Abstract: A barbeque (10) comprising a kettle (12) which has at least one drive (18) positioned in the kettle (12), wherein the drive has a drive shaft (18B) with a drive sprocket (18A) attached to the distal end of the shaft, a drive gear (18C) which is positioned within a plurality of kettle front holders (12FA), wherein the kettle front holders (12FA) contain a plurality of skewers (24) rotatably positioned within skewer. supports (24E) in the kettle front holders (12FA), the skewer supports (24E) have at least one skewer support idler (24EA) which has a skewer support L-member (24EB) connected to the skewer support (24EA).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing an extruded cooked food product including use of an extruder having a barrel, at least one screw contained therein, a feed element at the discharge end of the screw, and a die head containing an expansion chamber. The discharge feed element is formed with a large pitch for pushing a large volume of cooked food mix into the expansion chamber. The large volume of cooked food mix is extruded as extrudate strands through relatively large orifices extending through the die plate of the die head to dimensionally expand upon exiting the orifices. The extrudate strands are conveyed over a sole support bar located a significant distance from the die head and then to a cutter. An air flow is applied to the extrudate strands for further cooling and drying before being cut. The cutter is located approximately 90 inches from the die head. The extruded food product is uniform in cross-section.

Abstract: A method and a device for preparing a drink glass with a salt-coated rim in which juice from a lime or lemon is deposited in an open-topped recess formed in the top of a lid for a wide-mouthed salt container, and the drink glass is inverted down onto the lid to have its rim wetted by the juice before being dipped into salt in the container.

Abstract: The disclosed packet is formed from flexible wrapping material. The packet defines an interior volume and includes a seal area. The seal area includes a plurality of sealed strips and a plurality of unsealed strips. At least one unsealed strip is disposed between each pair of sealed strips. Each of the sealed strips includes two portions of the wrapping material that have been bonded together. Each of the unsealed strips includes two adjacent portions of the wrapping material that have not been bonded together. Each of the sealed strips also includes at least one void area. Each void area includes two adjacent portions of the wrapping material that have not been bonded together. The void areas and the unsealed strips provide at least one continuous unsealed path from the interior of the packet through the seal area to an external environment.

Abstract: A canister for containing a particulate-type product. The canister includes a canister body and a plurality of microholes formed in the canister body. Other than the plurality of microholes, the canister body is hermetically sealed. In this regard, the canister body defines an internal storage region configured to contain a particulate-type product. The plurality of microholes are sized to allow passage of air from the internal storage region, as well as to limit passage of the particulate-type product. During use, a decrease in atmospheric pressure applied to the canister, such as during shipping, results in air being vented from the internal storage region via the plurality of microholes. Due to this air flow, an internal pressure of the canister body maintains substantial equilibrium with atmospheric pressure such that the canister body will not expand.

Abstract: A microwavabel pasta pie (10) and pan (32) assembly, includes a shell (12) formed by grid-shaped walls (16) integrally formed within an outer wall (18) to thereby define a plurality of vertical, open through passages (14). The shell (12) is supported upon a pie plate (32) having a planar bottom (34) which closes the bottom face (20) of the shell (12) and of the passages (14). A filling (38) is located within and retained by the passages (14) and the pie plate (32), and a topping (40) such as powdered cheese is provided on the filling (38). The pasta pie (10) is frozen inside of a plastic bag (42). In the most preferred form, the pasta pie (10) is cooked in a microwave oven, with the pie plate (32) being disposable and utilized during microwave cooking as well as during serving and consumption.

Abstract: A method of making a plate-like frozen raw hamburger-like matter includes: a filling step for filling a constitutional material of the raw hamburger-like matter between a first thermal seal a second thermal seal, provided in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a deaerating step of pressing the film so that the filled constitutional material is extended until the second thermal seal is provided; a forming step for forming the plate-like raw hamburger-like matter by equalizing the constitutional matter, therein; and a freezing step for maintaining its shape by rapidly freezing the package bag enclosing the raw hamburger-like matter.

