I accidentally over filled the first one of these I bought but I liked it so much I got another one. It cooks food well and is very easy to clean. The ability to close the lid before putting your food in the oil is a real nice feature. This is definitely the best product in this price range.

I got this about 9 months ago, but to be honest, I don't use it very much. In fact, I don't think I've used it in 6 months now. While the fryer is OK, I have some issues with it. The timer doesn't work well, to the point where it is pretty useless, I have to use a different timer. It does make very nice fried shrimp, but I have yet to make fries that I found satisfactory, despite many attempts and different recipes. I don't think it gets hot enough, and would have preferred a fryer that went up to 400.

I PURCHASED THE RIVAL 5 LITER COOL TOUCH DEEP FRYER AND IT WORKS GREAT,WE OWNED SO MANY DIFFERENT BRANDS OVER THE YEARS AND I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THIS ONE,THE BEST ONE YET...

I spent hours reading deep fryer reviews and I could not make up my mind which was the best one. Then one day in the Wal-Mart I saw this fryer and thought that's it I'm just buying it. Well boy I'm glad I did! This fryer is easy to use, cooks perfect and looks great. I am so happy with my purchase! I've made taquitos, apple fritters, little apple pies, soft crabs, fish fillets, donuts, wings, etc. The food doesn't stick to the basket. I have no problems with the magnetic safety cord. And the outside gets warm but not enough to burn which is important with my 3 kids running around. The basket is not too small for this family of 5. I highly recommend this fryer.

First model was dis functional, returned and got unit that worked. Beware "cool touch" still requires heat resistant gloves to touch while the unit is turned on.

I've been able to successfully fry anything from fries, fish, calamari, and much more. Excellent working quality for the price.

This thing really does fry everything to perfection. BUT it's magnetic cord is a real pain. It takes me 30 minutes of jiggling it every time before I want to fry to get it to work, and then sometimes it still decides that it's not interested in working. It's easy to clean, and once it gets going it's great, but again the cord...UGH! I wish that it was engineered a little better so that it wasn't so frustrating!

I bought this item about 6 months ago. It had all the features I wanted, was easy to break down and clean. But it looked cheaply constructed. Now, after 6 months, the lid doesn't seal well, and the handle on the fryer basket has broken, which is a big safety hazard. Next time I will spend a little more money and buy a Cuisinart.

2nd time I used this fryer the timer know twisted off. Unfortunately the knob is made of plastic and is connected to a metal rod. When I twisted the timer the metal rod stripped out the plastic. DO NOT Buy this fryer.

I MUST SAY THIS IS ACTUALLY MY FIRST DEEP FRYER AND IT IS AN EXCELLENT PICK. THE DEEP FRYER IS HUGE AND EASY TO USE. I FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE HAVING IT ON THE COUNTER. IT IS COOL TO TOUCH. A GREAT BUY..

i just got this one ....
it is a cheap looking...basket is falling of handle.door does not stay closed...and unit stopped working after 2 uses...you tell me...
spend a little more and get a better unit...

The best thing about this deep fryer is that all parts could be taken apart and cleaned. It works well and is safe. But it fills my house with greasy smell. It was a lot more than just deep frying on the stove top. Also, it was a little too big for a family of four, considering the amount of unusable oil I had to throw down the drain. I will still use it for recipes which call for a deep fryer, with good ventilation.

I liked everything about this cooker but the heat settings. I found myself in need of temperatures of 400 degrees, and this unit stops at 375. Other than that. it was beyond easy to clean and left nothing that I could think of it could use other than for folks like me, a higher temperature setting. Good design, style and thinking when into producing it.

I've only used mine twice, and had good experiences both times. The food turned out the way it was supposed to, clean up is easy. It takes little effort to disassemble the fryer, but although many parts are dishwasher safe, they take up quite a bit of space in my average sized dishwasher, so I just wash everything by hand.

I wish the fry basket were larger, though I guess the rest of the appliance would have to be bigger, so I guess I wish the whole thing were just a bit bigger, but it's still a good size for the price.

I wish both the thermostat ant the timer were digital. The timer is an egg timer type dial, and the thermostat is a slider, amking for somewhat impercise settings, though this is relatively minor. It's still a very good deep fryer.

I like the fact that it is dishwasher safe (all parts except for the heating element). Storing oil in the fryer is an option but if you prefer, you can empty the oil pan into a bottle and wash the pan in the dishwasher too. No more stinky, rancid crumbs in the bottom to deal with. I also like the thermostat and timer.

The good: first and foremost, it does a great job deep-frying food. A full (3-liter) reservoir of oil heats up in about 10-12 minutes. The 1700 Watt heating element is plenty for this fryer. Fries are crispy and hot, and onion rings are also excellent. The basket and reservoir are large enough to make about 2 super-size portions of fries at one time. *EASY TO CLEAN*. The reservoir detaches from the unit. The heating element is one piece with the electronic controls, all other components are detachable. Cool to the touch.

The bad: these are all minor items. #1 Thermostat up to 375. I would like a thermostat that goes up to 400, but could find none - even among the $1000 professional models. #2 The timer is not accurate enough. I would like to see a real kitchen-style timer with 30-second intervals at the low end, increasing to minute and then 5-minute intervals. #3 I had a problem with the filter cover popping off every time I used it for the first few weeks. This no longer happens. #4 Oil leaks out (the top) during cooking. I wish the cover had a tighter seal so that all the steam and splatter would go through the filter.

If you can find a better deep-fryer than this for under $100, please let me know!

Update 1-12-07: It's been about 3 months since my purchase, and I use my deep-fryer about twice a week. I use light olive oil, which has a high smoke point and also is supposed to *lower* cholesterol (yes, it's true). Of course, you still have to consider the calories. Only use light or extra-light olive oil since these have a high smoke point. The fryer still operates as well as described above. When buying, you may want to consider ordering Rival RF22 replacement filters at the same time. The description of these falls short - I get 6 carbon filters and 3 grease filters from this package for this fryer.

My best french-fry recipe, found on the internet, modified only very slightly but expounded on significantly:
1) Slice potatoes (any type) into 1/4-inch slices. I use a V-Slicer to get uniform fries (it comes with a 1/4-inch cutter, despite contradictory descriptions). Very important - potato skins make *NO DIFFERENCE* in texture or taste, so leave them on.
2) Soak in water in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. (Water may become discolored, depending on the type of potato. Don't let it worry you.) "Soaking" fries are still good after three days (they've never survived uneaten in my refrigerator for longer than that).
3) Drain fries and dry carefully (I dry one "load" at a time). Dry until the fries no longer look wet.
4) Coat lightly with corn starch (I just add fries and corn starch to a plastic container and shake). Coating should be barely visible on all fries. MUCH too much corn starch makes the fries taste mealy. Too little keeps them from being both crisp and juicy.
5) Wait for fryer to reach 375 degrees (highest temperature), and fry 10 minutes (until they *begin* to turn orange). Be careful not to over-fill the basket. All the fries should be covered with oil when the basket is lowered, or you will get under-done fries.
6) After cooking, lift the basket and allow it to drain for a few seconds, then unload the basket on a plate or server covered with a towel to soak up the excess oil. (I use small cotten kitchen/utility towels instead of mowing through paper towels.)
7) Eat! Some of the best fries I've ever had. Though they stick together when removed from the fryer, it's kind of fun to pull them apart. I top with malt vinegar and salt.