How Do I Power a Deep Fryer in a Food Truck?
Cold oil is hungry. Until it's up to temperature, a commercial fryer pulls everything its plug allows. Get the right generator and you'll never think about it again.
Check the plug
| Fryer | Plug | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| 5 L single | 10A | Any outlet |
| 8 L or 11 L single | 15A | A 15A outlet |
| Twin 8 L | 2 x 15A | Two 15A outlets |
A 15A plug won't go into a standard 10A power point.
Gas or electric?
- Takes the biggest load off the generator
- Installed by a licensed gasfitter
- Bottles to swap and store
- Fridges, lights and EFTPOS still need power
- One power source for the whole truck
- No bottles on board
- Needs a 15A circuit in the truck
- Pairs with the generator below
Either way, keep a fire blanket and an extinguisher suited to cooking oil fires close by, mounted near the door rather than beside the fryer.
The generator
- ✓One fryer, 5 L to 11 L
- ✓Fridge and freezer
- ✓Exhaust fan, lights and the EFTPOS terminal
- ✗Twin fryers at full power: run one on gas
- ✗Fryer plus an electric griddle
Have a licensed electrician fit a 32A inlet to your truck, so the generator's 32A outlet runs the fryer, the fridges and the rest through your RCD-protected switchboard. At opening, fridges on first, then the fryer. Hold off on other big loads until the oil's hot.
The kitchen maths
An 8 L fryer with a fridge and freezer draws about 4,945W together, 55 per cent of the HY10000iSE's 9,000W rating. Twin fryers take it to about 8,395W, 93 per cent. The line we work to is 80 per cent, as Queensland's Electrical Safety Office recommends for running all day.
Safety at the fryer
Fire blanket and extinguisher near the door, not beside the fryer, so a fire can't cut you off from them. Generator outside on dry ground, out of reach of the public, a metre clear, exhaust pointed away from your window and any doors, windows or vents. Never run it inside or enclosed: carbon monoxide. Refuel when it's off and cool. RCD (safety switch) protection on the truck's switchboard to suit the generator, fitted by a licensed electrician. Leads rated for the outlet. Fryer and leads tested and tagged.
Optional extra: mise en place, minus the motor
+
Battery maths
Fridge: roughly 3kWh a day, so 126W on average. Battery: 1,152Wh, call it 920Wh after losses (80 per cent). 920 ÷ 126: about 7 hours. Hot service and open doors mean less.
It charges at up to 550W. Add that to the fryer truck's 4,945W and it's about 5,495W, 61 per cent of the generator. Keep the power station away from the fryer: it only charges between 0 and 40°C.
More set-ups in what size generator a food truck needs.
Tell us your fryer and what else runs with it, and we'll confirm the generator suits it. We deliver Australia-wide, and checkout shows the delivery options and price for your address.
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