# Are home donut makers worth it? Best models? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898 "2012-02-25T00:22:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/21 "2012-02-25T21:26:04Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Can this really be true? I think the _only_ justification for a donut shop at all is that they make their own donuts on site (usually at about 3:00am, so they’ll be fresh for the earliest risers). That shop also has a 3 bay drive thru. At the end of the day, what doughnuts remain are still a few days newer that what was delivered to the next franchise down the road. Now if only DD’s could do something about the coffee. I miss the local Timmy’s:( ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/22 "2012-02-25T22:39:49Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I’m surprised RI is big enough for more than one. Don’t you have to stack 'em? > [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > But isn’t there only like four corners? > > 😃 I know it’s hard to believe. Go to [this site](http://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dunkindonuts/en/stores.html?cmpid=SEMTest_src=keyword_s=ggl_K=BostonDunkinDonuts_C=LocationsSR1_G=BostonBrand_M=broad), put in the area code 02921 (in the center of RI), and select a 20 mile radius. 50 Dunkin Donuts in RI will show up. And they aren’t the only game in town. We have 5 Dunkins just in our town, plus a couple of Honeydews and some independents. Plus Dunkin Donuts are served and sold in other stores. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/23 "2012-02-26T00:04:53Z")
Why not just deep fry your own? If you’ve never deep fried before, it’s a ton of fun. It’s scary at first, but it’s pretty easy and really a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/24 "2012-02-26T01:00:43Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Why not just deep fry your own? If you’ve never deep fried before, it’s a ton of fun. It’s scary at first, but it’s pretty easy and really a lot of fun. To make 6 at a time would take a pretty large surface-area container, right? And while I like deep-frying, it is a pretty messy process to do at home and the containers are impossible to clean and deteriorate rapidly. So a no-stick waffle-type device sounds like an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![notsoheavyd3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@notsoheavyd3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notsoheavyd3)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/25 "2012-03-01T03:26:29Z")
> [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > That shop also has a 3 bay drive thru. > > At the end of the day, what doughnuts remain are still a few days newer that what was delivered to the next franchise down the road. > Now if only DD’s could do something about the coffee. I miss the local Timmy’s:( Yes, that’s true. Even their worst donut is better than any other Dunkins. (I guess I should have been clearer that you can get a really stale donut at a Dunkins that doesn’t make their own which is most of them.) Actually from what I’ve read that’s the single busiest Dunkins on the planet. (Weird thing is years ago the stores all made their donuts on site and would advertise that they made donuts fresh every 4 hours. They don’t do that anymore.) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/26 "2012-03-01T12:49:26Z")
Years ago, a local quickstop carried a display case of Crispy Creme donuts, which would have had to be trucked in. Still, they tasted better and fresher than the ones the local supermarket bakery made. But the quickstop stopped carrying them. I donut know why. ---
**Author:** ![shorin-ryu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shorin-ryu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shorin-ryu)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/27 "2012-03-01T13:54:57Z")
Here’s a step-by-step home recipe from Pioneer Woman (who is not afraid of a little fat!): > **[Homemade Glazed Doughnuts](https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a9896/homemade-glazed-doughnuts/)** > > Let me begin this post by saying how excited I am to share this doughnut recipe with you. What can I say? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/28 "2012-03-01T15:16:51Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > To make 6 at a time would take a pretty large surface-area container, right? And while I like deep-frying, it is a pretty messy process to do at home and the containers are impossible to clean and deteriorate rapidly. So a no-stick waffle-type device sounds like an improvement. Small self-contained deep fryers are inexpensive, eliminate spatter mess and trouble, and you can store and reuse the oil as long as you want to. I have the Presto “Cool Touch”/“Cool Daddy” > **[Amazon.com: Presto 05443 CoolDaddy Cool-touch Deep Fryer - White: Deep Fryer...](https://www.amazon.com/Presto-05443-CoolDaddy-Cool-touch-Fryer/dp/B00066XROE)** > > Product Description Delicious deep fried foods, fast and easy. Perfect for chicken, shrimp, french fries and more. Exterior handle lowers food into the oil with the cover closed to prevent spattering. Removable pot with nonstick cooking... You could probably only make about 2 at a time given the surface area of the oil holder but it takes about three minutes to cook. So it might take as many as 10 minutes to make 6. More to the point, baked doughnuts are an abomination, and your OP suggested you want a doughnut that is _better_ than a day old grocery store doughnut, not worse. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898/29 "2012-03-01T16:17:07Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Small self-contained deep fryers are inexpensive, eliminate spatter mess and trouble, and you can store and reuse the oil as long as you want to. I have the Presto “Cool Touch”/“Cool Daddy” > [Amazon.com: Presto 05443 CoolDaddy Cool-touch Deep Fryer - White: Deep Fryer With Basket: Home & Kitchen](http://www.amazon.com/Presto-CoolDaddy-Electric-Deep-Fryer/dp/B00066XROE) That has not been my experience. I had two of those models, and they are impossible to clean, collect dirt on the spattered oil, and generally turn too grungy to use after a few months, so I throw them out. It’s cheaper to use an old saucepan, which is going to get just as grungy, but at least it’s cheap to discard. I’ve ordered one of the waffle-type cookers and we’ll see how it works. For $18 including shipping, it will be an experiment. Which one did I order? The pretty bright red one, of course. There’s always the July garage sale if it doesn’t work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-home-donut-makers-worth-it-best-models/613898.md?page=1)