Abstract: A filtering device for an espresso maker includes a coffee powder basket and a filtering mechanism. The coffee powder basket includes a coffee powder receiving section for receiving coffee powders and a compartment below the coffee powder receiving section. The compartment includes an outlet for guiding coffee out of the coffee powder basket. The filtering mechanism includes a filtering plate and a swirl-creating device for creating swirl. Coffee passing through meshes of the filtering plate flows through the swirl-creating device and forms swirl to provide an atomized diffusion effect, allowing the coffee to encompass air and thus form coffee foams.

Abstract: An appliance for preparing hot beverages includes a brewing chamber having an essentially cylindrical outside and at least two chamber parts. One of the chamber parts is movable relative to the other chamber part between a closed position and an opened position. The chamber parts holding a portion container in the closed position. A sleeve having an inside wall is adapted to the essentially cylindrical outside of the brewing chamber. At least two sealing rings for sealing the brewing chamber, encircle a respective one of the chamber parts. The sleeve is pushable over the outside of the brewing chamber in the closed position. Each sealing ring provides a seal between the inside wall of the sleeve and the outside of the brewing chamber.

Abstract: A mechanism (15) for the controlled closure of a lid (13), in particular for an iced-beverage and water-ice making machine (10), comprises a bolt (16) slidable between a locked position and a position of free opening of the door. The bolt is movable to the open position both by means of a button to be manually pushed (21) and by introduction of a thrust tool through an appropriate passage (22). The mechanism further comprises selector means (23) manually operable from the inside of the lid to be moved between a position at which the button action is locked and a position at which the button can be freely operated.

Abstract: A container for holding and dispensing a marinade includes a container body, a cap, and a nozzle. The container body includes a compressible accordion-pleated wall. The cap attaches to the container body, and may include a removable central disc. The nozzle is provided for cooperating with the container body to transfer a marinade into a comestible workpiece. A user may break the removable central disc out of the cap to form an opening therein, place the nozzle below the cap and push a nozzle tube upwardly through the cap opening, and may then attach the cap to the container body such that the nozzle tube extends outwardly therefrom. A method of marinating a comestible workpiece includes steps of inserting a container nozzle into an opening formed in the workpiece, and compressing the container to shorten an accordion-pleated wall portion thereof, thereby injecting a marinade into the workpiece.

Abstract: A smoke generator has an air pump with control valve to supply a continuous controllable air supply to a smoking fuel on a grid in a fire box. Smoke is directed to the food processor from a smoke output within the fire box and above the grid. A chimney extends from the top of the fire box. It is filled with fuel. This fuel is fuel is not in the air stream, so it does not burn. As fuel on the grid is consumed, fuel from the chimney drops onto the grid. This provides a continuous feed of fresh so that the device can generate a uniform controllable stream of smoke over a long period of time unattended. A disposable fuel cartridge is also provided for ease of use.

Abstract: A device for cutting, shaving, mincing, grinding, and squeezing foods has an outer housing element with a first disc element positioned therein. An inner shaft element is slidably positioned within the outer housing element. The inner shaft element has one or more positioning tracks or channels for positioning a cutting disc within the inner shaft element. A control mechanism for controlling the depth of a cut stroke of the inner shaft element is secured to the inner shaft element, and a handle is secured to the inner shaft element. The first disc element and the cutting disc may be in various configurations and cutting styles, such as a plurality of spaced apertures, various grate configurations, spaced cutting edges, cones, squares, and the like.

Abstract: A food product breading machine comprising a breading material reservoir, a breading station, a food product loading location, a discharge location from which breaded food products are discharged from the machine, and a perforate conveyor belt extending through the reservoir, the loading location, the breading station, and the discharge location. Breading material exiting the breading station falls through the conveyor and a reservoir intake opening below the conveyor belt between the breading station and the discharge location. Breaded food products remain on the belt and are conveyed to the discharge location. A breading support member is movable to a position beneath the conveyor belt between the breading station and the discharge location for preventing breading material from falling from the conveyor through the reservoir intake opening so that breading material is conveyed to the discharge location and the reservoir is emptied.

Abstract: A rotary blancher having a food product receiving chamber sealed substantially everywhere except at its food product inlet and food product outlet to permit operation using solely a non-liquid heat transfer medium that is a gas or vapor that preferably is steam. To minimize loss of heat transfer medium out the inlet and outlet, some atmosphere preferably is vented. Preferably, the blancher can also use a liquid heat transfer medium or liquid and non-liquid heat transfer combined media. During operation, food product is introduced into the chamber and a rotary food transport mechanism urges the food product toward the outlet. The heat transfer medium is introduced into the chamber where it comes into contact with the food product. After heating the food product to the desired temperature, the food product is removed from the blancher. Preferably, food product is blanched in this manner in a continuous flow process.

Abstract: A system for use with a hot oil fryer of the type which cooks food porducts in hot oil, in which particulates from the food are shed into the hot oil in the fry during the cooking operation, the fryer having an inlet to receive hot oil, and an outlet for recirculation of hot oil.

Abstract: A baffle system for a deep fat fryer is described. The baffle system improves heat transfer from straight heat tubes which pass through the tank. The baffle is disposed within the tube to encounter products of combustion from a gas fired burner which enter the tube, and causes the products of combustion to swirl against the internal walls of the heat tube. In addition the baffle provides radiant surfaces which, when heated, radiate heat energy against the walls of the tube and the baffle rests on the tube wall itself to heat the same by conduction. Each baffle includes a plate with wings struck therefrom disposed at an acute angle against the flow of combustion products and each wing terminates in a flat tab disposed parallel to the plate for radiant energy.

