This article will help you determine which type of fryer will serve you the best.
The two common types of commercial fryers are Countertop fryer and Floor fryer. In addition, you’ll have to choose from 2 fuel types which are the natural gas and electric type.

Here’s the pros and cons of countertop fryer and floor fryer:

Countertop Fryers

As the name suggests, they sit on top of your countertop, so take up minimal space in the kitchen.
Pros:
– Takes up less space
– Great for low-volume frying
– Portable, easy to carry out

Cons:
– May have difficulty keeping up with high-volume demand
– Slower oil heat recovery in between batches

Floor Fryers

A floor fryer takes up more space in the kitchen, but if you sell large quantities of fried foods at your restaurant, this type may be your best option.
Pros:
– Quicker Recovery
– Best for high-volume output
– Can deep fry larger food items

Cons:
– May need a larger footprint in your kitchen
– May require a hood

Next, you have to decide which fuel source meets your needs:
The fryer’s power source might be a major deciding factor when selecting a unit as your choice may be limited by your business type or location.

Natural gas

It is powered by a natural gas line or a liquid propane tank. Commercial gas deep fryers have heating elements either inside or outside of the pot.
Pros:
– More energy efficient when heating up and have a quicker heat recovery between fry cycles
– Not tied to gas line, which makes them more mobile
– Plug-and-play design is easy to install
– Ideal for small footprint kitchens, food trucks, carnivals, and pop-up restaurants
– Typically easier to clean

Cons:
-Takes longer to heat up
– Lower maximum oil temperatures

Electric

These models have multiple heating elements that come in direct contact with the frying oil.
Pros:
– Typically has more high-capacity options and is the more popular choice for high-volume operations
– Faster heat-up times and higher maximum temperatures
– Provides a gentler heat transmission than electric, which results in the oil lasting longer

Cons:
– Typically installed in a fixed location in your kitchen
– Can be expensive to install without pre-existing connections
– Typically harder to clean and maintain

Key Factors for Decision-Making

Analyzing the differences that gas and electric Commercial Deep Fryers present can help you decide which one is right for your needs. Here are some key points to look at:

Heating Speed

As with many gas-powered heating items in the kitchen, it takes less time to reach temperatures and can typically achieve higher temperatures for a gas Commercial Deep Fryer than its electric counterpart.

Recovery Time

The time it takes to recover heat between cycles can mean a faster turn-around time for your fried items, giving you the ability to cook more items in faster succession. For this, electric Commercial Deep Fryers have the advantage.

Utility Cost

It used to be that gas was typically cheaper than electric, but recently, the cost of natural gas as soared, placing it at a disadvantage to its cheaper electric counterpart.

Efficiency

Electric Commercial Deep Fryers have a heating coil that heats the oil from within the pot which gas Commercial Deep Fryers have to heat the pot first and then the oil. Thus, electric Commercial Deep Fryers are more efficient.

Portability

As with all gas-powered equipment, a natural gas line will be required as a hookup, making it less portable than a simple plug-n-go electric unit.

Menu Offerings

Not all food service operations are alike. Think over what types of food your business will fry. Donuts? Churros? Fries? Chicken? Fish? Will you need a sediment tray for better filtering?

Space Considerations

In either gas-powered or electric-powered fryer options, you can choose between the countertop or floor designs. Countertop fryers are smart choices for smaller businesses to save space while maintaining top performance efficiency. On the other hand, floor fryers are reasonable for high-volume kitchen operations. If your business sells larger quantities, meeting your customer demands with floor fryers is a breeze. Reliability and consistency are key either way.

Output

In addition to a tank’s capacity, many manufacturers will list a unit’s output in pounds, referencing the amount of french fries the unit can produce per hour. This helps operators determine if the unit is right for their volume of business, unable to keep up, or if they could save some money by going with a model with a lesser output.

In Summary

Gas-fuel types produce more BTU’s of heat in a much shorter amount of time than electric. This allows for your fryer to heat its oil quickly and maintain cooking temperatures batch after batch. Natural gas is readily available in most city locations. However, you may need to rely on propane as you approach less-populated locations.

Electric fryers have superb portability and are great in assisting your larger fryers during busy times. They are also great for lower volume occasions. Just be sure that you will have enough time for the oil to recover in between customer orders. Electric fryers are also great for cooking deep-fried baked goods such as funnel cakes, donuts and corn dogs. In these cases, less heat is wicked from the oil.

Choose the best commercial fryer type, fuel source and heating elements for your venue and you’ll be sure to get the most out of your investment.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at IKLIM if you have any questions about how to buy a commercial deep fryer.
Drop us a message and we will get back to you soon.

References

https://www.ckitchen.com/blog/2020/10/gas-vs-electric-fryer.html

https://www.dslinc.com/gas-vs-electric-fryers-the-right-one-for-your-business/

https://www.wasserstrom.com/blog/2019/06/06/how-to-choose-the-right-size-commercial-fryer/

https://altohartley.com/choosing-the-right-fryer-for-your-foodservice-operation/