Abstract: A method of producing roasted and glazed nuts comprising the steps of providing a roaster apparatus having a roaster bowl, placing water and a mixture of nuts and sugar in the roaster bowl, mixing the water and the mixture, heating the roaster bowl while mixing to produce roasted and sugar coated nuts, adding water to the roaster bowl to produce roasted and glazed nuts, and lifting a cantilever arm coupled to the roaster's housing to raise the roaster bowl from a fully lowered position to a raised position. A first piston coupled to the bowl support is engaged during the raising of the roaster bowl to provide a counterforce to the bowl assembly's weight. The method further comprises removing the roasted and glazed nuts from the roaster bowl when in the raised position, lowering the cantilever arm to lower the roaster bowl from the raised position to a partially lowered position, and then lowering the cantilever arm to lower the roaster bowl to the fully lowered position.

Abstract: A method of roasting nuts comprises placing water and a mixture of nuts and sugar in a roaster bowl, mixing the water and mixture, heating the roaster bowl during mixing to roast and sugar coat the nuts, covering the roaster bowl with a cover after roasting and sugar coating, adding water to a reservoir disposed within the cover wherein the reservoir includes at least one metering hole, flowing through the metering hole, from the reservoir to the roaster bowl, the water added to the reservoir, glazing the nuts during the flowing of water into the roaster bowl from the reservoir, and removing the cover from the roaster bowl after glazing the nuts. The measured flow of water through the reservoir results in well coated glazed nuts and prevents the formation of a large burst of steam, thus protecting the operator against being scalded during glazing of the roasted nuts, as well as providing other benefits.

Abstract: A frozen fudge drink is provided by first blending a plurality of fudge pieces with a relatively small predetermined amount of water to provide an intermediate product that has no significant fudge particles. The liquid-like intermediate product is then blended with a plurality of pieces of ice. The duration of the blending is sufficient to eliminate all large ice pieces and provide a relatively smooth and flowable iced frozen fudge drink having grains of ice. In the first blending step, there may be added a thickener/emulsifier, some cocoa, some sugar and some creamer. A one step variant combines all constituents, including water and ice in a single blending stage that provides a flowable drink having small bits of fudge.