Cleaning a deep fat frier

As always the manufacturer's cleaning instructions should be followed. Because I have no idea of the material used inside the frier I can't make effective cleaning recommendations. Have you tried making a paste from baking soda and water? This works fairly well if you give the paste a couple hours to work on the oil. Is the surface aluminum? Teflon? iron?

Thanks. Unfortunately there are no manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning. The material is aluminium. Someone suggested a solution of caustic soda crystals and water. Would that damage the aluminium?

As Phisherman stated, follow the manufacturer's directions, or failing that, knowing the type of metal you're dealing with is essential. Aluminum can't survive harsh chemicals.

If the metal is steel, try oven cleaner.

Commercial deep fat fryer cleaners are very, very alkaline. They have a high percentage of sodium hydroxide--lye.

________________________ Whatever it takes.

As another posted stated lye (or sodium hydroxide contained in most oven cleaners) can damage aluminum. Your best bet is dishwashing liquid, baking soda paste, soaking, and more elbow grease. Some people can have adverse reactions to high levels of aluminum, so another (good) option is to toss it out and replace it with a stainless steel fryer.

use oven cleaner