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Which metal is better for a turkey fryer: stainless steel or aluminum?

Classic propane turkey fryers come in 2 different metals: stainless steel or aluminum. Both have good points, both have not so good points.

First of all, stainless steel is easier to clean than aluminum. Aluminum must be cleaned immediately. It will sting and get a sticky layer of residue that is difficult to remove. Stainless steel pots and patio stoves are usually cleaned with soap and water and a sponge. It is also much more difficult to remove the black LP gas soot from the bottom of aluminum pots. There is a lot more elbow strength involved when it comes to aluminum turkey fryers. There is an oxidation factor over time that will cause aluminum to take on a grayish color. That won’t happen with steel.

Second, an aluminum stock pot is a better conductor of heat than a stainless steel one. That means your frying oil will heat up faster. There’s a reason some stainless steel pots are made with copper bottoms. Copper is a better conductor of heat than many other metals. Helps distribute heat more evenly in a stainless steel pan. The conductivity of copper is among the highest, stainless steel one of the lowest, with aluminum somewhere in between. (The aluminum pot will also cool down faster after cooking.)

Last but not least. Cost is a factor. Stainless steel is much more expensive than aluminum. (That’s probably why they don’t make stainless steel fry pots with copper bottoms.) It’s also heavier than aluminum, so if you’re shipping it, again cost may be a factor. If this is your first time using a turkey fryer, the cost of aluminum may be the way to go. You may not like the process.

You may decide this is not for you. If that were the case, you don’t lose much money and you can probably resell it pretty easily. On the other hand, you may love it and decide to fry everything in the house. Then you can use your pot for other things, like baking New England clams in the backyard or chili for a tailgate party. If that’s the case, you may want to have an aluminum fryer as your starter fryer, and eventually move on to a healthy relationship with a beautiful shiny stainless steel fryer.

So stainless steel or aluminum? No matter which metal you decide to go with for your propane outdoor fry pot, as long as they are cared for properly, both will last you a lifetime.