In-depth review
Presto Kitchen Kettle Multi-Cooker Review (2026)
A fryer, steamer, and boiler in one inexpensive pot. The Presto Kitchen Kettle is the budget multi-tasker: here is what it does well and where it hits limits.
Presto Kitchen Kettle Multi-Cooker
Fries, steams, and boils in one inexpensive pot.
Our verdict
The Presto Kitchen Kettle is the best deep fryer for people who fry occasionally and refuse to dedicate money and space to a single-purpose appliance. It fries adequately, then steams vegetables, boils pasta, and blanches produce the rest of the year, which is more than any dedicated fryer here can claim. The trade-offs are real: 1500 watts mean slow recovery, there is no viewing window or odor filter, and batches must stay small or the oil temperature crashes. If you fry twice a year, this is all the fryer you need. If you fry twice a month, the T-fal or Cuisinart will make you happier.
What we like
- Multi-cooker: fries, steams, blanches, and boils in one vessel
- Heavy-gauge aluminum heats evenly for the price
- Compact and inexpensive, easy to store
- Adjustable thermostat covers frying through simmering
What to watch out for
- 1500 watts: slower recovery than dedicated 1700 to 1800-watt fryers
- No viewing window, no odor filter, no filtration
- Small batches only before the oil temperature crashes
Who it is for
Occasional fryers and small-kitchen cooks who want one pot to do more.
Design and build
The Kitchen Kettle is a heavy-gauge aluminum pot with a removable adjustable thermostat and a vented lid that doubles as a steamer cover. There is no basket in the traditional fryer sense; food goes in a fry basket accessory or directly into the oil. The design is deliberately simple: a pot, a thermostat, a lid. That simplicity is the value proposition. It stores like a pot, cleans like a pot, and costs like a pot, because it mostly is one with a thermostat.
Frying performance
Within its limits, it fries well. The heavy-gauge aluminum distributes heat evenly, and the adjustable thermostat holds a set temperature accurately for a device at this price. The limit is 1500 watts and a modest oil volume: add too much food and the temperature drops hard, producing greasy results. Published reviews and long owner history agree on the rule: small batches, patience between loads, and it crisps fine. There is no viewing window, so you lift the lid to check, and no odor filter, so the kitchen will smell like a fry shop.
How it stacks up
Against the T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean, the Presto loses on every fryer-specific metric: no filtration, no window, slower recovery, smaller batches. It wins on price, size, and versatility, doing three other jobs the T-fal cannot. Against the Hamilton Beach Triple Basket, the comparison is almost comical: the Hamilton Beach moves party-scale volume while the Presto handles a handful of fries, but the Presto costs a fraction and stores in a cabinet. Buy the Presto for occasional frying; buy a real fryer when occasional becomes regular.
Who should buy it
Buy it if you fry a few times a year, have a small kitchen, and like the idea of one pot that also steams and boils. Skip it if you fry regularly: the slow recovery and small batches will frustrate you, and the money is better put toward the T-fal or Cuisinart. Skip it too if odor control matters; there is no filter here.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- One pot that fries, steams, boils and slow cooks
- Low oil splatter when frying
- Easy to clean with a removable cord
Common complaints
- Fries can brown unevenly in the basket
- Temperature control is less precise than a dedicated fryer
- Capacity is modest for family meals
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
Key specifications
- Function
- Multi-cooker: fry, steam, boil, blanch
- Wattage
- 1500
- Body
- Heavy-gauge aluminum
- Control
- Adjustable thermostat, removable
- Lid
- Vented, doubles as a steamer cover
Also consider
T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Deep Fryer
The fryer that solves the oil problem.
- Oil capacity: 3.5 liters
- Food capacity: 2.65 pounds
Cuisinart Deep Fryer CDF-200
Stainless power for serious batches.
- Oil capacity: 4 quarts
- Wattage: 1800
Research-based assessment. ThePickLedger has not hands-on tested this product; this evaluation synthesizes manufacturer specifications, retailer documentation, and published expert reviews.
Questions, answered
Can it really replace a deep fryer?
For occasional use, yes. It holds temperature, fries in oil, and produces crisp food in small batches. It cannot match a dedicated fryer's recovery, capacity, or convenience features, so regular fryers will outgrow it.
What else can it do?
Steam vegetables and seafood with the vented lid, boil pasta or potatoes, blanch vegetables for freezing, and make soups or stews. The thermostat adjusts down to simmering temperatures, which is what makes it a genuine multi-cooker rather than a fryer with a lid.
How do I keep the oil temperature up?
Fry in small batches, let the oil fully return to temperature between loads, and keep the lid on while heating. Do not overcrowd: food should swim, not pile. Pat food dry before frying, since surface moisture drops the temperature fastest.