A deep fat fryer able to quickly cook food items, in about one-third to one-half of a typical cook time in the art for corresponding food items, includes a high powered, preferably high efficiency heating unit utilized to establish a cooking oil temperature in the order of about forty or more degrees Fahrenheit above a typical cook time, while preferably remaining lower than or equal to 410.degree. F. A controller regulates the heat input from the heating unit so as to keep the temperature of the oil from dropping drastically after a product to be fried is placed in the oil for cooking. The amount of cooking oil employed is minimized. A sensing arrangement is utilized to input sensed operating conditions to the controller in order to maintain a desired operating temperature and oil level.