You can deep fry onion rings at home a couple of ways.
If you deep fry foods frequently, or want to make restaurant-style fried foods at home, an electric deep fryer can be a useful appliance, easily frying foods like french fries, fried chicken and doughnuts. A special appliance isn't needed to deep fry at home, however, as long as you have a stove, a heavy pot and a thermometer. Each method has its pros and cons.
Convenience
An electric deep fryer is the most convenient way to deep fry food at home, because it requires very little preparation or temperature-gauging. Simply pour the oil into the fryer (or reuse oil that's been stored in the fryer), turn the temperature dial to 275 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and add the food when the fryer reaches the correct temperature. With stove top deep frying, you need a deep heavy pot and a cooking thermometer to make sure the desired temperature is reached, but not exceeded, requiring manual adjustment of the heat as necessary.
Versatility
An electric deep fryer is versatile in that it can fry potatoes, batter-coated vegetables, chicken and a variety of desserts, but it can only cook by deep frying. You can't regulate the amount of oil used or use it for other cooking methods, such as steaming or stewing. A heavy pot on a stove top, on the other hand, can be used for deep and shallow frying, as well as sauteing, boiling, steaming and slow cooking.
Safety
Electric deep fryers are a safe way to cook with hot oil when used correctly, because they have built-in temperature gauges that automatically shut off the heat when the temperature is reached. Stove top deep frying is more hazardous, especially if you don't manually monitor the temperature carefully. If the oil temperature reaches 500 degrees Fahrenheit, it will start a fire. Stove top deep frying is safer in some ways, however. A stove top pot doesn't have an electrical cord to worry about, so there is no risk of electric shock.
Cost
A stove is much more expensive than an electric deep fryer. Almost every kitchen has a stove built in, however, so it's not an extra expense or one exclusive to deep frying. The type of heavy pot commonly used for stove top deep frying, such as a cast iron dutch oven, can cost the same or more than a basic electric deep fryer -- but again, a dutch oven has many more uses.
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