Abstract: An improved, easily cleanable folding pan with a continuous cooking surface includes a pair of pan sections with generally planar cooking surfaces joined at the perimeter in side-by-side relationship by a pair of upstanding hinges. The hinges permit pivotal movement of the pan sections from a generally flat cooking position into a folded position for cleaning or storage. The fold margin of one of the pan sections slightly overlaps the fold margin of the other cooking surface, so that in the cooking position the pan presents a continuous cooking surface. The fold margin of one of the cooking surfaces may include a dependent lip for overlapping the fold margin of the other cooking surface when the pan is in the cooking position. A pair of opposed, upstanding handles may be coupled with the perimeter margin of the cooking surface. The perimeter margin of the pan section may be surmounted by an upstanding sidewall.

Abstract: A conveyor indexing mechanism for a bakery production line includes a variable speed motor, a conveyor, a number of baking pans, a dough packet drop mechanism, a sensor, and a timing generator. The conveyor moves the baking pans under the dough packet drop mechanism at a base speed and a ramp-up speed based on input from the sensor and timing generator. The sensor senses pan pockets in the baking pans which causes the motor to assume the base speed. The timing generator periodically causes the motor to assume the ramp-up speed. The indexing mechanism ensures that a row of pan pockets will be below the dough packet drop mechanism so that a row of dough packets will consistently fall therein with maximum throughput. The absence of any clutch or brake reduces wear, as does the continuous motion of the drive train, which prevents backlash in the gear components. A programmable controller receives system inputs and instructs an inverter to change the motor speed.

Abstract: A cooking appliance having an upper cooking unit pivotally mounted on a lower cooking unit for rotation substantially about a horizontal axis into three different positions, a first position in which the upper cooking unit is on top of the lower cooking unit to form a contact grill, a second position in which the upper cooking unit is substantially horizontally oriented with and parallel to the lower cooking unit to form therewith a double grooved griddle, and a third, generally upright, position intermediate the first and second positions to provide access to the lower cooking plate when the appliance is being used as a contact grill. The cooking plates have elongate grooves which are generally parallel to an axis of the hinge that connects the upper and lower cooking units together and which grooves increase in depth from one side of the cooking appliance to the other for carrying liquid cooking byproducts away from the food being cooked.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooking food comprises a vessel (12) for hot liquid in which the food is to be cooked, and a basket (18) for holding an item of food to be cooked by being immersed in the liquid. The food can be introduced into and removed from the basket (18) from an opening (for example, in the top) of the latter. The basket is supported on support means, such as a wheel (16), and there is provided a retaining member such as a lid (100) for extending across the opening in the basket to retain food therein during cooking. The lid (100) is preferably mounted on the wheel (16) such that the removal of the basket (18) from the wheel (16) separates the basket (18) from the lid (100) to allow access to the interior of the basket(18).

Abstract: A toaster with at least one toasting chamber for receiving goods to be toasted such as slices of toast is disclosed. The toaster has at least one loading opening and at least one discharge opening for loading goods to be toasted and for removing toasted goods. It also includes a transport device for transporting toasted goods through the toaster. The functional elements of this toaster are surrounded by a wall of a housing supported on a chassis. The transport device moves one or several pieces of toasted goods in the toasting chamber by means of a spiral guiding system on a spiral transport path from the loading opening to the discharge opening. At the same time, the toasted goods are continuously and substantially uniformly exposed to the heat irradiated by at least one spiral heating element.

Abstract: A roasting stand particularly adapted for use in imparting flavoring steam to a chicken or the like during the cooking process within an indoor oven, outdoor grill or the like. The roasting stand comprises an elongate hollow tube with an open end and a closed end, and a plurality of apertures provided around the circumference of the tube from medial portion and upwards toward the open end of the tube. The closed end of the tube forms a cavity for receiving a flavoring liquid such as liquid smoke. The roasting stand further includes a cap element for removably closing the open end of the tube, and a support base provided around at least a portion of the circumference of the closed end of the tube to support the tube in an upright position with the open end at the top thereof. Thus, the roasting stand will serve to supporting retain a chicken thereon and will deliver flavoring steam from the tube cavity to the inside of the body cavity of the chicken or the like during the cooking process.

