A pressure fryer is a kitchen appliance used to quickly cook chicken and other foods using hot oil under pressure. Pressure frying allows chicken to cook fast while staying juicy and tender on the inside. It’s a popular method for making fried chicken in many restaurants. Here’s a closer look at how pressure fryers work and why they’re effective for frying chicken.
How Does a Pressure Fryer Work?
A pressure fryer is different from a traditional deep fryer in that it completely seals the food inside the fryer pot and builds up internal pressure during cooking. The pot is tightly locked and heat resistant. As the burner heats the oil to temperatures around 330-350°F, the pressure rises to about 15 psi (pounds per square inch).
This high pressure has several effects:
- The boiling point of the hot oil increases from around 400°F at normal pressure to over 500°F under pressure. This allows the oil to get significantly hotter without burning.
- The higher heat of the oil transfers more quickly into the chicken, so the food browns and crisps faster.
- The pressurized environment helps push hot oil into the chicken’s pores and interior meat, so it cooks more evenly throughout.
A typical pressure frying chicken cooking time is only about 10-13 minutes compared to 15-20 minutes in a regular fryer. The chicken comes out with a perfectly fried crisp exterior and moist, delicious meat inside.
Benefits of Using a Pressure Fryer for Chicken
Pressure frying provides several advantages for making fried chicken:
- Faster cooking: Pressure significantly reduces the frying time needed to fully and safely cook chicken pieces. Restaurants can churn out fried chicken faster for their customers.
- Juicy meat: The chicken stays tender and juicy, instead of drying out like it can with other high-heat methods.
- Ideal texture: The crisp, craggy crust seals in moisture and flavors. The bubbling hot oil penetrates all the nooks and crannies for an even fry.
- Consistent results: The enclosed environment ensures the temperature and pressure stay steady. There’s no moisture loss or oil temperature drops.
- Oil efficiency: The sealed system means little to no oil is lost to splattering or evaporation during frying. Less make-up oil is needed.
- Safety: The closed pot prevents hot oil from splashing out. Fryers have safety features like auto lid locks.
In essence, pressure fryers allow you to fry foods faster while using less oil and getting great results. This makes them a favorite for frying up big batches of chicken.
Types of Pressure Fryers
There are two main types of pressure fryers:
Electric Pressure Fryers
Electric pressure fryers are the most common type found in most restaurants and food businesses. They consist of an electric heating element that warms the oil, similar to a home deep fryer but on a larger scale. Features include:
- Large stainless steel frying pot, usually around 16-24 quarts capacity.
- Powerful electric heating elements from 10-18 kW.
- Built-in digital controls and thermostats.
- Safety devices for overheating and pressure.
- Baskets to hold food during frying.
Electric fryers provide convenient push-button operation. Their main limitation is recovery time. It can take 10-15 minutes for oil to come back up to temperature between loads. This makes electric fryers best suited for lower volume operations.
Gas Pressure Fryers
Gas pressure fryers utilize super-heated tubes that run through the bottom of the fry pot. The tubes connect to powerful external gas burners that rapidly heat them. Benefits include:
- Very fast heat recovery time, often less than 5 minutes between loads.
- More powerful heat output compared to electric, up to 120,000 BTU.
- Can handle very high volume frying with rapid cooking.
The downside of gas fryers is they’re more complex and require an external fuel hook-up. But they’re extremely efficient for high-volume restaurants churning out piles of chicken all day long.
Key Pressure Fryer Features
Some important features to look for when purchasing a commercial pressure fryer include:
- Safety valves and vents – Release pressure if it becomes too high.
- Lid locking mechanism – Keeps lid sealed shut during cooking.
- Time/temperature controls – Allow programming cooking times and temps.
- Oil Filtration – Extends oil life by removing food particles.
- Large oil capacity – Holds gallons of oil for high volume cooking.
- Durable stainless construction – For easy, regular cleaning and sanitation.
- Baskets – Stainless steel wire baskets to safely lower food into oil.
Advanced fryers may also have touchscreen displays, WiFi connectivity for remote monitoring, and automatic oil topping off systems.
Tips for Using a Pressure Fryer
Follow these tips to get great results pressure frying chicken:
- Use the right oil – Choose high smoke point oils like peanut, canola or palm oil.
- Heat oil fully – Bring oil to correct temp before adding food.
- Don’t overfill – Leave space for oil to bubble up during cooking.
- Blanch bone-in chicken – Helps cook meat through to the bone.
- Fry similar sizes together – Ensures even cooking.
- Shake basket – Reduces sticking and evenly browns.
- Monitor pressure – Make sure pressure stays in safe range.
- Filter oil daily – Removes crumbs and debris to extend oil life.
Pressure Fryer Maintenance
To keep a pressure fryer in top working order:
- Change oil regularly – Every 1-2 weeks for best taste.
- Clean thoroughly – Wash all parts with hot soapy water.
- Avoid abrasives – Use soft scrub brushes and cloths.
- Check lid gasket – Replace if leaking pressure.
- Empty oil when not in use – Stored oil can go rancid.
- Descale regularly – Remove mineral deposits on heating elements.
- Have serviced yearly – By an authorized technician.
Conclusion
Pressure fryers allow restaurants and food businesses to produce perfect fried chicken with speed, efficiency, and delicious juicy results. The quick cook times under pressure seal in moisture and flavor. Electric and gas fryers provide fast, high-volume chicken frying. With proper use and maintenance, a quality pressure fryer can be a workhorse appliance for any restaurant’s kitchen arsenal.