Fryer issue...

[mattl]

I've got a mid sized Rival deep fryer I've used for many years.  It's black with a lid that snaps down and uses about a quart of oil.  As I mentioned I've used it for well over 10 years without issue.

 

Tonight I tossed a handful of fries in, stirred them with the  paddle that came with the unit and closed the lid as I always do.  A minute or two later I looked and oil was boiling over and running all over the counter top.  I have no idea why this would happen.  The unit has high and minimum oil markings on the liner, I was at the "low" mark, added the same or less fries than usual.  Only variable I can think of was I used Kroger brand fries, a brand I've never used before.  Any ideas what might have caused the problem?

 

[turquoisedude]

Could there have been an unusually large amount of ice crystals on the fries? Or perhaps this brand of fries is using potatoes with a very high moisture content. I seem to recall my UK Grandmother warning me not to use 'new' potatoes (early harvested ones) for chips because she said they were too wet.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Closed the lid

Using a cover during the heating of the oil or during any part of the deep frying operation is extremely dangerous and you should never turn you back on the fryer until you have established that the operation is going smoothly. Using a new brand of fries would demand extra initial vigilance. Is the lid that you closed a perforated splatter shield?  Even that kept you from seeing what was beginning to happen and probably exacerbated the boiling of the water causing the foaming of the oil, much like covering boiling pasta will do with the pot of starchy water. I'm sorry for what happened to you. Too many disasters can happen when you are dealing with oil at high temperature.  It was probably the ice crystals that caused your mess, as was suggested above, which I am sure was lovely to clean up. I am glad that you were not burned. I wish you better results in the future.

 

Can you imagine the events that led Pyrex Flameware to carry the warning to never use it for deep frying? The stuff was barely stable at boiling temperatures.

 

[ea56]

Matt,

Could the thermostat possibly be malfunctioning? I believe that you have related your experience of having your Coffeemaster C-30 boiling over when it was on low and left unattended. I’ve had the same experience with all of the C-30’s I’ve owned. Since the fryer is 10 years old this may be what is happening.

Why not fill it with oil and set it on the temp you would normally use for french fries, and place a thermometer in the heated oil and monitor it for a half hour or so and see if there are wide fluctuations in the temp. If the temp doesn’t remain constant, then this may be the source of why the oil boiled over.

Eddie

 

[mattl]

Well it's the type of fryer with dual filters and meant to be closed when in use.  After I tossed the fries in I always agitate them to separate them and give it a quick look, then close the lid.  In 10 + years of use only time it happened.  I believe it was the Kroger brand that might have had an unusual amount of ice on the fries, but that did not stick out in my mind.  It was fresh bag I just bought so it shouldn't have been an issue.

 

I'll make some more tonight and keep a better watch on it.  Instructions say to close lid.  No harm done, just a big mess to clean up.

 

This style:

 

 

 

[fan-of-fans]

I would check the temperature too for stability, and maybe try cooking them outside in case it happens again.

I have never had this issue before.

 

[mattl]

I tried again tonight.  Checked the temp, set at 375, unit cycled off, temp was 348, so a bit low.  Tossed the fries in again and same bubble up, but watched this time with lid open, came almost up to top with "foam".  Got to be the fries.  Odds are Kroger coats them in something as most people bake them and want them crispy. Bag does have deep fry instructions too.  Weird.

 

[toploader55]

How old is the oil ? And did you change brands or type of oil ?

Being in the restaurant business my entire life, oils have changed. They seem to break down more quickly. Commercial Fry Oils have di-methylpolyoxane as a anti foam agent. ( I really do not eat fried food unless I make them at home )

The Oils do break down after time and will foam up. Also, they go rancid more quickly.

I would say switch to Lard. Especially for home use. Buy a good Organic lard from Whole Foods or another reliable source. When done, let it cool, strain and refrigerate until next time

 

[mattl]

Interesting.  I use this very infrequently, oil might be 6 months old used 2 or3 times in that period.   Just basic corn oil, avoid the blends.  I'd consider lard, but to be honest it's too much work for an occasional batch of fries with a burger.  Getting the fryer out is much simpler than heating the oven , baking the fries and heating up the kitchen in the summer.

 

[ea56]

How About Oven Fries?

They are quick, easy, taste better and are better for you. I make them all the time this way.

For each serving I take one med to med large potato, wash it, and let it dry, I leave the skins on, because I like the taste better, and you get more fiber this way too. I cut each potato in-half length wise, and each half into 4 equal sized wedges. I place them on my old, darkened cookie sheet with sides, sprinkle them with seasoned salt and pepper to taste, and then drizzle about 2-3 tbls of oil on them, toss them with my hands so they are all well coated ( use more oil if you think they need it). Using a dark pan gets the fries to brown better, because dark attracts heat.

Now I lay them out on their sides, evenly, 8 wedges on each side of the pan and place the pan in a preheated 425 F oven and bake for 20 mins ( you can get two potatoes on one pan for two servings). Now take the pan out of the oven and turn the wedges onto the other side and bake for another 7 mins. Bam, they are done and delicious. Much better than frozen french fries, cheaper, and more healthy too. Drain on a paper towel before serving.

To me deep frying is very wasteful unless you do it all the time and can keep the oil fresh and reuse it, and I seldom deep fry anything. Occasionally I may fry potatoes in shallow oil (about 1/2” to 3/4” in a 10” skillet on the stove top, and they come out good this way to.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 6/1/2019-14:23]

 

[fan-of-fans]

I've noticed some of the french fries we get (Ore Ida I think) have a sticky coating on them. It doesn't feel like a starchy potato, but like a sprayed on coating. Of course it could just be the oil in them from blanching before they freeze them.

These days we typically bake everything like frozen fries, fish, etc. To me it tastes about as good and don't have to deal with the old oil.

 

[mattl]

Eddie, those sound great!  Will try sometime.  Only issue is it kind of defeats the "quick meal" I that I usually go for when doing hamburgers.

 

I often wondered how much extra calories I get by deep frying.  As  the fryer has 2 lines for min and max, I watch the level before and after and the difference is imperceivable.  Tonight I'm going to try another method and weigh the fryer before and after and see how much change there is.

 

 

 

[ea56]

Matt,

Funny you should mention having french fries with hamburgers for a quick meal. After I posted about the oven fries I decided to make them tonight with our cheeseburgers instead of tater tots, which I had planned on having. Here’s a picture of the oven fries with the cheeseburgers.

Eddie

 

[mattl]

They do look good!  Will try soon!

 

BTW, looks like a handful of fries absorbed about 20g of oil.  Google says that is about 180 calories, but a portion of that was in the paper towel I drained them on.  So I'd guess maybe 90-110 calories...