how often to change chip oil

Dick_Turpin99

Just a quick one, how often should you change the oil in a deep-fat frier used for doing chips?

geordie458

Every 10,000 miles :rotfl:

ed110220

I don't use a deep fryer, but I do re-use oil when roasting potatoes, vegetables etc. As with each use about a third to half is used up, I don't feel the need to ever get rid of it, as after a few uses almost all the original oil will have been used up.

ormus

when it starts to look a bit manky.

alex21

I think I read somewhere it should be after it has been heated 5 times or there is carcinogenic risk. But in truth I only do it every few months because we only do poppadums and very rarely hm crispy beef in batter. It's such a yuk job. I did mine on Saturday and cos it's clean I don't want to use it!!:D

ed110220

After 5 times I think most of the oil you started with would be gone and replaced with new oil from topping up.

keystone

Daily after use - drain it off, filter oil and save for next time. Clean fryer when empty.

Cheers

Ben84

I find it helps to put the oil in a jug and let it settle overnight, then I can pour out the oil leaving any fine particles in a small layer at the bottom of the jug to throw away. The oil gets darker with use, but it doesn't really get dirty this way so I can use it many times. No strict rule to when I throw it out though, I tend to discard it when I notice it smokes at normal frying temperature.

Lots of people pour it down the drain, which can block the drain in your house or further down the system where grease blockages contribute quite a bit to sewage finding its way in to the environment rather than the sewage plant. Much better to put it in a plastic bottle and throw it in the bin so it gets landfilled.

ormus

much better to take it to the council tip/dump and put it in the waste oil tank.

Ben84

ormus wrote: »

much better to take it to the council tip/dump and put it in the waste oil tank.

I've alway been advised that edible oils are fine to throw in the rubbish, but anything from crude oil such as car engine or gearbox oil need special disposal as they don't degrade in the environment and can pollute groundwater. I think these get burnt to dispose of them, but that's really not needed for cooking oil, it just blocks sewers causing them to overflow in to rivers when it goes down the drain, which is damaging to the environment, but not because the oil is itself a hazard. Its because of the pathogens, phosphates and detergents that are released when sewers overflow.

Dick_Turpin99

Thanks to everyone who replied.

I like the idea of draining off the good and throwing the "bits"......I was thinking about this probably he biggest pollutant will be the moisture thats on the potatoes when they go in the oil......which presumably will give a lot more steam/condensation on their initial dunk.