Abstract: A cooking utensil including pan, base, and cover elements, each formed with annular outwardly extending flanges or lips about its periphery for cooperative stacking engagement to provide a portable oven or the like. The utensil is particularly useful for the baking of pizza or the like on a stove top, an electric hot plate, or over a camp fire. The base and pan elements have a specially configured construction including a plurality of openings in the sides thereof such that when stacked together, they cooperatively provide a heat-deflection chamber to direct the heat from a source below the base into an oven chamber formed between the pan element and its matching cover. The pan element also includes an annular trough or ridge to hold additional batter which, when heated, rises to form a thickened edge crust about the pizza.

Abstract: Apparatus for reducing the escape of water vapor from a heated water reservoir tank of a coffee machine to prevent drop in the water level by evaporation particularly during long periods of non-use. The machine has an outlet fitting leading to use from a point adjacent the top of the tank and a water inlet stand-pipe leading to the bottom of the tank to introduce displacement water into the tank. A looped tube leads from the top of the tank to the stand-pipe and in spaced relation thereto. Water vapor moves into the looped tube and is reintroduced to the tank by the stand-pipe to reduce depletion. The looped tube also constitutes a vacuum break for the sealed tank to allow entry and exit of displacement water. A baffle wall extends downwardly from the top of the tank into the water and surrounds the outlet fitting so that water vapor cannot escape via the outlet fitting.

Abstract: In an automatic coffee brewing machine of the type having container means for receiving cold water at the start of a brewing operation and dispensing hot water at the end of the brewing operation, a control means comprising heating means activated to its closed position when sensing a temperature below a predetermined first value resulting when said container means receives cold water at the start of a brewing operation and being activated to its open position when it senses a temperature above a predetermined second value higher than said first value, electrical connecting means joining said switch means with said heating means, and a heating element for heating said switch means when the switch means is in its open position, so that when said switch is in its closed position at the start of a brewing operation the heating means is fully energized to heat the container means and the water contained therein until said switch means is activated to its open position when the temperature of the container exceeds

Abstract: A hamburger patty and bun cooker has a frame supporting a pair of vertically spaced, relatively flat, horizontal heated platens. One run of an endless conveyor on said frame travels through the space between the platens to advance hamburger patties through such space. At least one of the platens is provided with a low-friction layer between it and an advancing patty. The layer is constituted by jets of hot air discharged over the platen surface or by a Teflon-coated thin, metal foil sheet or by a Teflon-carrying thin, fiber glass sheet, the sheets being readily changeable. Bun portions for the individual patties are advanced on the same frame in paths parallel to the hamburger patties by comparable endless conveyors and are heated by individual platens on the frame as the bun portions advance.

Abstract: A pie plate which has a lip which extends as a flap that is folded down on the outside of the pie plate and can be lifted to retain the juices from a pie cooking therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically dispensing containers of a prepared liquid composition in which a plurality of containers each holding the ingredients for a particular liquid composition are stored in a storate device and are delivered one at a time to a mixing station for addition of a measured amount of water. A rod-like electrode, e.g. sonotrode, vibrated within the sonic and ultrasonic frequency range is introduced through the open end of the container for effecting mixing of the added water and ingredients by immersion therein, and a portion of the added water is used to flush the electrode surface free of residual material while the container and electrode are being moved relatively apart to withdraw the electrode therefrom.

Abstract: Comprising a base, an upright support framework held erect by the base and designed to have a length essentially the length of the interior of the animal to be baked, a transverse frame for spreading and holding the interior of the animal in an opened condition and holding structure upon which seasoning, such as green peppers, onion, garlic and the like may be mounted at the interior of the animal.

Abstract: A clamshell type of basket for use in deep fat cooking of comestibles and provided with features especially adapted to commercial fast-service cooking, is disclosed.

Abstract: A filtering device for the preparation of coffee comprises a vessel with a permanent metallic filter disk forming the bottom thereof. Vertically extending walls divide the vessel into distinct compartments of varying volumetric content, thus separating distinct areas of the filter disk. A water inlet is provided for one of the compartments in which the coffee powder is placed so that the amount of water used at any one time determines the active area of the filter disk utilized by virtue of the overflow between compartments.

Abstract: A draining column consisting of an upright perforated sleeve with a supply for a whey-curd mixture at the top and a discharge device for the curd bar at the bottom. The upper portion of the sleeve is surrounded at some distance by a jacket. In the annular interspace a liquid is maintained at a specific level and under a controllable pressure to regulate the speed with which the whey leaks through the perforations of the sleeve.

