How Do you Clean A Deep Fryer?

[Janitor Tzap]

Okay, this technically isn't Electronics related.

I have a small 1 1/2 quart Deep Fryer that I have been using quite a bit.

And since the whole house hold loves Deep Fried Shrimp, Chicken Strips, Egg Rolls, French Fries, Etc......
I get the job of cleaning up the Fryer.
I filter the Cooking Oil, and reuse it up too 4 times, depending how bad it gets contaminated.

Cleaning the Tub, Heating Coil, Basket, Lid/cover, with only Hot Soapy Water and a hand sponge/scrubbing pad after each use.
Takes a long time, up too 2 hours or more.

I've been looking on the WWW, for any quick and easy way to de-grease it.
But have not found anything for small Deep Fryers.

Though, I'm wondering........
After I dump the used oil out of the Frying TUB.
Could I then fill up the Tub with Water and Detergent.
Set the Heating Coil Temperature of the Fryer for 200F.
Set the Basket it, and let it boil the grease off?


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[dacflyer]

why can't you use Easy Off
check with a Restaurant supply. they sell really good grease cutters.
I used to work for Kentucky Fried Chicken many years ago as maintenance repair guy.
The deep fryers, used to get caked on jello-fied ( old grease that turned into a thick hard jello )
I'd have to repair the Pumps on these things, it was a really nasty job. I got the idea one day to use some of the purple grease cutting stuff they had on hand. i poured it into a container, then submerged the pump, after a few min. there appeared micro bubbles, the cleaner was caustic for sure.
but after 30 min. i checked on the pump. it looked like brand new.
not sure what the stuff was called, i just know it was purple. Oh, and the stuff did get warm as it worked it's magic.

[Techrep]

I did a Google search on the following terms "cleaning polymerized grease and oils"

During cooking the vaporized grease and oils are turning into a resin like coating that resists common soaps and cleaning agents.

As Dacflyer stated above, one gent on another forum stated he used a "dicloromethane (methylene dichloride) based paint stripper" to great success but that was in an industrial type setting (cleaning deep fried chicken cookers) and I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't go that far, especially if there are plastic parts or printed plastic parts involved.

Something I have direct experience with that seemed to work very well was Ammonia. When we moved into our current house the back room was coated in a thick residue of cigarette smoke. Nothing seemed to touch it. For the heck of it I used straight Ammonia and a clean cloth and it took it off like magic.

So, I'd get a bottle of ammonia (I suppose one with soap in it would be fine but who knows) a shallow glass or ceramic pan of some kind and submerge the entire lid in the solution. I might even experiment with putting the entire thing in the oven and turning it on to about 120 to 150 degrees. As the Ammonia vaporizes it would also break up the coating that might be present in the oven and accelerate the process to boot.

-Chris

[Techrep]

And a look at Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloromethane ) reveals that this solvent is used for the extraction of caffien from coffee and the aromatics from hops.

Amazon lists some but it is pricey ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing ... 961&sr=8-1)

So, maybe you can find some that is used in food service? I'm not sure that I'd go the Dichloromethane route, I'm not nearly smart enough to know if this stuff is going to harm or kill you or make you grow a foot someplace that you weren't expecting to!

The ammonia route seems safest and cheapest to me.

-Chris

[haklesup]

With a consumer grade replacement cost in the $50 to $80 range, they didn't build in features to make cleaning them really good very easy. No matter what you use, its going to need some elbow grease; the universal solvent. I wonder if a slurry of baking soda and/or baking powder with soap might work. Slightly abrasive while holding on to grease pretty well (not tested). There are probably models that clean well, need to read some reviews though

here are some investment grade fryers
https://www.katom.com/cat/countertop-co ... ryers.html

[Lenp]

I would try a lye or washing soda solution and let it boil itself clean. Lye is used in most drain cleaners and both should be readily available.

It was quite common years ago to boil cast iron cooking grates in a tank and they came out nearly spotless.

It may also be used for cleaning engine blocks prior to a rebuild.

[Externet]

Never used one of these, but claim to be for the task... perhaps borrow one and try.

----> https://duckduckgo.com/?q=steam+cleaner ... iax=images

[Janitor Tzap]

Thanks for all your replies guys!

I did some more Web mining, and came a across the Baking Soda & Vinegar method to be used on the Tub, Basket and Lid.
Kind of like what Haklesup mentioned, only you have too be wearing gloves, because the mixture is kinda caustic.

Dacflyer,
I saw the Restaurant Fryer Degreaser that you mentioned.
That stuff is expensive, and isn't sold in small quantities.

Techrep,
Ammonia, Huh.......
I've used it clean up smoke, greasy stoves, and even audio & video heads on VCR's, and Tape players.
{I'll give it a try, since I have a bottle of it already.}

Lenp,
Using Caustic lye or Dishwasher washing detergent on the Fry Tub could be a problem, since it has a coating on it.
Thus, possibly damaging the coating, and causing it too flake off, and contaminating the fry oil.

Externet,
Using a steamer would do the job, only I don't have one.
I use too have a High Pressure Power Washer that probably would of worked just fine at cleaning it.

Thanks again.


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[Janitor Tzap]

UPDATE:

Well, I've tried using ammonia and hot soapy water on the Tub, Fry Basket, Heating Coil, and the Lid.

Simply trying to wipe the solution on with a sponge, then rinse off with hot water, didn't work very well.
But, soaking them in it, seemed too work much better at removing the caked on grease.

Also........
I tried using Vegetable oil instead of Sunflower, Peanut, or Soybean oil.
I found that it lasts as long as those oils in use, but is cheaper in cost, and cleans up easier.

Though, the other cooking oils add flavor too the foods you fry.
I found that this works great with cheap tasting fish, or chicken sticks that you would normally bake.


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[MicroRem]

Good info, thanks, been away for a while. I will give this a try also.
Tom

[Lenp]

By now I guess your family is tired of waiting for their grease fix.
If it were mine I, would use spray oven cleaner and be done with it.
Still concerned?, Call the appliance manufacturer or the oven cleaner company for their sugestions before someone pitches it out the window and gets a new one

[Janitor Tzap]

By now I guess your family is tired of waiting for their grease fix.

Nope, not even a bit tired of getting that next deep fried morsel.

If it were mine I, would use spray oven cleaner and be done with it.
Still concerned?, Call the appliance manufacturer or the oven cleaner company for their suggestions before someone pitches it out the window and gets a new one

I've got a can of oven cleaner......
But having to wear a Hazmat suit to use it on this small fryer is going a bit overboard.

Though, having deep fried a lot of foods.
I found that if you Deep Fry Pizza Rolls, they turn out nice and crunchy, instead of limp and doughy when you oven bake them.


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[Lenp]

I am not sure, but I'll bet that the oven cleaner label actually doesn't say to wear a hazmat suit....and that the cautions are more realistic.
Maybe all that grease is the thing that should be avoided before you need a Drano IV treatment to clear the pipes

Did you know that Dihydrogen Monoxide is a known killer and it is both legal, and in almost every household and food product world wide?

Well, in any event, go to Amazon and search for "Deep Fryer Cleaner"? There are several products made just for that purpose.

[dyarker]

" … Dihydrogen Monoxide .. a .. killer ..."

Especially breathing the liquid form.

[haklesup]

Check out Dawn Platinum power wash. It is a new product (wasn't available when this thread started) and supposedly cuts through grease allowing a wipe to clean scenario. its only about $5 so worth a try. I recently saw the ads starting to run on TV.

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/ ... -dish.html