filtering oil in deep fryers

Has anyone looked at the VITO filtration system? Any comments? I've seen it demo'd, you set the unit in your deep fryer and it filters your oil in 5 minutes. No draining the oil out of the fryer.

Is this a new concept? No recirculating the oil either? Can you explain.

yeah, its a 15 lb machine you set in your fryer (its portable); it sucks up the oil and debris in your oil and runs it through a disposable filter a multiple number of times in a 5 minute cycle. It shuts off by itself and then you can set in another fryer....it is so easy to use you can filter a couple times a day with hardly any effort! It is new to the US, it was invented in Germany and used in Europe for about 5 yrs.

Troll

So what is the cycle time - total, and what is the cost benefit of using it over a standard paper filter?
And Hightider, I emailed a couple Mods a weeks ago about this.. I'm guessing they verified this is not a spam ad.

Uncle vic: the cycle takes 5 minutes, but all the staff have to do is set it in the fryer and turn it on, it shuts off by itself, it is better than a standard papber filter because the filter has many folds like a car oil filter, the oil passes through the many layers of the filter instead of just soaking through one surface. During a cycle, the oil in your fryer is pumped through the filter multiple times.

So how does it clean out the scum from the bottom of the fryer? (along with the side walls). Also, what do the replacement filters cost (and whats their life cycle)??

quote:

Originally posted by timmcnelis

Uncle vic: the cycle takes 5 minutes, but all the staff have to do is set it in the fryer and turn it on, it shuts off by itself, it is better than a standard papber filter because the filter has many folds like a car oil filter, the oil passes through the many layers of the filter instead of just soaking through one surface. During a cycle, the oil in your fryer is pumped through the filter multiple times.

Also, I may be old school here, but that 1 layer of filter has always done me good, not to mention being low cost. Never had crap going thru it, and extended my oil life by a day or two. That and I was able to scrub out the scum within the fryer tank while the oil sat on the side. I checked out some of the newer automated fryer filters, but they have a tank to store the oil while you clean also.. With these tank style filters, I can see them being cost effective on a large scale (volume) basis, but a waste of money for a mom and pop shop.

the suction of this machine pulls the debris off the bottom if you use it every day, you don't get so much scum build up because it pulls the food particles out of your oil that use to keep burning in your oil. because the filters are a higher quality they are 2.65 ea. The higher quality filters plus running the oil through the filter multiple times allows the smaller particles to get caught in the filter, thats what really makes the oil last longer. But what you like best is never having to drain the oil to filter! A nice thing is you can filter at anytime during the day.

Eventually you will have to drain the oil as it will go rancid eventually.I have seen a type of machine that uses some kind of powder as well as a metal screen to filter the oil through and it pumps the oil out and replaces it in about 5 minuted. We used to put it under the fryer and then drain it as usual and leave it on for about 5 minutes. It extended the shelf life a lot more than a few days as most of the particulates that cause the burned flavor are removed. If you are doing a high volume business then this device can definitely save you time and labor.

David O.

Hi. I just found this forum while looking for information on the Vito filter. I just returned from the restaurant show at the Javits center in NYC and saw this unit demoed (I am NOT a spammer!!). I have one double basket fryer that holds about 50 or 60 lbs of oil. I never thought about filtering oil because the units were so expensive, and I didn't change the oil more than about once a week.

Now that oil has doubled in price, plus we are very busy now, I'm trying to educate myself before buying anything. I'm just now reading about antioxidant powers, filters that can fit in the housing underneath the fryer, etc.

I'm not sure if this is the right place for these questions, but let me ask away anyway (Maybe someone could provide a link with more information?)

1. If I only change your oil once a week now, will filtering the oil still extend the life of the oil? Surprisingly, the Vito rep said it probably wouldn't. A week is a long time as it is, but quality will be better.
2. Do the antioxidant powders really work, and can they extend the life of week-old filtered oil?
3. Has anyone used the oil test strips that 3M sells? You dip them in the oil and it tells you if it is still good. Vito has an electronic one that costs about $500.
4. What is the best place to look at different kinds of filter systems? I don't have a lot of space so I need a unit that can fit under a griddle table, or under the fryer itself.

Just some other comments on Vito that the OP didn't mention. This all comes from the sales rep. Vito has 15,000 units in operation in Europe. You set the unit down on top of the screen in the oil. The suction of the unit causes a turbulent suction that stirs up the junk in the bottom of the fryer. This circulates through the filter which is supposed to catch particles down to 5 micron. Because you use it often, gunk doesn't stick to the sides of the fryer.

So basically I'm asking the same question as the OP I guess. For me, I'm trying to figure out if the combination of a filter and a powder will give me longer oil life with top quality.

