What Kind of Fryer Do I Need?
Shopping for Fryers? We Can Help!
A fryer heats a vessel of oil to a cooking temperature between 250° and 375°+. Food is lowered into the fryer via a basket and cooked. Restaurant Equippers offers several options, styles, and sizes.
Common Features:
- Stainless Steel Exterior Construction
- Comes with Baskets
- Adjustable Thermostat Temperature Control
- Regulator Included (Gas Models)
- High Limit Safety Shutoff (Electric Models)
- Meets NSF® Standards
Some Things to Consider:
- Measure for Space
- Verify Utilities (LP, NG, Voltage, Phase)
- Countertop or Floor Model
- Model BTU
- Tube Fired vs. Open Bottom
- Filter Systems
Why are BTU’s important?
- Any fryer can be set to 350. The key is recovery time. When cold food is lowered into the fryer it lowers the temperature. The more time it takes to achieve the required temperature is a function of BT’s. The higher the BTU’s the faster the recovery time, saving time and utility expenses and bills.
Countertop or Floor Model
- Countertop fryers are for light duty and some standard duty applications. They are used when floor space and utilities are at a premium or as a backup unit. They feature a small cooking pot and smaller baskets. These are not recommended for businesses that primary fry food.
- Floor Model fryers are for standard or heavy duty frying. Most restaurants featuring a lot of frying will use several floor model fryers. Great for chicken wings, French fries, and other fried foods. These fryers come standard with two baskets, allowing the user to cook much larger orders.
Tube Fired vs. Open Pot
- Tube Fired fryers are the standard for gas fryers. These feature tubes running from the front to back of the fryers and can range from two to five tubes depending on BTU. Gas is lit, and the corresponding flame travels through each tube causing the oil to heat.
- An Open Pot fryer heats the oil from behind the wall of the oil pot. This makes cleaning the fryer simple, as there are no tubes to work around. The heat is also concentrated in an area that the food will be lowered into. This creates a cold zone towards the bottom of the fryer that helps extend oil life.