Abstract: An improved steam heating apparatus is provided for top heating of food items such as pastries, rolls, sandwiches or the like to render them appetizing in appearance and taste, and, in particular, for melting garnishes or toppings such as cheese on food items and simultaneously heating the food item prior to serving. The top-firing steamer comprises a generally flat, heated, steam-generating platen which defines a steam-generating chamber; a food steaming chamber located under the platen; and a plurality of raised perimeter apertures extending perpendicularly through the platen to allow steam to effuse downwardly from the steam-generating chamber into the food steaming chamber below, while preventing unvaporized water collected on the heated platen from draining into the food steaming chamber.

Abstract: A continuous cooking device includes a housing with an inlet and an outlet defined therein and an intermediate conveyor for conveying food products to be cooked from the inlet to the outlet through a cooking chamber including heating apparatus. The heating apparatus may include a pair of heating elements, one of the heating elements mounted on a door pivotal towards and away from the housing to open the cooking chamber for user access. Electrical connection to the door mounted cooking element may be provided by a hollow shaft that secures the door to the housing and provides a passageway for an electrical conductor. The conveyor is advantageously a belt conveyor made up of a plurality of removeably interconnected links separatable to facilitate cleaning. A second cooking element may be located on the opposite side of the conveyor from the door mounted cooking element, arranged in juxtaposition with the conveyor to define a food product passageway between the second cooking element and the conveyor.

Abstract: A food steamer includes a housing that contains a steam generating chamber covered by a removable top plate that mounts a plurality of steam injection needles. Steam is conveyed from the chamber upwardly through the needles, exiting through the upper open end of the needles. The needle mounting plate is removably secured to the housing by way of a U-shaped pin which threads through mating projecting portions on opposite sides of the plate and on opposite sides of the chamber. The plate may be removed by pulling outwardly on the U-shaped pin and lifting the plate off of the housing. A removable cover is mountable on the housing over the injection needles. A drawer is slidable into and out of the cover and includes a portion for containing the food item to be warmed. The interior of the drawer communicates with the upper open end of the needles so that the food within the interior of the drawer may be steamed.

Abstract: A pressurized injection steamer for heating food items such as pastries, rolls or the like to render them appetizing both in appearance and taste. The steamer includes a pressurized steam generating chamber below a food supporting surface. The food supporting surface includes a plurality of upstanding, hollow injector needles having one or more steam outlet holes adjacent the upper end upon which the food items to be steam heated are impaled. A generally horizontal, non-heat conducting elongated tube enters the steam chamber through one of the side walls for spraying tap water through side orifices into the steam chamber and the water falls onto a subjacent heated platen for immediate vaporization. An apertured baffle plate above the water inlet tube prevents non-vaporized liquid from entering the open bottoms of the hollow needles. The elongated tube is further insulated to prevent heating of the incoming water through the walls of the steam generating chamber.

Abstract: An economical energy saving toasting apparatus includes a housing with an interior baffle defining a toasting chamber therein and an inlet for the introduction of the product to be toasted into the chamber. The housing also includes an outlet through which the toasted product is dispensed. A conveying assembly for conveying the product from the inlet through the toasting chamber to the outlet is also included within the housing. Mounted within the toasting chamber is a first set of resistive heating elements that are electrically connected in a circuit and continuously energized during the operation of the heating apparatus. A second set of heating elements is also included in the heating chamber and connected to a timer in order to be energized for only selected periods of time.

Abstract: A steam heating apparatus for heating food items such as pastries, rolls, sandwiches or the like to render them appetizing in appearance and taste. The device includes a steam generating chamber below a food support plate upon which food items are placed for steam heating. A generally horizontal, elongated tube enters the steam chamber through an over-sized aperture in one of the side walls for spraying water through side orifices in the tube into the steam chamber onto a subjacent heated platen. The elongated tube is thermally insulated from the side wall to prevent heating of the incoming water which would tend to cause mineral clogging of the orifices as the water is sprayed therethrough. The food support plate comprises a generally corrugated metallic difuser tray having a plurality of holes therein.