How to Dispose of a Deep Fryer and Its Old Oil

How to dispose of a deep fryer is really two jobs: getting rid of the oil safely, and then deciding what happens to the fryer. The oil is the part that causes trouble. Poured down a sink it hardens in pipes and sewers, and poured hot into a trash bag it can melt through or start a fire. The appliance is easier. A working fryer can be passed on, and a broken countertop model is handled like other small kitchen appliances, while an outdoor turkey fryer splits into a metal pot, a burner and a propane tank that each go somewhere different. Here is how to handle all of it.

The quick answer

• Let the oil cool completely, then strain it into a container with a tight lid.
• Reuse, recycle or trash the oil. Many drop-off sites and household hazardous waste programs take cooking oil. If none do near you, a sealed container in the trash is the usual fallback where your hauler allows it.
• Never pour it down the drain, a storm drain or onto the ground.
• Wipe the fryer clean, then donate or sell it if it works.
• Broken electric fryer: treat it like a small appliance, through e-waste, scrap metal or your hauler’s rules for small appliances.
• Turkey fryer: scrap the pot and burner, and return the propane tank to an exchange or a site that accepts cylinders.

Deal with the oil first

A home fryer can hold several quarts of oil, and hot oil stays hot for a long time. Turn the fryer off, unplug it, and leave it alone until the oil is fully cool, which can take a few hours. Do not move a fryer full of hot oil or set it next to the trash.

Once it is cool, pour the oil through a fine strainer or a coffee filter into its original bottle, a plastic jug with a screw cap, or a metal can with a lid. Straining removes crumbs and batter, which matters if you plan to reuse the oil or take it to a recycling drop-off.

Keep oil out of sinks and toilets, even with hot water and soap running behind it. Fats and grease cool and stick to pipe walls, where they collect other debris and cause backups, both in your home and in the public sewer. Pouring oil outside is no better; it can run into storm drains and creeks.

Where the old oil can go

1. Reuse it. Strained frying oil can often be used a few more times. Toss it when it smells off, foams, smokes at normal frying temperatures or turns dark and thick.
2. Take it to a collection site. Some recycling centers, transfer stations and household hazardous waste programs accept household cooking oil, and some cities run collections after Thanksgiving for turkey fryer oil. Our guide to recycling used cooking oil covers what to ask before you go.
3. Trash a small amount, sealed. If no drop-off near you takes it, many cities say to seal cooled oil in a non-recyclable container and put it in the trash. For larger amounts, mix it with an absorbent such as cat litter or sawdust first so it cannot leak. Check your hauler’s rules, since a few areas want all cooking oil kept out of the trash.

Do not mix cooking oil with motor oil or other automotive fluids. Collection programs handle them separately, and a mixed container may be refused.

Clean it out before it goes anywhere

Whether the fryer is going to a new home or a scrap bin, a quick cleaning helps. Wipe out the leftover oil with paper towels, wash the removable basket and pot if there is one, and let everything dry. A greasy fryer is hard to donate, can leak in a car trunk, and may be turned away at a drop-off.

Reuse, donation and resale

A clean, working deep fryer is easy to pass on. Neighborhood groups, buy-nothing pages and online marketplaces are good places to start. Some thrift stores accept small kitchen appliances that work and have all their parts, including the lid, basket and cord, but rules vary, so call ahead. Recall notices do come up for kitchen appliances, so a quick check of the model number on the Consumer Product Safety Commission site is worth doing before you hand one off.

Getting rid of the fryer itself

A countertop electric fryer has a heating element, a thermostat, wiring and a cord, usually inside a metal or plastic housing. That puts it in the same group as toasters and slow cookers. Depending on where you live, it may go:

• To an electronics or small-appliance drop-off. Many county recycling centers and e-waste events take small appliances with cords.
• To a scrap metal yard. Fryers with stainless steel or aluminum bodies and pots have some scrap value, and many yards accept small appliances. Cut off the cord if the yard asks.
• In the trash. Some cities allow small appliances in household trash or as a bulky item. Others ask you to keep anything with a cord out of the cart.

Our post on disposing of small kitchen appliances walks through each option, and the electronics disposal guide explains how to find a drop-off near you. You can also check for a nearby recycling center or transfer station on the map.

Outdoor turkey fryers

Outdoor propane fryers come apart into pieces that are easier to handle separately:

1. The oil. These hold several gallons. Let it cool overnight, strain it into jugs, and take it to a cooking oil collection site if there is one nearby. That much oil is hard to trash safely.
2. The pot and basket. These are usually aluminum or stainless steel and are welcome at most scrap yards once they are clean.
3. The burner stand and hose. The steel stand is scrap metal. Remove the hose and regulator first.
4. The propane tank. Never put it in the trash or the scrap pile. Swap it through a tank exchange, return it to a propane supplier, or use a drop-off that lists cylinders. See turning in a propane cylinder for details.

If you are hauling a turkey fryer along with other bulky items, the dump cost calculator can help you size the load.

Deep fryer disposal FAQ

Can you throw a deep fryer in the trash?

Some cities allow small appliances in household trash, but many prefer an electronics or small-appliance drop-off, and metal fryers can go to a scrap yard. Drain and clean it first, and check your local rules.

How do I get rid of deep fryer oil?

Let it cool, strain it into a container with a tight lid, and take it to a cooking oil collection site if one is near you. Where none is available, many cities allow small amounts sealed in the trash.

Can I pour deep fryer oil down the drain?

No. Cooking oil and grease harden in pipes and sewers and cause clogs and backups. Keep it out of sinks, toilets and storm drains.

Can I donate a used deep fryer?

Often, yes, if it is clean and works and has its basket and lid. Neighborhood groups and online marketplaces are easiest. Thrift store rules vary, so call ahead.

How do I dispose of a turkey fryer?

Cool and strain the oil for a collection site, take the clean aluminum or steel pot and the burner stand to a scrap yard, and return the propane tank through an exchange or supplier.

How long should deep fryer oil cool before I handle it?

Until it is fully cool to the touch, which can take a few hours for a countertop fryer and longer for a large turkey fryer. Never move or bag hot oil.

The bottom line

How to dispose of a deep fryer starts with the oil. Let it cool, strain it, and reuse it, take it to a collection site or seal it for the trash, and keep it out of every drain. Then clean the fryer and pass it on if it works. A broken electric fryer goes with small appliances or scrap metal, and a turkey fryer splits into scrap metal and a propane tank that goes back to an exchange or supplier.