Commercial fryers make the stuff people really crave — from fast food French fries and onion rings to funnel cakes at the amusement park. Considering America’s appetite for fried foods, the demand for commercial deep fryers is not likely to go away any time soon.

Commercial deep fryers take foods from frozen to golden brown in minutes and cook up to 100 pounds of food per hour to satisfy consumers’ desires for tasty, deep-fried fare. Restaurants and foodservice vendors can make the most of consumer demand for fried foods by making the best choices in commercial fryers.

In this guide to commercial deep fryers, you’ll find:

1. Information on the various kinds of commercial fryers, including considerations for gas and electric commercial fryers.
2. Advice for choosing the most energy efficient commercial fryers.
3. Tips for choosing a commercial fryer when space is limited.
4. Resources for locating quality used commercial fryers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose the right commercial fryer to meet your needs

Options for commercial deep fryers include open deep-fat fryers, pressure/kettle fryers and flat-bottom specialty fryers. Open deep-fat commercial fryers, are the most common type of fryer offering the benefits of an 'open pot' design for easy maintenance and cleaning by hand. Pressure commercial fryers are often used for frying large amounts of chicken in a short amount of time. Choose flat bottom gas commercial fryers for cooking liquid batter (donuts) and tempura-style foods.

I recommend: The Restaurant Source, Katom Restaurant Supply and Instawares offer a variety of gas commercial fryers, electric commercial fryers and pressure fryers.

Weigh the benefits of electric commercial fryers and gas commercial fryers

Gas commercial fryers tend to be less expensive to operate and have the ability to heat up faster than their electric counterparts. Electric commercial fryers are more expensive to operate but are definitely the most efficient. They also feature more safety measures and enhanced controls for temperature and time limits.

I recommend: Central Restaurant Products offers gas and electric commercial fryers ranging from economy models to high-end. The electric and gas commercial fryers at Anetsberger Brothers are made with a simple design for easy maintenance and clean-up.

Make energy efficiency a goal in choosing commercial fryers

Commercial fryers that qualify for the Energy Star rating offer shorter cook times and higher production rates. Energy Star ratings can extend to either electric or gas commercial fryers but currently only cover open commercial deep fryers.

I recommend: Aga Foodservice, Henny Penny and FryMaster are all leading manufacturers of commercial fryers that have earned the energy star rating.

Consider how space limitations can affect your choice of commercial fryers

When space is an issue, or if you need to transport commercial deep fryers, consider the benefits of portable countertop models.

I recommend: Quality countertop commercial fryers can be found through Globe Equipment Company and The WEBstaurant Store.

Save money by purchasing used commercial fryers

Many quality name-brand commercial fryers will outlast their original owner. If budget is a consideration, try locating used commercial fryers.

I recommend: NexTag, ACityDiscount Restaurant Equipment & Restaurant Supply and Instawares offer discounted and used commercial fryers. Commercial Cooking Systems offers re-conditioned pressure fryers from reputable manufacturers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You may need to purchase more than one commercial fryer since the same fryer may not work for all kinds of food.
• •  Ask yourself if the commercial fryers you are purchasing can handle your workload without downtime.
• •  Buying an energy-efficient commercial fryer may cost more upfront but can save money over the long haul.