Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Fast Food Restaurants Siphon Oil in Minutes

Have you ever wondered how and when restaurants change out the oil that they fry in? Me either! In fact the only time I ever think about it when I am watching one of those cooking shows that show the behind the scenes of some nasty ass restaurant kitchen that I wouldn’t be eating at if I knew the truth.

How do they change the oil though? I could imagine someone going to one of those big mega stores and buying shopping carts full of vegetable oil, and leaving nothing for the rest of us. I could also imagine 55 gallon drums filled with new and used oil out behind the restaurant. Of course the job of changing out the oil would fall onto the lowest paid employee. Their clothes would be ruined, soaked in grease as they tried to use a 5 gallon bucket to transfer oil to and from the 55 gallon barrels. Cold oil splashing on the floor as they tried semi-successfully to transfer the oil (with about half of the oil making the trip). The bucket would be dripping all down the sides, onto the floor as the employee slips and slides. They could get smart (restaurant employees are paid by the hour) and ladle the oil from the barrel to the bucket. Of course this would turn a 20 minute job into a 4 hour job. It is probably safer, definitely cleaner, and what the hell customers don’t really need fries (that is blasphemy).

The other day I ran into this guy who absolutely loves his job, and so I took it upon myself to inquire and learn. What his company does is switch out the cooking oil in a number of locations for some restaurant chains.

Basically his truck if filled with oil. There are different containers that hold gallons upon gallons (see numbers going up the side of photo) of specific oils for specific customers.

The process of sucking out the used oil and pumping in the new oil happens simultaneously, all within a matter of a few minutes. The old oil is processed and turned into biofuel so your vehicle smells like French fries (I like French fries…a lot).

Great concept, great way to change out the cooking oil, and it is safer; not as funny to watch as in the 55 gallon drum scenario, but safer for sure.

Moral of the story…eat more fries.



 

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