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How to Clean a Commercial Deep Fryer

Deep fryers in restaurants and food service operations are essential for adding flavor and texture to favorite foods. If fryers are not cleaned regularly, however, that tasty crunch could be compromised. Properly cleaning and maintaining your deep fat fryers will help ensure customers enjoy a delicious and safe dining experience at every visit.

An added operational benefit of regularly cleaning commercial deep fryers is the energy savings you’ll reap. Carbonization on fryer walls and coils causes machines to have to work harder to heat up. Keeping them clean saves energy, time and money. Read below for deep fryer cleaning procedures that will keep equipment performing longer and customers coming back for more.

Supplies You’ll Need to Clean a Commercial Deep Fryer

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): heat-proof gloves, protective eye glasses, protective apron
• Nyco® Deep Fat Fryer Cleaner: liquid or packets (for interior surfaces)
• Nyco® Attention Clinging Oven & Grill Cleaner (for exterior surfaces)
• Synthetic scrub pad
• Long handled brush suitable for high temperatures
• Pail for fresh water or water hose for rinsing
• Paper towels/clean cloths
• Fryer clean out rod
• Oil pan drum

Directions to Clean a Commercial Deep Fryer

Deep fryers require regular “boil-out” cleanings for optimal performance. This means that you will remove the old oil, add water and special commercial deep fryer cleaning solution, and boil it inside the fryer to remove grime and stuck-on food. Deep fryer boil-outs should be done approximately once per month. High-use fryers may need to be boiled out more frequently, perhaps once per week.

PRO TIP:  Check your oil. When fryer oil becomes darker in color, changes consistency, or has an off-odor, it’s time to change your oil.

Interior Cleaning / Boil-out

1. Turn off your commercial deep fryer; close the gas supply inlet and turn off the pilot light (if gas)
2. Let your deep fryer unit, including the oil, cool completely
3. Place an oil pan drum under the drain and drain the cooled oil; remove any large debris from inside including anything blocking the drain valve
4. Close the drain valve; wipe the interior of the unit with clean paper towels or cloths
5. Fill your deep fryer tank with cool water
6. Add 4 oz. of Nyco® Deep Fat Fryer Cleaner liquid for every gallon of water. This solution is a powerful foam cleaner that works to loosen baked on grease and oil. Alternatively you can use convenient Nyco® Deep Fat Fryer Cleaner Portion Control Packets, with one packet for every 2 gallons of water.
7. Turn on the heater and slowly boil water with cleaning solution for 20-30 minutes. Very heavy carbon deposits in your fryer may take longer. Do not leave your fryer unattended. Be careful not to let water boil too high as it may splash out and could cause burns.
8. Turn off the fryer and let water cool completely
9. Place a large pan underneath the drain valve and slowly drain water into it; scrub the interior walls with a long-handled brush while water is draining to remove any remaining soils
10. Flush the fryer thoroughly with water to remove all cleaning solution; then wipe the interior dry with paper towels or cloths and allow all parts to dry completely
11. Close the drain valve
12. Fill your fryer with recycled or fresh oil, depending on the oil quality (see above PRO TIP)

PRO TIP:  Leave or place your fryer baskets inside the deep fryer during boil-outs, as the cleaning solution will clean them too!

Exterior Cleaning

1. Clean exterior surfaces with Nyco® Attention Clinging Oven & Grill Cleaner. This sprayable gel cleaner and degreaser will remove baked-on grime and carbonized food.
2. Scrub stubborn spots with a synthetic pad
3. Wipe clean with a damp cloth, and dry it completely
4. Use Sure Grip Daily Floor Cleaner Degreaser to clean the floor surrounding your deep fryer of any splattered grease

PRO TIP:  Oil and water don’t mix! Keep oil from spattering by making sure all machine parts are dry before putting back in fryer.

Make sure taste and quality are always on your menu by regularly cleaning your deep fat fryer. Following the above steps is not only good for business, it will also help extend the life of your equipment, saving you time and money in the long run.

If you’d like to have a document on-hand for for how to clean a commercial deep fryer, download and print these Procedures.