Fryers are typically used for coated products such as nuggets, burgers, frozen chips, crisps or doughnuts.  The cleaning of fat fryers can be problematic because:

• They cook products at very high temperatures in various oils.
• The food cooked in them may be high in fat and protein.
• They are large pieces of equipment (may hold up to 15,000 litres of oil).
• There can be substantial periods in between each clean. 

There is also the added fire risk; fat fryers have been linked to several food processing plants being destroyed or heavily damaged by fire.    

Detergents

Because of the nature of soiling encountered in fat fryers, the use of a caustic detergent for the boil out stage is nearly always required.  Dependent on the amount of caustic soda (NaOH) in the product, it will typically be used at a 2-4% v/v solution which is usually sufficient to help in the removal of soiling. The use of sunflower oils in fryers causes additional cleaning problems with the oil readily polymerising to form gelatinous soils. These soils are best tackled with specific detergents.

Dosing & Application Equipment

The dosing of detergents for fat fryer boil out cleaning can be problematic in that significant quantities of caustic detergent can be required which need to be pumped into the fat fryer reservoir as quickly as possible. 

Numerous options are available for pumping the caustic detergent into the fryer, although if large volumes are required then a Tapflo Decant Trolley or a Diaphragm Air Pump can be utilised.  A Jetstream or Dema Foam Unit is a good choice for the application of caustic foam detergents to internal and external surfaces of the fat fryer.