With supply chain uncertainty and oil prices on the rise, we have identified four opportunities for you to extend the lifespan of the cooking oil used at your site.
If your food production site is home to one or more fryer, you may have noticed a growing pressure to manage the increased costs and complications surrounding cooking oil.
One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by extending the lifespan of the oil used at your site. But, how exactly do you go about this?
In the following article, we will share four opportunities for you to make the most of your fryer oil. From securing the engagement of your operatives to introducing a new piece of technical equipment, there are a wide range of options to explore.
Select the right fryer and oil
First, consider the type of oil you are using in your fryers. This will be determined by a number of factors including cost, taste, performance, safety, and environmental impact. However, the expected lifespan of each oil will also need to be high up on your list of priorities.
Although oils with an extensive lifespan can often involve a greater upfront cost, Long-Life oil has the potential to last two times longer than popular alternatives: Rapeseed and Vegetable. With this in mind, you should factor in any long-term savings that could be achieved through fewer changes and reduced oil usage.
In addition to this, you should evaluate the fryers at your site, determining the extent to which they help or hinder your efforts to reduce oil wastage.
This will largely depend on the filtration system they rely on. This could range from a fryer with no external or internal filtration system to a Low Oil Volume (LOV) fryer that carries out regular, automatic filtration.
Of course, you may not be in a position to replace the fryers at your site, but it’s possible that highlighting the potential for long-term savings could be enough to secure you an upgrade.
If not, it will certainly help you to argue the case for more efficient fryers when the time does come to update your kitchen equipment.
Monitor the quality of your oil
Once you have selected the right oil and fryers for your site, you should evaluate your current approach to conducting oil checks, addressing the following questions:
- How complex are the oil checks at your site?
- How long does each oil check take?
- Is your current approach safe or have there been any health and safety incidents?
- Are your oil checks objective or could the results differ from team member to team member?
If you are unsatisfied with the answers to any of these questions, one popular option to explore is a Food Oil Monitor (Cooking Oil Tester).
This piece of equipment will help to de-skill the oil checks at your site. It will also remove the guesswork, providing a digital measurement that conveys whether or not the oil needs to be changed in thirty to sixty seconds.
Operating under a traffic light system, the monitor flashes green if the oil quality is fine, amber if the oil will need to be changed soon, and red if the oil already needs to be replaced. It also displays the temperature of the oil.
A repeatable and reliable process will eliminate the risk of team members discarding oil before it has reached the end of its lifespan. This could result in a significant saving, with Whitbread, a leading hospitality business, reporting an average reduction in oil usage of 30% following the introduction of Food Oil Monitors (Cooking Oil Testers) to their sites.
In addition to this, you should find it easier to track any trends relating to oil usage at your site and to compare oil usage between different locations. This will be especially straightforward if you opt for a Bluetooth Food Oil Monitor that allows you to automatically record the results of your checks.
Regularly skim your cooking oil
The ability to accurately monitor the quality of your fryer oil could also motivate your team to embrace simple yet effective practices such as skimming. Without a Food Oil Monitor, it may seem like the safer option is to discard the oil the second it changes colour or fills with debris.
However, as your team discovers the fallibility of visual checks, they will have a fresh incentive to skim away any large food particles. This will prevent the fryer oil from getting clogged and should significantly extend its lifespan.
Instead of relying on individual team members to skim the oil as and when they see fit, you should introduce a standard across your site(s). Whether this is a set frequency of skimming or a visual standard for the oil in each fryer, it’s vital that your team are on the same page in regards to the importance of regular and comprehensive skimming.
It is also essential that your plans factor in peak periods, as skimming will have to be more regular around these times.
Finally, to secure engagement in this area of your operation, you need to highlight the ‘why?’ behind any new or raised expectations. After all, effective skimming could extend the life of your oil by a further 1-2 days.
Regularly filter your cooking oil
Over time, food particles and carbon build up in fryer oil, causing it to break down faster. This not only shortens the oil’s lifespan but can also affect the taste and appearance of your fried foods.
Regular filtering removes these particles, keeping the oil cleaner for longer and delaying the point at which it needs to be replaced. If your site doesn’t have a built-in fryer filtration system, manual oil filtering kits are a simple solution.
Klipspringer manual filtering kits include a filter bag, filter frame, and oil skimmer. Each component plays an important role in prolonging oil life:
- The filter bag removes fine particles and can handle up to 1,000 fryer loads with a quick-rinse, reusable design.
- The filter frame is durable, easy to clean, and fits standard fryer containers, keeping the filtration process consistent.
- The oil skimmer has a fine 0.6mm mesh and a long 40cm handle, allowing safe and efficient removal of debris.
By making filtration a regular part of your workflow, your team can extend the lifespan of your fryer oil, maintain better cooking results, and reduce operational costs.
Train and support your operatives
Finally, you need to ensure responsible oil usage is a core part of the culture at your site, something that your team views as a collective responsibility and thinks about on a daily basis.
Ongoing training will play a crucial part in this, as you will need to keep your workforce updated of any changes to your oil management policy. You will also need to reinforce guidelines and expectations surrounding oil monitoring, skimming, filtration, and waste.
Alongside the training of new and existing team members, you should identify areas of your site that would be enhanced by Visual Management solutions.
For example, next to the storage area for your oil, you could have a visual reminder to keep oil away from humidity, light, and heat when it is not in use.
Alternatively, close to your fryers, you could introduce a sign that instructs team members to salt products away from the vat – a practice that will reduce the risk of your oil being contaminated.
Another idea is to introduce visual instructions to the instrument station of your Food Oil Monitor. That way, every time a team member goes to collect or return the monitor, they will be reminded of the proper practice for using and maintaining it.
So there you have it, a guide to extending the lifespan of the cooking oil used at your site. If you have any questions about the ideas shared within this article, you can contact us directly on 01473461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form below and one of our friendly team members will be in touch.
Plus, if you would benefit from further resources relating to oil management, you are welcome to take a look at the articles linked below:
If you would like further guidance relating to the solutions included in this article, the Klipspringer team would be happy to help. Share your details below to arrange a free consultation.
About the Author
Libby Loughnan is Content Manager at Klipspringer, specialising in food safety and compliance. She writes extensively on helping commercial kitchens improve food safety, cut costs, and work more efficiently, covering everything from equipment storage to food oil management.
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