Deep-frying at home isn't the cost- or labor-intensive technique it's made out to be, as long as you know how to prolong the life of your oil. To prevent oil degradation, we generally recommend choosing a neutral oil, maintaining a steady temperature while frying, and cleaning the crumbs out as you go. Strain and store the oil properly between uses, and you can reuse it a dozen or more times.

Deep-frying at home gets a bad rap, mainly because it's thought of as inconvenient and wasteful. Fears of grease-stained walls and lingering oil odors scare many off, and then there's all that oil.

But deep-frying deserves a place in the home cook's repertoire—nothing beats freshly fried onion rings or chicken cutlets , and it doesn't get fresher than straight out of the fryer and into your mouth (after a few beats to cool, of course). If you plan on deep-frying at home, however, it's crucial to understand how—and how long—you can store and reuse oil.…