Abstract: The present invention provides an industrial cooking machine having an endless conveyor passing through both a preheat region and a cooking region with a pair of accesses to the conveyor. These accesses separate the preheat from the cooking region and enable loading and unloading of food onto the conveyor between the two regions. The conveyor is reversible in direction of travel so that the food loaded at the first access can be moved in either one of two directions. Firstly it is movable through the preheat region past the second access to the cooking region and back to the first access and secondly when the conveyor is reversed the food which is loaded on the conveyor at the first access is movable directly through the cooking region to the second access which is positioned to permit unloading of the food without passing through the preheat region.