So my wife would like a dedicated pan for deep frying, but not a deep fryer, which would be the best solution.
She also want to be able to use it for other types of cooking like soups and Thai curries.
Raw cast iron and raw carbon steel is not an option.
My first suggestion would be an enamelled cast iron pot (Staub or Le Creuset).
But will this beat my other suggestion - either a stainless steel walled pot with a thick sandwich Alu bottom (Fissler Original Profi) or a multi cladded pot with a thick sandwich Alu bottom (Lagostina Lagofusion) ?
I’ve tried all 3 types, but I’m not into deep frying and didn’t notice much difference in cooking result to be honest, so what would the Deep Frying experts suggest here ?
From a pure usage angle, I don’t see an enameled cast iron pot being better than a stainless/aluminum pot for deep frying and making soup. To me, the biggest drawback of stainless steel surface cookware is that proteins(meats) can easily stick to the surface during pan frying, but that is not a problem for deep frying. Otherwise, stainless ply cookware is easier to clean and more durable. The biggest concern of an enamaled cast iron cookware is that it is easy to chip. I suppose if your wife and you do not worry about potential chipping, then it is a good choice too.
A pot size is important too. If the pot is small, then it won’t able to handle a lot of foods, but it will be more efficient when you only want to deep fry a few items.
A Wok is not a soup pot. I am a fan of stainless: light weight for lifting when filled with soup or draining out the frying oil, heats quickly for deep frying and will cool more quickly than cast iron when you’re done with deep frying. When simmering soup, the occasional stir prevents ingredients sticking.
Beautiful. I hope she likes it. I rarely deep fry but when I do, I either use my wok or a cast iron chicken fryer that does double duty as a sourdough break baker.
As you have already got the gift, this is directed not at you, Claus, but to the HO community at large. Deep frying in a deep fryer is a poor solution unless it is a restaurant level appliance. Those little counter top fryers just can’t hold temperature well enough to achieve perfection. A pot or pan on a burner is a much better solution. I like using the wok (also it is great for Thai curries). I know you ruled out bare metals, but my top picks would be bare aluminum or a kadhai. I have seen dedicated fry baskets used but far prefer a spider. The spider is a worthy accessory and terrific for blanching vegetables, removing pasta, and plenty more.
WOW - the image I found on Amazon of that pot is beautiful. The type of finish details my cooking buddy and I call “almost too pretty to cook in”. Hope your wife is thrilled and enjoys many years of great birthday memories as she uses the gift.
