Understanding Restaurant Equipment: A Variety of Fryers

May 15, 2018

You may think of a fryer as a simple machine with a basket and hot oil.

If you do, you don’t quite understand this restaurant equipment. You’re missing out on the enormous range of different fryers available! The truth is there are four very different types of commercial fryers, each with their own ideal uses and space requirements. So whether you own a food truck, a small store, or a large restaurant, you can find a fryer perfect for you!

Tube Fryer

A tube fryer has a series of tubes running through the bottom of the vat. They house gas-powered burners, allowing even heat distribution and good energy efficiency. A tube fryer is highly versatile and has a large “cold zone” where sediment from fried items can settle without burning. The cold zone is below the tubes, however, which can make it hard to reach and clean that area. Also, the cold zone still has oil, which means that a large cold zone uses a lot of oil that could be heated for cooking. A tube fryer is ideal restaurant equipment for high-sediment fried items like breaded cheese sticks, breaded fish, or other non-battered items. Because they are versatile, if you only have room for one fryer, this may be the best choice.

Open Pot Fryer

Open pot fryers have no tubes, heaters, or other elements inside the fryer. The bottom is wide open and easy to access and clean. The fryer narrows at the bottom into a “V” shape, which is where the cold zone is located. The cold zone is relatively small, which makes an open pot fryer better for low-sediment cooking. Things like French fries, hash browns, or other non-breaded items are ideal.  The heating element is outside the fryer, which means that it can be less energy efficient. However, it is more reliable than a tube fryer, because you don’t have baffles – which can fail – inside tubing to distribute heat.

This easy to clean restaurant equipment is a great choice if you don’t cook a lot of highly breaded items.

Flat Bottom Fryer

A flat bottom fryer is the perfect restaurant equipment for a restaurant or food cart that relies on wet batter and dough. If you spend your time cooking donuts, tempura, onion rings, or battered fish and chicken, this is the fryer you need. Heating elements in a flat bottom fryer are located outside on the bottom of the frypot. The entire bottom surface is a heat-transfer area, and there is no cold zone. Any sediment that falls off of food will continue to cook and burn, so this fryer is not a good choice for breaded items. Also, because of the design, it’s not well-suited for high-volume frying. It needs frequent filtering, but is popular on food trucks and concession stands because they are perfect for battered foods.

Electric Burner Fryers

Have a small space but still need a fryer for some food items? Or maybe you want to fry, but don’t have access to a gas outlet? An electric burner fryer can be perfect. The frypot is quite different – the burners are actually right in the oil itself. They are the most heat-efficient fryers and can recover their temperature much more quickly than the larger gas fryers we’ve covered so far. There is a cold zone below the burners, and the size of the cold zone can vary. This will be a consideration based on how much breaded food you choose to cook. The electric heating elements often lift out or hinge up to allow for easier cleaning. If you want an energy efficient model available in countertop size, the electric burner fryer can be exactly the restaurant equipment you need. Be sure to get a lift out or hinging burner model, however, to avoid frustration while cleaning!

Get the Right Restaurant Equipment Today

Choosing the right fryer for your restaurant doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We can help! Now that you understand the best fryers for each type of cooking, you can get quotes on the exact equipment you need. Contact us today for quotes and availability!

Take Advantage of Your Customer’s Technology

Take Advantage of Your Customer’s Technology

Some restaurant owners hate seeing customers snapping photos of food – it means that the food isn’t eaten at its best, and sometimes it’s a sign of a table that’s going to be slow to turn over. Then there are other owners and managers who see an opportunity. The truth...

read more
How to Reduce Turnover at Your Restaurant

How to Reduce Turnover at Your Restaurant

Having the right employees can make or break your restaurant. You can have the best food and kitchen supplies, but tension in the back of the house can cause delays, poor morale, and even the loss of key staff. You can have a beautiful dining room, but surly wait...

read more
Should Your Commercial Kitchen Consider Catering?

Should Your Commercial Kitchen Consider Catering?

As a business owner, it’s important to always be looking for new ways to grow your business. There are a lot of ways to do this, and one of the most common for many restaurants is catering. Of course, catering changes how your commercial kitchen runs a lot of the...

read more
Why Your Restaurant Needs an App

Why Your Restaurant Needs an App

We know, you’re a restaurant owner, not a developer or programmer. Let other people worry about apps, you just want to run your restaurant! The truth is if you want to have a successful establishment, you have to take advantage of the technology that brings people in....

read more
Choosing the Right Sink for Your Restaurant

Choosing the Right Sink for Your Restaurant

There are many, many pieces of kitchen equipment that are vital but often taken for granted. The kitchen sink is one of them. This workhorse of the back of the house handles a lot of jobs. Sinks give you running water as well as a place to wash either food or dishes....

read more
Restaurant Supplies You Need to Add Delivery

Restaurant Supplies You Need to Add Delivery

Delivery services are becoming more and more popular, and that’s generally good news for restaurants. The ability to order online and receive food in the comfort of home drives up sales and that’s good for revenue. And when these sales don’t require additional tables,...

read more
Should You Add a Salad Bar to Your Restaurant?

Should You Add a Salad Bar to Your Restaurant?

New Year’s is a prime time for resolutions – and one of the most common is to eat healthier and lose weight. In fact, for 2018 45% of Americans said they wanted to lose weight or get in shape for the new year. The new year might have you eyeing new options for your...

read more
How to Overcome the Seasonal Rollercoaster

How to Overcome the Seasonal Rollercoaster

Are you tired of having huge swings in your business throughout the year? Do you wish you could just have consistent, easy-to-predict income? If so, it’s time for you to get off of the seasonal rollercoaster. You might think there’s nothing you can do to overcome the...

read more
The Restaurant Supplies and Strategies You Need in 2019

The Restaurant Supplies and Strategies You Need in 2019

Are you ready for the new year? If you’re like many restaurant owners, you’re thinking about how to get through the holiday rush – both in your restaurant and in your own life. However, you can’t overlook planning for the future. It’s vital to make sure you have the...

read more
2018 Cooking Equipment Holiday Gift Guide

2018 Cooking Equipment Holiday Gift Guide

Do you know someone who loves to cook? Or are you looking for a new, special piece of cooking equipment for yourself? Whether you’re interested in home cooking or you run a restaurant, you can benefit from these gift ideas. These great cooking items will thrill...

read more
Accommodating the Keto Diet at Your Restaurant

Accommodating the Keto Diet at Your Restaurant

The keto diet – a low-carb, high-fat combination – has been gaining a lot of traction in the last couple of years. As a restaurant, it’s vital that you are able to accommodate your diners’ needs. More than that, having popular options on the menu can help bring people...

read more
Restaurant Supplies You Need to Prepare for a Power Outage

Restaurant Supplies You Need to Prepare for a Power Outage

It happens to all of us. You’re going on, doing just fine, and suddenly…Dark. The power is out. And of course, you have no idea how long it will last. Fortunately, you have the restaurant supplies and process in place to weather the storm without losing your...

read more
Considerations when Converting a Food Truck to a Restaurant

Considerations when Converting a Food Truck to a Restaurant

Your food truck has been successful, and you have a loyal following. So loyal, in fact, that you struggle to serve them all each day. Customers have started to ask you when you’re going to open a restaurant. It started as a teasing suggestion, but it’s become more...

read more
Tips for Great Plating & Why it Matters

Tips for Great Plating & Why it Matters

You may have heard that we “eat with our eyes” before we physically eat food. That’s why pictures are so important – on menus, in cookbooks, online, and more. It isn’t just a gimmick – the truth is that the way food looks and smells actually changes our experience of...

read more