Abstract: A device for use with a conventional deep fat frying basket to facilitate the frying of a porous mass of a food product, such as onion rings, located within the basket. The device comprises an apertured cover plate arranged for disposition over the mouth of the basket to lock the food product within the basket. Projecting downward from the underside of the cover plate are a pair of projecting members which extend for substantially the full depth of the basket. The members are rod-like and each includes a longitudinally extending, concavely relieved face. A handle is secured to the upper surface of the cover plate. The device is coated with a non-stick material.

Abstract: A cooking device (10) having a cylindrical housing (14), with a removable domed top closure (11), and supported by legs (12) radially spaced around the body is provided. The apparatus has a heat source (13) located near the bottom of the housing (14) and resting on top of the supporting legs (12). The water pan (22) is located above the heat source (13) and one or more grills (20 and 21) are located above the water pan (22). The grills (20 and 21) and the water pan (22) are supported by hanger structures (23) which engage the water pan (22) and have integral loops (39 and 40 ) forming planes of support for the grills (20 and 21).

Abstract: A spacer assembly for half steam table trays includes a grid-like framework upon which are mounted a plurality of non-metallic support pads adapted to accept the corners of adjacent trays laid thereon in a rectangular pattern. The framework is fabricated of a light metal functioning structurally only to position the support pads. A spacer assembly is laid atop each succeeding layer of trays and the tray corners are compressed a predetermined amount until the pads in a vertical column are in contact, whereby the pads bear the load of the trays stacked thereabove.

Abstract: An economical, energy-saving apparatus for baking food products such as pretzels and the like includes an enclosed housing with an inlet for the introduction of the product to be baked and a door covering the inlet. The apparatus further includes an outlet for removal of the baked product, and a heating assembly for baking the product. Also included in the apparatus of the present invention is a conveyor system for conveying the product from the inlet through the heating assembly to the outlet. To remove the product from the conveying assembly, a removal apparatus is included within the housing for engaging the conveying assembly and removing the product therefrom. Also included in the apparatus of the present invention is a material dispenser for dispensing salt or similar material onto the product to be baked. The material dispenser is defined by a container that is in abutting engagement with the conveyor assembly so as to be engaged thereby resulting in the container being shook to dispense the material.

Abstract: A combination outdoor Bar-B-Q smoker and grill is provided wherein multiple levels of cooking racks on runners within an enclosure are capable of being positioned either directly over a charcoal heat source at one end of the enclosure or at the other end of the enclosure where they are not exposed to direct heat. The enclosure is provided with a slideable top which can be used as a work surface which can be closed or moved to an open position where it is supported in cantilever beam relationship.

Abstract: A fry basket for supporting food items, such as pies and fish filets, to be cooked in an immersed position in a cooking medium. The fry basket has a generally rigid frame presenting parallel, spaced-apart transverse support members. A unitary sheet of low heat capacity flexible material is supported from the transverse frame members to form a plurality of pouches. Each pouch has a pair of opposed sidewalls and a bottom portion with each of the sidewalls of each pouch hanging from a transverse frame member of define, together with the pouch bottom portion, a pouch having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration.

Abstract: A method for the production of a new and novel English muffin on a mass production basis is provided wherein the English muffin is produced by the use of a conventional bun oven and an insulated baking pan which prevents an overbaking of the bottom of the English muffin and a perforated cover plate which permits an even baking of the top surface and imparts a pattern effect on the top surface of the English muffin corresponding to the perforations in the cover plate. The resulting English muffin is new and novel, and in addition to the pattern effect on the top surface thereof, will possess a uniform color on the top and bottom surfaces thereof.

Abstract: Smoldering wood or other solid fuel near the bottom of a vertically elongated enclosure or pit produces heat and smoke which rises freely through the full width of the enclosure or pit to slowly cook food products supported on a plurality of horizontal removable grill racks above the source of heat. A pair of drip collection pans at the bottom of the enclosure or pit on opposite sides of the solid fuel support extend for the full depth of the enclosure or pit. A deflector for drippings having inclined panel portions is arranged above the fuel support and below the lowermost grill rack and diverts food drippings to the two drip collection pans to protect the drippings from contact with the smoldering fuel and preventing excessive heating of the drippings.

