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Tips for frying:

Starting with cold foods (good idea), generally frying temperatures are around 325–375 degrees Fahrenheit (160–190 degrees Celsius). It may be higher for small foods. If the oil is too hot, the outside will burn before the inside is done.

Filter your frying oil regularly, if your fryer has a filtering system.
Cooled oil can be filtered with a tea strainer, kitchen paper, muslin or coarse coffee machine filter paper.

Change the oil when it becomes extremely dark. If you don't, your food will all taste the same – fries will taste like fish, fish will taste like fries, and, in the end, everything will taste a bit rancid.

A rule of thumb is to change oil each week under heavy use, or every three weeks if it's only used for frying vegetables.

When using new oil in your fryer, add an extra 1.5 minutes to your frying time.

Don't add too much food at one time; it will cool the oil too much.

When breading with a dry powder, use an egg wash or viscous liquid (such as buttermilk) to make it stick to the food.

When breading with a moist batter, use cornmeal, cornstarch or flour to make it stick to the food.

Shake off excess batter or breading before frying; otherwise it will come off in the oil, requiring more frequent oil changes.
Do not use a basket with food which could stick to the wires. Alternatively, suspend food in oil with tongs for ten seconds before releasing.

Opinions differ regarding the storage of used frying oil. Some say frying improves with repeated use of the oil and use one batch of oil for three to six fryings, while others claim used oils are hazardous either due to bacterial growth or due to the breakdown of the oil into harmful compounds. Those who reuse oil disagree as to whether refrigeration is necessary, but generally agree that it is important to filter the oil and then store it tightly capped and away from light. Discard reused oil when it becomes dark or begins to smell "off".

If reusing oil, add fresh oil for each use in order to extend its usefulness.