Abstract: An apparatus for cooking and dispensing starch to laundry machines has a hopper (10) holding dry starch and a stirrer (15) and auger (25) for delivering predetermined amounts of dry starch to a mixing chamber (35) to be mixed with water. The mixing chamber (35) has a circulation pump (60) for circulating the starch and water mixture. A pressure pump (70) delivers starch and water mix from the mixing chamber (35) to a cooking chamber (80). The cooking chamber (80) also receives steam, which cooks the starch and water mix. A programmed computer (100) causes the apparatus to receive a request for starch from a laundry machine and dispense a predetermined amount of cooked starch to the requesting machine through one or more discharge valves (125) connected to a manifold (120). The computer (110) starts and stops the stirrer (15), auger (25), pressure pump (70), a steam valve (100), and discharge valves (125) to particular laundry machines in a programmed sequence.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooking a single batch of starch solution and dispensing the solution to a commercial laundry machine utilizes a single batch reservoir. The reservoir is substantially filled with water, the water in the reservoir agitated while adding dry starch to form a starch suspension. The starch suspension is heated to cook the starch to form a starch solution. The entire batch of starch solution is dispensed to a commercial laundry machine while water is sprayed into the reservoir to clean residual starch from the reservoir.