Introduction
In the fast-paced environment of commercial kitchens, efficiency, cleanliness and cost-effectiveness are paramount. One essential piece of equipment that plays a crucial role in maintaining these standards is the commercial fryer. Here, at Island Catering, we offer a wide range of fryers designed to meet the diverse needs of restaurants, hotels and other service establishments.
Commercial deep fat fryers are designed to create deliciously crispy and golden cooking results and are available in both gas and electric versions and there is plenty of choice to ensure you can meet the demands of your busiest service.
Island Catering offer a vast range of fryers including Henny Penny; Pitco; Blue Seal; Falcon, Lincat and Hallco to name just a few!
Whether you’re frying fish, chicken, doughnuts or chips, a Commercial Deep Fat Fryer is the ideal appliance to produce deliciously crispy and succulent foods. However, choosing the right fryer from such a vast range could seem overwhelming at first. For many businesses, a professional fryer is the primary cooking appliance, so it’s vital to understand the features and limitations of the machine before purchase.
Power and Capacity:
Whether you’re expecting spikes in demand or a consistent, high turnover of food, careful consideration needs to be made to the power and oil capacity of the fryer. Higher power fryers generally heat up and recover temperature faster (sometimes called the response time), meaning more food can be cooked in a smaller time frame. Likewise, if you only use the fryer occasionally, a smaller light duty fryer could be more efficient in the long term. Although using a higher capacity fryer gives you the facility to cook more in one frying cycle, it also generally means a bigger fryer and more oil, which could use a considerable amount of valuable kitchen space and energy.
Power Type:
Commercial fryers typically use gas or electricity connections, with the most powerful versions requiring a direct, permanent hardwired connection to the mains to operate effectively. With the difference between the performance of gas and electricity versions being marginal, the decision would generally be down to user preference and the availability of a gas or electricity connection.
Single, Twin, Triple or Four Tank:
This relates to how many separate oil compartments there are. The main benefit of twin tank fryers is the ability to independently fry two separate food types at different temperatures without the risk of cross-contamination. In addition, a twin tank fryer is sometimes considered more efficient as you can choose to use a single tank when it’s quiet. Conversely, a large, single tank fryer can accommodate bigger frying baskets, allowing bulk frying during busy periods.
Number of Baskets:
Multiple baskets allow you to cook more than one food type at a time, albeit with smaller quantities than large single baskets. Using a large single tank fryer gives you the option of using either single or multiple basket configurations depending on your menu.
Manual or Programmable:
Commercial kitchens can be busy places, so some fryers have the option to notify you when the cooking is completed. Some of the very top end fryers even raise the fryer basket for you once the food is cooked. Although programmable fryers can cost more, they can save you a significant amount of time.
Running Costs:
Without doubt, the costliest ongoing expense when operating a professional fryer is the cooking oil. Once oil is spent, the quality and taste of fried food can deteriorate – so oil should be changed on a regular basis. Many modern fryers are designed to extend the life of its cooking oil by intelligent filtration or by implementing cool zones which prevent food sediment from burning and contaminating the oil. Due to the size and complexity of filtration systems, they are mainly seen within the stand on free standing fryers.
Open Fryers:
Use advanced filtering and oil-level technology to extend oil life, enhance product quality, and reduce overall oil consumption and costs. They have smaller fry tanks which cook the same amount of food but use 40% less oil, potentially saving you thousands each year.
Pressure Fryers:
These fryers cook food faster at a lower temperature, producing healthier, better tasting fried food, while reducing oil consumption, labour costs and safety concerns – this results in the lowest average exhaust temperatures in the industry.
To find out more about our range of commercial fryers please give us a call on 01983 756628