Wahei Freiz Fry Pot

We love this new Japanese-made tempura pot from Wahei Freiz. To make tempura, veggies or seafood are deep-fried in a thin batter until puffed and crispy with a light texture (often referred to as “bloomed”). But more often than not, cold oil or a crowded pan delivers soggy, dense grease bombs, even if everything else is right.

Wahei Freiz’s pot is built to avoid this. Compact and shallow, like classic tempura pots, the carbon steel pot is about 10 inches in diameter and deep enough to hold over two liters of oil. The brilliance of its construction is in its details: A built-in thermometer with a highlighted frying range shows you exactly how hot your oil is, so you can heat or cool it for your recipe’s needs; we tested it against our gold standard thermometer and found complete accuracy. The removable lid sits open on an angle and with a built-in rack. So the moment a piece of tempura is ready, it can drain and cool on the pot lid while any extra oil drips back into the pot (meaning less oil waste, too). The rounded opening of the pot reduces spatter, or simply lower the lid for any bigger pops or splashes. Try the pot for any small or batchable fry jobs, like fritters; the pot works on induction, electric and gas stovetops.