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9/10 (that's about a month's cooking for me) I don't use any oil to cook stuff. When I make yakisoba, I don't use any oil.

However, I will on occasion add two drops of sesame oil (for 4 servings) for flavor -- I know, it doesn't count since it's not actually frying with a particular oil versus infusing an essence to a dish.

When my husband makes stir fries every few months, he doesn't really use oil either. 3 lbs of beef between the two of us, drain oil from the pan of cooked beef, add veggies, usually feeds us for 2-3 meals.

I guess I qualify as a pan fryer? I'm definitely not a deep fryer since I don't eat deep fried foods but once every few months, if that. My husband is a pan-deep fryer. He deep fries his food weekly - I don't partake. He deep fries pierogies, fries, tortillas (to make hard taco shells, tortilla chips, and that Mexican snack with sugar on it) hmm not sure what else. I'm never home when he deep fries!

Despite not really frying often, we have safflower, peanut, sesame, olive, and canola oil for cooking. We have 5-6 other infused oils for...umm...decoration. I don't eat bread but rarely, but I like buying the oil for the bottles in hopes that my husband will use them some day.

I haven't fried anything for years. Clean-up is part of the reason. I have olive oil in the house but that's for salad dressings.

I tend to agree with bloggers above about the clean-up, so I really haven't fried anything, or craved anything fried in a good while. However, I happened to be channel-surfing, and came upon Sunny Anderson about to fry chicken, of which i've never attempted! (You see, I'm both the take-out and the micro-wave queen. I'm also single with no children. I eat out often, and don't cook a lot.) She pre-brined the chicken in apple cider for about an hour, and used both seasoned flour and corn starch to coat it after dipping it in the egg mixture. She let it set in for about a minute before frying. It looked so good when done, that I had to try it. IT WAS THE MOST CRUNCHY, AND DELICIOUS -TASTING CHICKEN EVER! The skin was so well-seasoned, thick and crunchy, thanks to the brining. (About a quart, and two parts water). I was so proud of myself! I couldn't believe that I had made it! (I know that you guys are laughing at me! It's okay, I laugh at me too!) I plan on making it again some time in the future; Alas, again, i'm thinking of a messy kitchen clean-up!

The only things I ever fry are cannoli shells and spring rolls, but they're a rare treat.

I have a deep fryer, but I've probably used it 4-5 times in almost 6 years - yep, I have an issue with the clean-up and even more so, disposal of the used oil. So when I (very seldom) do use it, I try to use it for a large batch of spring rolls and other things that can later be frozen and warmed in the toaster oven, at least this way I can justify using it. I use canola or grape seed oil in the deep fryer.

Other than that, I make quite a lot of various stir-fries, but they take very little oil (grape seed or canola oil). Like Hillary, I pan-fry pierogies or eggs, but I often use my griddle for that. In fact, I use the griddle (or grill) for pretty much everything I want a good sear on - it's larger, so I can make larger batches at a time, plus, again, I need very little oil for that - I just brush the griddle with some canola or grape seed oil, and that does it.

Other times I use my (large) toaster oven instead of pan frying - for things like meatballs, stuffed cabbage (before they are introduced to the sauce), potatoes - any kind, etc. It's easier, faster and less messy than pan-searing them, and again - it takes much less oil than pan-frying or pan-searing. For potatoes, I usually use olive oil, or a mixture of olive and grape seed oils, for most other things - grape seed or canola oil.

For sauteeing, I use olive oil or a mixture of butter and olive oil. I also always keep other oils on hand for sauces and dressings, such as good fruity green extra virgin olive oil (I have different kinds of olive oil for cooking and for salads), sesame oil, avocado oil and hazelnut or walnut oil. You don't want to ask me how many vinegars I normally have and use:-).

I own a small deep fryer that my husband and I use occasionally to fry homemade chips, fries, or onion rings. Otherwise, I sautee or pan fry things. I don't like the mess or the smell grease leaves in my kitchen for days.

Count me amongst the saute-ers. On occasion I might stir fry if I'm in the mood to cut up a million things but I am (right now) using a crappy electric stove that doesn't get hot enough for a wok.

Also, I saute in peanut or safflower oil and use good olive oil or sesame oil for finishing. I cringe every time I see someone fry in EV Olive oil.

If I (on the RARE occasion) need a deep fryer, I fill a small but heavy Le Creuset and do a few pieces at a time.

I like deep frying, but don't do it often either...mainly for health reasons. I have a deep fryer that comes apart & goes into the dishwasher, so clean up isn't so bad. I also recyle the used grease to my cousin, who has a diesel truck that he runs on used oil. I usually use canola oil for deep frying.
For everyday cooking, I'm more of a saute person.....butter is one of my best friends! lol
I also saute w/olive oil.
@lunapier - love that outdoor deep fryer....I might have to get one of those. I have a deep, round turkey fryer...but that looks better for fish & other outdoor frying.

We have an abundance of okra this summer--I have never grown it before and decided to plant some to get myself over my aversion to it.
This stuff, deep fried, is a lot of fun!
My wife and I are trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the crop. We hate the generally slimeyness of the stuff that we get in gumbo/other recipes.
Deep frying works fine for me, but, yeah, makes quite a mess. Still, if you've got to clean up your kitchen after dinner, how hard is that?

@megannesta - sorry... but tostones are good, no???

I don't know where you live, but there's this company called King's Crown - they're the ones that make the IQF sweet plantains, well they also sell IQF tostones. Don't buy the Goya brand... not good at all. But King's Crown are super.

You would need to fry them once, because they already come smashed. The thing is that you can also make them in the oven... I put several of them right out of the freezer in the baking tray of my toaster oven sprayed with canola oil spray and spray the tostones a bit on top too. Bake in the oven at 350/400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. They are every bit as crispy and delicious... That way you don;t need to deal with too much clean up... see??? I'm trying to help... Enjoy.

Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking

I only fry once a year: latke season. Otherwise I'm a sautee kind of gal.

i'm just glad deep frying is so messy or I'd be making and eating french fries, donuts and other greasy bad for me treats daily. as it stands the most i usually do is once in a while i make falael and fry that in about an inch of oil, i dont get that great round shape, but its still pretty tasty.

Cast iron and canola oil will treat you right every time. I use them for chicken and fish to pan fry. For deep frying, my Dutch oven is my favorite. It's what I use for French fries.