How to cut cooking oil costs remains one of the big challenges facing kitchens. What role can equipment play in addressing this dilemma – and what advice should dealers be giving to customers that are desperate to save money? Catering Insight asked the top fryer suppliers for their views on the matter.
When it comes to the fryer market, oil consumption has always been one of the biggest topics and an understandable area of concern for operators, especially in a climate of rampant price inflation. Oil Seal Manufacturer
In fact, it is estimated that in some areas the price of cooking oil has risen by as much as 140% in the last six months alone.
Given that oil remains one of the largest consumables items for kitchens, operators are turning their attention to equipment that can really assist with their plight.
Fortunately, fryer manufacturers continue to come up with innovative ways to assist with reducing oil consumption and oil costs.
Pitco designed its Reduced Oil Volume (ROV) fryers with the express purpose of providing savings of up to 50% on oil costs by offering automatic filtration and oil top-off.
“Whereas traditional fryers use approximately 24 litres of oil, a Pitco ROV fryer uses approximately 11 litres of oil, but this doesn’t make the ROV fryer any less efficient, as it takes less time for the oil to heat up, and the automatic filtration helps to prolong the lifespan of the oil,” says Lana Wynn Davies, European marketing manager at Middleby UK, which sells the brand.
“The current ever-changing economic environment causes unpredictability and uncertainty with regards to the cost of consumables. Therefore it is more important than ever to consider ways to reduce oil consumption, in order to maximise savings,” she says.
Valentine has been a leading manufacturer of commercial fryers and frying equipment for more than 70 years. To maximise oil efficiency, its fryers feature an innovative tank design which can reduce the amount of oil required to produce a similar level of food to other units. This high output-to-oil ratio allows chefs to serve their menu using less oil.
As well as the unique design of the fryers, Valentine offers additional tools to help reduce the cost of cooking oil, points out sales director Steve Elliott.
“Built-in, pumped oil filtration that is found on Valentine equipment, or the use of the latest in portable filtration equipment from Vito – part of the Valentine portfolio – can help to extend the life of a kitchen’s cooking oil. This leads to three clear benefits: greater consistency, longer oil life and less need to dispose of used cooking oil. The use of oil filtration can help a business to significantly reduce costs over the life of the commercial fryer.”
When it comes to cutting oil costs, Henny Penny is another brand whose fryers truly come into their own. Its Evolution Elite series fryers automatically switch to ‘Idle Mode’ after a period of inactivity, therefore dropping the oil temperature to extend the life of the oil whilst saving operators further energy. By removing the cold zone to allow for a smaller fry vat, the Evolution Elite can also cook products in up to 40% less oil than traditional models.
“It cleverly monitors oil levels, and even automatically replenishes the fry vat from an oil reservoir inside the fryer cabinet, therefore eradicating the need for staff to re-fill oil by hand,” he explains.
“What’s more, Smart Touch Filtration automatically filters out debris, and returns hot, freshly filtered oil to the fry vat within four minutes. Smart Touch Filtration also helps to further extend the life of frying oil, improve product quality, reduce oil costs and reduce the need for cleaning. In addition, fry vats can be filtered one at a time, so users can continue cooking without interruption.”
While the latest fryers can assist with many elements of oil management, including oil testing and monitoring, an element of human interaction tends to be required to achieve best operational practice. But the good news is that oil management can be further streamlined to reduce this need further.
Jestic also distributes equipment from Frontline which automates the collection, storage, handling and disposal of cooking oil and grease from fryers and other cooking appliances. Its systems facilitate the fully automated top-up of fresh oil and the removal of waste oil to a storage tank ready for collection – all without a single drop being spilled.
“To empty used oil from fryers, Frontline has a plumbed-in, pump station option which can move oil along to a storage tank at the push of a button, or if plumbing isn’t feasible wheeled caddies can be rolled under fryers to receive waste oil which can be pumped into the tank,” says Eyre. “A pumped mobile caddy is also available,” he adds.
The used oil storage tanks are constructed from heavy-gauge stainless steel, available in a variety of sizes for either internal or external use and incorporate heat pads to keep the oil liquid. They also feature anti-theft electronic locking mechanisms and are linked to a data-fed web interface, so operators have full accountability of used cooking oil volumes and can maximise their used oil rebates.
David Chesshire, national accounts manager at Blue Seal, suggests that when purchasing a fryer and oil, operators should always consider the oil capacity against production rate, burner efficiency and recovery rate, as well as a true cool zone in gas fryers to help prolong the oil life.
“Blue Seal V ray gas fryers are our premium fryer and burner system, which come at a higher price compared to some competitors’ gas models. However, the fuel efficiency, cost saving, performance and stainless steel high build quality far outweigh the additional initial cost to the operator,” he insists.
Blue Seal’s Evolution GT60, GT46 and GT45 gas fryers have a premium feature benefit of all using its patented V Ray burner system. “This system uses infrared technology, radiating the heat into the tank and only heating the area of oil the baskets are sitting in. This promotes incredibly fast recovery rates. High efficiency for limited fuel consumption provides a true cool zone in conjunction with the specially-shaped tank,” says Chesshire.
Of course, not every kitchen is in a position to be able to swap out their current fryers for the new generation of more efficient systems right now. So what is the advice for operators that can’t yet make the switch?
Valentine says that its range of portable oil filtration solutions from Vito can help drive efficiencies and extend fryer oil life for operators that need to sweat their assets for the time being.
“Without the need for any additional chemicals, the Vito range helps to preserve the optimal taste, colour and texture of fried foods, removing food particles and harmful carbon from the oil,” says Steve Elliott.
“What’s more, Vito equipment can extend oil life, ultimately reducing costs by as much as 50%, while also enhancing safety, reducing workload and helping contribute to a more sustainable environment by lowering an operator’s carbon footprint.”
The largest model in the Vito range – the VL – is capable of filtering up to 100 litres of hot oil per minute and operates via a standard 13-amp plug for complete flexibility.
“The benefit of filtering cooking oil can be huge, with some foodservice operators experiencing a 400% extension in oil life and cooking results that are as consistent at the beginning of the oil cycle as they are at the end,” says Elliott.
“Thanks to the unique design of the models in Vito’s portable range, the equipment also eliminates the need for an operator to come into direct contact with hot oil. Once a cycle has finished and the unit has cooled, the filter box and drip tray can be placed directly into the dishwasher. For added convenience, genuine Vito filters are not only food-safe, but also completely biodegradable, furthering sustainability,” he adds.
With soaring prices and supply chain uncertainties at the forefront of operators’ minds, Jestic says that its team is increasingly being asked for advice on ways to further energy savings and maximise oil life without affecting oil quality.
Michael Eyre says it has some key tips which can make a difference: “By implementing a few small changes such as regular filtering, not over-filling frying baskets, ensuring the oil is at the right temperature before lowering the basket and regularly testing oil quality, operators can dramatically improve the condition of their oil and therefore extend oil life.”
Henny Penny’s prime filter powder also works to further extend oil life by acting as a magnet in unfiltered frying oil, attracting and clinging to food debris, soluble liquid impurities and dissolved tastes and odours.
Wynn Davies at Middleby insists frequent filtration holds the key to the size of operators’ savings. “The more you filter your oil, the longer its lifespan will be and the better product you will serve to your customer. If you are not able to upgrade to a more efficient fryer such as the Pitco ROV, you should consider investing in a portable filtration system.”
With the right kitchen regime, and one eye on which systems are most efficient, operators can take back control of their spiralling oil costs.
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