Abstract: An automated cooking system for adding time and labor efficiencies in food production environments such as restaurants. The automated cooking system includes at least a fryer, a dispensing freezer, a hot holding station, a plurality of baskets, and a gantry system. The gantry system includes a gantry control for a gantry, configured to engage and move each of the baskets. The basket and gantry include interface elements for enabling precise movements and rapid opening and closing of baskets at the system. Aspects of an automated cooking system and a corresponding method for discharging cooked food product help to avoid the problems associated with manually operating a cooking system. Specifically, the system described herein provides for apparatuses and methods to cook and dispense food product in a more efficient manner with regard to both time and labor considerations within food production environments.

Abstract: A fryer and method for cooking food products is provided that automates the movement of baskets carrying the food products. The fryer) includes a cooking chamber with a heating element located therein for heating cooking medium in the cooking chamber. The fryer also includes at least one vertical transport assembly that selectively engages with and moves the basket vertically into and out of the cooking medium. A horizontal transport assembly selectively engages with and moves the basket horizontally between different positions. The horizontal transport assembly hands off the basket to and from the vertical transport assembly, and first and second hooks on the horizontal transport assembly engage with front and rear receiving mechanisms on the basket to continuously maintain at least two points of contact with the basket. This allows for controlled pivotal movements of the basket when food products are to be added or removed from the basket.

Abstract: Systems are disclosed for cleaning a fryer using a washing element coupled to a bottom wall of a cooking chamber. An upper portion of the washing element extends above the bottom wall of the cooking chamber and includes a plurality of spray jet nozzles that are separated at predetermined angles relative to one another around a periphery of the upper portion of the washing element to orient the plurality of spray jet nozzles so as to spray a plurality of pressurized streams of the cooking medium to predetermined areas of the cooking chamber, including at least one corner of the cooking chamber. Also disclosed is a fryer that includes a spreader bar that maintains an electric heating coil in the serpentine pattern. The spreader bar is coupled to the upper surface of the electric heating coil and is disposed at a predetermined distance away from the bottom wall.

Abstract: A fryer and method for cooking food products is provided that automates the movement of baskets carrying the food products. The fryer includes a cooking chamber with a heating element located therein for heating cooking medium in the cooking chamber. The fryer also includes at least one vertical transport assembly that selectively engages with and moves the basket vertically into and out of the cooking medium. A horizontal transport assembly selectively engages with and moves the basket horizontally between different positions. The horizontal transport assembly hands off the basket to and from the vertical transport assembly, and first and second hooks on the horizontal transport assembly engage with front and rear receiving mechanisms on the basket to continuously maintain at least two points of contact with the basket. This allows for controlled pivotal movements of the basket when food products are to be added or removed from the basket.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for controlling a heating system in a fryer. At startup, a setpoint temperature for a cooking medium is set to a melt temperature. While in melt mode, each of a plurality of heating elements each located in a different region of a fry pot is sequentially activated to control an amount of heat provided to the cooking medium. Once the cooking medium has reached the melt temperature, the setpoint temperature is increased to a target cooking temperature. While in cooking mode, if an order to cook a food product is not received within a predetermined time period, the setpoint temperature is set to an idle temperature which is below the target setpoint temperature and above the melt temperature. The target cooking temperature is adjusted using a set of setpoint bias temperatures that is selected based on a cooking load.

Abstract: An automated cooking system is provided for adding time and labor efficiencies in food production environments such as restaurants. The automated cooking system includes at least a fryer, a dispensing freezer, a hot holding station, a plurality of baskets, and a gantry system. The gantry system includes a gantry control for a gantry, configured to engage and move each of the baskets. A method for managing basket workflow during food preparation at an automated cooking system is described. Further, a method for managing basket workflow at a dispensing freezer during food preparation at an automated cooking system is described. The automated cooking system and methods provide repetition of basket loading and discharge cycles such that the gantry can fully manage and automate cooking using up to 6 or more baskets at the fryer, thereby maximizing food product throughput in the standard footprint space for the fryer.

Abstract: A fryer and method for cooking food products is provided that automates the movement of baskets carrying the food products. The fryer includes a cooking chamber with a heating element located therein for heating cooking medium in the cooking chamber. The fryer also includes at least one vertical transport assembly that selectively engages with and moves the basket vertically into and out of the cooking medium. A horizontal transport assembly selectively engages with and moves the basket horizontally between different positions. The horizontal transport assembly hands off the basket to and from the vertical transport assembly, and first and second hooks on the horizontal transport assembly engage with front and rear receiving mechanisms on the basket to continuously maintain at least two points of contact with the basket. This allows for controlled pivotal movements of the basket when food products are to be added or removed from the basket.

Abstract: A cooking system in the form of a fryer is provided to reduce and/or optimize the amount of cooking medium required to operate the fryer, while improving the reliability of movement of food product through the cooking system during a cooking process. To this end, the cooking vat of the system is designed with one or more heating elements positioned to avoid generation of turbulent flow in the cooking medium. Moreover, the movement of food product along the cooking vat and/or out of the cooking vat is done reliably and in such a manner to avoid turbulent flow in the cooking medium. The automatic cooking system provides improved cooking medium life span as well as reduced overall oil volume use.

