Oil stripping fryer unit
AssigneeFrito-Lay North America, Inc.
InventorsWilfred Marcellien Bourg, Jr., Donald Vaughn Neel, Jennifer Bell Raymond
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A continuous oil fryer used to fry food slices, such as potato chips, having an internal oil stripping capability. The fryer accumulates the steam produced by the frying process in a hood and utilizes such steam, after superheating the steam by passing it through a heat exchanger, to strip oil from product immediately upon removal from the hot oil bath by passing the superheated steam through a product bed while on an output conveyor. The superheated steam removes oil from the product on the output conveyor without increasing the moisture level of the product. The fryer therefore accomplishes the same function as a low-oil stripper without increasing the footprint of the frying unit and with less energy.
Claims16
A method for reducing the oil content of fried food pieces using a hooded continuous fryer, wherein said fryer comprises a heat exchanger located within the hood and an output conveyor which removes food pieces from hot oil, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) collecting in the hood steam generated by frying of the food pieces;
- b) passing said collected steam through said heat exchanger, thereby heating said steam to at least 280° F.;
- and
- c) passing said heated steam of step b) through the food pieces while on the output conveyor, thereby stripping oil from said food pieces.
An improved method for stripping oil from a product cooked in a hot oil fryer, wherein said improvement comprises stripping oil while the product is still within a hot oil fryer and with 10 seconds of the product's removal from the hot oil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.