Cleaning the deep fryer is usually relegated to the newest person in the kitchen because everybody who’s cleaned a commercial deep fryer knows how much of a pain it can be. Not only does the process have the potential to be extremely messy, but can also burn you AND present falling hazards. It is, however, something which must be regularly done to keep your food at top quality.
Remove the Utensils and Baskets
The tongs and deep fry baskets should be removed from the oil and cleaned separately from the fryer itself. Removing them will simply get them out of the way for the cleaning process. The food will get its taste from all aspects of the deep frying process, so it could still taste junky if you have clean oil and a dirty deep fry basket.
Change the Filter
Before draining the oil, check to see if the filter and filtration bin need cleaning. This needs to be checked at the end of every day, especially if you use your fryer a lot. Replace the filter paper and clean out the bin if necessary.
Drain the Oil
Drain the oil into the filtration bin if you’ll reuse it, or into an oil cart for recycling if it is too old. This should be as simple as throwing a lever.
Scrape off the Crud
Whether you call these particles, drippings, cracklings, or crud, the next step is to scrape all the food that has stuck to the inside of the fryer bin. Normally this will be a ring of material near the level of the oil. They can be quite stuck on, so you might have to get an actual scraper or spatula to remove the material.
Boil Off Water
Once a quarter, you should give your fryer a deep cleaning. Put water into the vat and mix it with a cleaning solution as recommended in your manual for a boil out. Bring that vat of water to a boil, letting it coax off any remaining particles in there. Unplug the fryer and let it cool down before draining the vat into a separate container. Rinse out everything.
Refill the Deep Fryer with Oil
If you’re reusing the oil that you drained or you’re using new oil, refill the deep fryer with your oil by turning on the pump. Set the temperature to your preferred holding temp and you’re done. Otherwise, refill the vat with your preferred oil and bring it up to temperature.
Cleaning your deep fryer doesn’t have to be a serious chore, but it can be if it’s not kept up. Don’t let your fryers get dirty. Your food will thank you and your customers will thank you.