Abstract: A device for holding food articles that are impaled on sticks. The device includes a body member having first and second transverse grooves thereacross. The second transverse groove is positioned within the first transverse groove. A spring clip is positioned over the transverse grooves to selectively clamp one of the sticks between the body member and the spring clip. The first transverse groove is shaped to receive sticks having a substantially rectangular cross section. The second transverse groove is shaped to receive sticks having a substantially circular cross section.

Abstract: Plural heating elements for a corresponding number of self-adjusting smoldering wood supports are independently timed and thermostatically controlled to create a wider range of adjustability and versatility in the cooker to thus widen the variety of products which can be cooked as well as refining and rendering more sensitive the cooking procedures.

Abstract: An electric steamer for simultaneously steaming a frankfurter and warming an accompanying frankfurter bun is disclosed herein. The steamer includes a base portion having an electric heater and a reservoir adapted to receive a small amount of water for steaming the frankfurter and steam-warming the frankfurter bun. A perforated support rack is positioned over the reservoir for supporting the frankfurter, a sausage, or the like above the water. A bun-supporting cover is removably mountable over the reservoir to define a steaming chamber. The cover has a top wall provided with a plurality of steam vents whereby the steam which cooks the frankfurter escapes through the steam vents and warms and softens the frankfurter bun supported on the upper surface of the cover.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating food includes a treating chamber, a multilevel shelving in the treating chamber for supporting the food to be heated; a plurality of blowers arranged in the treating chamber; and heating elements associated with the blowers for generating hot air currents. All the blowers are arranged in a vertically spaced, superposed relationship at one side of the treating chamber and an arrangement is provided for directing the air currents generated by each blower towards another, opposite side of the treating chamber.

Abstract: A hickory wood cooking plank for broiling or baking meats, fish, poultry and the like, in conventional home ovens. The design features a unique, aluminum support stand provided in the form of a pair of L-shaped aluminum elements which are adapted to be respectively fitted within a pair of longitudinally extending grooves inwardly formed on the side edges of the cooking plank. The aluminum stand serves the dual function of supporting the cooking plank and dissipating the heat from the plank to prolong useful life. This permits high temperature broiling in a conventional oven to char the hickory plank which, in turn, imparts a hickory flavor to the food placed thereon for cooking.

Abstract: A cooking and assembly unit is primarily for use in the quantity production of sandwiches, such as hamburger sandwiches including a patty, a bun crown and a bun heel. The unit includes a storage compartment for a number of individual trays each carrying one or more bun heels or bun crowns. The storage compartment is related to a bun grill including a conveyor for trays carrying heels and another conveyor for trays carrying crowns. Both conveyors advance in a predetermined direction and deliver the heel trays and the crown trays to a downstream, exit end of the bun grill. From there the loaded trays are received on an entrance table at the upstream end of a product conditioning tunnel mounted on a straddle frame. The conditioning tunnel is heated and is supplied with steam to hold its contents in a selected atmosphere. A freezer compartment having an access opening to patties stored therein is disposed beneath the straddle frame and adjacent the entrance to the conditioning tunnel.

Abstract: A cooking assembly includes a heating plate and two identical outer plates each fabricated of heat conductive material and each including a handle. The outer plates and the heating plate each include a hinge to allow the outer plates to be coupled to opposite sides of the heating plate. Each of the first and second outer plates when coupled to the heating plate define a cooking chamber within which food may be cooked. The assembly further includes an insulating drip tray for insulating the cooking assembly from means upon which it is supported and for catching drippings from the food being cooked by the heating plate. The tray includes means for supporting the cooking plate and the first and second outer plates in either a horizontal or a vertical position relative to the bottom of the tray to permit different selective cooking operations depending upon the nature of the material cooked.

