Vacuum fryer

A vacuum fryer is a deep-frying device housed inside a vacuum chamber. It was originally developed for potato chip production.

Vacuum fryers are fit to process low-quality potatoes that contain higher sugar levels than normal, as they frequently have to be processed in spring and early summer before the potatoes from the new harvest become available. With vacuum frying it is easier to maintain natural colors and flavours of the finished product. Due to the lower temperatures applied (approx. 130 °C (266 °F)), the formation of suspected carcinogen acrylamide is significantly lower than in standard atmospheric fryers, where the frying temperature is approx. 170 °C (338 °F). The fat absorption of the products is also reported to be lower than in atmospheric fryers. In South East Asia (mainly Philippines, Thailand, China and Indonesia) batch type vacuum fryers are mainly used for the production of fruit chips. However, these machines are only appropriate for relatively small production companies.