Thanks for reading a long post.

dwhote

In my resturant days, we used an oil called FryMax and by filtering in twice a day through a diatimatios (sp) earth filter and washing and drying the fryer bucket...we could get over 18 days of use. We had 4 fryers number one always had the freshest oil and would be used only for fries, number two had the 3-5 day old oil and was used for fries, and fried appitizers, number three had 6-10 day old oil in it and was used for fish and chicken and number four had the oldest oil and it only did chicken. Yup it could be a real pain..but we had GREAT fried goods. All we used were an extra fryer bucket...we'd hang the filter on it and pour from the unit pulled out straight into the bucket...put it right back in the fryer and take the used one to the dish station and clean it. Bring it back and do the next one that same way. Cost was about 25 minutes and 4 filters, twice a day. I used a color code that FryMax supplied to decide when to rotate the oil to the next fryer.

Big g:
A question for you: Did you find that it was the particles in the oil that caused you to throw it out eventually, or the break down of the oil and creation of fatty acids that did it? How exactly did you decide to throw out the oil?

I'm trying to get up to speed with oil quality, which is something I should have done a long time ago. I'm learning about oil filter systems, fatty acid test strips from 3M, and all the different kinds of oil you can use. It is still a bit confusing so I'm looking for some real life experience to figure out what's necessary from what isn't.

Thanks!

dwhite: The VITO system is great for space saving, and you won't have debris in your oil throughout the life of the oil. If you experiment with the powders you still need to use a filtration system, I'd say go with the vito system for ease of use, safety, and labor savings.

quote:

Originally posted by dwhite

Big g:
A question for you: Did you find that it was the particles in the oil that caused you to throw it out eventually, or the break down of the oil and creation of fatty acids that did it? How exactly did you decide to throw out the oil?

I'm trying to get up to speed with oil quality, which is something I should have done a long time ago. I'm learning about oil filter systems, fatty acid test strips from 3M, and all the different kinds of oil you can use. It is still a bit confusing so I'm looking for some real life experience to figure out what's necessary from what isn't.

Thanks!

We used a color kit from Frymax that told us when it was time to discard the oil. PLUS...we tried to keep a good eye on the way things came out of the fryer...color, taste, and feel. Seemed to work well for us. We never used any test strips but we did test 6 or 7 different brands of oil, and while FryMax was a bit more expensive we also got the best results out of it and usually a week or more longer than the others we tried.

Tim:
Did you buy the Vito? I thought I saw another machine that mounted inside (underneath) the fryer. Have you looked at anything like that?

Also thanks about reminding me of the powders. Big g -- did you use any antioxidant powders? Are they necessary?

Thanks Big g. I've heard that FryMax was very good.

quote:

Originally posted by dwhite

Tim:
Did you buy the Vito? I thought I saw another machine that mounted inside (underneath) the fryer. Have you looked at anything like that?

Also thanks about reminding me of the powders. Big g -- did you use any antioxidant powders? Are they necessary?

No powders only a diatomaceous earth filter that did a great job of removining all the excess particles from the oil. and since each of the cooker's used some oil we used the same method to refill...number 4 was added to from 3, 3 from 2 and 2 from 1 with 1 getting the new oil to keep them up to full.

Big G, I've never heard of this diatomaceous earth filter , can you tell me more about it,

dwhite:yeah I saw that equipment you set at bottom fo fryer too, I think it somewhow breaks the "clumping" of polar materials in your oil that decrease the affectivieness of your oil. Looks like it has some on-going maintenance costs so I thought the VITO system was a better choice.

quote:

Originally posted by timmcnelis

Big G, I've never heard of this diatomaceous earth filter , can you tell me more about it,

dwhite:yeah I saw that equipment you set at bottom fo fryer too, I think it somewhow breaks the "clumping" of polar materials in your oil that decrease the affectivieness of your oil. Looks like it has some on-going maintenance costs so I thought the VITO system was a better choice.

I think we got it from our regular purveyor...if I remember it was just kind of a thick paper filter. Maybe like 3/16" thick...it was like a large thick coffee filter in appearance, but was designed for cleaning cooking oils.
Wish I could remember the manufacturer or who we got it from....but its been 30 years, I've slept a time or two since then.

It all sounds a lot better than what we did at the student union grill - lifting those heavy inserts out of the fryers, filled with hot oil, and pouring them through a filter into an empty 5-gal pickle bucket. Extremely dangerous - we actually had one girl badly burned when she set the insert down on the counter briefly to fix the filter before pouring the oil... it tipped off the counter and pretty much drenched her. That was one of those jobs we tried to leave to the taller, stronger guys... but occasionally there wasn't one working that shift. I'd think an automatic system like what y'all are talking about would definitely be worth the initial cost if you do a decent amount of anything fried.

