We have a Waring pro-style immersion type deep fryer. There are two types of deep fryers:
immersion - the heating element is situated in the stainless steel well that the oil goes in, therefore heating the oil from inside the well.
non-immersion/wrap-around heating element (for lack of a technical term) - the heating element is located outside of the well that holds the oil, therefore heating the oil from the exterior of the well, rather than from the interior of the well.
The immersion type far exceeds the non-immersion type, because the oil is being heated from the "inside" as opposed to the "outside". The oil reaches and holds a higher temperature and it doesn't lose temperature when food is added (a little drop in temp, but that's normal).
Also, the type of oil you are using will determine the results. Peanut, safflower, and soybean oil are good for frying.
I got ours at Sam's Club for under $75.00. The list price at places like LNT & BBB is around $130.00. The only difference is that ours has a molded plastic lid, rather than a metal lid. Sam's, Costco, and BJ's have products made to their specs by various manufacturers, such as Cuisinart, Waring, and Tramontina. The basic features remain the same, but some of the "cosmetic" features are different...hence the difference in price.
Hope this helps.