Abstract: A food defrost and cooking apparatus includes a drum and a stand. The drum's position may be freely changed on the stand to shift the food in the drum during defrosting and cooking, but motion of the drum is limited by a camming arrangement between the stand and drum and a stop. The drum is also optionally vertically supportable on the stand for convenient loading.

Abstract: An oven having dual-rotating mechanism whereby food-holding elements are arranged to be conveyed about the periphery of the inner housing of the oven, at which time the food-holding elements are individually rotated about their own axes, causing a dual-rotisserie action. The opposite ends of the food-holding elements are removably attached to a chain which is driven by a plurality of planetary gear assemblies driven by a motor, the food-holding elements being individually rotated by means of a stationary chain which is engaged to a sprocket attached to the food-holding elements assembly. Thus, a low-temperature cooking process can be employed therewith.

Abstract: A hot air oven for heating food-loaded cartridges, each constituted by a stack of sealed trays nested within an open carton whose side walls have holes therein to admit heated air, the trays containing pre-cooked meals. The oven includes a rotating turntable provided with a raised annular shelf for supporting a circular array of cartridges, the side walls of which define a hollow center core. A driven propeller is disposed within the core, the space between the shelf and the turntable forming a restricted flow passage whose inlet communicates with the core and whose outlet lies at the periphery of the turntable. A heater assembly above the cartridge array produces heated air which is sucked by the propeller into the hollow core. Because of the flow restriction, a substantial portion of the heated air is forced through the holes of the cartons to heat the food in the trays.

Abstract: A toaster device has a support grid mounted for rotation about a vertical axis between heating elements disposed on opposite sides thereof. Grid elements are mounted for pivotal movement on opposite edges of the support, and depending finger elements on the grids slidingly move along an inner side of a rod member on the toaster throughout a segment of rotation of the support for raising the grid elements so that toasted items located thereon are delivered outwardly of the toaster. The depending finger elements move to the outer side of the rod upon continued rotation of the support grid so as to cause the grid elements to move back into their horizontal positions.

Abstract: Process of producing pieces of eggs which comprises mixing eggs to obtain a blend of egg whites and egg yolks, separately establishing a first flow of the blend and a second flow of steam under pressure, contacting the first and second flows to produce a burst of the blend of eggs and to initiate a preliminary cooking of the eggs, introducing the eggs resulting from the proceeding step into a container, allowing the eggs to remain in the container until cooking is completed and a solid mass of cooked eggs is obtained, and disintegrating the solid mass into small pieces.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of heating food stuffs, especially discrete articles such as potatoes, meat and bread in a heat-insulated housing, employing heated gases circulated through the housing at high velocity. The invention is further concerned with means or apparatus for carrying out the method in which a heat-insulated housing is provided with a sheet metal container mounted in it and open at least below and above, the container being laterally spaced from the walls of the housing and furthermore a blower being mounted in the intermediate space between the roof of the housing and the upper opening in the sheet metal container, heating elements being mounted in the intermediate space between the lateral walls of the housing and of the container and a temperature controller being provided to maintain the pre-set treatment temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooking various food items. The apparatus includes an enclosed cooking compartment disposed a spaced distance above a reservoir which contains a quantity of cooking oil. A rack is provided for suspending the items of food at spaced apart distances one from the other within the cooking compartment. The oil is heated and forced through nozzles which are uniformly spaced about the interior of the cooking compartment thus forming a mist from the hot cooking oil which saturates the interior space of the cooking commpartment. Thus, the suspended items of food become suffused with the mist of hot oil which effectively accomplishes the cooking process of the food.

Abstract: A food service system for institutional or other use is provided by a stack of insulated trays and a cart. In one embodiment the cart includes a heating and/or cooling source with an outlet and a return. The trays are provided with openings to permit the passage of heated or cooled air from the outlet through the stack to the return. In another embodiment the trays and cart are combined with a refrigeration unit and a heating unit to permit simultaneous heating and cooling of food portions held in the trays.

Abstract: The present invention is a utensil for cooking bakery products in microwave ovens. The utensil is fabricated from essentially microwave transparent material and is constructed without a bottom, thereby providing a utensil for cooking bakery products uniformly throughout. The utensil is also constructed so as to be rotatable within the oven cavity so as to permit optimum use of the microwave energy pattern.

