Abstract: Food heating operations and manual manipulations associated with a cooking appliance are controlled by a computer system connected to displays and input switches which arranged in physically associated pairs, each pair having a display and a switch and the pairs are physically located at diverse locations on the grill in proximity to the location of the performance of the manual operations they signal. Other inputs provide data inputs for appliance attributes, food heating attributes and mode selections. Control of cooking and staging occurs and the work product is tracked beginning from entry of raw food work product onto the grill all the way through removal of the work product for assembly into a sandwich or diversion to holding for subsequent chili preparation.

Abstract: Food heating operations and manual manipulations associated with a cooking appliance are controlled by a computer system connected to displays and input switches which arranged in physically associated pairs, each pair having a display and a switch and the pairs are physically located at diverse locations on the grill in proximity to the location of the performance of the manual operations they signal. Other inputs provide data inputs for appliance attributes, food heating attributes and mode selections. Control of cooking and staging occurs and the work product is tracked beginning from entry of raw food work product onto the grill all the way through removal of the work product for assembly into a sandwich or diversion to holding for subsequent chili preparation.

Abstract: A transfer tool for transporting a row of workpieces, such as hamburger patties, located as a first position on a surface, such as a grill, to another location. The tool has an elongated, rigid, workpiece-receiving panel, an end support extending transversely from the panel, and an elongated, hand-grippable handle attached to the end support and extending, in an operable orientation of the tool, above the panel. Preferably, the workpiece-receiving panel is contoured to have an upwardly concave, bowl-like surface for containing liquid on the panel and there is an end support at each end of the panel which includes a liquid impervious wall extending upwardly from the panel for containing liquid on the panel to prevent spillage. Preferably, the handle extends between and is attached at its opposite ends to the end supports and is parallel to the panel.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically turning hot dogs upon a conventional griddle which has an easily attachable and detachable motor drive unit and continuously turns the hot dogs and cooks them properly on the griddle. The turner has a grid which slidably rests upon the griddle and has a plurality of laterally elongated openings for receipt of the hot dogs. A portable, detachable drive unit rests upon a surface which is adjacent to the griddle. A releasable coupling means drivingly, but detachable connects the drive unit to the grid for driving the grid in longitudinal reciprocation so that the hot dogs are rotated in alternate directions for even cooking.