Electric fryers offer these benefits over gas fryers:
  • Operate at lower temperatures, which saves energy, reduces fat breakdown and uses less fat. (Gas burners can create hot spots in the fryer, which breaks down the oil prematurely.)
  • Add less heat to the kitchen because they are more energy efficient.
  • Require less maintenance and less ventilation.
  • Have faster preheat and recovery times.

Gas fryers have a built-in time bomb in that the frypot will split or crack at some future date (five to 15 years). The fractures occur from metallurgical degradation due to excessive heating, expansion and contraction. A split pot is a catastrophic condition and is a fire hazard in that hot oil leaks out over live flame. Electric fryers  never suffer this problem.

Features
Open fryers have a variety of optional features including
automatic controls,filtration systems and accessories for
holding cooked food. Many fryers havetimers and thermostat controls, so operators need to know the proper cooking temperature and
time for each food product.

Some units are equipped with devices that automatically
raise and lower baskets into the fryer at specified times,
which takes much of the responsibility away from the
operator, saving labor and ensuring consistent quality.
At the end of cooking, the baskets are lifted out of the oil
and hung on basket supports for draining. Automatic units
are programmed to do this without operator assistance.
Some units can be programmed so that the operator
only specifies the food type, and the unit automatically
controls the cooking time and temperature. This reduces
training costs and improves quality.  Some of the better
fryers include automatic filtration equipment, which reduces
the labor requirements for daily cleaning. All units should
have a safety thermostat to warn when the temperature
exceeds 400°F. Some models have a warning light that turns on or flashes when the unit overheats. If this occurs, the unit should be turned off and allowed to cool. It the unit overheats again, it should be serviced.

Components

Frypot
The portion of an open vat fryer that contains the oil is called the frypot (also known  as the fry kettle, vat or fat container). It is usually rectangular, and ranges from 14 to 18 inches long by 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. Wire baskets containing uncooked food are lowered into the frypot for cooking. Some units have a removable frypot; others are fixed in place.  Some frypots have two sections, allowing for two kinds of foods to be cooked without transferring taste. One side can also be turned off during slow periods,
saving on energy and prolonging oil life.  Most fryers have a one to three inch separation between the frypot and the outer housing or cabinet. Some units have insulated frypots; others have an insulated cabinet. Insulation reduces energy costs and heat into the kitchen.  Most fryers have a marker in the frypot showing the proper shortening level. Shortening should cover the heating elements and should be level with the top of the submerged fry baskets. Solid shortening should be packed solidly around the heating elements first and then slowly melted (at 250°F). Shortening is added and melted until it reaches the proper level. Only then is the thermostat turned to the desired cooking temperature.
Fryers

Fryers are extremely popular kitchen appliances and are used in about 85% of food service establishments. They are designed to cook chicken, fish, breaded vegetables, specialized pastries, French-fried potatoes and other foods.
The cooking medium for all fryers is hot oil, also known as shortening, frying compound or fat. The quality of the final food product largely depends on the quality of the oil. Oil is expensive, ranging from 30 to 75 cents per pound (a fryer’s capacity can range from 28 to 110 pounds), and so should be filtered often to prolong its life.

   Categories:
Fryers are available in two main categories: conventional open fryers and pressure fryers. In a survey of 3,700 eating and dining establishments in the U.S., the National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers found that commercial food service facilities owned an estimated 792,000 fryers – 59% deep-fat floor models, 27% deep-fat counter models, and 14% pressure fryers. This study excluded institutional, recreational and retail food service facilities, which would push the figure up to an estimated 1.4 million units.
   Types:
Open, deep fat fryers – This most common type of fryer comes in a variety of sizes,ranging from a counter top model to a large, stand-alone unit containing multiple frypots.
Electric vs. Gas

Electric fryers preheat in 6 to 7 min. while gas fryers take 12 to 15 min. to reach full operating temperature. Note: Preheat is directly proportionate to recovery.

Many factors are considered when selecting fryers, including cost, productivity, and ease of operation, as well as whether to use electricity or gas. Energy accounts for only three to five percent of a food service establishment’s total costs. So the best choice in cooking equipment is the one that minimizes total operating costs, not just energy costs. Features that reduce labor costs or result in higher food product yield will almost always outweigh any energy considerations, even if one fuel is less expensive when compared BTU to BTU.
Heat Source
Electric units have heating elements submerged in the bottom of the frypot. These are fixed in position or hinged to the main structure of the fryer. Hinged units can be lifted out of the frypot for easy cleaning. They can be high watt density (calrod) or low watt density (firebar). The low watt density units are more efficient.
Gas units have burners outside the frypot. Some more advanced units have fire tubes that extend through the frypot and transfer more heat to the oil. These fire tubes often contain baffles to improve heat transfer and reduce the amount of heat wasted by escaping up the flue.
Cold Zone
Most fryers have a cold zone, which is a small portion of the frypot bottom extending below the heat source. When particles of food, batter and breading escape from the basket, they sink to the bottom and collect in the cold zone, where they stop cooking. This prevents them from burning and degrading the oil, which lengthens the life of the oil. This design also creates a natural convective flow of oil throughout the frypot; cooler oil continuously recirculates with hot oil. Allowing the oil to cool in this manner reduces oil breakdown as well.
Efficiency

Here are a few common-sense operating tips to save money with a fryer:
  • Turn the fryer off or down to an idling temperature during slack periods when the unit is not in use.

  • Operate the fryer at the proper temperature – 325° to 350°F. Excessive temperatures (over 400°F) waste energy and often result in improperly cooked food and premature oil breakdown.

  • Do not load the fryer baskets beyond the manufacturer’s recommended capacity. This is usually one-half to two-thirds full. Overloading results in poor food quality.

  • Check fat levels frequently. Low fat levels can cause premature oil breakdown.

  • Drain and strain the oil frequently. This saves oil and preserves food quality.

  • Keep the units clean ad properly maintained.
EFC Member Fryer Manufacturers:
The following are our members that manufacture and sell fine quality electric fryers.  Please click on the manufacurer's icon below and you will be taken directly to their website page that features fryers.
Pressure fryers – These are equipped with a special lid designed to keep vapors inside the fryer while cooking.      The fry vessel captures steam from cooked food, increasing the pressure inside the unit until no more moisture is released from the food (pressure inside the vessel is between 5 and 12 PSI). This helps seal in juices, which improves food taste and reduces the amount of oil absorbed by the food. It also means shorter cooking cycles, making the unit more productive than open vessel units. These are especially popular for cooking fried chicken.

Specialty fryers – There are also fryers available for specific needs. One example is the doughnut fryer or flat bottom. This unit has a wide but shallow frypot designed for cooking doughnuts and other fried pastries. The convection fryer is an open vessel design that improves the cooking process by circulating hot oil around the food the way a convection oven circulates hot air.
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