Abstract: Flexible packages for holding a product, e.g., dry cereal, which are arranged to be opened to form a bowl to enable the product to prepared therein and/or eaten therefrom. The packages each basically comprises a front panel, a rear panel, and a bottom panel, all formed of a flexible sheet material. The front and rear panels each include a top edge, a pair of opposed side edges, and a bottom edge. The front and rear panels are fixedly secured together along the side edges. The peripheral edge of the bottom panel is fixedly secured to the inside surface of the front and rear panels above their bottom edges to form a hollow pocket for receipt of the product. The front and rear panels of each package are sealed along their top edges to isolate the product in the pocket from the ambient atmosphere, but are separable, e.g., can be severed, adjacent their top edges to enable the front and rear panels to separate to convert the pocket into a bowl. The product can then be prepared, e.g.

Abstract: The disclosed invention provides a microwavable package for a food product. The package comprises a base with an active microwave energy heating element to support the food product. The active microwave heating element comprises energy collecting resonant loops, tuned structures, and transmission lines to collect incident microwave energy and redirect it to other parts of the food product. The microwave package also includes a cover comprising a microwave energy interactive layer including one or more apertures within the cover. The apertures promote localized fields to promote browning of the food product in the local areas around the apertures. The cover may also comprise a susceptor layer that is heated in localized areas around the apertures due to the fields promoted by the apertures and impingement by incident microwaves energy through the apertures, thereby providing localized browning of the food product.

Abstract: An improved low shear extrusion and dehydrating apparatus (10) is provided for the continuous extrusion of various starting materials (e.g., starch-bearing grains or starch fractions thereof, proteinaceous materials and/or nutraceuticals) to yield improved products, especially cold water swelling or soluble starch products. The invention is also useful for forming pre-gelled starch products and for processing starch-bearing materials using little or no surfactant. The apparatus (10) preferably includes an elongated extruder (18) together with a tubular die assembly (20) coupled to the outlet of the extruder barrel (32), wherein the volumetric ratio of the die assembly (20) to the free volume of the extruder (18) is from about 3-20, and the ratio of die assembly retention time to the extruder retention time is at least about 5.

Abstract: Flexible packages for holding a product, e.g., dry cereal, which are arranged to be opened to form a bowl to enable the product to prepared therein and/or eaten therefrom. The packages each basically comprises a front panel, a rear panel, and a bottom panel, all formed of a flexible sheet material. The front and rear panels each include a top edge, a pair of opposed side edges, and a bottom edge. The front and rear panels are fixedly secured together along the side edges. The peripheral edge of the bottom panel is fixedly secured to the inside surface of the front and rear panels above their bottom edges to form a hollow pocket for receipt of the product. The front and rear panels of each package are sealed along their top edges to isolate the product in the pocket from the ambient atmosphere, but are separable, e.g., can be severed, adjacent their top edges to enable the front and rear panels to separate to convert the pocket into a bowl. The product can then be prepared, e.g.

Abstract: A small, bite-sized snack food item is disclosed which combines a pretzel stick and a group of cereal rings annularly disposed on the stick, thereby combining the flavor of the pretzel with the flavor of the cereal in a bite-sized unit. The unit can be held by the fingers of one hand, and bitten off, and it also may be attractive to a child in the manner of a toy. The stick may also be coated with candy or another contrasting food substance.

Abstract: An aluminum foil mold is placed in a rigid back-up mold with a cavity matching the contour of the foil mold. Fluid food deposited in the foil mold is compressed therein by a mold top that is pressed down against the back-up mold. Heat applied to the back-up mold and mold top flows to the foil mold and fluid food therein to effect baking under pressure. Thus, a unified food product is formed in the foil mold that can protect the food product against handling damage until it is eaten. A foil mold of novel design is used to form a food product shaped like an upside-down pizza shell.

