Abstract: A coffee roasting machine for roasting coffee, particularly in small batch sizes for sale and distribution to individual customers. The coffee roaster is suitable for placement entirely within a retail sales outlet or establishment and for being operated by any person, such as, an employee, customer, or patron who has little or no knowledge, skill, or experience in roasting coffee beans. The coffee-roasting machine selects an appropriate coffee roasting instruction set, stored internally, that corresponding to information input into the coffee-roasting machine for roasting a particular type of coffee bean or coffee bean blend to a desired roast level. The information is integrally included on a package of coffee beans for roasting and is directly readable by the machine or manually inputtable by an operator.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting foodstuffs in a hybrid oven for cooking by hot air impingement and by microwave energy having a predetermined free-space wavelength, comprising a metal ring having a pre-determined diameter and six primary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals. The apparatus also includes a metal annular ring mounted to the primary spoke members. An opening is formed at the center of the apparatus by the inner diameter of the metal annular ring. In addition, the apparatus also includes six secondary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals midway between the points at which the primary spoke members are secured thereto to cooperate with the primary spoke members to support the foodstuffs.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carrousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carrousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carrousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: An automated system for storing and cooking french fried potatoes includes a refrigeration and storage assembly and unique transport system which is easily used with fryers of a commercial type. The transport system includes a horizontal and vertical transport assembly for moving baskets of fries to and from the one or more fryers, with the vertical transport assembly being adapted to lower the basket into the fryer as well as support the basket above the fryer after cooking so as to allow the basket to drain. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention the refrigeration system is such and the strips are oriented all in substantially the same direction before being loaded into a basket so as to enable the fries to be cooked with little or no sticking without requiring the operator to shake the potatoes during or following cooking.

Abstract: A flashback inhibiting fuel fired infrared burner has a housing with a base wall, a side wall section extending outwardly from the base wall periphery, and a side opening positioned opposite the base wall. Retained in and covering the housing side opening is a foranimous burner plate structure. An air-fuel mixture supply pipe extends forwardly into the housing interior through a front end of the side wall section into a rear end portion of the housing interior and has an open outlet end. A discharge end portion of the supply pipe is received in an open front end portion of a flow reversing tube having a closed rear end. The supply pipe and flow reversing tube are laterally shrouded within the housing by an elongated baffle member having outlet openings formed in longitudinally extending front and rear wall portions thereof, the total cross-sectional area of the outlet openings in the front longitudinal wall portion being greater than that of the outlet openings in the rear longitudinal wall portion.

Abstract: A flashback inhibiting fuel fired infrared burner has a housing with a base wall, a side wall section extending outwardly from the base wall periphery, and a side opening positioned opposite the base wall. Retained in and covering the housing side opening is a foranimous burner plate structure. An air-fuel mixture supply pipe extends forwardly into the housing interior through a front end of the side wall section into a rear end portion of the housing interior and has an open outlet end. A discharge end portion of the supply pipe is received in an open front end portion of a flow reversing tube having a closed rear end. The supply pipe and flow reversing tube are laterally shrouded within the housing by an elongated baffle member having outlet openings formed in longitudinally extending front and rear wall portions thereof, the total cross-sectional area of the outlet openings in the front longitudinal wall portion being greater than that of the outlet openings in the rear longitudinal wall portion.