What's the optimal depth of oil for frying? I'm making donut holes. Some recipes say 3/4" oil, other say 2"...what do YOU think?

Thanks for the responses. I've always used more than 2", just wanted to make sure that I wasn't doing something strange (I don't deep fry often but when I do things come out just fine). I don't see how you could make donuts in 3/4" of oil!

Agreed! When I make my great-grandmother's donut holes I use her cast-iron dutch oven, which is 4" deep, and I fill it more than halfway with oil. If the dough comes to rest on the bottom of the pan, they won't turn themselves over and they won't cook properly!

I agree with Kmack. 3/4" is way too shallow. In fact I would go even deeper than 2". Recently I cooked beignets (not dissimilar to donut holes) and I probably had 4" of oil heated to 375.

I would opt for 2", enough for them to float - if they rest on the bottom of the pan they could absorb some oil and get greasy.