A portable cooking oil distribution device for filling remote fryers with fresh cooking oil. In other embodiments the device can also collect used cooking oil from the fryer. In one embodiment, a portable device includes a fresh oil tank, a three-way valve connected by piping to the fresh oil tank, a pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and a nozzle connected by piping to the pump, the nozzle having an outlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle. The device may also include a used oil tank, a second three-way valve connected by piping to the used oil tank, a second pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and piping connecting the second pump to the nozzle, where the nozzle includes a inlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle.

A fryer system includes a fryer and an oil storage assembly. The oil storage assembly includes a feed pipe coupled at a first end to a fry pot of the fryer and coupled at a second end to a pump assembly. The pump assembly includes a pump and a valve. The oil storage system further includes a storage pipe coupled at a first end to the pump assembly and coupled at a second end to a storage tank. The fryer system can perform an oil fill operation whereby the pump drives cooking oil from the storage tank to the fry pot and an oil drain operation whereby the pump drives cooking oil from the fry pot to the storage tank. A controller controls the oil fill and oil drain operations and transmits communications to a remote command center. The controller can also transmit communications to a driver display device.

A characteristic of edible oil used for frying operations may be determined using a sensor such as a spectrometer or capacitive sensor. Other attributes indicative of a prior, present, or future frying operations can be specified, and an analytical model indicative of a composite aging parameter can be applied using one or more attributes along with data obtained from the sensor indicative of oil degradation. Application of the analytical model may be used to trigger various actions relating to oil management, such as ranging from automatically generating a notification to an operator or automatically initiating oil management operations such as top-off, oil removal, or oil replacement in a frying apparatus.

A multi-bank cooking system includes multiple discrete cooking systems sharing common plumbing and integrated safety features. The multi-bank cooking system may include two or more rack-fryer systems, each with discrete frypots, operating mechanisms and cooking controllers. Each of the discrete cooking systems, may share a common plumbing system with integrated valves and controls receiving coordinated safety signals to facilitate safe and efficient operation of the system.

A capacitive sensor and control system is configured to detect the presence (or absence) of a filter pan and of fluid within a filter pan. Configured in a filter pan of a deep fryer, the sensor determines when a level of liquid within the filter pan is at or above the level of the. The sensor is in communication with the control system and the sensor sends a signal to the control system representative of the presence of liquid within the filter pan and at the level of the sensor. The controller receives the signal from the sensor, and allows operation of a fluid management system and its associated plumbing to completely and safely move oil into and out of the filter pan.

A electrical cooking appliance, in particular an electric fryer, comprising a cooking assembly, a draining support forming a draining receptacle, and a lid configured to be mounted mounted on the draining support, the electrical cooking appliance configured to assume a drain configuration in which the draining support supports the cooking assembly, the cooking assembly comprising a vessel configured for receiving a cooking bath, the vessel provided with a draining device comprising a valve configured to adopt a closed stable return position and an open position, a control member configured to move the valve into the open position when the electrical cooking appliance assumes the draining configuration. When the electrical cooking appliance adopts the draining configuration, the lid is mounted on the draining support supporting the cooking assembly, the lid is configured to provide a passage for the cooking bath to flow into the draining receptacle from the draining device.

A portable cooking oil distribution device for filling remote fryers with fresh cooking oil. In other embodiments the device can also collect used cooking oil from the fryer. In one embodiment, a portable device includes a fresh oil tank, a three-way valve connected by piping to the fresh oil tank, a pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and a nozzle connected by piping to the pump, the nozzle having an outlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle. The device may also include a used oil tank, a second three-way valve connected by piping to the used oil tank, a second pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and piping connecting the second pump to the nozzle, where the nozzle includes a inlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle.

An apparatus for cooking food products, comprising a main body, a containing chamber suitable to contain a cooking liquid, an exit element of the cooking liquid from said containing chamber, and a removal device.

A gas fryer and associated methods of cooking food products are disclosed. The gas fryer includes an infrared burner and a fry pot including an interior casing defining a cooking chamber, with the interior casing including a bottom wall and opposing sidewalls that extend upwardly from the bottom wall. The opposing sidewalls include lower, central, and upper sidewall panels that are angled from one another to define a tapered profile that narrows towards the bottom wall. The tapering of a well defined at a lower chamber portions of the cooking chamber allows for a shallow depth at this portion of the fry pot and easy visibility and access for cleaning. Furthermore, the opposing sidewalls and a rear end wall of the interior casing include heat exchange fins on an external surface.

A fryer apparatus and method of frying food products includes a cooking chamber, a heater disposed external to the cooking chamber, a fuel system disposed external to the cooking chamber, a blower configured to propel an airflow toward a heater, and a fuel injector configured to inject fuel into the airflow to create an air-fuel mixture. The fuel system is configured to deliver an air-fuel mixture to the heater. The heater is configured to ignite the air-fuel mixture to provide an external heating source for the cooking medium within cooking chamber. The temperature of the cooking medium is controlled by varying the speed of the airflow.