An oil filtration machine can get your commercial kitchen tasks from zero to a hundred, in terms of efficiency and speed in filtering the oil you use. If you utilise a deep fryer, it is absolutely necessary to have this apparatus as its pair. After all, it’s what stabilises the quality of oil for deep frying. It’s also a step towards extending your cooking oil’s life. The question is… how to properly maintain it?
We’ve spoken to experts in the world of culinary and kitchenware arts, and here’s what they have to say about caring for an oil filter.
The “Pre-Steps”
1. Unplug the apparatus
This isn’t exactly a step towards cleaning a fryer oil filter machine per se. It is, however, crucial in ensuring your safety as you begin to clean. Not being able to completely unplug it from the electrical socket may spell disaster for you, like voltage shocks and skin-burning.
2. Let the machine set and cool down
Before you touch anything on your oil filter, you should let it cool down especially if it was just used. Leave it be for a few minutes. It usually takes no more than 15 to 20 minutes for it to return to its natural unheated temperature. For newer models, it will be less than that.
3. Strain oil and detritus
This one’s a very practical piece of oil filtration machine maintenance advice—always strain the oil to get rid of the debris it contains. This apparatus usually come with tools, such as scrapers and/or scoops, for this task. If not, you can utilise any similar instrument.
Clean with Hot Water
1. Use a damp cloth for the filter and clean the tank with hot water
Moisten a piece of cloth or a sponge with hot water. What experts suggest is that you pour a bit of hot water around the corners of the tank, then onto its interior walls. It’s a great way of getting rid of sediment that may not have gone away during the pre-step straining.
2. Wipe it dry
Wipe the filter and the tank dry. Although water and oil do not mix because they have opposing chemical compositions, they leave marks when not properly dried.
Be sure to avoid using pieces of cloth that quickly fray. Otherwise, their fibre may stick to the filtration machine’s sides, making it more difficult to clear it up.
3. Use the right fryer brush
A metallic scouring pad (or any similar make) should NOT be used as an alternative for a fryer brush. It has a texture that may damage the material of your oil filtration machine. Moreover, a scouring pad can easily impair the filtration device’s heating tubes, too.
4. Don’t forget the heating tube grain
The heating tube grain is what often necessitates a more careful and meticulous clean-up because of the bends and folds you have to get through. For this reason, some kitchens skip this step, only to have grease and debris build-up after some time.
Using the same simple technique mentioned earlier, gently wipe it down with a damp non-fraying cloth.
Extra Tips for a Sparkly-Clean Oil Filtration Contraption
The Boil-Out Technique
Once a week, perform what’s referred to as the “boil-out” technique. This cleaning method is a full-tank maintenance tip that will lengthen the life of your filter. Plus, it will ensure that old oil and particles won’t linger to affect the taste of what you’ll be cooking from here on out.
A tad different from how one would maintain a gas urn for sale, this boil-out cleanse will have you relying on specific products that have chemicals meant for cleaning filtration machines. That, and without doing harm to their structure and surface-materials. Ask your suppliers about said products for a safe boil-out cleanse.
Not Adding Salt Food Right Above the Fryer and Filtration Device
Unlike how you cook over a gas Teppanyaki grill, salting food atop your filtration machine is a “no”. Sodium may cause other debris to stick to them. And, when debris and grime have accumulated, they will require deep-cleaning. By the way, follow the same instructions for your deep fryer as well.
For more tips and information that you can use in running a commercial kitchen, browse our site!
Also read: Tips to Upsurge Efficiency of Your Restaurant Kitchen
