Abstract: An outdoor food frying apparatus includes a frame having a pot support, a burner element supported upon the frame, and a pot that removably fits the frame. The pot has end walls, a rear wall, a front edge portion, and a bottom wall. A basket is pivotally attached to the pot rear wall with one or more hinges. The basket is correspondingly sized and shaped to fit the pot interior. The basket is movable about the hinge between cooking and food discharge positions. The lid is pivotally attached to the pot. The lid is movable between a cooking position wherein the lid covers the pot upper opening and food discharge position wherein the lid rotates at least 180 degrees from said cooking position, forming a tray for receiving food discharged from the basket. A steamer plate can optionally be connected to the basket at the basket rim and/or basket side walls.

Abstract: A cooking-conveying-batching apparatus for automatic cooking and food production. It uses the principle of rotation to cook, convey and formulate batching. Cooking containers are rotated by a curved bevel track that lowers the cooking containers into a heat source cooker. At the end of the cooking process the cooking containers are raised and rotate to deposit the cooked food into conveying containers. The conveying containers rotate towards a batching container that deposits ingredients into the food-containing conveying containers.

Abstract: A system for delivering a cooking medium of a cooking apparatus includes one or more cooking vessels. The system also includes a drain manifold in fluid communication with the cooking vessel, and a fill manifold having input valves, and output valves in fluid communication with a corresponding cooking vessel. A first flow path is connected to the fill manifold. A filter container selectively is in fluid communication with the fill manifold. A filter pump is positioned between the filter container and the fill manifold and conveys a recycled cooking medium. An overflow pump selectively is in fluid communication with the fill manifold via a second flow path and a portion of the first flow path. The overflow pump conveys a new cooking medium to the fill manifold. The first flow path conveys one of the recycled cooking medium and the new cooking medium to the fill manifold.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a smoker with multiple separate drawers for smoking meat, fish, sausage, etc. In an example embodiment, one drawer may contain water and another drawer may contain smoking material such as wood chips. The sliding drawers enable the maintenance of a stable smoking temperature and offer a safer means to replenish water and/or wood during the actual smoking operation. The multiple drawers allow a user to add wood and/or water without opening the smoking chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooking foods such as pasta rice including a container which receives a liquid to be heated and a cooking strainer-basket partially submerged in the liquid for cooking within the container, the container and the basket configured to have cooperating selectively engaging support members for alternatively positioning of the basket in the liquid for cooking of the food and repositioning of the basket above the liquid to provide for straining of the food.

Abstract: A fuel-fired multifunctional cooker system is useable for deep frying, submerged cooking in water, steaming, griddle frying, grilling, double-boiler operation and simultaneous combinations thereof. Some examples of cooker system 4 include features such as a cylindrical flue with a perforated upper discharge ring plate for even heat distribution, a removable upper flue deflector ring (annular deflector) for shielding a user and creating an “air curtain” across the cooker system's upper food-receiving opening, an invertible griddle/grill cooktop with a central flue gas opening, an adjustable skewer, a steamer hood, an annular lower heat deflector around the burner, an annular flue gas baffle in the combustion chamber, a series of legs or feet creating a combustion air inlet between the floor and the cooker system's lower edge, a removable table, and a lifting device for handling one or more cooker components.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooking foods such as stock or pasta, rice including a container which receives a liquid to be heated and a cooking strainer-basket partially submerged in the liquid for cooking within the container, the container and the strainer-basket configured with cooperating selectively engaging support members for alternatively positioning of the strainer-basket in the liquid for cooking of the food and repositioning of the strainer-basket above the liquid to provide for straining of the food.