Abstract: A portable barbecue apparatus comprises a hollow base of truncated pyramidal configuration for storing fuel. The hollow base supports a firebox thereon. A cooking grill-oven is disposed above the firebox. A carriage is employed to support the barbecue apparatus. The carriage is pivotally attached to a two-wheeled trailer to permit portability for the barbecue apparatus.

Abstract: A continuous cooking system for solid daily dishes comprising a cooker wherein the solid dishes are advanced spirally in a first-in-first-out manner, and during the process the dishes are heated by an external heating medium; a driving mechanism for generating actuating force for actuating the spiral advance in the cooker; and a sensing control mechanism for sensing the temperature in the cooker and for controlling the volume of the external heating medium to be dispensed and the actuating force of the driving mechanism according to said temperature. By means of this, the solid dishes can be fed continuously into the cooker and cooked dishes can be delivered continuously out the cooker.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus enables a user to cook (boiling, steaming or frying). The apparatus includes a burner having a base that is specially shaped to cradle a pot. An upper ring extends above the support surface of the burner for engaging the sidewall of the pot should the pot be tipped inadvertently. A table removably attaches to the burner frame, preferably at the upper ring. The burner can include an upper ring member that is supported above the bottom of the pot and a lower ring member that engages an underlying supporting ground surface. Alternatively, the burner frame has a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending legs. Struts are shaped and cradle the bottom of the pot and its sidewall respectively.

Abstract: An automatic grater for producing vegetable and fruit paste mainly includes a grating disc and a rotational retainer screwed around a motor rotational shaft to rotate at high speed along with the rotational shaft. Vegetable and/or fruit can be fed into the grater to contact with the rapidly rotated grating disc and be grated into paste that falls in the also rapidly rotated rotational retainer. The paste is thrown by a centrifugal force to pass a side opening between a lid and the rotational retainer and be collected in a paste collector connected to the side opening.

Abstract: A cooking set including an perforated inset and a support ring. The support ring is adapted to fit within and rest upon the rim of a conventional cooking pot or dutch oven to support the inset at various heights. The inset is adapted to fit within the support ring so that it can be lowered into and raised out of the pot. The support ring defines a set of notches and the inset includes a set of corresponding protrusions. When the notches and protrusions are aligned, the inset can be lowered into and raised out of the pot. When the protrusions are not aligned with the notches, they can engage and rest upon the support ring to support the inset in a raised position. In the most preferred embodiment, the inset includes multiple sets of protrusions, each set positioned at a different height along the wall of the inset. Each set of protrusions permits the inset to be supported at a different height.

Abstract: A rotary root vegetable slicer that is reliably held at an installed position even when water enters into the lower surface of the bed plate, and can be easily removed from the installed position. The rotary root vegetable slicer (1) includes a bed plate (2) of a nearly square shape as viewed on a plane, a blade-mounting member (5) erected at an end of the bed plate (2) for detachably mounting a plane blade (3) and a comb blade (4), a rotary piece-mounting member (6 ) on a portion on the other side of the bed plate (2) opposed to the blade-mounting member (5) so as to slide along the lengthwise direction of the bed plate (2), and a rotary piece (8) having many needle-like protrusions (7) arranged on the front surface thereof at an upper part of the rotary piece-mounting member (6) so as to rotate.

Abstract: A steaming pot includes a pot body, a food plate, a net, a spray plate, and a cap. The food plate has two guide tubes vertical located to guide steam mixed with seasonings or condiments put on the bottom of the pot body, onto the spray plate. Then steam with seasonings flows along guide plates evenly onto the spray plates, and through many spray holes of the spray plate down onto food on the food plate in a balanced condition so that seasonings may infiltrate into the food in a balanced condition with its outer surface remaining intact owing to no contact of the food with the seasonings.

