Fried food tastes good, and including a few tasty fried morsels on your menu are guaranteed to be a quick customer favorite. When shopping for the right commercial deep fryer for you, consider your specific needs. Questions you should ask yourself include: Do I want an electric deep fryer or a gas deep fryer?, What percentage of my menu is fried?, and What kind of recovery time do I need? At Tundra Restaurant Supply, we feature a variety of deep fryer's from the industry's leading manufacturer's like Pitco, Imperial, Frymaster, Globe and more! Interested in learning more about commercial deep fryers? Check out our Commercial Deep Fryer buying guide.
Gas Deep Fryer or Electric Deep Fryer?
The preference for a gas deep fryer or an electric deep fryer is really up to the operator. Gas deep fryers use natural gas or a liquid propane flame that runs in a series of tubes at the bottom of the oil tank. Large capacity deep fryers are almost exclusively floor models, due to its efficiency. Electric deep fryers use an electrical heating element that sits in the fryer vat. These types of fryers work well in countertop models that hold a small amount of oil (up to 25 gallons); these small deep fryers are efficient and have excellent recovery time.
Before you purchase a commercial deep fryer you need to consider what you'll be frying and how much of it. If you anticipate a menu that is heavily in fried goods, such as French fries, frozen appetizers and more, you might consider a floor fryer due to its large capacity. High volume restaurants like fast casual burger stops may also consider purchasing multiple tank floor fryer units that sit alongside each other; this proves extremely useful when you need to fry different types of food simultaneously (think French fries and chicken nuggets). Countertop commercial deep fryers work well in restaurants that lack the space for a floor model and need the ability to fry foods. If a single countertop model isn't enough for your production, consider lining up a couple units next to each other. The added capacity will help you prevent bottlenecks while also helping you avoid flavor transfer between product.
Commercial Deep Fryer Maintenance
Regular cleaning of your commercial deep fryer is not only key to better tasting food, but also longer-lasting equipment. Over time debris and other contaminants collect in your oil, affecting the flavor of your product and clogging your filters. Filtering your fryer oil frequently can extend its life, which can save you a lot of money over time. Filter paper is a great way to trap contaminants that break off product during cooking.
Most likely you'll find yourself replacing fryer baskets fairly regularly, depending on how much you use them. Quality levels varies on fryer baskets, but suffice it to say that over time any product dropped in hot oil several times a day will natural degrade over time. Stock up on plenty of fryer baskets to avoid bottlenecks and flavor transfer between food.
Also consider adding casters to your commercial deep fryer to make it easier to move around the kitchen. Health inspectors love casters! Cleaning behind that large, heavy equipment is so much easier when it's on a caster!
Finally consider adding an apron, gloves, face shield, cleanout rod and other accessories that will help you clean your commercial deep fryer. Equip yourself (and your employees) with the proper safety protection and tools (like an oil transporter) whenever you service your deep fryer.