Abstract: A method is provided for storing a cooked food in a flexible-walled container having an opening. The method includes placing a quantity of food in a flexible-walled container and submerging at least a portion of the container in a liquid with the opening being located so that liquid does not enter the opening. At least the lower portion of the container is maintained in the liquid and the food is maintained in the container below the surface of the liquid. The liquid collapses the container to seal the container. The temperature of the liquid may be maintained at a non-ambient temperature to heat or cool the food as it is stored. The method may also include storing the food adjacent a work surface, or at a remote main vat and transporting the rack to the work surface at which a serving that includes the food is prepared.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for placing an item of food into a cooking vessel capable of quickly achieving an effective frying temperature after placement into the hot cooking oil of a deep fryer is disclosed. The vessel includes a food containment area where food is placed in intimate contact with an interior wall of the vessel. Using a rack, the vessel is submerged into the oil to an effective depth such that the food item containment area remains below the surface of the cooking oil in the deep fryer while a vent of the cooking vessel remains above the cooking oil surface. Heat is substantially instantaneously transferred from the oil through the cooking vessel to the food item contained therein, causing the food to fry. Steam emitted from the food during cooking escapes through the vent.

Abstract: A mechanical apparatus that lowers and raises a turkey, or similar food item, into a large fry pot is herein disclosed. The apparatus has a vertically-adjustable tripod stand that is positioned over the top center of a fry pot. A manual cranking mechanism lowers and raises a steel cable having a grasping hook at the distal end. Additionally, the steel cable can have a basket at its distal end. In operation, the turkey to be fried is placed thereon the hook or therein the metal basket. Then, with the user a safe distance removed, the crank lowers the food into the hot oil in a controlled manner. When the food has finished cooking, the cranking mechanism is reversed to raise the food from the fryer. The apparatus may also be provided having an alternate electric-powered winch.

Abstract: A system and method for barrier submersion cooking comprising a thin walled plastic cooking pouch for receiving a food item effectively dimensioned such that when placed into a hot liquid cooking medium a vent remains above a top surface of the liquid cooking medium and a rack for lowering the vessel into the liquid cooking medium to an effective depth such that the food item received by the pouch is below the top surface of the liquid cooking medium and the vent is above the top surface of the liquid cooking medium.

Abstract: Deep fryers and associated accessories providing increased efficiency and convenience in the production of deep-fried, steamed and boiled foods. Multiple cooking cycles and versatile food support means to fully cook foods are provided. Special advantages for larger unitary foods, such as for example, a large turkey, are provided. Advantages include without limitation minimizing countertop usage; reduction in the use of frying oil; compact storage; reduced shipping costs; reduced warehousing and manufacturing costs; and being lighter and more easy to handle in the kitchen. Accessory items simplify and facilitate production of deep fried foods, including cutting foods into shapes appropriate to produce French fries and blooming onions. Other accessories facilitate the transference and maintenance of frying oil including: returning frying oil to original containers for storage and disposal; and filtering frying oil to prolong its useful life.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus with an information exchange system that involves an assembly featuring a cooking apparatus such as a smoker or an electric turkey fryer and an information exchange system that provides for local and/or remote monitoring of cooking characteristic that preferably includes food item temperature probing that is displayed externally on the cooking appliance as in a local remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device that are preferably either in unidirectional of bi-directional.

Abstract: A system and method for barrier submersion cooking comprising a thin walled plastic cooking pouch for receiving a food item effectively dimensioned such that when placed into a hot liquid cooking medium a vent remains above a top surface of the liquid cooking medium and a rack for lowering the vessel into the liquid cooking medium to an effective depth such that the food item received by the pouch is below the top surface of the liquid cooking medium and the vent is above the top surface of the liquid cooking medium.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus includes a container, a spigot, a lid, and a food support. The container has a bottom surface and a side wall that extends upwardly from the bottom surface to a top edge of the side wall. The spigot is attached to the container side wall and has a valve member that is selectively positionable between opened and closed positions. The spigot valve member allows liquid contents of the container to drain from the container when in the opened position, and prevents the contents from draining out of the container when in the closed position. The food support is comprised of a perforated horizontal member with a perforated side wall extending upwardly from the horizontal member. A plurality of vertical members spaced around the periphery of the horizontal member extend upwardly from the horizontal member.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus includes a container, a spigot, a lid, and a food support. The container has a bottom surface and a side wall that extends upwardly from the bottom surface to a top edge of the side wall. The spigot is attached to the container side wall and has a valve member that is selectively positionable between opened and closed positions. The spigot valve member allows liquid contents of the container to drain from the container when in the opened position, and prevents the contents from draining out of the container when in the closed position. The food support is comprised of a perforated horizontal member with a perforated side wall extending upwardly from the horizontal member. A plurality of vertical members spaced around the periphery of the horizontal member extend upwardly from the horizontal member.

