The cooking oil in a commercial fryer degrades in quality over time and needs to be replaced on a regular basis. The frequency with which you need to replace the oil depends upon what you cook, how much of it you cook and how often.

No matter how often you use a commercial fryer,
there are several strategies you can employ to improve oil quality and lifespan

• Do not heat oil above 355° F

• Lower the temperature to 250° F when the fryer is not in use
• Shake out food product away from the fryer tank to knock off any
  loose particles and prevent them from ending up in the cooking oil
• Do not season food over the fryer tank
• Use only stainless steel fry baskets and utensils
• Skim food particles from the top layer of oil frequently throughout the day
• Shut down and cover the tank at the end of the day or during long breaks in use

Use a heating oil filtration system to filter out food bits and debris from the cooking oil at the end of each day of use. A fryer filter works by draining heating oil from the fryer tank, circulating it through a filter that strains out unwanted particles and returning the cleaned oil to the fryer tank. This is vital to preventing the carbonization of the cooking oil.


No matter what you do, eventually it will be time to replace the cooking oil in your fryer. Degraded oil can pose serious health risks to your customers and can also become a food safety risk for you because reduced performance means food product may not heat to the correct temperature.

 

The best way to determine when it’s time to replace the cooking oil is to use a testing kit. These usually consist of a small paper strip that reacts with compounds in the cooking oil. When it’s time to change the oil, the strip will turn red. Fryer oil that appears discolored or foams when heated should also be replaced immediately.

It is also important to boil out fryers regularly to burn fat and carbon buildup off the heating elements and the tank. These deposits can become corrosive and cause severe damage to the fryer. Be sure to clean the inside of the fryer regularly as well, the most logical opportunity for this being when you replace the heating oil.

Start by scrubbing out the inside of the fryer tank with soapy water. Afterwards, rinse the tank thoroughly and then scrub it with a vinegar-water mix. This will counteract any soap left inside the fryer tank, which can become extremely corrosive at high heats.