Most recently, we tested the Gemlux GL-DF-4MT deep fryer , and it turned out to be a very worthy appliance with excellent technical characteristics. Today we will get acquainted with the twin model, already from the Platinum series: deep fryer GL-DF-4D. The improved model has found an LCD display with a beautiful blue LED backlight, key control and an expanded set of baskets. Has the Gemlux air fryer become even more convenient, what has it gained and what has it lost? We’ll figure out.
Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Gemlux |
|---|---|
| Model | GL-DF-4D |
| Type | electric fryer |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| Power | 2000 W |
| Control | electronic, LCD display |
| Number of programs | 6 |
| Timer | 0-60 minutes |
| Boiler | one |
| Volume | 4 liters |
| Boiler type | removable |
| Boiler material | enameled metal |
| Housing material | stainless steel/plastic |
| Equipment | 1 large basket, 2 half baskets, 1 lid with viewing window and filter |
| The weight | 4.18 kg |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 429×275×272 mm |
| Network cable length | 0.77 m |
| Retail offers |
Equipment
The GL-DF-4D deep fryer came to us for testing in a large black and blue cardboard box, provided with text with the technical characteristics of the model and color photographs of the device. The package is not equipped with carrying handles.
Opening the box, inside we found:
- large frying basket with removable handle;
- two frying baskets ½ with removable handles;
- enameled container (boiler);
- heating element with LCD control display;
- metal case;
- cover with filter and viewing window;
- instructions.
Inside the box, the fryer was assembled, securely fixed and protected from trouble during transportation with foam inserts.
At first sight
Deep fryer GL-DF-4D is a Gemlux appliance from the elite Platinum series. First of all, it is high technology and laconic modern design. The instrument is made of stainless steel, the LCD display is equipped with a blue LED backlight, the only additional color used is black. Thanks to the design solution, the deep fryer fits perfectly into the interior, looks more like expensive household appliances, and not like a catering appliance.
The body of the GL-DF-4D is made of thick metal with plastic handles and rubberized feet.
An enamelled container is inserted into the body – a boiler. Approximately in the middle of the inner wall of the boiler, divisions of the minimum and maximum of the oil being poured are marked. The corners of the container are neatly rounded, it is inserted and removed from the body very easily.
A sealed control panel with a heating element is put on the body with the boiler inserted into it. The control panel snaps into a special seat on the case; if installed incorrectly, the device will not turn on. The panel is equipped with a blue LED backlit LCD display and neat control keys.
After the device is assembled and the heater elements are placed in the boiler, stainless steel baskets are installed on top.
A large basket repeats the shape of the container – the boiler, a rectangle with rounded corners. The handle of the basket is removable, grippy, with an anti-slip pad. For easy storage, the handle can be removed and placed inside the basket.
The standard package for the GL-DF-4D includes two small baskets, ½ of the large one. They also have removable handles.
From above, the deep fryer with the basket installed is closed with a thick stainless steel lid. The lid has a filter and a built-in glass viewing window. The cover can only be installed in a correctly oriented position – with a viewing window towards you.
On the side of the case are comfortable rubberized carrying handles.
There is a cord winder on the back, which is very convenient, and a sticker with the serial number and the main characteristics of the device.
At the bottom of the case are small rubberized legs.
The fryer is easy to assemble and disassemble, all the details are made carefully, the appearance of the device is very aesthetic.
Instruction
The technical data sheet of the product is a brochure on 12 pages of A5 format. It contains information about safety, technical specifications, recommendations for use and care, a description of the device programs.
On the back, on the last pages, a warranty card form is printed, the terms of the warranty and a list of service services in different cities of Russia are indicated. The instructions are clear and easy to understand and will not take long to read.
Control
The device is controlled using 8 keys on the control panel. Information about the current cycle is displayed on the LCD display. The fryer has 6 preset standard cooking programs.