Abstract: A device for moving the basket of a fryer including a support body having hinged therein, on a first side, a bow member engaging its ends with the fryer basket, and, on a second side, a handle of the basket engaging the bow member. The device includes basket guide members for transforming a rotary motion of the handle and of the bow member about their respective axes of hinging to the support body, into a translatory motion of the basket inside said fryer.

Abstract: A foodstuff lifter for slow cooker units which units are normally of deep sided configuration. The lifter includes a lower, footed, rack member and an upper ring member which members are attached through flexible links or through solid links which permit collapse of the members into substantially flat condition after the foodstuff has been removed from the cooking unit or similarly for storage or shipping.

Abstract: Various representative commercial cooking devices are disclosed wherein a recirculating flow of heated air, at a food cooking temperature, is created within a housing in which a horizontally disposed food support and cooking member, such as a perforated metal plate, a solid griddle plate or a metal broiling grate, is positioned. A plenum structure is utilized to convert a portion of the continuously recirculated air into a spaced series of relatively high velocity heated air impingement jets which are caused to laterally diffuse and at least slightly overlap prior to striking at least one side surface of the food support structure. In this manner, each food support structure side surface subjected to such diffused jet impingement is evenly blanketed with heating air to thereby very uniformly transfer heat from the air to the food support structure, and thus to the food supported thereby, at an accelerated rate.

Abstract: Various representative commercial cooking devices are disclosed wherein a recirculating flow of heated air, at a food cooking temperature, is created within a housing in which a horizontally disposed food support and cooking member, such as a perforated metal plate, a solid griddle plate or a metal broiling grate, is positioned. A plenum structure is utilized to convert a portion of the continuously recirculated air into a spaced series of relatively high velocity heated air impingement jets which are caused to laterally diffuse and at least slightly overlap prior to striking at least one side surface of the food support structure. In this manner, each food support structure side surface subjected to such diffused jet impingement is evenly blanketed with heating air to thereby very uniformly transfer heat from the air to the food support structure, and thus to the food supported thereby, at an accelerated rate.

Abstract: A versatile conveyor oven effective to product a variety of different cooking conditions therein is described. The oven includes an elongated cabinet defining a cooking chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port with a conveyor extending through the oven from the inlet to the outlet. A plate defines the upper surface of the cooking chamber and the plate has a plurality of arrays of holes each mutually spaced from the adjacent arrays. The lower portion of the cooking chamber is defined by a plurality of discreet nozzles mutually spaced from the inlet to the outlet, each nozzle defining a slot orifice disposed transverse to the path of travel of the conveyor. A heating means is provided and the blower to deliver heated air into a plenum, and from there into an upper air chamber emptying out into the foraminous plate and into a lower chamber which empties out into the discreet nozzles.

Abstract: A commerical, dual tier pizza cooking oven is formed from substantially similar but relatively inverted lower and upper modules. The lower module has a housing, with a cooking chamber therein, which is floor supported in an elevated position by suitable depending support legs and has a downwardly projecting fan and heating section used to create a recirculating flow of air, heated to a suitable food cooking temperature, through the housing. The upper module housing is stacked on top of the lower module housing, and its fan and heating section projects upwardly therefrom and also operates to create a recirculating flow of heated air through its cooking chamber. Perforated metal food support plates are horizontally disposed in each of the two cooking chambers for support the pizzas to be cooked.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus to cook, season and serve helpings of ready-to-eat pasta such as for example helpings of spaghetti, ravioli and the like. The apparatus essentially includes a cooking vessel supplied with boiling water coming from a boiler movable between a higher and lower position respectively, a basket designed to contain one pasta helping to be cooked and disposed above the cooking vessel so that it can be introduced thereinto when the latter is at its higher position, a basket-charging device which takes up a pasta container, transports it and discharges the contents thereof inside basket, a conveyor designed to put a dish under the basket so that the basket may discharge the cooked pasta helping thereon, and a condiment-dispensing member which puts a predetermined condiment quantity on the cooked pasta helping laid down on the dish.