Abstract: A brew funnel has a selector thereon which can be set to indicate a desired batch size and type of coffee. Sensors on an associated coffee grinder and on an associated coffee brewer are capable of sensing the structure to grind an appropriate amount of coffee and to brew an appropriate amount of coffee, respectively, when the brew funnel is mounted thereon.

Abstract: A food package and method of controlling heating of a foodstuff within the food package using microwave energy wherein the food package has a microwave shielding layer containing a plurality of apertures therein sized to permit penetration of evanescent microwave energy into the interior of the package with the microwave shielding layer being moved outward as the package expands due to generation of water vapor such that an interior volume of the package is subsequently protected against substantial microwave irradiation of the foodstuff upon and beyond completion of the microwave heating cycle.

Abstract: The invention is a specialty beverage container with a multiple colorant reservoir built into the cap 4. The colorant reservoir has a number of colorant chambers respectively for the colorants, such as primary colors red, yellow and blue, or others. The colorant reservoir 5 has a number of colorant chambers arrayed much like the sections of an orange, opening into a central cylindrical tube 7. Central cylindrical tube 7 is open into the main chamber 3 of the beverage container (bottle 1). The consumer purchases a bottle 1 filled with a neutral drink and with a colorizer cap 4. The consumer then proceeds to unlock the colorizer cap 4, select a color, and add colorant or colorants to achieve the desired hue and intensity. The consumer may then remove the colorant valve mechanism (or the entire colorizer cap) and drinks the beverage colored to his specifications.

Abstract: A food container and its method of use are disclosed. The food container includes a top panel, bottom panel and plurality of sidewalls. A movable panel is hingedly connected to one of the sidewalls, allowing a consumer to open the container. Attached to the lower edge of the movable panel is a shelf supporting a food item. A consumer can access the food item by opening the movable panel, which causes the shelf to carry the food item outside the container into a position that permits the consumer to easily manipulate it. The food item or a portion thereof can then be replaced in the container by simply closing the movable panel. The shelf may engage one or more sidewalls of the bottom panel to assist in maintaining the container in a closed position after initial opening and reclosing. The container is suitable for packaging food items that include both microwaveable and non-microwaveable ingredients. A foldable blank for manufacturing the container is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for rotating an item, particularly an edible item. The edible item may be a confectionary product and preferably is a frozen dessert. The device includes a lower handle intended as a holder, an intermediate pinion inside a box, and a support assembly that supports the edible product. The support assembly is integral with the intermediate pinion and rotates freely with respect to the lower handle. The edible product is rotated by inserting a slender rack between the pinion and the inner face of the box in such a way that it meshes with the pinion so that its transverse movement gives rise to a rotation of the pinion and, consequently, rotation of the edible product supported on the support assembly.

Abstract: A packaged product comprises a packaging article and a product surrounded by the packaging article. The packaging article comprises a flexible packaging film. The packaging article has a seal along one edge thereof, the seal comprising two seals each having a gap therein, i.e., a vent, which allows air within the package to escape during stacking of the bags on, for example, a pallet. The vents also allow air to reenter the bag so that the bags maintain a uniform appearance for display and sale. The vents are offset from one another, to provide a tortuous path into and out of the packaging article, to minimize the escape of the product and the entry of foreign objects.

Abstract: A mold has a pair of generally planar side walls having joined lower edges and extending upward from the lower edges at an acute angle to each other and a pair of generally triangular end walls crosswise to the side walls and forming therewith an elongated upwardly V-shaped cavity. A plurality of such side and end walls can be joined together at upper edges of the side walls to form a plurality of such cavities extending horizontally parallel to one another. Each cavity can be provided with at least one crosswise partition and a cover that is formed with a pair of parallel and downwardly open semicircular channels can be engaged over the mold for forming upwardly projecting bumps on risable dough cooked in the cavity. A heart-shaped foodstuff is made by first filling the V-shaped cavity with a mass of risable dough.