- 140°C × 6 minutes – mushrooms
- 150°C × 5 minutes – dough
- 160°C × 7 minutes – fish
- 170°C × 6 minutes – shrimp
- 180°C × 8 minutes – chicken
- 190°C × 10 minutes – potatoes
The cooking time can be changed with the “time” key. The default standard temperature is 190°C. The operation algorithm is simple: the device is turned on with the power key, the set mode is set, the Start key is pressed again, and the oil automatically begins to heat up to the required temperature. When the temperature is reached, the appliance will emit 5 beeps and the display will show the countdown of the cooking time.
Exploitation
Before the first start, the manufacturer recommends washing the frying basket and lid in hot soapy water, and wiping the inside of the tank with a damp cloth and drying. When cooking the first batch of food, the fryer must cycle through the on-off cycle twice before food is put into it. We did just that.
Cooking in the GL-DF-4D is a pleasure, no additional actions are required, except for pressing the button for the corresponding mode, putting the food in the oil and removing it when ready.
For all types of products, programs with temperature and time are provided. When the program time was up, we simply restarted the same program again, in some cases it turned out to be more convenient than setting the time in advance. The presence of a timer is very convenient, it is much easier to navigate when cooking.
The volume of oil in the deep fryer is 4 liters, in contrast to deep fryers with a smaller volume, it gets dirty and oil is consumed more slowly, has a high inertness, does not lose temperature when loading products. In order to remove breading residues, flour and other sediment from the oil, you need to remove the heating elements, pour the clean upper oil into another container, pour out the sediment, wipe the boiler and pour oil back, adding fresh oil to the desired level. The whole operation is carried out in a few minutes.
The GL-DF-4D has a very handy set of baskets. This is a full size basket and two half baskets, all three have comfortable removable rubberized handles. Hooks on the handle make it easy to hook the baskets to the body to drain the oil. The grid of baskets is small enough so that standard potatoes or brushwood do not fall through it into the boiler. This set of accessories allows you to cook several dishes at once in a continuous cycle. While the food is fried in one basket, you can fill the next one, not to mention the fact that you can cook different products in two small ones at the same time.
It is convenient to use the lid when heating oil or cooking strongly steaming foods. For convenience, there is a viewing hole in the lid, but with abundant vaporization it is covered with condensate droplets, which impair visibility. The steam coming out from under the lid heats up the lid handle a lot, so it’s best to use oven mitts or towels when opening.
The only drawback of the GL-DF-4D, like the GL-DF-4MT model, is the oil level scale. It is not visible when the basket is lowered, and when the division is raised, it is noticeable only in especially good lighting. You have to shine a flashlight to assess the current oil level. The problem is solved either by a dipstick made that can be dipped in oil, or by a bright flashlight.
The device is equipped with protection against overheating and protection against incorrect assembly. If a problem occurs, error codes E1 or E2 are displayed on the display and an audible signal sounds continuously. To reset the error, just press any key. On our device, several times during warm-up, an emergency shutdown was triggered and the display showed an error of lack of oil. Oil, at the same time, was poured fresh and up to the maximum mark. We restarted the program and the error did not reoccur until the next cook.
Care
Cleaning can be carried out only after the device and oil have completely cooled down. Frying basket and oil container can be washed under hot water, but can also be washed in the dishwasher. The exterior of the appliance, the control panel assembly and the cover should be wiped with a damp cloth and a little detergent and dried with a dry cloth.
Our measurements
During the entire operation of the fryer, the wattmeter did not record a power excess of more than 1760 watts. The standard cooking cycle for an average company is 20-30 minutes, of which 10-12 minutes the device heats the oil, the rest of the time it maintains the temperature during cooking. On average, 0.6-0.9 kWh of electricity is consumed for such a cycle, since the device constantly operates at full power. If you cook several dishes at once for several hours, the average energy consumption will drop significantly.
Heating 4 liters of oil from room temperature to 190 °C takes approximately 13 minutes.
