Regardless of the fact if you already own a restaurant or whether you are about to open one, you need professional kitchen equipment. As a producer of deep-fried chicken breading (we are also a franchisor of fried chicken restaurants), we have gained a lot of valuable experience. It will allow us to advise you today on what equipment to choose.
First, we will tell you which kitchen equipment will be necessary to make that golden-brown, crispy fried chicken in the flaky coating. Moreover, we will point out which equipment is optional and which you should never let a salesman talk you into buying.
The cooking equipment you will have in your restaurant depends on the type of dishes you want to serve at your restaurant.
What to begin with when choosing professional kitchen equipment?
Pressure deep fryers available on the market come in different sizes and volumes. Depending on their intended purpose, you can choose from small, medium to big ones for more prominent restaurants. Carefully consider which one you need.
It is necessary to consider the kind of food that is going to be fried, how often is the chicken fryer going to be used, and the quantity of food cooked.
If deep-fried chicken is only going to be a supplementary dish in your restaurant, then a regular fryer is going to be enough to do the job. You can fry chicken strips or nuggets in it, which can be used for chicken burgers or tortilla wraps with crispy fried chicken. Should you choose to build your menu on deep-fried chicken, then you will need to buy professional equipment, such as the Henny Penny pressure fryer.
Commercial grade pressure fryer vs a regular fryer
You already know that there are different types of fryers. Below we will summarize them and give you options from which you can choose the one for your restaurant.
1. Closed Pressure Fryer (Henny Penny)
This is something for those who already know their restaurant will be serving mainly fried chicken in crispy breading mix (elements with bone as well). A chicken pressure fryer is a professional-grade equipment designated for frying in hot oil, under pressure. The first difference you can see with a naked eye is the size of the vat (around 30 l.) Thanks to the volume, you can fry larger quantities of meat at the same time. Additionally, a large amount of oil makes it more stable even when cooking larger amounts of breaded chicken.
Another advantage of the machine is the possibility to set frying temperature thresholds.
Remember! When frying a large piece of chicken with bone, the starting temperature should be higher, and after a few minutes, the frying program should be set to a lower temperature. This will prevent the breading from getting burned, and the meat will remain juicy.
A pressure fryer is one of the good choices for frying large, boned chicken elements. When putting a chicken leg into a fryer, the pressure causes the water to stay in the food (thermal hydrolysis of collagen), and the result is that the meat is exceptionally juicy and the breading perfectly crunchy.
The machine also has a function of oil filtration that helps it work more ergonomically.
2. Open Fryer, Deep Fryer (Pitco)
An open fryer is also a professional tool and will work great in restaurants that require high levels of efficiency. It has the advantages of a closed pressure fryer, and it is easier and faster to use (no need to close the vat shut).
These types of fryers usually have two vats, which allows for frying larger quantities of chicken in a short time.
Similarly to a professional pressure fryer, it has temperature settings that will keep the breading from getting burned in case of large chicken elements. It also has an oil filtration option that will keep it economical.
3. Regular restaurant fryer – dual deep fryer
A regular fryer is definitely the smallest machine from the ones we recommend. It usually has a capacity between 4 to 15 liters. Remember that the bigger the machine, the better, even when you decide not to go with a commercial-grade product.
Why does the size of a fryer matter? When putting cold, breaded chicken into the hot oil, the temperature drops, and the meat boils instead of frying. The more oil, the higher the temperature in the fryer!
The disadvantage of many regular fryers is that there is no built-in oil filtration system. When frying breaded chicken, this function is essential.
Oil filtration prolongs the life of oil and lowers the costs in the restaurant, thus increasing the profits. Another thing worth mentioning is the size of the so-called cold area. It is a separated part within the vat of the fryer, below the heaters. The temperature there is lower than what the thermostat is set for, which keeps the pieces that fall to the bottom of the vat, from burning.
To summarize everything, the above-listed fryers will let you prepare the real American-style, crispy- coated, deep-fried chicken.
You already know the way the breading will look and how juicy the chicken will be. The quality of the Holly Powder breading and marinade for chicken, along with the right kitchen equipment will help your restaurant be more successful.
If you wish to start a restaurant business based on crispy fried chicken, or if you would like to introduce deep-fried chicken to your menu, see how we could help you choose the right kitchen equipment.