Abstract: A fryer includes a cooking chamber for holding a cooking medium, at least one heating element positioned within the cooking chamber, and a chain conveyor for selectively advancing food product through the cooking chamber along a movement path. The chain conveyor includes first and second chains coupled together by a plurality of baskets extending therebetween. The movement path includes a series of legs, including a first leg wherein the food product moves substantially vertically from above the cooking medium to a greatest depth within the cooking medium and including a second leg subsequent to the first leg wherein the food product moves substantially horizontally at the greatest depth within the cooking medium. Automated filtering systems and methods for removing debris from cooking medium are also provided.

Abstract: Methods for adjusting the pressure in a cooking chamber of a pressure fryer are provided. The pressure inside the cooking chamber is determined in response to detecting closure of a valve that vents the cooking chamber. The pressure in the chamber is compared to a predetermined pressure. If the pressure in the chamber is less than the predetermined pressure, a pressure assist system is activated. The pressure assist system includes an air pump and/or pressure source, and when activated, supplies a gas to the cooking chamber to increase the pressure in the cooking chamber. The pressure may be determined at a predetermined time after closure of the valve, and an amount of gas to be added to the cooking chamber determined based on a difference between the measured pressure and the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for controlling a fryer. In response to determining a filtration cycle is scheduled to occur after a current cooking cycle, a temperature set-point for a cooking medium is increased to pre-heat the cooking medium prior to the end of the cooking cycle. A heating element used to heat the cooking medium may be deactivated prior to entering the filtration cycle, and reactivated during the filtration cycle in response to the filtered cooking medium in the fry pot reaching a predetermined level. Activating the heating element during the filtration cycle may further heat the cooking medium prior to starting the next cooking cycle, thereby reducing the total time needed for filtration and reheating for a subsequent cooking cycle.

Abstract: A fryer includes a cooking chamber for holding a cooking medium and at least one heating element positioned within the cooking chamber. The fryer further includes a conveyor belt for selectively advancing food product through the cooking chamber. The conveyor belt includes first and second chains coupled together by a plurality of elongate members extending therebetween. The conveyor belt further includes a plurality of paddles coupled to the first and second chains and extending therebetween to define a plurality of compartments. Each of the plurality of paddles includes a screen, and each compartment is sized to receive at least a portion of the food product. The conveyor belt defines a continuous loop.

Abstract: A fryer includes a cooking chamber for holding a cooking medium at least one heating element positioned within the cooking chamber, and a chain conveyor for selectively advancing food product through the cooking chamber along a movement path. The chain conveyor includes first and second chains coupled together by a plurality of baskets extending therebetween. The movement path includes a series of legs, including a first leg wherein the food product moves substantially vertically from above the cooking medium to a greatest depth within the cooking medium and including a second leg subsequent to the first leg wherein the food product moves substantially horizontally at the greatest depth within the cooking medium. Automated filtering systems and methods for removing debris from cooking medium are also provided.

Abstract: An automatic cooking system is provided to reduce and/or optimize the amount of cooking medium required to operate the fryer, while improving the temperature and flow characteristics of cooking medium in the fryer. To this end, the cooking vat of the system is designed with one or more heating elements and one or more lanes for flow of cooking medium and food products between inlet and outlet ends, with the heating elements defining a low profile and/or being mounted externally to the cooking vat to avoid impeding flow of the cooking medium. One example of such a heating element is a printed heating element that is coupled to or directly printed on the cooking vat. This arrangement reduces the total volume of retained cooking medium needed to flow and move food products along a length of the cooking vat during a cooking process.

Abstract: A fryer apparatus and method of frying food products includes a cooking chamber, a heater disposed external to the cooking chamber, a fuel system disposed external to the cooking chamber, a blower configured to propel an airflow toward a heater, and a fuel injector configured to inject fuel into the airflow to create an air-fuel mixture. The fuel system is configured to deliver an air-fuel mixture to the heater. The heater is configured to ignite the air-fuel mixture to provide an external heating source for the cooking medium within cooking chamber. The temperature of the cooking medium is controlled by varying the speed of the airflow.

Abstract: An automatic fryer apparatus and method of frying food products includes a cooking chamber, a heating mechanism disposed in the cooking chamber, and a pump disposed at an end of the cooking chamber to circulate cooking medium within the cooking chamber. Food product is added to the cooking chamber and flows along with the cooking medium in a flow direction. A controller controls a plurality of gates by individually actuating each gate. The controller stores data regarding predetermined time periods, which regulate when to raise and lower each gate. Food product moves downstream of each gate along a flow direction when each respective gate is raised. Food product is automatically transferred to a holding station when it reaches an outlet end of the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A gas fryer and associated methods of cooking food products are disclosed. The gas fryer includes an infrared burner and a fry pot including an interior casing defining a cooking chamber, with the interior casing including a bottom wall and opposing sidewalls that extend upwardly from the bottom wall. The opposing sidewalls include lower, central, and upper sidewall panels that are angled from one another to define a tapered profile that narrows towards the bottom wall. The tapering of a well defined at a lower chamber portions of the cooking chamber allows for a shallow depth at this portion of the fry pot and easy visibility and access for cleaning. Furthermore, the opposing sidewalls and a rear end wall of the interior casing include heat exchange fins on an external surface.