The most important thing to longer lasting fryer oil is proper temps, frequency of fitration and, equally important, type of fitration. Any floating debris (free radicals) breaks down the oil and it is imperative to remove those.
I run a large campus food operation and have got my hands on a new filter media that fits into my mechanical filtration unit -- just like the cellulose paper I used to use. This new media is heavier, reusable, doesn't rip and will save me $1000's this year. It is called Masterfil and just got into production. They claim that it removes down to 1/2 micron particles. I have been extending my oil two weeks under HEAVY operation using this filter.
If anyone is interested in more info email me and I will forward on anything you would like -- they have me as one of their test accounts and I thought I would share some cool happenings on the oil subject.

twix:
I like the convenience of the Vito but I wonder if it comes at a cost. They claim down to 5 micron filtration, which sounds good, but is it really? 1/2 micron sounds a lot better.

Does anybody have a filtration machine they really like and recommend?

Thanks

OT: dwhite, nice looking place (and menu) you have. How long have you been in business at that location?

twix: Thanks for the info! I talked to Howard and he filled me in on everything. It sounds really good. I think my fear about the 5 micron limitation with Vito is answered with the Masterfil filtration. Have you tried the Magnasol active filter for color and odor? It looks very cheap and well worth the money along with the new filter. I doubt the Magnasol filter would work with a Vito machine. I assume there is substantial pressure pushing the oil through the filter, and doubt the Vito could handle it.

Also, have you looked at the filtration pump that Oil Solutions offers? I need something as small and portable as possible. I only have 1 60 lb unit.

Larry:
Thanks! We'll be there 3 years (post renovation) in May. We took over an old dumpy diner, shut it down, and did a major renovation. It took 5 months of backbreaking work, but it was worth it. Business is great. About the only thing I'm not proud of at our operation is the quality of oil we use. I've pretty much neglected the subject, and so our product quality for fried foods is hit or miss. That's how I found this great website!

Regards.

dwhite --
Good to know you reached out to them, I really think they will treat you right. I just think they know they have a product that will cause this industry to re-think the oil side of the business - just a neat, neat product. To me, anything that will extend my oil life times 2 saves me an armfull.
On the VITO vs. other portable mechanical filtration -- I did my research on the VITO and it appears that is is best suited for a countertop fryer situation (I believe between a 10-20# capacity). This would not be a solution for a 60# unit it would seem as it cannot hold the size of the oil in the bin you want filtered. I have used many portable/non filtration units and the things that distiguish one from the other is HP of the motor and the service on the post-purchase if it breaks down, i.e. warranty coverage and replacement policy thru this company.
As for the Magnasol -- I have been using it and just notice that it makes my oil glisten, really good looking. If oil could be sexy, this is what it would look like. Any additive or filtering agent claims to slow the oil degredation and it appears like it has been working. In a nutshell, I believe my using the Masterfil Filter Media (changing it out every 5 days) in a mechanical filtration setting along with Magansol could extend my oil life times THREE. I am trying it now.
On another note -- send me the link to your site or photos -- I am interested after seeing your last post about renovating a dump into a neat place....good luck.
Anyone else out there who is interested let me know.
twix

The Vito is advertised for commercial fryers. They had two size units at the restaurant show and said the smaller one would be good for a 60 lb fryer. My concern was the quality of filtration.

quote:

Originally posted by Big_g

quote:

Originally posted by timmcnelis

Big G, I've never heard of this diatomaceous earth filter , can you tell me more about it,

dwhite:yeah I saw that equipment you set at bottom fo fryer too, I think it somewhow breaks the "clumping" of polar materials in your oil that decrease the affectivieness of your oil. Looks like it has some on-going maintenance costs so I thought the VITO system was a better choice.

I think we got it from our regular purveyor...if I remember it was just kind of a thick paper filter. Maybe like 3/16" thick...it was like a large thick coffee filter in appearance, but was designed for cleaning cooking oils.
Wish I could remember the manufacturer or who we got it from....but its been 30 years, I've slept a time or two since then.

As I remember, you had the paper filter but had to add the diatomic earth to the filter platform. About 1/8 inch spread evenly over the platform. I have always found that the amount of particulates in the oil directly affects the shelf life of said oil. Like I said before, you will have to eventually have to change the oil as it will get rancid eventually. I agree with one of the earlier poster that you should use the Frymax brand as it seems to have the best shelf life!
Good Luck!

David O.