Abstract: A versatile food appliance includes a set of hardware components common to a plurality of single-purpose food appliances. The set of hardware components is controlled by a microcontroller executing a program from a repertoire thereof stored in the general-purpose food appliance. Many processing programs are stored for operating the appliance in different modes and for processing different kinds of food by using different ingredients. Each processing program is assigned a code and can be selected by specifying the code associated with it from a control panel. The programs may be further modified parametrically by a group of process parameters. Ingredients to be used in each of the programs may be in a premixed form in a package with the code optionally labeled thereon. The repertoire of programs is updatable by the user. In the preferred embodiment, a memory card interface allows updated programs to be introduced via a removable flash memory card.

Abstract: A portable roaster having a drum that is rotated either by hand or by a motor and able to roast a variety of items including fruits and vegetables, nuts, meats and seafood depending on the type of roaster drum or drum attachment used.

Abstract: A roaster rack for supporting meat or poultry for cooking. The rack comprises complementary halves releasably secured together to form a continuous support surface. Removal of a retaining pin from a hinge assembly permits the complementary halves to be separated, whereby the cooked food may be efficiently deposited on a platter or cutting board.

Abstract: A press for food products adapted to be reduced to a puree, comprising a working bowl (12) closed by a removable cover (21) and enclosing a rotatable press tool (23) comprising a central vertical shaft (27) which carries at least one pressing blade (30) whose external edge extends toward the lateral wall of the bowl (12), and which is coupled in rotation to a drive shaft (19) of a motor group by means of a coupling device (38). The blade (30) is maintained in contact against a sieve (40) fixed under the action of a return spring (44) associated with the blade-carrying shaft (27) so as to effect, upon turning, the pressing and the passage of the food products through the sieve, and the assembly formed by the blade (30) and the shaft (27) which carries the blade (30) being moreover adapted, in the case in which the blade (30) encounters a hard body, to rise against the force of the return spring (44).

Abstract: A machine for the automatic production of kebabs from a container whose side faces are slotted and filled with layers of meat and/or vegetables. The machine comprises at least a container insertion station, a station in which the container is skewered with sticks, a cutting station engaging with the container slots, for cutting the skewered layers of meat and/or vegetables, and a station in which the container containing the different skewered and cut layers of meat and/or vegetables is unloaded. The machine of the present invention also includes a supporting member having peripheral arrangements for the loading and centering of at least one container, the supporting member being fixed to rotary drive means in order to present the container or containers in succession to each of the stations arranged in a circular manner about the member.

Abstract: A cooking appliance has a cooking space for receiving a product to be cooked. The cooking space communicates with a cooling-air feeding device and with a sensor module which is provided for sensing a infrared radiation of a surface area under measurement located in the cooking space. The sensor module is disposed at least partially in an air stream provided by the cooling-air feeding device. Impairment of the measuring quality by the air stream is prevented by an extraction device that is provided for extracting air from the cooking space. The extraction device and the feeding device define an imaginary straight line joining a mouth opening of the cooling-air feeding device on the cooking space side and a mouth opening of the extraction device on the cooking space side being at a distance from the surface area under measurement.

Abstract: A safety device for an electric cooking appliance, the appliance having a case forming a housing provided to receive a removable bowl and a unit for heating the bowl. The safety device is composed of an element for sensing the presence of the bowl in the housing, the element being mounted to be movable against a restoring member between a first position which the element assumes when the bowl is present in the housing, and a second position which the element assumes when the bowl is not present in the housing or is not correctly positioned in the housing, the second position corresponding to a position to which the element is urged by the restoring member.

Abstract: A tomato peel material acidification system (10) including a receiving tank (32), a pump (36), acid injection devices (46, 48), mixing devices (38, 39), and a return line (52) for recirculating tomato peel material with an acid level that is too high. PH sensor probes (56, 58, 60) test the pH level of the tomato peel and acid mixture and appropriate controls direct the opening and closing of valves (50, 51, 54, 55) to re-direct the mixture back into the receiving tank.

Abstract: A barbecue rack includes a main frame made by continuous line-wiring having a handle extended from one side of the main frame, an insulating plate sleeved to one end of the handle, and two L-shape supporting brackets inversely mounted respectively to opposing lateral sides of the main frame. Each supporting bracket includes a plurality of position holes located in series along a longer leg side thereof and a plurality of insert holes located in series along a bending shorter leg side thereof each the supporting bracket. Each the position hole is arranged to accounting for one respective insert hole. The barbecue rack of the present invention can have two layers of foods roasted at the same time. That is, much food can be roasted at a time by compared to a conventional barbecue frame. Thereby, energy and time required for barbecuing can be substantially saved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for roasting raw coffee beans which apparatus can instantly roast a small quantity of raw coffee beans according to personal taste and provide a unique taste and fragrance of coffee, and in particular to an apparatus suitable for home use. The apparatus has a roasting vessel for containing raw coffee beans to be roasted. A plurality of air openings are provided for creating a whirling vertical motion to a heated airstream ascending therethrough, whereby the raw beans are roasted and also caused to have their hulls separated and caused to ascend upwardly with the airstream to a hull-receiving vessel.