What Are the Different Types of Fryers?
Fryers are available in 3 varieties of fry-pot styles. The difference lies mainly in the “cold zone” or “sediment zone” at the bottom of the fry pot, and in the amount of volume the fryer can support. Large food particles that break off during the cooking sink to the sediment zone of the fryer, where the lower temperature keeps the particles from burning and tainting the oil. Different fryers are better suited to different applications.
Tube Type Fryers
Tube fryers get their name from large tubes that reside in the fry pot. These fryers have the largest sediment zone, as it lies beneath the tubes. This is most useful for cooking heavily breaded foods. The trade-off is that the tubes are not removable, making the tube fryer the most difficult and time consuming to clean. The upside of the permanent tubes is that the tube fryer has the fastest cook and recharge times of any fryer. Tube fryers, therefore, are best suited to either high volume applications, or for frying heavily battered foods.
Ideally Suited For: Fried Chicken, Fried Fish, Onion Rings, Onion Blossoms
Open-Pot Fryers
Open-pot fryers get their name from their lack of tubes. They have an external heat source, making them easier to clean and affording better access to the oil. Unfortunately, they generally offer a smaller sediment zone, so food particles are more likely to scorch and pollute the flavor of the oil. However, these fryers work very well for lightly breaded foods. Open-pot fryers are not designed with the high volume usage of the tube fryer in mind, and are therefore suited for smaller applications.
Ideally Suited For: French Fries, Hot Wings, Jalapeno Poppers, Mozzarella Sticks
Flat-Bottom Fryers
Flat-bottom fryers get their name because their frying area has a flat bottom. They have no sediment zone, so heavily or even lightly battered foods will easily cause scorching. Therefore, they are not suited for high volume usage, but they are specially designed to be used for liquid battered or specialty food items (such as fried deserts).
Ideally Suited For: Specialty Foods, Tempura, Taco Shells, Donuts
Gas Or Electric?
The difference between gas and electric lies mainly in preference and priorities.
If you place the highest priority on:
- Affordability*
- Highest Cooking Temperature
- Fastest Heating Speed
Then gas will likely be the best option for your service. Historically, gas prices tend to be more affordable than electricity. In some areas, however, natural gas may be prohibitively expensive. Check with your local suppliers before making your decision. Gas fryers reach a higher maximum temperature than electric fryers, and they heat up faster initially. They take longer between frying cycles. Take special care when ordering to select the proper gas type (Natural Gas or Propane) as the fryers are designed with a specific gas type in mind. Using the wrong gas could void the warranty, or ruin an expensive piece of equipment.
If you place the highest priority on:
- Oil Recovery
- Efficiency
- Portability
Then electric will likely be the best option. Electric fryers have heating elements within the fry pot, meaning they take longer to reach their cooking temperature than their gas counterparts, but they recharge faster between frying cycles. Additionally, because electric fryers do not require a gas line to operate, they are easier to move around. Electric fryers also make the ideal countertop units, as they lose a smaller amount of cooking temperature, but their fast recharge rate is generally ideal for any application that would require their use.
What Kind of Oil Should I use?
Every restaurant needs to use some form of cooking oil. The oil used can determine the flavor and nutritional value of any item you fry for the duration of your restaurant’s life. Careful deliberation must be used in order to determine the proper product. Each type of oil has its pro’s and con’s, but generally, the oil used is a matter of personal preference.
What Kind of Hoses Should I Buy?
There are two kinds of gas kits:
Kits for fryers on casters, and kits for fryers on stationary legs.