Abstract: The present invention converts an open top deep fryer into an automatic device in which the foodstuff to be fried is lowered into the frying fat, retained there for a predetermined pre-set time and then automatically raised out of the fat for use. The mechanism in one form of the invention includes a cover for preventing any of the fumes from the fat from escaping to the atmosphere. A blower and washer are provided for drawing off the cooking fumes and passing them through a water spray for cleaning both fats and odor therefrom before releasing the air to the atmosphere. Both cooking trays and baskets are provided so as to permit the cooking of all types of deep fat fried foods.

Abstract: Electric commercial cooking apparatus having a cylindrical body with dome top and bottom and a vertically hinged door. The apparatus has a thermostat controlled electrical heating element affixed to the bottom dome. The heating element serves as a heat supply and to generate smoke from combustible material such as hickory chips. The heating element and tray are located beneath a water pan and a plurality of grids supported by brackets located on the interior of the body adjacent the door and opposite the door. The grids and water pan may be removed by tilting each sideways so that they may pass through the door opening for easy maintenance.

Abstract: A frying basket for supporting food items, such as pies, to be cooked in an immersed position in a cooking medium. The frying basket has a back wall and two end walls defining an accessible front food loading area opposite the back wall. In the basket, on horizontal supports, are two shelves comprising solid bottom trays mounted on an open framework with divider plates between each tray to form separate compartments for each food item. An upper shelf is mounted above a lower shelf and functions to retain food items on the lower shelf and to support food items as well. Mounted above the second shelf is a retaining cover which functions to retain food items on the upper shelf. Both the upper shelf and the retaining cover are each held in that position by a latch at one of the end walls.

Abstract: A product knockout and receiving means for removing a loaf meat from a mechanism of loaf molds including a gang of knockout bars, one each in alignment with each mold for engaging and pushing a plug within the mold to drive the loaf meat product from the mold, and a gang of receiving means (such as trays) for receiving the loaf meat product as it is removed from the molds.

Abstract: A cooking pan assembly is provided which has particular utility in the industrial cooking of food, such as tuna fish. The cooking pan is particularly constructed so that it may conveniently be transported on usual conveyors within the cooking facility. Crimped wire-formed ends are provided for the pan which serve as handles and which prevent the contents of the pan from sliding through the front or rear ends thereof. The wire-formed ends are crimped loosely to the side walls and bottom of the pan for sanitary reasons so that there is only a point contact between the wire-formed ends and the sides and bottoms, and no areas are formed which would be conducive to build up of bacteria. There are no welds between the end members and the bottom or side walls of the pan, since such welds would produce two separate surfaces in intimate contact with one another which could harbor bacteria. The pan assembly is easy to clean thoroughly by a simple spray wash since there are no nooks or crannies in the assembly.

Abstract: A system for cooking spaghetti and similar pasta products includes a cooking section and a storage section with means for supplying water alternately to either section. The cooking section is equipped with a cook pot having conventional electric or gas heaters for heating water to cook spaghetti. A cooking basket containing spaghetti is suspended in the cook pot by attachment to a basket lifter. Electrical timing means connected to the basket lifter automatically lower the cooking basket at the start of a preselected cook cycle and raise the basket out of the cook pot after the cooking period has ended. The storage section includes a storage tank for rinsing and storing cooked spaghetti in cold water. Multiple rows of nesting cups stacked vertically store individual serving portions of spaghetti in the storage tank. A cup rack is used to reconstitute the spaghetti by suspending the serving cups containing cooked spaghetti in the hot water of the cook pot.

Abstract: Mechanism for applying a squeezing force to a food product in a mold, including a fluid motor driving a reciprocal rod for engaging and applying a force to a plug movably positionable within the mold. The reciprocal rod is driven by the fluid motor to move the plug into the mold until the resisting force of the food produce within the mold balances the force exerted by the fluid motor. The squeezing force is applied a plurality of times to obtain a uniform cross-sectionally dimensioned food product.