How to check if oil is hot enough for deep frying?

When you're frying at home, how do you know when your oil is hot enough and ready to go? If you don’t have a clip-on thermometer to tell when the temperature is just right or can't measure the temperature exactly. 

No problem. Your wooden spoon can clue you in on when it's time to add your food.

If you insert a wooden spoon/skewer into the oil, the oil will bubble around the stick when it's ready for frying. Like this:

Or you can just use a grain of rice.

Yes! You just have to drop a grain of rice into your oil to see if it's ready for frying. If the rice pops right back up and starts to cook, you're at the right temperature (which is 360 degrees, by the way). Pretty simple!