Abstract: A retort system for thin walled, generally flat containers filled with a food product or the like including a pressure vessel having one or more batches of flat containers therein disposed within a heat treatment tunnel. A heat transfer liquid is circulated through the tunnel parallel to the flat sidewalls of the containers at a rate sufficient to transfer heat between the fluid and the containers without incurring a large change in temperature of the liquid between the inlet and outlet of the tunnel for assuring uniform cooking of the contents of the containers. During a cooking cycle the liquid is reheated while being returned externally of the tunnel from the discharge end of the tunnel to the inlet end of the tunnel. The tunnel is partially defined by the side walls of nesting containers supporting trays, which trays may be rotated for an agitating cook or may be stationary for a still cook.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus capable of effectively cooking food, such as steaks and hamburgers, without a flame flare-up of the greases or fats. The cooking apparatus includes an upwardly open container for supporting flavor producing means, such as chips and spices, with a cooking surface, such as a grill, supported above the container. The flavor supporting container provides heat dissipation means for directing heat to the cooking surface. Housing means is provided for supporting the cooking surface above the container, with the housing including heat producing means, air pressure means and air pressure directing means for supplying a controlled amount of hot air to the container for contact with the flavor producing means and transfer to the cooking surface. A distribution surface constructed of a formanious plate is provided between the cooking surface and the flavor supporting container for effectively distributing the hot air over the cooking surface.

Abstract: In a continuous-flow wine-making apparatus comprising an external tower to which the grape juice to be transformed into wine is admitted and an internal concentric tower from which the manufactured wine is withdrawn, the internal tower is divided by an inclined bottom into two separate superimposed rooms, the wine is withdrawn from an intermediate place of the upper room and the solid refuse from the lowermost portion of this room, and a temperature-regulating fluid flows through the lower room.

Abstract: A convertible grilling device of the type heated by solid fuel, in particular by charcoal, is disclosed comprising a stand, an upper frame and a removable substantially box-or parallelepiped-shaped fuel container. Said fuel container has guide pegs engaged in rigid guides and may be converted from a horizontal to vertical working position and vice versa. The fuel container is supported free of any securing or clamping means and is flush within the frame when in the horizontal working position.

Abstract: A food preparation appliance with two hinged parts, usable as a waffle iron and also as a meat grilling utensil. The two movable parts contain heating rods over which are slipped hollow contact members. Each of these contact members has two different surface patterns, each surface pattern being designed for the specific type of food preparation, i.e., either baking or grilling. The contact members may be removed and turned over so that matching surface patterns face one another.

Abstract: A battery powered coffee maker, for non-boil coffee and the like, including a generally rectangular container having a battery contained in the base of the container, electrical heating elements in the walls and in the base of the container for providing gentle heat, and an insulated housing for the container to reduce heat loss. The apparatus includes electrical circuitry to allow all heating elements to be used for brewing coffee and the like and to allow only the base heating element to be used to maintain serving temperature.

Abstract: A coffee making apparatus is disclosed for automatically mixing instant coffee and for maintaining the coffee hot during dispensing thereof. The coffee is housed within an urn similar to that utilized for drip coffee although simpler in construction and designed specifically for instant or freeze-dried applications. Provisions are also made for dispensing hot water.

Abstract: A frying apparatus includes a frypot for containing cooking oil positioned in a support housing. Heating elements are pivotally attached to said housing and suspended within the frypot to heat the cooking oil for deep fat frying. A thermostat is mounted to the front of the housing to extend into the frypot above the heating elements to regulate the cooking oil temperature. The thermostat is separate from the heating elements so that the elements may be pivoted upward to a cleaning position. A biasing heater is mounted to the front of housing directly below the thermostat to compensate for the distance between the thermostat and the heating elements by providing additional heat to the thermostat. A temperature selector is provided on the outside front of the housing to allow adjustment of the thermostat without reaching over the frypot.

Abstract: Food products, for example, hamburger patties, are rapidly cooked with reduced weight losses. A cooking appliance is provided having a plurality of parallely spaced heat transfer fins from which project an array of cooking grills on which the hamburger patty is impaled. The appliance is adapted to be passed through a cooking environment so that heat is transferred through the fins and projecting grills to the interior of the hamburger patty. In this way cooking is accomplished in a relatively short period of time, and also the amount of fat and meat juices that are melted or broiled away is minimized. A device with a handle is provided for releasably engaging the cooking appliance so that the appliance can be conveniently moved even if hot. The device is provided with an ejection system for discharging the hamburger patty from the appliance.

Abstract: The hot water pump of a coffee maker includes a water heating chamber and heating means therefor, a vertical hot water lift tube which extends upwardly from the water heating chamber, a pair of check valve discs on the bottom portion of the vertical lift tube which cover the top of the water heating chamber, a horizontal hot water transfer conduit coupled to the top of the vertical lift tube and extending transversely over the coffee pot stand with an outlet for discharging the hot water into a coffee basket on top of a coffee pot, means for removably connecting the water transfer conduit to the coffee maker housing at a point intermediate the ends of the water transfer conduit, and spring means surrounding the vertical lift tube and bearing at the bottom end on the uppermost check valve disc or on a ridge on the tube and bearing at the top end on the end of the transfer conduit which is coupled to the vertical lift tube, thereby removably locking the water pump structure in a predetermined position within th

Abstract: A pan for preparing hot submarine sandwiches and the like comprising a thin rectangular metal sheet with contiguous angular corrugations open at the tops and ends and each holding a single sandwich while it is being made up and also while it is being heated. The metal is so thin that it heats up and cools down very quickly so most of the heat goes into the sandwiches and the pan cools down and is ready for reuse very soon after the hot sandwiches have been unloaded.

