Which commercial fryer would you buy?

[justfryit]

I'm going to be purchasing a few new fryers soon but before I do I'd like to get some input from the front lines.

What features would you say are "must haves" and which ones are just fluff that look good on a brochure?

Most importantly, which brand of fryer would you recommend? I don't mind spending a little extra money on a quality product but there is no need to spend extra money when a cheaper (price wise) product is just as good.

Thanks.

[justfryit]

I forgot to ask. Would you all recommend gas or electric?

[Chef_Bob]

My Dad used to say about cars "The more crap a car has the more crap there is to break" (he refused to own a car with power windows!). I would consider taking that philosophy with your fryer. Gas is a MUST in my opinion (quicker recovery time and more consistant temperature). I have to admit I currently have a fryer that is self filtering which is a VERY nice option but the day that pump goes I am screwed. In general what I look for is: Manual light Pilot, Dial Temperature control (invest the $10 in a fat/candy thermometer and calibrate once a week) and no other moving parts.
Just one guys opinion.

[Chef Douglas]

I work with Vulcans at the moment, they are good fryers and get the job done. I agree with Chef Bob completely, the more stuff there is, the more they tend to break. Definately go with gas, as Bob pointed out, they have a faster recovery time over electric and maintain their temps much better.