Last week, the Restaurant Guru blog addressed fryer oil and its important role in your commercial fryer. Whether your operation uses a single fryer, double fryer, or counter top fryer, all restaurant fryers have the same maintenance needs. You can maximize service life with regular and thorough cleaning. There are tasks to be performed on an hourly, daily and weekly basis in order to keep your commercial fryer producing golden fries, poppers and onion rings.

Hourly: Battered and spiced foods may taste delicious when fried, but they can leave behind sediment in your fry baskets. When you notice sediment particles floating, probably on an hourly basis, depending on the frequency of operation, you should use a fryer skimmer to remove the particles. Simply skim the floating debris off the surface of the fryer oil to prevent it from degrading your oil. Crumb scoops are another option for a deep fryer.

Daily: Filtering is another key to removing sediment. Some fryers have built-in filtration systems. Others require portable fryer filtration systems which remove the oil from the fryer, automatically filters it, and pumps clean oil back in. With the rising costs of oil, filtering is a great option that can save costs for your restaurant. Filters should be changed regularly for optimum effectiveness. Oil purifiers can also be added to your fryer to maintain food quality, extend oil life, and reduce oil costs by up to 50 percent.

Weekly: Boiling out your commercial fryer is the best way to eliminate acidic or caustic oil buildup on the metal. Commercial fryer detergents should be added to the water before boiling to help loosen deposits. After boiling the fryer, add a small amount of vinegar to your rinse to neutralize any soap residue. Dry the frypot thoroughly to avoid contaminating your fryer oil!