Fixin’ The Kitchen With CPS: How To Keep Your Deep Fryer In Peak Condition

Depending on the menu your restaurant serves, the performance of your deep fryer can really make or break an amazing meal. Whether you’re frying potatoes, chicken, seafood, pastries, onions, mozzarella sticks, or any other food, Americans have creatively fried since the debut of the deep fryer in the 1970s, your customers are going to be extra satisfied by anything prepared in a clean, well-maintained deep fryer.

Despite the wide range of foods that can be prepared in deep fryers, there are only a handful of important universal tips you need to know to keep your frying equipment in the best possible condition. A lot of these measures are preventative – the better care you take of your deep fryer on a daily basis translates to fewer problems during your monthly and yearly inspections, costing you much less in the long run.

Here are a few preventative maintenance tips to keep your fryer in its best shape possible in between inspections:

  • Clean it every day: This sounds like a lot of work, but it’s well worth it in the long run to keep your fryer working its best. Whoever operates your fryer should clean the surfaces of the machine at the end of the day, which will eliminate any harmful buildup of oil residue and keep the food preparation space neat and tidy. Another helpful tip is to clean the floor around the fryer in case of any splatter – you don’t want anyone slipping on oil in your kitchen!
  • Use the right quality oil for the food you prepare: Depending on what you are cooking in your fryer, it’s imperative to the quality of your food and the maintenance of your fryer that you are using the highest quality oil and changing it as soon as it’s needed. Make sure your fryer operator is familiar with the temperature controls for the oil – if the oil is too hot, you’ll have to change the oil more frequently than necessary and run the risk of burning your food. Using a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut or canola oil, is ideal for preparing the tastiest fried foods.
  • Change your oil as frequently as needed: If the fryer is used regularly in the day-to-day operations of your kitchen, the oil probably needs to be changed at least twice a week – if the fryer is used less frequently, you might need to only change your oil once every few weeks. You’ll need to figure out the right cadence for your kitchen depending on how much fried food you’re serving! You’ll know when to change the oil if:
    • The oil is smoking or smells like it’s burning.
    • The taste of the food is off – someone in your kitchen should regularly sample the fried foods to make sure the fried layer doesn’t taste burnt or stale.
    • The color of the food darkens – if your fryer is producing foods with a darker-than-usual tint, this is a sign your oil needs to be changed.
  • Deep clean the fryer every 3-6 months: It’s important to “boil out” your fryer every few months – this process entails draining the frying oil, loading the vat with warm water and a mild cleaning solution, turning on the fryer to bring the water to a simmer (don’t let it boil!) and scrubbing out the insides with a bristled brush. Make sure to let the fryer dry completely before refilling with frying oil.
  • Make sure the heating elements and frying baskets stay clean: Keeping the heating elements brushed and clean allows them to heat the frying oil evenly, which cooks the food thoroughly and consistently. The frying baskets should also be cleaned at the end of every day of use – after the machine and the oil cools, the baskets should be wiped clean of any food particles and washed in the dishwasher before they are replaced in the machine, ready for another day of use.
  • Schedule yearly inspections with a CPS professional: By having your fryer inspected at least once per year, one of our professionals can catch any potential issues or weathered equipment that needs replaced before they become a bigger issue. Staying on top of your fryer maintenance will significantly increase the longevity of your machinery, improve the quality of the food you serve, and keeps costs way, way down in the long run!

At CPS, we have a dedicated proactive maintenance and emergency service program that you can take advantage of. For a reasonable monthly fee, our team of CFESA-certified service technicians will visit your establishment and conduct a thorough check-up on all your commercial kitchen equipment, including deep fryers. If your commercial deep fryer fails, that means lost time and money – we are here to make sure that doesn’t happen!

If you ever need to replace a specific part of your commercial kitchen deep fryer, CPS is the #1 company to call. We carry more than 5 million commercial kitchen OEM parts in our 40,000+ square foot warehouse, including fryer controlsthermostatscleaning brushespilot burners, and drain valves. No matter your deep fryer’s make, model, or manufacturer, we’re able to get you the right part in stock to fix any problem you encounter. And we’ll ship it to you within 24 hours! If you’re ready to properly care for your commercial deep fryer, call CPS today: