Classic propane turkey fryers come in 2 different metals: stainless steel or aluminum. Both have good points, both have not so good points.

First of all, stainless steel is easier to clean than aluminum. Aluminum must be cleaned immediately. It will chip and get a sticky layer of residue that is difficult to remove. Stainless steel pots and patio stoves are usually cleaned with soap, water, and a sponge. It is also much more difficult to remove the black soot from LP gas from the bottom of aluminum pans. There is a lot more elbow force involved when it comes to aluminum turkey fryers. There is an oxidation factor over time that will cause aluminum to turn a grayish color. That will not happen with steel.

Second, an aluminum stockpot is a better conductor of heat than a stainless steel one. That means your frying oil will heat up faster. There’s a reason some stainless steel pots are made with copper bottoms. Copper is a better conductor of heat than many other metals. Helps distribute heat more evenly in a stainless steel pan. The conductivity of copper is among the highest, stainless steel one of the lowest, with aluminum somewhere in between. (The aluminum pot will also cool faster after cooking.)

Last but not least. Cost is a factor. Stainless steel is much more expensive than aluminum. (That’s probably why they don’t make copper-bottomed stainless steel fry pots.) It’s also heavier than aluminum, so if you’re shipping it, again cost may be a factor. If this is your first time using a turkey fryer, the cost of aluminum may be the way to go. You may not like the process.

You may decide this is not for you. If that were the case, you don’t lose a lot of money and you could probably resell it fairly easily. On the other hand, you might just love it and decide to fry everything in the house. Then you can use your pot for other things, like baking New England clams in the backyard or chili for a tailgate party. If that’s the case, you might want to have an aluminum fryer as your starter fryer and eventually move into a healthy relationship with a beautiful shiny stainless steel fryer.

So, stainless steel or aluminum? No matter which metal you decide to go with for your propane outdoor fry pot, as long as they are cared for properly, both will last you a lifetime.