Deep fat frying apparatus having an improved cooking fluid filtration

Abstract

A deep fat fryer structure includes a floor mounted housing having an upper internal portion in which a side-by-side pair of large capacity metal frypots are operatively supported, each of the frypots having an upper, heated cooking portion from which an unheated cold well depends. Cooking fluid may be drained from the wells for filtration purposes by a valved drainage conduit system having an open outlet end. Filtered cooking fluid may be returned to the upper frypot portions through a valved supply conduit system having a flexible inlet end portion extendable below the frypots. An open-topped, wheel-supported container may be rolled into the housing directly beneath the frypots to receive cooking fluid drained therefrom, and has a cooking fluid filtration element supported on its bottom wall directly over a drain sump depending therefrom. Externally mounted on a front side portion of the container is a motor-driven pump with an inlet communicating with the drain sump, and an outlet provided with a quick-disconnect fitting securable to the flexible inlet end of the supply conduit system. During pump operation, cooking fluid is drained from a selected frypot into the container, filtered therein, and then pumped upwardly into the selected frypot. In this manner, the entire filtration system requires no more floor space than that occupied by the frypot housing, and the container may be rolled outwardly therefrom for cleaning purposes and to provide very convenient access to the motor-driven pump.