Safe Operations: Fryer Maintenance
Proper maintenance prolongs the life span of fryers. But it also nets other benefits, including improvements in food quality and kitchen safety.
By Kate Leahy, Senior Associate Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, September 30, 2009
|
On the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs,” host Mike Rowe seeks out tasks that the average American would deem grimy, dirty, or just plain tough. In one episode, Rowe was charged with cleaning a deep fryer at a busy Mexican restaurant. While doing so, he probably learned something that veteran foodservice operators know all too well: Fryer maintenance, though not especially enjoyable, is a crucial part of running any restaurant that uses a deep fryer.
It’s a reality of which Chris Mullins, owner of McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Philadelphia, is well aware. The popular 160-year-old establishment devotes a large portion of its menu to fried appetizers, including French fries, onion rings, breaded shrimp, chicken tenders, fried cheese and, most popular of all, Buffalo wings. “We do mega-batches of wings,” Mullins says, estimating that he serves 600 to 1000 pounds of wings per week.
All of the fried items come out of two 40-pound-capacity, stainless-steel gas fryers, which are scrubbed down every night by one of the cooks. Additionally, cooks filter the oil at least twice a day to remove stray fried items. The attention pays off: Although fryers typically have a life span of five years, McGillin’s oldest fryer is going on six. “By keeping the oil filtered and clean, you get a better product and a longer life out of your fryer,” Mullins says.
|
| Fried fish is a favorite at McGillin’s Olde Ale House. |
Keeping fryers and fryer oil well-maintained is more than just another dirty job. In addition to lengthening the life span of the equipment, proper maintenance prevents the oil from breaking down and turning rancid before it’s scheduled for a change. And when kitchen staff members are vigilant about fryer maintenance, they’re less likely to incur fryer-related injuries.
Focus on Filtering
As operators move away from hydrogenated oils to trans-fat-free varieties, some are finding that they pay more upfront for their oil. To slow the oil’s breakdown process, they’re filtering it two or more times a day, as Mullins’ crew does. Filtering has a physical benefit for fryers, too. By removing the bits of extra breading or errant fries from the oil through routine filtering, operators avoid the accumulation of buildup in the oil vat that can shorten a fryer’s life span.
Cleaning fryers at McGillin’s is a straightfoward task. The oil from fryer tanks is strained through paper filters into a large pot. The fryers are then scrubbed down. Once the tanks are clean and dry, the filtered oil is poured back in.
Still, more operators are moving away from manual filtration. Straining oil from the two fryers at Taste at the Seattle Art Museum is as easy as lifting a lever. The fryer drains oil through a central filter, and then it’s pumped back into the tank. “If you are efficient, it’s a seven-minute process,” says Craig Hetherington, Taste’s executive chef.
Using centralized filtration systems is common at high-volume chains. At locations of Wings Over, an Agawam, Mass.-based chicken chain, five fryers, each with an oil capacity of 80 pounds, share one automatic oil-filtration unit.
Fryer Beware
No matter the fryer or filtration system, there’s no question that fryers require careful attention during their operation and cleaning. In September, several employees in a Kenosha, Wis., restaurant suffered burns when a high-pressure fryer exploded because of a loose fryer lid.
“Fryers are major safety hazards,” says Jim Webb, principal of Webb Design, a Tustin, Calif.-based foodservice consulting firm. He points to three common sources of fryer mishaps: incorrect use of filtering systems, the transfer of heavy pots of oil across the kitchen, and the placement of fryers next to pasta cookers or shelves where water or products can splash into oil.
Yet there are simple solutions, including filtration retraining for employees and moving fryers to less hazardous locations. When it comes to oil removal, a third-party provider can be a good option. Mullins started buying oil in bulk from an oil-management company. The company removes old oil from the fryers and fills tanks with a fresh supply. “We wanted to improve the safety behind the disposal of the product,” Mullins explains. And hauling used oil out the back door was one dirty job he was happy to outsource.
Contact writer at kate.leahy@reedbusiness.com
|
Temperature Control
In the old days, the first cook to arrive before service cranked up the fryer, and it would often stay on for the rest of the day. But as operators become more aware of their energy consumption, many are training staff to run fryers at lower temperatures during service and then turn them down or off when they’re not in active use.
Apart from offering energy savings, cooking with lowered temperatures has an added benefit: It preserves the life of the oil. At Taste, Executive Chef Craig Hetherington keeps fryers between 340F and 350F during service. Chris Mullins, owner of McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Philadelphia, favors an even lower temperature: between 325F and 335F. But he has to stay after his staff to keep the temperature turned down, given that lowering temps lengthens cooking times. “Employees like to push the temperature higher to get food out [faster],” he says.
-
Its quite enlightening and true,will put this recomendations in use and also share with my colleagues. B8ES3
James Machayo - 10/18/2009 4:59:00 AM PDT
No related content found.
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
