Henny Penny Cost-Efficient Open Fryers

Healthier cooking oils spur demand for better fryers

Make no mistake, Australians still enjoy their deep-fried treats every now and then, but a recent study shows that locals are making the switch toward healthier eating habit.

According to IBISWorld’s Cooking Oil and Margarine Manufacturing Market Research Report released last October, Australians remain consumers of cooking oils, margarines, and other by-products, albeit the healthier kinds.
“Over the past five years, consumer consumption of animal fats has struggled as concerns about health and nutrition have risen. These concerns have caused consumers to switch towards healthier edible oil and margarine products, such as cholesterol-lowering margarine and extra-virgin olive oil,” the report says.

Indeed, not all oils are created equal and the same can be said for the frying equipment that use them. With cooking oils—animal or vegetable—expected to coat frying pans and fill fryer vats nationwide, there is brisk demand in the QSR industry for better frying equipment: one that uses up less oil, and produces healthy, great-tasting food at the same time.

Henny Penny, a leading maker of food equipment, has rolled out its Evolution Elite Open Fryers—a low-oil volume oil management frying system that guarantees efficient use of cooking oil during frying. This latest line-up complements Henny Penny’s existing 320 Series, 340 Series, and OFE-291/OFG-391 open fryers.

“Less oil used means you buy, store, and discard less oil. A large chain may use 200 litres a week, now they use 120. That’s less deliveries, less storage issues, less for staff to carry, and less to discard, so smaller oil drums to manage and move,” says Malcolm Stirling, National Accounts Manager at Henny Penny.

The savings for QSR firms are quite apparent. “One of our QSR customers have reduced their oil purchased by over $2 million a year,” he points out.

The Evolution Elite comes with a smaller fry vat, allowing for significant savings by requiring 40% less oil than a standard 50-pound fryer, while maintaining overall cooking capacity. The Oil Guardian system monitors oil levels and automatically replenishes oil from a reservoir inside the fryer cabinet, eliminating manual add-backs and frequent oil disposal.

Central to the Evolution Elite’s oil operation is ensuring oil remains “clean” by precisely controlling oil temperature during frying.

“Clean, fresh oil with the correct temperature can produce excellent products. Slow recovery of the fryer with old oil has a huge effect on the finished product’s taste and also the amount of oil that is absorbed into the finished product. We have a fast recovery—that means the oil maintains its temperature and reduces the quantity of oil absorbed. Old frying systems do not always allow you to achieve this result,” Stirling explains.

The Evolution Elite also features the SmartFilter Express, a safe, fast, and efficient integrated filtration system that monitors oil usage and prompts the user when filtration is necessary. During the filtration process, the FilterBeacon lights up to indicate when to both open and close the drain valve. The system takes care of the rest by filtering the oil; rinsing away crumbs and returning hot and filtered oil to the vat within four minutes. Meanwhile, all the other vats continue to cook uninterrupted.

Meanwhile, the iControl system ensures accurate and consistent cook times and delicious food with 40 stored programs, load compensation, and idle/melt/cleanout modes. This easy-to-use system also features adjustable language settings to accommodate a wide range of language needs.

The Evolution Elite comes with up to four heavy-duty stainless steel vats and a seven-year pot warranty, in electric and gas variants. An electric model is capable of holding 15 litres per full vat, while the gas model can handle 14 litres per full vat. Fryers can be configured with full or split vats for maximum flexibility.

Targeted toward large frying locations the Evolution Elite was developed to provide the best—and most cost-efficient—frying experience for the discerning restaurant owner. Large QSR chains are already enjoying the benefits of Henny Penny Evolution Elite open fryers.