best Tempura Fryer. There are a few option available, get one that best suits you.

STAUB Perfect Pan (Best Overall)

STAUB Perfect Pan is staub answer to a Wok. Made of Heavy Cast Iron, its designed to take heat and hold it. Because of this, its great for frying food. Its wide diameter means that you can separate food while frying. No clumping together. Theres also a cooling rack to hold food while it cools. Best of all, it makes for a pretty decent wok. Just be aware, that it will stick.

Yoshikawa MIRAKU-TEI, Tempura deep Fryer with a Thermometer and a lid, Dia. 20cm (Best Dedicated Tempura Fryer)

Looking for something designed just for Tempura, then go with Yoshikawa fryer. It has a built in fryer, cooling rack and a lid. This means that you can reduce the amount of oil that goes in the air. When you are finish frying, just lift and you can let it cool. The built in thermometer lets you monitor the temperature without fear of over or under frying the food.

Lodge Pro-Logic Wok with Flat Base and Loop Handles (Best Buy)

Staub Perfect Pan is excellent. However, its also expensive. For something a bit more affordable and just as good, go for lodge. Its wide and have a heavy cast iron construction. It only lacks the cooling rack and lid. Plus the lack of enamel coating means that it can rust. But since youre deep frying in oil, the chances of that happening is low.

Thoughts

Tempura is a bit or art and a bit of science. One way to ensure sucess is to get the right tool. Getting a Tempura Fryer that is heavy and wide is the best. They can maintain a steady temperature and prevent crowding. In this category, Staub and Lodge Wok are the best choice. But if you want a dedicated model, get the Yoshikawa model. Its a all in one model for the compact fryer.

Looking for Deep Frying Tools? Check out our article on the Best Deep Frying Utensils.