Cooking systems with washing elements and spreader bar

A fryer comprising:

• a cooking chamber including a plurality of side walls connected to and extending upwardly from a bottom wall, the plurality of side walls and the bottom wall collectively surrounding an interior configured to receive a cooking medium;
• an electric heating element disposed within the interior of the cooking chamber, wherein the electric heating element includes an electric heating coil arranged in a serpentine pattern, the electric heating coil including upper and lower surfaces;
• and
• a spreader bar coupled to the upper surface of the electric heating coil and positioned at a predetermined distance away from the bottom wall, wherein the spreader bar maintains the electric heating coil in the serpentine pattern;
• and
• at least one attachment feature that couples the spreader bar to the electric heating element.

A method of cleaning a fryer using a washing element coupled to a bottom wall of a cooking chamber, the method comprising:

• spraying a plurality of pressurized streams of a cooking medium into predetermined areas including at least one corner of the cooking chamber using a washing element, wherein the washing element includes a plurality of spray jet nozzles that are separated at predetermined angles relative to one another around a periphery of an upper portion of the washing element to orient the plurality of spray jet nozzles, wherein the at least one corner is defined along a junction of the bottom wall and a plurality of side walls adjacent the bottom wall, wherein the step of spraying the plurality of pressurized streams of the cooking medium further comprises:
• flowing the cooking medium from a fill port into a passage extending through a lower portion and the upper portion of the washing element;
• directing the cooking medium in the passage to flow into the plurality of spray jet nozzles using a cover coupled to the upper portion;
• and
• ejecting the cooking medium from the plurality of spray jet nozzles to provide the plurality of pressurized streams of the cooking medium.