Professional fryers are not all the same. Knowing how they work, knowing what are the components that allow the best performance, helps to make a more informed purchase. Here then is what is needed to understand how to choose a professional fryer that lives up to our expectations in the kitchen.
How does a professional fryer work
We all know that the professional fryer is an essential tool in small and large restaurants, as well as in pastry shops, because it allows you to cook different types of food, in large quantities, reducing times and costs
At the time of purchase, however, it may not be easy to understand which fryers for restaurants and pastry shops perform their function in the best way. That is to say: before having them tried it is difficult to know if they will be able to produce crispy but not too greasy fried food, if they will offer tasty but also quite healthy cooking or if they will allow different types of food to be fried without mixing the flavours. And of course, if they are convenient, safe to use, quick to clean and energy-efficient
An identikit of the professional fryer and its components can help identify which are the technical characteristics that ensure the perfect cooking. It will thus be easier to understand how to choose a fryer from a wide range of models and select the one that is most in line with our needs: an electric or gas fryer for restaurants, a gas or electric fryer for pastry, a built-in model integrated in the kitchen or a countertop fryer?
The professional fryer: components and operation
There are two main categories of professional fryers, which differ in the type of power supply with which they generate the heat that warms-up the oil.
Professional electric fryers heat the oil using resistances, while gas fryers use burners. Resistances and burners can be positioned inside the tank, directly in contact with the oil, or outside. Those placed inside have an excellent yield, especially when cooking frozen foods because the direct contact with the oil helps the temperature to rise faster. Those placed on the countertop make it easier to clean the machine even if the more advanced models of professional fryers solve the problem with removable or 90-degree rotary heating elements.
The tank, with rounded corners for easy cleaning, can be single or double as to fry different foods without mixing flavours, odours or particles. The double tank version is recommended to cook different foods at the same time and avoid risks if you have to serve people with food intolerances. The frying capacity is linked to the height, width and depth of the tank: counter-top fryers guarantee capacities from 2-3 up to 13 litres per tank, the built-in models even 25 litres per tank.
The basket made of a woven steel mesh, with bigger or smaller links, based on the type of food to be fried, must be made with materials that guarantee maximum resistance, safety, hygiene and cleanliness. Like chromed steel which prevents rust, increases resistance to corrosion and use due to continuous washing in the dishwasher, and is suitable for contact with food.
The temperature regulation systems of the professional fryer play a fundamental role because the correct oil temperature is the keystone of a perfect frying, and they are mainly two: the knob to regulate the temperature of the fryer between 110 and 190 degrees (depending on the food to be cooked) and the safety thermostat to prevent overheating of the oil, which can be mechanical or digital. The digital one is better because it is more sensitive and precise, guaranteeing greater safety, better frying quality and optimization of energy consumption which is good for your pockets and for the environment.
Another key element is the oil filtering system of the professional fryer because the oil and its quality are main factors for good frying. Its function is to remove the particles contained in the tank, clean the used oil and use it again with the same quality of frying. TouchFry, the flagship of our fryers, is a high-performance touch screen model that can filter the oil being processed when hot (180°C) while working, without any waste of time, and to extend oil life of at least 4 times, thanks to an advanced filter system that captures particles down to 5 microns
Among the key components of this equipment, we still find the oil drain valve which has the function of discharging the frying oil into a container located under the professional fryer, through a valve. The most advanced models are equipped with a basin for oil recovery and filtering in the built-in versions and front discharge for the counter-top versions, with a round valve, in a safe way.
Better if equipped with a lid, which helps to keep the oil temperature constant, favouring more fragrant cooking. Furthermore, with this accessory the use of the fryer is much safer because it avoids the dangerous leakage of hot oil.
A separate category are the gas or electric deep fryers for pastry which differ from those for catering in the width and shallow depth of the tank where the desserts are fried by floating rather than by immersion as in the catering type. These features allow the fryers for pastry to fry even large and delicate desserts such as pancakes, krapfen and donuts evenly and without overlapping.
Is it better to choose an electric or gas professional fryer? It always depends on its final purpose. In general, however, we can say that the electric ones have a higher efficiency than the gas ones, the oil is heated more quickly and kept at the temperature for a long time. Plus, they are easier to use and simpler to keep clean and efficient.
How to clean the professional fryer and make it work at the top
Perfect hygiene is essential to guarantee food safety and the best and longest-lasting operation of the machine. This is why ease of cleaning is one of the primary factors that determine how to choose a professional fryer.
The most advanced types of professional fryers are made of top-quality materials that simplify and optimize hygiene operations, and are equipped with important pluses, such as the rotary resistance in the case of electric fryers or the tank filter with basket support and the dashboard easily removable, in the case of gas pastry fryers.
Here is how to clean the professional fryer in just a few steps:
- Place the basket in the dishwasher or degrease it by hand with dishwashing detergent.
- After removing the oil from the inside, if there are deposits, remove them with a plastic spatula, then pour some water with a degreasing product, or vinegar, and leave to soak for about an hour.
- Eliminate the water, rinse abundantly and finally dry carefully with a soft cloth.
For more information on the professional fryer that best suits your needs, write to lotus@lotuscookers.it or fill out the contact form.