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I live in a small 800 sq ft. apartment and will occasionally deep fry food. Any time I do, everybody in my household experiences a burning sensation in their eyes.

I'm monitoring the temperature of the oil the entire time, and I'm positive it never goes above it's smoke point.

What is / is there a way to avoid this?

jdphenix
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  • No visible smoke either? How close are you getting to the smoke point? Do you reuse oil? – Cascabel Feb 09 '16 at 03:04
  • @Jefromi Yes, I reuse oil. Canola oil, I fry around 360 F – jdphenix Feb 09 '16 at 03:13
  • Okay, dunno if it's the problem, but at least related: http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/3014/1672 – Cascabel Feb 09 '16 at 03:16
  • Do you have a hood? You should turn it on if you do. I am sensitive to getting gassed by cooking sometimes. Oil smoke even if you can't see it burns my eyes too. – Escoce Feb 09 '16 at 03:28
  • @Escoce That may be the critical problem - the hood turns on but eh... doesn't really do anything. That I can tell anyhow. It's a decrepit piece of equipment from (probably) the 80s. – jdphenix Feb 09 '16 at 03:45
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    Have you cleaned it and checked for airflow? – Escoce Feb 09 '16 at 03:50
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    Also, don't use ceiling fans in the kitchen when cooking and using the hood. The ceiling fans blow air around which makes it harder for the hood to catch smoke and other vapors from the stove top. – Escoce Feb 09 '16 at 03:52
  • @Escoce It has been cleaned on a regular basis. It is this model : http://www.homedepot.com/p/NuTone-RL6200-30-in-Non-Vented-Range-Hood-in-White-RL6230WH/100080229 - as far as checking for airflow, aside from placing my hand in front of the vent and verifying I feel it, I'm not sure what else to do on that front. I appreciate the advice regarding ceiling fans. (un)luckily for more, there is no fan in the kitchen or adjacent rooms. – jdphenix Feb 09 '16 at 03:57
  • Oh well no wonder, further investigation reveals the thing needs a charcoal filter to actually do it's job, and it **doesn't have one...** Does that sounds right to you? – jdphenix Feb 09 '16 at 04:02
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    Have you ever fried anything intensely spiced or particularly high in capcaisin (chili peppers, etc.) in the same oil? That stuff can hang around for a while and even a small amount can cause a burning sensation if it hits your mucus membranes. – logophobe Feb 09 '16 at 04:27
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    Yes actually - tonight which prompted my question. – jdphenix Feb 09 '16 at 04:34
  • @jdphenix That would've been helpful to include in the question. I almost asked, along with the oil reuse, but I figured you'd have mentioned it! – Cascabel Feb 09 '16 at 04:57

1 Answers1

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Right so a couple things here.

That hood doesn't vent outside. It filters the air and blows it back into the kitchen. Ok, not ideal but get some charcoal, and keep the intake clean.

Cooking with peppers, including black pepper can gas a room. When my girl friend cooks with Montreal steak seasoning I have to vacate. I can't breathe while its cooking.

Reusing oil is fine, but it's going to retain what's already been cooked in it. So it that means pepper oils are in the oil, you could be gassing yourself.

Try using fresh oils with a high smoke point, filter them and reuse them a few times but when they noticeably discolor, then renew. This will reduce your buildup of material burning in the oil.

Catija
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Escoce
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  • I've got some solid steps to try here, thanks! I'm very much a novice when it comes to deep frying. – jdphenix Feb 09 '16 at 12:43