Pressure Frying FAQs

Pressure frying is a cooking process used by quality restaurants, convenience stores, delis, supermarkets, schools,
hospitals, and other institutional and commercial foodservice operations to cook delicious fried foods. It is similar to
conventional open frying in which foods are heated to cooking temperature in a well filled with cooking oil, except that
in a pressure fryer the food is cooked under controlled pressure in a sealed vessel.

Foods cooked in a Broaster® Pressure Fryer are much more tender, juicy, and flavorful – you can see, feel, and taste a
distinct difference in comparison to open-fried foods, which are often greasy on the outside and dry on the inside. And,
because moisture and natural juices are retained, foods shrink less when pressure-fried.

Cooking under pressure in a sealed environment prevents food from losing its moisture. When moisture evaporates
from food during frying, it is replaced by the oil it is fried in. Oil absorption during open frying has been found to be as
much as 20%. Pressure frying seals the food’s moisture and natural juices within the product, preventing the
penetration of cooking oil. A study conducted in the test kitchen of the Southern California Gas Company’s
Commercial Equipment Center concluded that cooking oil absorption per pound in fried chicken is reduced 60
to 90% when pressure fried rather than open-fried.

Cooking oil can be heated to a much higher temperature than water. Water, of course, boils at 212°F in an open
atmosphere, such as that of an open fryer. As moisture in foods is heated beyond 212°F in an open fryer, it is
converted to steam, which in turn is released into the air. The moisture is then replaced in the heated food by cooking
oil. However, when steam is trapped and pressure is created, the boiling point of water is changed (to 241°F at 12-15
lbs. of pressure). This means that as heat penetrates the product, the outer area loses enough moisture to crispen,
while moisture and natural juices deeper in are retained, preventing the absorption of cooking oil while fully cooking the
product.

As less oil is absorbed into pressure-fried foods – and because cooking occurs in a sealed environment which reduces
cooking oil evaporation – pressure frying significantly reduces overall oil usage in comparison to open frying.
Decreasing the amount of oil absorption also results in extending the oil’s useful life. Over time this can result in
substantial savings in cooking oil usage, which is often one of the most expensive aspects of preparing fried food.
Additionally, because very little oil is transferred into foods, there is virtually no flavor transfer among products. This
means that products like fish can be cooked in a pressure fryer without a “fishy” taste being left in the oil or transferred
to other foods.

Most definitely. Pressure frying produces a gentle product turbulence and tumbling action that results in even cooking.
Additionally, by sealing the cooking vessel and building just the right amount of pressure, foods can be cooked
significantly faster and at higher temperatures, which in turn results in dramatically less energy consumption. In the
above referenced Southern California Gas Company study, energy consumption per pound of chicken cooked was
found to be reduced up to 48% with pressure frying while the maximum production rate of cooked chicken per hour
was found to be 2 to 3 times greater than that of open frying. (Broaster Company offers both gas and electric
models – the results are similar for electric versions.) That means greater food production per machine for a more
efficient investment. Pressure frying is cleaner too. Because the fryer is closed and sealed during the cooking process,
the opportunity for grease transmission to surrounding areas is significantly less. While a pressure fryer is cooking,
vapors are exhausted directly to the hood system above the unit, reducing greasy film and odors common with
open fryers. The sealed cover and smaller opening of our round cooking well also results in reduced heat loss while
providing a consistent, no guesswork cooking cycle, so operators can tend to other appliances at the same time for
additional labor savings. Oil filtration is simplified too with a built-in system that makes the process fast, simple, and
trouble-free. Various products are also available to aid oil filtration and extend useful oil life by extracting soluble liquid
impurities that contribute to the bad taste and smell of used cooking oil.

It can. Broaster® Company offers a unique process for preparing chicken. It begins with a proprietary marinade which
provides an uncommonly delicious flavor which is driven right down to the bone through the pressure frying process.
Because this delicious flavor profile results from the marinade rather than the outside breading, a much lighter coating
of breading can be used. That in turn results in chicken with fewer calories, less fat, and a fraction of the carbs of the
leading national brands.
An innovative marinade and seasoning combination available from Broaster Company called “Broasterie®” takes full
advantage of this fact, producing juicier, more flavorful rotisserie-style chicken via pressure frying while retaining the
favorable lower levels of calorie, fat, and carbohydrate content of rotisserie oven cooked chicken, all in a fraction of the
cooking time!
Broaster Foods® also offers four specially blended high-quality cooking oils – Rice Bran Oil, Canola Oil, Soybean Oil
and Canola/Soybean Oil – all of which have no trans fats, no cholesterol, and are low in saturated fat, for an even
healthier end product.

Absolutely. Broaster Operators have discovered that the benefits of pressure frying can be extended to a wide range of
products including potatoes, seafood, ribs, pork, vegetables, whole turkeys, corn-on-the cob, and even desserts like
cheesecake! The list is limited only by one’s imagination. And, you can work from either fresh or frozen product. In
addition to our Chickite® Plus marinated fresh chicken, Broaster Company also offers a wide range of delicious frozen
foods under the Broaster Foods® brand name all of which can be cooked to perfection quickly and simply in a Broaster
Pressure Fryer. Current offerings include cod, shrimp, corn dogs, mozzarella sticks, hot wings, and 8-piece-cut bone-in
chicken, in addition to an assortment of boneless chicken products such as fillets, tenders, and popcorn chicken, the
latter two of which are available in both traditional and spicy flavor profiles.

Broaster Company has been an expert in pressure frying since 1954, when our founder, L.A.M. Phalen, invented
“broasting,” as he originally called the process. In the more than 50 years since, Broaster Company has developed as a
leading manufacturer and supplier of pressure fryers along with other specialty foodservice equipment,
accessories, and food product ingredients. Today’s Broaster Pressure Fryers build upon this proud history of innovation
with the inclusion of advanced solid-state controls featuring 10 time and temperature presets, a round cooking well
design with a specially engineered cold zone for superior heat distribution and improved oil filtration, and a reputation
for durability beyond compare. Over 10,000 foodservice operators across North America and thousands more
worldwide depend on their Broaster Pressure Fryers to produce the world’s finest chicken and other pressure-fried
fresh and frozen foods.