Patty and Fry Paper for Prep and the Fry Station

Plain patty paper or waxed, and fry sheet or cone?

Patty paper is a small square of plain paper that goes between pressed patties so the stack separates cleanly. Waxed patty paper does the same job with a dry wax face, which releases a frozen or chilled patty without tearing. If your patties go in the freezer, buy waxed.

Fry paper is a printed or plain sheet that lines a cup, boat or bag. Fry cones are formed kraft cones and scoop cups that hold the fries on their own. Cones are for walking food; fry paper is for anything that sits in a container.

Why do frozen patties stick to the wrong paper?

A fresh patty is wet on both faces. Press it, stack it on plain paper, and freeze it, and the moisture bonds the meat to the fiber. On the line the cook pulls the paper and takes a layer of beef with it.

Dry wax on the patty face stops that bond. The patty slides off clean and the paper comes away in one piece. Plain patty paper is fine for patties that are pressed in the morning and cooked the same day, and for separating cheese slices.

Both patty papers are unprinted on the meat side. If you want a logo on the stack for a retail case, it goes on the outside face only. The waxed patty paper page shows both faces.

Matching patty paper to the press

The sheet should be a little larger than the pressed patty so the edges never touch meat below. A slider from a small press sits on a 4.75 x 5 sheet. A quarter-pound patty fits a 5.5 x 5.5. Half-pound patties and smash balls that spread on the flat top want 6 x 6.

• 4.75 x 5 in.: sliders and small pressed patties
• 5.5 x 5.5 in.: quarter-pound patties from a standard press
• 6 x 6 in.: half-pound patties, smash portions and cheese slices
• Custom: cut to the plate of your press

If you run two patty sizes, order two sheet sizes. A 6 x 6 under a slider wastes paper and the overhang gets in the way when the cook grabs a stack.

Which fry paper size lines a boat, a cup or a bag?

A 6 x 6 sheet lines a paper fry cup or a small boat with the corners showing above the rim. The 6 x 10 is the bag size: folded once it makes a sleeve, and a scoop of fries slides into it. A 10 x 10 lines a large boat or a basket where fries share space with a sandwich.

Grease-resistant white is the right stock for all three. Fries leave oil within seconds, and plain paper turns clear and limp. The sheet in the photo on the printed fry paper page shows how a one-color repeat keeps reading after the fries go in.

How fries steam inside a closed bag

Hot fries give off steam for several minutes after they leave the fryer. In a closed bag that steam condenses on the paper and drips back onto the fries, and the crunch is gone by the time the customer sits down.

A paper sleeve helps because the open end lets steam out. A cone helps more, because fries stand up and air moves around them. For delivery orders, a fry paper sleeve inside a vented box beats a sealed bag every time.

Keep dry wax out of the fry station. It is built for cold and warm holds and goes soft under hot oil.

Can a fry cone carry a print?

Yes. The kraft cone in our photos is plain, with a small fold at the top that holds a sauce cup, but the same cone and the scoop cup print with one, two or three spot colors or white ink. A repeat pattern wraps around the cone and stays visible from any side.

A centered logo on a cone works better than on a sheet because the cone is held one way up. Place the mark a third of the way down so the hand does not cover it. Our guide to printing a logo covers coverage and color on kraft.

Placing a patty and fry paper order

1. Pick the product and the size that matches your press, cup or portion.
2. Tell us plain or printed. Printed runs need a vector logo or a clean PNG for one color.
3. We reply with a written quote within one business day.
4. Printed products get a free PDF proof. Approve it in writing and changes before approval are free.
5. Production runs 4 to 6 business days after approval.
6. Free tracked delivery to any US address follows in 2 to 3 business days.

Every product in this range starts at 1,000 pieces per run, and payment is by invoice after approval. Damage or misprints reported with photos within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Ask for a patty and fry paper quote with your sizes.