Oven adapts to frying
As part of moves to enforce government nutritional guidelines and reduce fat in children's diet, Surrey school meals catering service SCS has introduced new Rational Frybaskets to the combi-steamer cooking facilities serving 400 of its schools. The trays are specially designed to hold oven chips and other pre-fried foods (such as fish cakes and country style potatoes)in quantities of up to 20kg.
Despite a fill height three times greater than normal trays, the method is said to retain greater moisture and avoid the seared brown areas which can occur with traditional baking.
www.rational-ag.com
Rational
Time machine
The Watch Volume system fitted to Swiss-made Gastrofrit deep fryers is designed to obtain optimum cooking results irrespective of how much food is placed in the basket. The system computes a temperature rate change against product type to obtain an exact cooking time appropriate to the amount of food. The fryers are made in four sizes, all electrically heated: 7.2kW, with 7 litre tank; 10kw/12litre; 14kW/17 litre and 2 x 7.2k2 x 7 litres. Prices, including the Watch Volume system, range from £2183 to £4395.
Cook & Hold
www.cateringequip.co
Conveyor frying system
Food producers and central kitchens cooking large quantities of popular ethnic snacks like bhajis, samosas, pakora and poppadums can specify conveyorised fryers in a wide choice of sizes and configurations from Coat & Fry International.
Various conveyor systems are available and can be tailored to requisite product characteristics eg, dry, buoyant and semi-buoyant, battered/breadcrumbed, etc
The equipment is constructed in stainless steel and fryer kettles in single or multiple configurations can be heated directly or indirectly by gas, electricity or oil. Ancillary equipment available includes filtration and overnight oil storage.
www.coatandfry.co.uk
Coat & Fry International
Baby fryers
For light duty and occasional frying, Ital countertop fryers range from the FR4 single pan 4 litre starter model, priced at £169, to the double pan 8 litre FR8/2. Features include easy to clean stainless-steel interiors and exteriors , adjustable thermostats from 150-190°C, a cool zone and mechanical safety block.
www.apuro.co.uk
Apuro
Adding automation
With the computer control facility available on Valentine VC electric fryers, probes in the tank react to oil temperature change when product is added and adjust the cooking time, achieving optimum results irrespective of variations in the quantity and temperature of products being cooked. Other built-in control features include a filter system which is preset with either the number of fries or weight of food fried to indicate when the oil needs filtering.
An energy-saving facility switches down oil temperature during quiet periods. The VC fryers, which are increasingly used at branches of the Wimpy chain, come in single pan versions with 7.2 and 11kW electric rating while twin pan and wide-pan versions are made in 14.4 and 22kW. Price start at £1900 for single pan fryer and £3200 for a twin pan.
Valentine Equipment
Open pan models
Open fryers with the option of computer control and automatic basket lift have been added to the extensive Henny Penny range, best-known for its pressure fryers. The Autolift models enable a wide range of foods to be left to cook on their own, reducing staff input into the cooking process to just pressing buttons and handling baskets to and from the fryer.
The system is thought to be particularly suitable for applications where staff both cook and work the counter since baskets rise automatically to drain when the desired level of cooking is completed. Fryers are available in gas and electric as single, double, triple and quadruple well installations. Each well takes two baskets which can be operated independently. Outputs start around 35kg of fries per hour.
www.servequip.co.uk
Servequip
Fryworks
The Fryworks fully enclosed computer-controlled fryer only takes 25 seconds to cook a batch of fries thanks to the use of special potato powder mix which is mixed with water to form a paste and then extruded to produce strips of potato which deep-fry rapidly. A built-in HEPA filter minimises emission of cooking smells. Machines can be purchased outright at £16,600 or obtained on various lease rental and loan partnership arrangements.
Fryworks UK
Easy clean
The armoured heating elements on Mareno F12°C deep fryers can be rotated through a full 90 degrees for easy and thorough cleaning of the fry pans, which have capacities of 12 or 15 litres and are heated by high-efficiency stainless steel torch burners equipped with a safety cut-off valves.
Other fitments include supplementary safety thermostats and temperature adjustment from 60 to 190°C.
Dawson Foodservice Equipment
Optimum heat transfer
The Elite range of high-volume deep fryers available from Imperial employs a tube-fired gas heating for optimum heat transfer and rapid recovery. Fryers can be supplied singly or banked in groups of from two to six units and come with a choice of mechanical, solid state or computer control.
Standard features include stainless steel fry-pot with deep cool zone to trap food particles below the fry area, high-efficiency cast iron burners, snap acting thermostat ranging from 93 to 204°C and a 1.25 inch ball valve which drains oil quickly. Optional extras include Space Saver filter system and basket lift. Prices: from £1782 for a fryer with 105,000 BTU (27kW) gas output.
www.imperialrange.co.uk
Imperial Catering Equipment
Try an oil-free cooking system
This oil-less cooking system takes the form of a special two tray oven able to heat up to 10 servings of food using a combination of hot air convection and infra-red radiation.
A patented agitator keeps items separate with an active carbon filtration system operating automatically when the door is open. Price of a complete unit, including heated storage/display of cooked food above, is £2,400.
Amcott Bake-Off Supplies
Frying tips
(based on advice from CESA, the Association of Catering Equipment Manufacturers and Importers)
* Choose a fryer with a capacity of at least 10 per cent greater than your present requirements to allow for future expansion and unexpected increases in demand.
* Accurate controls are essential with solid state typically the best option in ensuring that the thermostat keeps the temperature of the oil as close to the desired setting as possible with minimum variations so reducing risk of inconsistent results.
* Look for stainless steel external surfaces and non-welded tanks.
* Insist on a well fitting lid, which stops dust from dropping into the oil and prolongs its life.
* A high limit thermostat, in addition to the regular control thermostat, is an important safety fitment to prevent oil overheating and fire risks.