Commercial Deep Fryer Maintenance Checklist

6 Important Maintenance Tips for Your Restaurant Deep Fryer

If you own one of the 647,288 restaurants in America, there's a good chance you'll have a restaurant deep fryer in your kitchen. In light of this, we've put together a list of handy maintenance tips that'll help your fryer stand the test of time. Let's dive into everything you need to know about commercial fryer maintenance!

1. Clean It Every Day

How often should a commercial deep fryer be cleaned? The answer is easy - every day!

This may sound tedious, but you need to ensure the fryer gets cleaned every day. Bring this to the attention of the kitchen staff, more specifically, whoever operates the fryer. While you don’t need to change the oil every day, cleaning the fryer daily is essential for keeping things running smoothly.

At the very minimum they'll need to:

  • Clean the exterior of the machine.

Our best advice for cleaning a deep fryer is to remove the fry basket and run it through a dishwasher cycle and then blot it dry with paper towels or a clean cloth.

It's important to do this before putting the basket back into the vat because you don't want a slippery floor; this is a health hazard for your employees!

2. Clean After You Change the Frying Oil

As you probably already know, the cooking oil heats in the vat via the heating elements that are immersed in oil.

Therefore, it's imperative that in addition to your daily cleaning, you also clean the heating components whenever there's an oil change.

This entails brushing the food particles away; this allows the heat to transmit evenly, so the food cooks appropriately.

3. Deep Clean

A daily scrub isn't enough; your fryer requires a deep clean once every three to six months.

Here's what to do:

  • Drain the fryer oil from the machine.
  • Then, load the vat with warm water and a cleaning solution.
  • Now, turn on the fryer, so the water simmers, don't let it get so warm that it starts to boil.
  • Grab a soft brush and scour the inside.

When you're done, allow the fryer to dry.

While there are many ways to deep clean a commercial deep-fat fryer, the boil-out method is often considered one of the most thorough, since it does include bringing the water to a boil. This involves draining all the grease from the machine as well as taking the time to clean the drain line with a fryer cleaning rod as well. The next step is to rinse the fryer with hot water before filling it with cool water and a deep-fat fryer cleaner. The final step is to bring the water to a slow boil and let it go for 20 minutes.

After, let the fryer drain slowly and remove all residue before adding new oil. Deep cleaning every so often helps your machine run smoothly and ensures the oil is fresh.

4. Get a Professional Inspection

You should also get a professional inspection by a food service technician, annually. This is by far the most reliable way of ensuring that any weathered components are detected so you can replace them.

Deep Fryer Oil Cleaning Tips

In addition to regular cleaning and commercial air fryer maintenance, you need to be careful about the quality of the fryer oil you use.

Firstly, you should aim to keep the oil within the recommended temperature range. Every fryer should have temperature control, so familiarize yourself with how it works and use it!

Yes, higher temperatures usually cook things quicker, but it doesn't make it suitable for the fryer.

Find the optimum temperature for your model, and stick to it when you're cooking (you should find this information in the handbook that came with the machine, or if you don't have that, Google the make of your fryer to find out more info).

When you overheat the oil, you run the risk of burning it and the food you're cooking tastes terrible!

In addition to maintaining your oil temperature, you need to filter it. This is necessary for keeping your fryer oil clean, plus it's another surefire technique for lengthening the lifespan of the oil. While you should still change your commercial deep fryer oil after every few uses, a filter can help ensure the quality of the oil, and therefore the food you’re making remains high quality.

Plus, using a commercial oil filter for your fryer drastically improves the quality of the oil and hence the taste of whatever it is you're frying- win-win!

To do this, you usually need to change the oil using an external oil filtration system. Utilizing one of these will almost double the life of your oil!

How Often Should You Clean Deep Fryer Oil?

If you're using the fryer on a regular basis, you'll probably need to change the oil at least twice a week. However, if your business uses this machine less frequently, you'll only need to change the oil once every couple of weeks.

If you don't know how to tell if the oil needs changing, here are a few indicators to watch out for:

  • The smell: If you can smell burning, you probably need to change the oil.
  • The taste of the food you're cooking: you should regularly taste a sample of the food you're preparing to ensure it doesn't have a stale or burnt tinge to it. If it does, again, the oil probably needs changing.
  • The color of the food: If the food you're cooking looks darker than usual, then there's a chance that there are burnt spots in the vat. Again, this suggests the oil needs changing.

As you get to grips with your business, you'll start to notice a pattern in the frequency of oil changes. However, in the meantime, these four signs give an excellent idea of when the oil needs refreshing.

Remember that deep fryer oil maintenance is just as important as regularly cleaning the interior and exterior of your machine. To learn more, check out our guide to Commercial Fryer Oil Filtration Systems.

Was This Commercial Deep Fryer Maintenance Checklist Helpful?

If you enjoyed these commercial fryer maintenance tips that'll help keep your restaurant deep fryer running smoothly, then you'll love the other articles on our blog.

Over there we discuss everything from commercial restaurant equipment to how to choose commercial refrigeration. Enjoy!

Alternatively, if you have any questions about deep fryers or commercial kitchens, in general, please feel free to reach out and contact us.

Comments

  1. comment authorGerri Jul 27, 2021

    Yes, I took an oil course years ago that had 7 breakdowns of oil. I use peanut oil and it is too high. Can you give me more suggestions on whether I should use a powder when filtering?

  2. comment authorAmy Saunders Nov 21, 2021

    Thank you for reminding us to at least clean the outer part of a deep fryer at the end of the day. The owner of a doughnut shop in my neighborhood has been experiencing slight difficulties in operating the tool lately. I'll ask her to ask for professional help to resolve the issue quickly.

  3. comment authorCharlotte Fleet Dec 6, 2021

    I like how you suggest changing the oil in your restaurant's deep fryer if your notice a burning smell. I think it would be crucial to hire a professional oil collection service for the used oil from your restaurant so it is disposed of properly. It was good to learn the many tips you provided about maintaining your restaurant's deep fryer and oil.

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