Abstract: A rice tub-shaped sushi ball-forming apparatus comprises a rice tub-shaped container (1) and a sushi ball-forming mechanism A. The sushi ball-forming mechanism A includes a conveying mechanism (13) disposed in a hopper in the rice tub-shaped container (1), for conveying sushi rice (a) from an inside of the hopper, a compression-conveying mechanism (29) for pushing up and compression-conveying the sushi rice (a) supplied from the hopper, from a lower portion to an upper portion of the container, a compression-forming mechanism (33) for compression-forming the sushi rice (a) pushed up and compression-conveyed by the compression-conveying mechanism (29), into a predetermined shape through a forming hole (33b), and a cutting mechanism (35) for cutting an upper end (a.sub.2) of the sushi rice compression-formed through the forming hole (33b) in a predetermined amount (length) to produce a sushi ball (a.sub.3) having a predetermined shape, size, and hardness.

Abstract: An Apparatus for baking pita bread dough utilizing a source of electrical power. A pair of heat resistant elements are each fitted with an electrical heating element. The pair of heat resistant elements so constructed are mated to one another to form an oven chamber. A heat conductoring screen is supported midway between the heat resistant elements within the chamber and permits cooking of the pita bread dough in uniform manner.

Abstract: A device for roasting coffee beans in small quantities. The device includes a housing, coffee bean roasting basket, chaff collector, heater and fan to conduct the roasting operation. Thermosensors are located within the roasting basket whose output is provided to a microprocessor which, in turn, controls the roasting process by controlling roasting parameters.

Abstract: A fruit and vegetable juicer having a cover, a filter sieve, a collection bowl, a collection bowl top orifice, and a feeding tube located within the cover, wherein the cover has a helical recess extending upward from and in pulp-extraction communication with the collection bowl periphery. The helical recess in the cover also has a beginning portion and an ending portion in communication with a pulp outlet. The pulp outlet extends from the ending portion of the helical recess to provide controlled exit of the pulp from the helical recess for collection. The feeding tube is located in the cover so as to not disrupt pulp extraction through the helical recess, whereby pulp is efficiently and automatically extracted from the filter sieve area while the juice is collected in the collecting bowl.

Abstract: Arrangement of an electrical heating element as a cooking zone, having as a carrier a ceramic of very high thermal conductivity, in a cutout of a surface consisting of glass-ceramic, glass, ceramic, metal or plastic. The ceramic carrier of the heating element can rest with overlap on regions of the surface which deviate from the main plane of the plate-like surface so as form elevations running linearly, such as cone frustums, spherical segments and/or cones, and which define the edge of the cutout. This elevated rest of the heating element serving as a bearing, and the underside of the surface serving as an abutment for a cover arranged below the main plane of the surface and closing off the cutout downwards, and the heating element being fixed positively and non-positively in the cutout of the surface by way of fastening elements connected firmly to the heating element and firmly and releasably to the cover.

Abstract: A shish kebab rotisserie includes a frame having a base and an opposing top; a support member connected between the base and the top to support the top relative to the base; a number of skewer rotors connected with the base, each skewer rotor having an axis and being rotatable about its axis; a drive operatively connected with the skewer rotors to rotate each skewer rotor about its axis; a heat source connected with the base and spaced a distance from the skewer rotors; and a skewer extending generally perpendicularly from the base to the top, the skewer being supported at the base by a skewer rotor and being supported by the top, the skewer being releasably coupled with the skewer rotor to rotate with the skewer rotor. The skewer may extend beyond the top to a handle portion of the skewer. A skewer shaft extends from the handle portion toward the skewer rotor.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing (for example, mixing or refining) a chocolate mass, having partially cylindrical walls which form a conching vessel. At least one coaxial part extends within the vessel. The walls and the coaxial part perform a relative rotational motion due to a drive that drives either one or both. In this way, the walls are swept by shearing tools. For an increased heat dissipation, and to enable a higher input of energy, at least two tempering arrangements can be provided. Furthermore, a channel exposed to air can communicate with the vessel, and comprises a cleaning tool. Mixing tools and shearing tools can be located in close vicinity so that chocolate mass is fed from one tool to the other.