Abstract: A cooking utensil having an outer flange with inward or outward flaring lower base perimeter rim which covers the entire heating element of a stove and recirculates heat which would otherwise escape around the bottom of the cooking utensil. Alternate embodiments utilize the flange as a supporting member, provided for ease of cleaning and provide covers for existing cooking utensils.

Abstract: A continuous conveyer-type blanching apparatus utilizing steam as the blanching medium having a conveyer belt for transporting produce through a blanching chamber in which a plurality of venturi nozzles directs a mixture of high pressure supply steam and recycled chamber steam at the produce, the chamber steam being drawn from the blanching chamber into ports in the venturi nozzles by a low venturi pressure created by the high velocity of the exiting supply steam, the chamber steam being continuously recycled until it dissipates becoming a condensate which is utilized to heat presoaking water for the produce before it enters the blanching chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooking or storing foods. The food is prepared on a skewer in its own individual cooking chamber to reduce the amount of energy used in cooking. Each cooking chamber is provided with a receptacle for collecting grease drippings and the like to facilitate cleaning for reuse. The prepared food can also be refrigerated in its individual chamber for storage.

Abstract: Cooking apparatus especially suited for outdoor cooking using charcoal, wood and the like for fuel. The container-like body supported on legs may be made from sheet metal and includes a special damper arrangement beneath a corrugated foraminous sheet metal meat support. Charcoal or other fuel is supported in a removable pan inside a large container smaller than the inside area defined by the body and mounted above a sheet metal damper wall in which there are two large damper openings through which air flow is adjusted by means of a manually positioned hinged damper plate. The larger container has ventilation holes around the edges. The corrugated formation of the foraminous plate provides slanted surfaces and grease troughs which help control the cooking and the grease disposal. A large, hinged hood may be swung and supported out of the way and the hood has a removable shelf. A special grease guard is part of the body. Special pivoted brackets selectively retain the hood in place.

Abstract: A beverage making apparatus comprising a fixed, hermetically sealable, thermostatically controlled, water-heating, electric kettle mounted above a removable infusion vessel in which the beverage is prepared using hot water which syphons from the kettle via a syphon tube into the vessel through an opening in the top thereof. The syphon tube, which is in a generally vertical plane, has an upper part which is coiled and extends through a base of the kettle to discharge the water into the opening in the vessel.

Abstract: A free standing fryer such as may be used in commercial installations which includes a cabinet adapted to be supported at a suitable working height, and having glass panels on some of its sides and at least one open side for access to the interior, and having a fat fryer located within the interior of said cabinet and having in the roof of the cabinet outlet means for fumes from the fat fryer, fan means for extracting air and fumes from said cabinet and through said outlet, a plenum chamber located to one side of said fan means, and opening means communicating from said fan means to said plenum chamber, porous tray means located above said plenum chamber and closing the same, said tray means being adapted to support a predetermined depth of filter media thereon, said filter media being porous to air, and being absorptive with respect to said odors and fumes from said fryer.

Abstract: A grill for hamburgers and the like having a grilling surface comprising about 25% but no more than about 75% Teflon, with the remainder being metallic. The Teflon is provided in the form of discrete Teflon bodies disposed in recesses in the grill surface, each Teflon body being held by retention means. The foods to be grilled retain the characteristics of a grilled food, and the surface provides a grill surface with long-lasting anti-stick characteristics.

Abstract: A cooking spit has an insulating handle carrying a rod with electrically heated end parts disposed about a central part about which an open-ended tubular sleeve is removably fitted. The central sleeve supports a fowl for internal cooking by heat conduction through the central part and external cooking by air circulation, and simultaneously prevents grease and juice from dripping on the heated rod. The spit may be integral with a lateral cover of a cooking enclosure, or can be used in a dish with removable cover.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing elongated products having a cylindrical shell enclosing a core material. The apparatus comprises a plurality of cylindrical moulds each associated with a core member which is laterally supported in a frame moving in unison with the moulds through the apparatus. Fluent raw materials are supplied to each mould and caused to solidify to form the finished products. The core members are axially displaceable in the supporting frame, and each core member is lowered into the associated mould before any of the raw materials is supplied. It is withdrawn from the mould when the material of the shell has been sufficiently solidified to permit the withdrawal. Before being withdrawn the core member may be rotated through a fraction of a revolution to facilitate its release from the product shell. When in their raised position, the core members are held against axial displacement and rotation by detent means on the frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterilizing a liquid by means of steam injection, comprising a conduit with a liquid supply, at least one steam injector, a pressure reducing valve and an expansion vessel. The valve consists of a circular plate with a spindle extending through the wall of the conduit by means of two sealings between which a chamber is formed having an inlet and an outlet for a sterilizing medium.