Fry Hard: Choosing the Right Commercial Deep Fat Fryer for Your Kitchen

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However the reality is that deep frying is a perfectly good way to cook food, as long as high quality oils are used, the oils and fryer itself are kept clean, and food is not cooked on a temperature that is too high for the oil. Fryer manufacturers have also invested millions in developing their technology to be inherently healthier, with some fryers even featuring computerised controls, helping to secure the future of the fryer in chef’s catering equipment arsenals. So if it’s time to upgrade the fryer in your kitchen, read on for our tips on choosing the right commercial deep fat fryer for your needs, whatever you’re cooking.

Temperature Control is Important

Oil that’s too low in temperature leads to soggy food, whereas oil that’s too hot can break down and produce a carcinogen called acrylamide, not to mention that it also becomes a fire hazard. Many modern commercial fryers have highly sophisticated controls that automatically regulate the temperature to prevent heat spikes or dips and preserve the optimum frying standard.

Choose a Fryer that’s Easy to Clean

As well as potentially becoming carcinogenic, old or dirty oil simply adds a bad taste to food. It’s therefore crucial that the commercial fryer you choose is straightforward to clean so you aren’t tempted to re-use oil too many times.

Look for a High-Tech Filter

Many commercial deep fat fryers have what are known as ‘gravity filters’, but some contemporary models have ‘pressure filters’ which efficiently clean oil down to the ideal level of 5 microns. When oil is this clean its life span is doubled, which is clearly incredibly cost-effective, and has the added advantage of halving the amount of oil that is discarded by commercial kitchens into the environment.

Invest in the Best You Can Afford

As the old saying goes, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’, and when it comes to a high-use item like a commercial deep fat fryer it really does make sense to invest. High end fryers are typically better quality, more efficient, produce a consistently good quality result and are also well-thought out in their design, meaning they can also be easier to clean and maintain. As we’ve already mentioned, a good quality fryer can also extend the life of the cooking oil you are using, so while you may make a large initial investment you could soon recuperate the cost in other ways.

Remember that Size Matters

If you’re cooking hundreds of portions of chips every day, you’ll need a large deep fat fryer to keep up with the demand, but there’s no need for a large appliance if fried foods don’t dominate your menu. A small countertop fryer could be sufficient for your requirements, as the shallow baskets can accommodate a number of food portions without having to heat excessive quantities of oil.

Think About Energy Consumption

Getting a large quantity of oil up to a required heat, and keeping it there, can highly uneconomical. This has been accounted for in the designs of many modern deep fryers which use various techniques to be more energy efficient; some heat up oil slowly to avoid using excess energy, whereas others make use of automated technology to keep the oil temperature balanced throughout the use.