Weekly commentary on vacuum frying technology—vacuum fryer

There are two types of vacuum fryers. Intermittent fryers are used for smaller operations and are suitable for vegetables and fruit. Larger, continuous fryers are better for more sustained commercial use. The intermittent vacuum fryer's oil has to be replaced more often than the continuous fryer. This makes the continuous vacuum fryer more attractive to larger manufacturers as it lowers the cost of production.

The vacuum fryer is relatively simple to operate. Pumps create the vacuum and programmable electronics allow the user to control the system.

Research has shown that vacuum fried potato chips may have up to 50 percent less oil content than chips that have been deep-fried using regular frying methods.

Foods fried in a vacuum fryer also often retain higher levels of nutrients than those fried with other methods. Foods that have been vacuum fried are no match for a fully rounded nutritious diet, but they may go a long way to making snacks a little healthier.

The one drawback to using a vacuum fryer is that the process is more expensive than regular atmospheric methods.