I would appreciate some feedback.

[jp4u]

I'm trying to get some feed-back from HK residents. I'm not selling anything but a business relation of mine, a European manufacturer of high end electric frying pans wants to get some information regarding the HK market for exporting/commercialising some of his products.
I already spoke to some F&B professionals, shop owners and end-users in my neighbourhood. I checked the offer at supermarkets and chains and noticed only a few low end products.

My question: you guys and gals use electric deep fryers? Would you like a larger offer, meaning high end and even semi professional products that are much safer and even cheaper in the long end than frying in a wok or using a pan with old technology?
We all know that good quality frying oil isn’t cheap. Also correct temp. control is essential for making the oil last longer.

Hereunder some of the arguments used by my customer regarding quality, maintenance and security:

“Fryers are completely detachable.
Fryers have a stainless steel oil reservoir.
The basket can be lowered into, and lifted out of the oil with closed filter lid.
The filter lid can be opened with one touch. No risk of burning your fingers!

The heating element is lying directly in the frying oil. The oil reaches the right temperature in no time.
Residues fall in a decanting zone under the heating element and do not burn. The frying oil lasts 3 x longer.

The dynamic patented design of the heating element creates a better heat segmentation in the oil. Thanks to this dynamic design, the frying process will be up to 50 % faster.
As the frying process is faster, the fries are sealed much faster, so that they don’t get a chance to absorb frying fat or frying oil.
Freshly cut or frozen French fries contain a large amount of water. As the specific volume (density) will sink to the bottom of the bowl of the fryer with "Decanting Zone" while heating, the water will be converted into steam. Steam gains up to 80 times the volume of water and will form dangerous air bubbles. These air bubbles will rise and have to escape which leads to dangerous splashes and sometimes explosions. The "TURBO SF®" system neutralises this phenomenon completely!”
.
Your comments and feed-back would be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

[Skyhook]

Most people in HK rarely cook comprehensively at home, kitchens in most Hong Kong apartments are notoriously small. People are more likely to eat out here, than spend much time cooking at home.

Chinese cooking techniques when deep frying, say spring rolls, stinky tofu or deep fried pork etc, would usually be cooked in a wok filled to about 3 inches deep with cooking oil. A habitual technique you are going to have almost no chance in changing.

I highly doubt HK Chinese are going to trade their woks in for any style of dedicated deep fryer, when there are dedicated domestic bench installed Miele or Gaggenau deep fryers already available making close to zero market penetration. 2 brands that have the respected luxury cache.

Good luck though, but I doubt Hong Kong will be much of a market for you.

My 2 cents worth

[jp4u]

Thanks, that indeed is what I also thought.

No need to wish me luck though. Was asking the question for a Euro friend/bizz relation. Unfortunately, I'm not the owner of that factory.

Others have comments? How about the caucasians in Honkers?

[CarterTG]

Skyhook's observations are spot-on. The Chinese have had a millenium or two to perfect their cooking techniques (stir-fry, steaming, braising, frying and deep frying) on a wok. A typical HK kitchen does very well with just three cooking vessels, a rice cooker, a wok, and a stock pot for soups. Anything more complicated than that, and the decision will fall every time to heading out to the endless lineup of inexpensive eateries.

The one area I can see room for improvement though are hotpot restaurants -- the communal experience where the dinner party gathers around a seasoned broth in a constant vigorous boil and steep various cuts of raw meats, seafood & vegetables.

Some restaurants use fuel-canister single-burner portable stoves with a large stainless broth bowl perched atop. The canisters often fizzle out at some point during the dinner resulting in a wholly inappropriate simmer of the broth.

Others retask shallow electric frying pans.

With the electrics, many are interrupted with a thermal regulator that constantly shuts off power. The large side handles hamper the crowded table, the legs are often much too long forcing guests to hurdle their food higher over the fryer wall, the square shape goes against the "fung shuei" of a chinese round dining table (invitation to gather), and finally most hotpots only reach a certain size. For large dinner gatherings, the sizes I've seen are typically not sufficient.

Modernize and perfect the chinese hotpot and there might be a chance at getting restaurants in HK and the mainland to be your customer.

Visit a few of these restaurants (dah BEAN low) while in HK and you might spot some additional improvement opportunities.

Of course, realize that patented WHATEVER doesn't mean much once the prototype reaches the mainland.

[jp4u]

Appreciate the time you took for answering.
We'll be digging a tad deeper into the local and expat kitchen culture.