Oil-filtration system with oil/air separation for automated food-fryers

A method of separating air from air-containing cooking oil downstream of a cooking-oil filter of a food-fryer cooking system that includes a cooking-oil flow path for continuously circulating cooking oil through the filter, including the steps of:

• continuously directing pump-driven air-containing cooking oil from downstream of the filter into a separator vessel having a cylindrical inner wall extending from a wall upper portion thereof to a wall lower portion thereof, the separator vessel providing an expanded portion to the cooking-oil flow path apart from the fryer, the filter and connecting conduits thereof, the continuous directing step including directing the air-containing oil tangentially onto the wall upper portion, thereby creating spiraling flow of the air-containing oil by driving the air therein radially inward and out of the oil to produce the air-separated oil for return to the food-fryer;
• and
• returning air-separated oil by gravity from the separator vessel to the food-fryer.