Patent ID: 8910565

Claim:
A batch cooker, comprising: a cooking trough divided into a plurality of temperature zones that is configured to hold a volume of heated cooking oil; and an oil recirculation system in fluid communication with the cooking trough divided into the plurality of temperature zones, comprising: a heat exchanger configured to heat cooking oil flowing through the heat exchanger, an oil inlet circuit intermediate, and in fluid communication with, the heat exchanger and the cooking trough divided into the plurality of temperature zones, one or more inlet valves intermediate, and in fluid communication with, the oil inlet circuit and the cooking trough divided into the plurality of temperature zones, wherein each temperature zone comprises an inlet valve in fluid communication with one or more oil inlet openings configured to control an amount of oil passing from the circuit to the cooking trough, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a portion of the volume of cooking oil adjacent to the one or more inlet openings, one or more oil outlets configured to remove oil from the cooking trough, an oil outlet circuit in oil flow communication with said oil outlets, an oil filter intermediate, and in fluid communication with, the oil outlet circuit and the heat exchanger, a bypass valve in fluid communication with the oil inlet circuit, said bypass valve being configured to control an amount of oil passing from the oil inlet circuit, through a bypass conduit, and to the oil outlet circuit without passing through the cooking trough, and an oil pump configured to pump oil through the oil recirculation system.