Posts Tagged ‘how to clean an electric fryer’

One of our readers started a new job as a cook in a large public school kitchen.  He wanted to know what the right procedure is for cleaning a large commercial deep fryer and how he should drain the oil out.

How Do I Drain Oil Out Of A Large Commercial Deep Fryer?

While the specifics will vary depending on the fryer model, the procedure is basically the same for all commercial deep fryers.  First you will need to turn off the fryer and possibly unplug the cord from the unit.  Then after the oil has cooled down you should look for a drain near the bottom or sides of the unit.

Wondering when you should clean out your deep fryer?  Read our guide to see if you need to change your deep frying oil.

If you find one, then you can just drain the oil from there into a disposable container.  If there’s no drain then you will have to remove the oil from the reservoir.  Luckily, most of these reservoirs are removable so you can lift it out of the fryer for easy cleaning.

Pour or scoop out all the oil into a throw away container and scrape off any build up from the sides of the oil tub with a metal bench scraper.  You can then wash the metal tub with dish detergent and give it a good scrub.  It is important that you get rid of as much burnt on food and rancid oil as possible

Next you will want to dry it as much as possible and install it back into the fryer.  Hook up anything that you disconnected to take the tub out and refill it with fresh vegetable oil.

Cleaning A Professional Deep Fryer With A Foam Oil Cleaner

Alternatively, your kitchen may have a policy that they keep their deep fryers clean with a specialized deep fryer cleaner.  You would still need to drain out all the old oxidized oil, but you do not have to wash the inside of the deep fryer.  Instead you can just fill it up with water and the amount of foam cleaner that’s needed.  Then you just let the mixture sit and heat up on low heat for about 30 minutes to several hours.  The water will start to get foamy as it removes all the old oil.  Afterwards you can just drain out the dirty water and refill the deep fryer with clean frying oil.

Due to the high temperatures of deep frying food, the cooking oil used in your Electric Deep Fryer will over time become rancid tasting.  The rancidity is caused by several factors.  They are oxidation, the formation of polymers, and acrylamide formation from starchy foods exposed to high temperatures (french fries, bread, potato chips).

These substances are toxic and for the health of your family, you should change your oil every three months or as soon as your oil starts to become rancid, whichever occurs first.

You can tell if your oil is spoiled by the following tests.

• Color: your oil turned from a light golden color to a dark brown
• Texture: your oil is thick and has a syrup like consistency
• Cooking: when you heat your oil, you get smoke or foam at the surface
• Taste: your oil has a rancid odor and taste

If any of the above is true, then it’s time to change the oil in your Electric Deep Fryer.  Of course, you can make your oil last longer and avoid rancidity by using an Electric Deep Fryer with a cover and periodically filtering your oil to remove leftover bits of starch.  The DeLonghi D895UX Cool Touch ROTO Electric Fryer is a good model which has a built in filter and cover.