Fryer

A continuous fryer including:

• a vessel having a cavity to receive a heated cooking oil;
• a pump to circulate the oil so that the oil flows through the cavity in a predetermined direction from an upstream end to a downstream end of the cavity so that product to be fried delivered to the cavity moves in said predetermined direction;
• and
• a flow control device, through which the oil flows to be delivered to said upstream end, wherein the flow control device comprises a body with a plurality of body passages extending in said direction through which the oil is delivered to said upstream end, and at least two flow control plates each having a plurality of passages, wherein the at least two flow control plates are each individually movably attached to the body to move the plurality of passages of each flow control plate relative to the body passages between being aligned, partially aligned, and not aligned in order to individually adjust a plate flow rate through each of the at least two flow control plates in order to control an upstream end flow rate and cause the oil to flow in a generally homogeneous and laminar manner at said upstream end.