Abstract: A griddle for making crepes having a base portion which includes a circular outer rim and a circular inner rim with a circular channel therebetween. The inner rim forms a wall which rises to join with the outer edge portion of the central circular cooking plate, and the outer surface of the wall joins with the outer edge of the top of the cooking plate at about a 90.degree. angle to form a sharp edge. The plane of the top of the cooking plate is above the plane of the top edge of the outer rim so as to permit a spatula to be inserted under the crepe with its blade parallel with the top of the plate, and to permit trimming of the edges of the crepe with the end of the spatula. A downwardly extending rim is provided on which the griddle may rest, and an opening is provided in the outer rim through which crumbs may be passed from the channel out of the griddle.

Abstract: A non-metallic heat resistant food pan in a microwave oven shaped with parallel rounded upraised ridges on its bottom surface on which the food may be rested, the valleys of said bottom surface serving as reservoirs for drained fat and oil. A continuous recessed groove runs along the middle of the pan, perpendicular to the ridges to join all the valleys to prevent overflow of oil in one section of the pan. The pan is preferably made of temperature resistant glass such as Pyrex glass.

Abstract: A steam pressure cooker is provided with a normally open drain valve connected to the bottom of the cooker pressure vessel and having a relatively large flow capacity to drain liquids and food particles. A separate exhaust pipe of restricted capacity is also connected to the vessel and controlled by a separate valve. Steam is supplied to the pressure vessel through an inlet source, and with the drain valve closed the restricted exhaust pipe allows pressure to rise in the vessel since flow through the restricted pipe is less than the inlet flow. Controls are provided for closing the main drain valve and the restricted exhaust pipe separately, in sequence, and these controls include a manually operable device which can be used to open the restricted exhaust pipe to depressurize the vessel independently of the automatic control of the cooker.

Abstract: A combined barbecue pit and oven comprising a sheet metal box having a two-level top portion, a transverse intermediate wall within said box dividing the same into a lower chamber and a higher chamber, said two chambers communicating with each other through a large opening therebetween, liftable lids covering the top of each chamber, a lower grill slidably disposed within said lower chamber and an upper grill slidably disposed within said higher chamber, a door at the front of said lower chamber and a clean-out port downwardly of said door, a fire box disposed at the bottom of said lower chamber, and air inlet cut-ins on the side wall adjacent said lower chamber, a drip pan disposed within said higher chamber directly below said upper grille, and a chimney disposed on a top wall portion laterally of the higher chamber lid.

Abstract: A meatball cooker has a frame on which a pair of generally cylindrical rollers are mounted alongside each other to extend horizontally with their axes parallel to each other. At least one of the rollers, and preferably both, includes a helical groove concentric with the respective axis, the groove being of a character to engage the customary meatball. The rollers are heated internally, and preferably externally also, and are rotated relative to each other about their respective axes and preferably in the same directions with the helical grooves of the same hand to advance and turn the meatballs. There is an enclosure around the rollers and a grease pan beneath. Conveniently there is a feeding chute for introducing the meatballs to the device and a receiving chute for carrying away processed meatballs.

Abstract: A process for the production of cheese which comprises treating milk by ultrafiltration to obtain a liquid product containing at least some of the protein constituents of the milk, subjecting this liquid to a heat treatment to bring it to the coagulation temperature, renneting the liquid product after inoculation with suitable ferments, introducing a batch of the renneted liquid into at least one vertical chamber in which it is left to coagulate in the stationary phase until a coherent mass is obtained, displacing the coagulated mass obtained upwards under the effect of a pressure uniformly distributed over the base of the mass, and cutting unit slabs of coagulum which will each constitute a cheese at the top of the chamber after the mass has emerged by a predetermined height.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in the automatic stacking and packaging of potato chips made by mixing potato chip flakes and water to create a dough, which dough is then rolled into a sheet and cut into dough chips. After frying, the dough chips are all of substantially the same size and shape such that the apparatus of the application may automatically stack those chips into stacks of identical quantities and wrap those stacks within individual flexible, impermeable wrappers.

Abstract: A brewer, for making predetermined quantities of instant (water-soluble) coffee, having a heating chamber where the water is heated, a brewing chamber within the heating chamber and connected to an outlet, and means for transferring a predetermined quantity of heated water from the heating chamber to the brewing chamber in such a manner that the heated water enters the brewing chamber with a swirling action that dissolves and mixes the coffee in the heated water.

Abstract: A cooking utensil having a perforated metal disc disposed in the bottom of the utensil to prevent a liquid from boiling over when the utensil is placed over heat.