One of the most expensive elements of using a fryer is the oil. How long it lasts is mostly down to operator usage; how often is the oil filtered and the fryer cleaned?
The whole life cost of a fryer includes the fryer itself, maintenance and operating costs, including oil.
It is not unusual for the operating cost to be 10 times purchase cost, so careful consideration should be given to the frying efficiency and the potential to save oil over the life of the unit by choosing a fryer designed to use less oil to fry a standard batch of chips, for example.
Consider what volume of food you need to fry in a deep fat fryer and what are the tunaround times? With the advent of prepared products and other methods of cooking chips, such as a combination oven, do you need a fryer?
Oil impregnated chips probably are not as healthy as correct frying in a deep fryer.
If you have two or more fryers, it is recommended to buy a filtering unit which will save substantially on oil costs.
Given sufficient volume requirement, auto basket lifts and timers help ensure consistency and quality.
What else can the fryer be used for? Some caterers only fry once a week so a unit which doubles as a pasta boiler could prove useful.

Tips from The Catering Equipment Distributors Association (www.ceda.co.uk)

Fryers with Oil Filtering

Systems include built-in filtration, mobile units to wheel up to the fryer and fryer systems which can handle multiple fryers. Prices vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, so the best thing to do before choosing a fryer solution is to check the filtering options.
Controls:
Electronic temperature controls can save energy by constantly monitoring and adjusting the temperature of the oil.
Caterers need to compare how much energy it takes to cook a standard batch (from raw-cooked or frozen-cooked) of chips, for example. The most efficient fryers will probably cost more to buy but will cost less to run. For example, a heavy-duty, high-volume and high quality fryer costed over 5 years that cooks more efficiently than the half price/ same output model could more than pay for the price difference with the savings in energy. You may also be better off - in terms of energy - with two smaller fryers, using both only at peak periods.

Servicing Fryers

Thermostats are a common cause of faults; if the oil smokes or looks cloudy at normal frying temperatures it is important to have the fryer checked by a service engineer.

Advice from The Catering for a Sustainable Future Group (www.csfg.co.uk)

Fryers in a busy kitchen are big consumers of energy for their relatively compact size.
Specifying a fryer that is large enough to cope with periods of maximum demand often results in over-capacity and wasted energy during periods of lower demand.

Energy Efficient Fryers

An energy efficient alternative is to specify either a twin-tank fryer, allowing one tank to be switched off in quiet periods, or to have two separate fyers standing alongside each other.
For electric fryers, look for heating elements that are immersed in the oil rather than relying on less efficient indirect heating.
For gas fryers, consider fryers that utilise 'pre-mix' gas and air technology for efficient combustion, and scores of tiny gas jets for fast oil heat recovery times.
For gas and electricity powered fryers, consider models with aflat bottomed tank, which use less oil to fry a given quantity of food, resulting in less energy being consumed.
Consider fryers that automatically switch to standby mode when not in use to avoid them being left at full frying temperature regardless of demand, which wastes energy and potentially damages the oil. Fryers incorporating an automatic standby mode will sense inactivity and reduce the oil temperature rather than switching the fryer off completely, allowing a quick recovery to frying temperature.
Oil filtration can be required at least once a day, depending on the volumes being cooked, to remove food debris and ensure the efficient operation of the fryer.


Advice & comments from CSC Public Sector Equipment Guide February 2010