The appeal of fried food is universal. From deep-fried tonkatsu cutlets in Japan to beer-battered fish and chips in Britain, you can easily find fried foods at any corner of the world – thanks to the allure of their characteristic crispy texture and enhanced aromatic fatty flavors.
And that is also the reason why almost any restaurant is likely to have at least one fried item (if not more) on its menu.
If you are looking to introduce fried staples into your restaurant menu or looking to replace your existing frying equipment with a better one, read on to learn why you should consider a commercial pressure fryer.
What is A Commercial Pressure Fryer?
Is this any different from normal fryers used at home or even the open fryer you are currently using in your commercial kitchen?
The answer is a resounding yes.
As the name suggests, a commercial pressure fryer relies on pressure cooking techniques – where the food and cooking oil are heated to high temperatures at high pressures within an enclosed fryer.
The main difference between a common open or deep fryer and a commercial pressure fryer is the enclosed pressurized environment. This makes a huge difference in the temperature at which the food cooks, cooking duration as well as quality and consistency of the end product.
The Science Behind Pressure Frying
Interested about what makes the end products of a pressure fryer so much tastier and more efficient than that of normal frying processes?
Reason #1:
Due to the pressure built up in the enclosed fryer, the boiling point of water increases – meaning that water needs to be heated up to a higher temperature to turn to water vapor. Because of that, most of the food’s liquids that would have been evaporated at a lower boiling point in open frying are now retained as internal moisture resulting in a much juicer end product.
Reason #2:
Pressure build-up internally also helps in increasing the overall temperature of the steam inside the fryer, allowing the food to be cooked a lot quicker. Similarly, the pressure cooker also maintains the same temperatures and pressures with every batch, ensuring consistency across all batches. In contrast, open frying does not have the luxury of consistency as temperatures can be easily affected by the environment.
Why Should You Get A Pressure Fryer for Your Commercial Kitchen?
Still undecided on whether a pressure fryer is right for your restaurant? Read on to learn why many restauranteurs and chefs have opted to invest in this essential equipment for their kitchens.
Faster Cook Times
When it comes to serving the crazy lunch and dinner crowds, there is no time to lose. You want to make sure your food is out the kitchen door as soon as possible, and you definitely do not want a slow open fryer slowing down service.
Good news! With a commercial pressure fryer, food is cooked at a much faster speed, allowing you to speed up your production batches and serve more customers (for more profits).
Better and Consistent Flavor
Apart from speed, any chef would tell you that flavor and consistency are key when serving their customers. While that is not easily achieved manually (except with lots of experience), a pressure cooker can help you get it right every time thanks to its’ mechanized heating and pressure systems.
With that, having juicer, crispier fried foods consistently in every batch cooked is possible.
Healthier
While the notion of health is quite jarring when talking about fried foods, it is essential to note that pressure frying is a much healthier way of cooking compared to other high-volume fryers.
Based on Henny Penny’s Velocity Series OXE product line, food cooked with this range’s pressure cooker uses 25% less oil compared to traditional fryers.
Cost-Effective
Notably, the reduced amount of oil used is not just a health benefit, but also a significant cost-benefit. With less oil used and the ability to maintain the quality of the oil for longer helps restaurants save on oil consumption in the long run. Similarly, faster cooking times also help to save energy used as well!
Now doesn’t that sound cost-effective?
Convinced of the many benefits that a pressure fryer can bring about for your restaurant? The next step is to look for a suitable one for your business needs.
Looking for the Best Pressure Fryer?
When it comes to an important investment like this, there are several key areas you need to take note of:
Features
If the pressure fryer is to be an essential piece of equipment in your kitchen, it should come equipped with as many features to make the workflow in the kitchen as smooth as possible. So look out for special features that can help your team reduce their workload. After all, you want to maximize your floor space as much as possible.
For instance, Henny Penny’s Model 500/ 600 – an all-purpose “workhorse” – comes with the following exciting features:
- Uses up to 40% less oil
- Has a feature to top-off oil automatically – no need for your staff to handle dangerously hot oils
- A smart filtration filter system – that helps to maintain the oil quality between batches
- Up to 40 pre-set cook programs so that even new staff can cook the menu with a simple touch of a button
- And many more
When it comes to investments in foodservice equipment as such, you want to make sure you look for a trusted partner who will be there for you every step of the way.
A Trusted Brand
From providing customized product recommendations based on your needs, purchasing assistance to a 5-year proactive preventive maintenance plan, you can rest assured that you will be taken care of when you purchase from Henny Penny.
Interested to learn more about our range of commercial pressure fryers? Schedule a demo with Five Point today!