Measurements of the oil temperature showed that the declared values on the scale correspond to the actual ones with an accuracy of 4 °C.
The heating of the oil occurs evenly over the entire surface, the heating of the outer part of the device is not strong, it is impossible to burn yourself on it.
practice tests
We have tried all the modes of the deep fryer GL-DF-4D. They cooked mushrooms, smelt, vegetables, cheese, chicken, turkey, donuts and brushwood, pork, shrimp and many different french fries in it. Everything turned out great.
But I would like to talk about:
- mushrooms with french fries,
- spicy chicken wings
- apple dumplings,
- breaded pork.
Mushrooms with french fries
We took fresh large mushrooms, eggs, breadcrumbs, flour, raw potatoes, salt.
The eggs were mixed with salt, water and a little flour. Raw mushrooms were dipped in this mixture, rolled in breading. We set the “mushrooms” mode on the device, waited for it to be ready for loading. Mushrooms were put in 6-8 pieces per cycle, kept in oil until golden brown.
The potatoes were cut into strips, held a little in boiling salted water, thrown into a colander, and dried. Sent to deep-fry in the “potato” mode, removed when it reached a golden color.
Mushrooms turned out crispy on the outside, but soft, very juicy on the inside. The potatoes made us happy too.
Result: excellent.
Spicy chicken wings with potato chips.
We took chicken wings without the last phalanx, potatoes, breading, eggs, sauces and spices.
Chicken wings in sauce were sent to sous-vide for 1.5 hours at a temperature of 60 ° C.
They got it, rolled it in a batter of eggs, water and flour, sprinkled it with breading. Sent to deep fat, fried on the “chicken” program to the desired color. Raw potatoes were cut into thin slices, deep-fried, cooked on the “potato” program.
Result: excellent.
I would like to note not only the good taste of the dishes, but also the high speed of cooking. If the wings are processed in sous-vide in advance, then such an appetizer (wings with potatoes) for 5-6 people can be prepared in just 20 minutes, which is much faster than in a frying pan. And if you put food in correctly and change the oil on time, then the smell in the kitchen is less intense than from frying chicken in a pan.
Apple dumplings for tea in a hurry
We were faced with the task of quickly preparing something for tea. We had apples, flour, eggs, spices and sugar at our disposal.
We grated about a kilogram of apples on a coarse grater, added sugar, a couple of eggs and a little flour. Generously topped up with ground cinnamon, cardamom and star anise. With a spoon, the mass was transferred to a deep fryer operating in the “baking” mode. The result was donut-like buns with an apple-cinnamon flavor.
Sprinkled with powdered sugar when serving.
Result: excellent.
Breaded pork.
We needed pork neck, sauces, spices, breading, egg and salt.
We cut the neck into pieces and marinated with spices in a sauce based on soy and sriracha.
Marinated pork rolled in batter and breading a la “panko”. Deep-fried one large piece on the “chicken” mode. In determining readiness, they were guided by color.
Result: excellent.
findings
Deep fryer GL-DF-4D is convenient, reliable and easy to operate. The size of the fryer is suitable for professional use, as well as for large families or lovers of delicious high-calorie food.
Thanks to the design solution, the deep fryer will perfectly fit into any interior, its appearance is closer to expensive household appliances than to a catering appliance. The simple design allows you to quickly disassemble and assemble the device, change or clean the oil, perform maintenance and care. A powerful heater quickly brings the oil to the desired temperature and maintains it strictly within the specified values. Convenient and intuitive control system will not cause any trouble to the consumer. A set of frying baskets will allow you to cook several dishes at the same time. Through the glass viewing window, you can observe the cooking even when the appliance is closed with a lid.
The disadvantage, like the previous model, is only one: an inconvenient oil level scale.
pros
- simplicity and ease of use
- several protections during operation
- the ability to quickly prepare a large amount of food
- minimum temperature error
- convenient set of frying baskets
Minuses
- bad oil level gauge
