6 Tools Every Restaurant Needs to Fry Right

It costs money to heat up a commercial fryer and maintain the correct temperature for your food-preparation needs. An inefficient fryer wastes energy over the life of the appliance that may cost well over the difference in price for an energy-efficient fryer from the start.

Energy-efficient fryers hold their temperatures well, so the oil isn't heated, cooled, and reheated continuously. Your products are consistent — and your fryer cooks foods quicker — when you have a better-quality fryer.

Kitchen staff should never have to hunt for the tools they need. Create a way to hang or store fryer tools in a safe, easy-to-access location near your fryer station. An extra stainless-steel prep table for the fryer area is a definite plus when there's room.

Train all fryer staff on the proper use of tools and equipment for fryer prep, cooking, cleanup, and emergencies. Instruct dishwashers where equipment must be stored after washing.

Order commercial-quality thermometers to calibrate your fryer oil. Over time, in-line fryer thermometers and thermostats can waver in their reliability. Fryer oil that's too hot breaks down food and can start to flame. A reliable thermometer helps you keep oil at the optimum temperature.

Oil testers let you know when oil needs to be changed in the fryer. They measure the amount of shortening breakdown. Use paper test strips that you dip in hot oil. They offer a precision method to avoid wasting good oil or overusing bad oil.

Loose coatings and crumbs on fried foods fall off into oil when fryer baskets are loaded incorrectly. The loose crumbs begin to burn. Soon, burnt flavors and dark specs form in your cooking oil.

Reduce the amount of crumbs that enter the baskets by setting up a basket fill station near the fryer. On a table or stainless-steel cart, place food-grade paper down to absorb grease.

Have extra baskets you rotate to the fill-station to cool and be filled. If you pour breaded food pieces directly over the oil from a bag instead, you risk introducing a lot of loose breading and food particles into the oil each time.

The first filtration tool you need for your fryer is a skimmer. Staff should use the skimmer to remove loose particles in the oil. Keep a stainless-steel dump box (like a one-eighth size pan) lined with absorbent paper near the fryer station to discard hot, greasy food particles.

No matter how much you skim fryer oil, you need to filter it from time to time to maintain its cooking integrity. Depending on the type of oil you use and the foods you fry, you may have to filter your oil once per shift. Types of filters include:

• Paper
• Metal mesh
• Fabric mesh
• Charcoal

Supply sturdy pitchers, ladles, containers, and other tools to easily move oil from the fryer to the filtration system. Staff should have all of the equipment and space they need to safely transport, filter, dispose of, and replace oil in the fryers whether filtering oil or replacing oil.

Spilled oil creates a fall hazard, so have a method ready to sop up any drips from the filtering process. Paper is preferable to cloth when cleaning up oil. Use squeegees when possible, and avoid letting any oil enter your floor and sink drains.

Consult your owner's manual for the proper operation of your fryer. Copy, print, and laminate quick-guide pages for staff about safe operation, maintenance, and emergencies. Using the owner's manual, provide fire-suppression equipment, first-aid supplies, and other safety tools near the fryer station.

Contact Hawkins Commercial Appliance Service Inc. today for skilled repairs on your fryers and other equipment. Post our number in the kitchen, because we offer 24/7 service to keep you in the cooking business.