Essential Equipment for Making Doughnuts

When it comes to deep-frying, all you need is a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (cast iron is great, as is stainless steel–clad aluminum). For most home kitchens, a Dutch oven with a 6- to 8-quart capacity is a useful size. Keep in mind that when deep-frying, a bigger pot is usually better.

A “spider” is a round, flat wire skimmer for lifting foods out of oil or liquid while allowing the oil or liquid to drain away. Sturdy, all-metal spiders are the type used in professional kitchens; inexpensive wood-handled ones (often used in wok cookery) work, too. A slotted or perforated spoon or skimmer is a reasonable alternative to a spider, but is not as effective at draining off oil or liquid.

An instant-read thermometer with a wide temperature range (one that goes up to at least 400 degrees) works fine for spot-checking the oil, but to closely monitor the oil throughout the cooking process, a clip-on candy/deep-fry thermometer is best. When fastening the thermometer to the side of the pot, make sure that the tip is not touching the bottom of the pot; if it does, you’ll likely get a false reading.

When it comes time to turn foods that are frying, the best utensil to use is a pair of tongs. A fork could puncture your doughnuts, damaging their delicate structure and allowing oil to seap inside the dough, making doughnuts greasy. When using tongs, grip the food gently, taking care not to mar the surface. Use a pair at least 12 inches in length, which lets you keep your hands a safe distance from the bubbling fat.

We recommend draining fried doughnuts on a wire cooling rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. This step allows the oil to drain and prevents the doughnuts from getting soggy as they rest.

If you're going to be making a lot of doughnuts, it's a good idea to get a doughnut cutter. For our yeasted doughnut recipe, we recommend a 2½- or 3-inch cutter. If you don't have one, you can use a biscuit cutter (about 2½ inches) for the doughnuts, and a smaller one (about 1¼ inches) for the holes.