Commercial fryers come with three different fry pot designs: tube-type, open-pot and flat-bottom. Tube-type vats are ideal for heavily battered foods like fried chicken and fish. Open-pot fryers are best used to make French fries, cheese sticks or other lightly breaded foods. Flat-bottom fry pots are ideal for frying delicate items like funnel cake, tortilla chips or taco shells.
There are many different oils used in commercial fryers, and each different type has a slightly different flavor and nutritional value. One of the most common oils is vegetable oil, but with increasing concern over trans fats city governments are banning oils that contain trans fats. Canola is becoming the new preferred oil for restaurant frying.