Abstract: A rack invention includes a rack having a rack surface and a plurality of legs attached to the rack surface. Each of the legs is made of wire and has two straight segments extending downwardly from the rack surface and a connecting segment which connects together the straight segments. The connecting segment is shaped so as to allow the rack surface to be placed at one of a plurality of predetermined distances above the surface in the oven. The cooking rack invention also includes a plurality of such racks which may be used together in an oven. In such an instance, the length of the straight segments of one rack are different that those of another rack, so that the racks provide different ranges of height adjustability.

Abstract: A grill and oven combination for cooking food comprising a container having a hollow interior bounded by a bottom portion and walls extended upwards therefrom to define an opening with one of the walls having a hole disposed thereon near the bottom portion; a lid pivotally connected to the container near the opening thereof and positionable in an opened orientation for allowing access to the interior of the container and a closed orientation for preventing access to the interior of the container; a heat-conductive liner disposed within the interior of the container along its inner periphery with a hole disposed thereon axially aligned with the hole on the wall of the container to define an access hole adapted for allowing combustible materials for cooking food to be added and combusted materials from cooking food to be removed; and a grill disposed within the liner adapted for holding food thereon for cooking.

Abstract: A power operated system for raising and lowering an oven rack but without opening the oven door is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of conventional rectangular wire oven shelves in a spaced apart relationship. Each shelf is supported on a protuberance that has a threaded portion that rides up and down a threaded support bar. The support bar is turned by a continuous loop chain gear that derives it's direction from an electric motor. The electric motor is controlled by a remote located switch on the face of the oven. The support bars form a right-angle frame within the oven cavity and are oriented above a lowermost section of the oven which houses the electric motor and the journal bearings they are in.

Abstract: A toaster attachment comprises a wire basket 20 that may be fitted to a conventional toaster. The attachment includes securing means 9 and means 15 for rotating the basket member 20 above the bread receiving opening of a conventional toaster. In this was a conventional toaster may be used to toast or warm through food products other than flat slices of bread, for example bread rolls, muffins, marshmallows, nuts etc, using the heat generated by the heating elements within the toaster. The attachment may be a completely seperate element from the toaster, or certain elements may be incorporated into the toaster itself.

Abstract: A portable and nestable grill having two generally conical shaped sections forming inverted conical housings removably joined together at the smaller ends forming a midsection or waist of reduced diameter. The upper conical shaped housing defines an upper grilling section for supporting a cooking grate near the upper end and a means for supporting charcoal or other solid fuel at the lower end of the upper housing forming the waist section. The lower conical shaped housing defines a charcoal starter/ash catcher base section. A plurality of apertures are sized, shaped, and positioned to provide sufficient draft to create a venturi effect at the position of the fuel support means to provide fast pre-ignition of the solid charcoal fuel and superior convective heat transfer for cooking. The upper housing may be detached from the lower housing and the lower housing inverted and nested within the larger upper housing for transporting and storage.

Abstract: An enclosure is disclosed for heating or cooling food products on a pan. The enclosure preferably has transparent side walls, a closure member and a rack comprising a plurality of vertically spaced-apart pan supports each comprised of a plurality of interconnected tubular fluid carrying members, each support is maintained in spaced-apart relationship by fluid carrying conduits which communicate with the tubular members to thereby transfer heated or cooled fluid between supports from a fluid supply inlet to a fluid discharge outlet.

Abstract: An apparatus for dry-cooking food products, having a thermo-ventilated cooking chamber (35) and a rotatable container (2) for food products, internal to the cooking chamber (35), with rotatably supported holed walls (8), which retains and mixes the food products. The container (2) is interpositioned between loading and unloading stations (90, 91) of the products positioned at levels respectively overlying and underlying the container (2), has a single opening (13) with a hatch (12), mobile from an initial open position in which the opening (13) is turned towards the loading station (90), to an intermediate closed position in which the container (2) rotates, to a final open position in which the opening (13) is turned towards the unloading station (91). The container (2) is blocked by rotation stop means (6). The apparatus (1) also comprises command means (7) of the activating and stop means (5, 6).

Abstract: A bowl 10 and lid 11 of a barbecue are pressed from sheets of steel using press tools (not shown). Surplus steel, which occurs at the corners of the bowl 10 and lid 11 during pressing, is accommodated in elongate channels 14 which project into the bowl 10 and lid 11 and which appear as recesses on the outside of the bowl 10 and lid 11. The channel 14 extends substantially all the way around the undersurface of the bowl 10 but is not of uniform depth all the way around. Instead the depth of the channel 14 is increased at certain points to form shoulders which in use support first and second grill portions which should themselves respectively support portions of food to be cooked and simulated solid fuel.

Abstract: A cooking grill with automatically rotatable food supporting racks. The grill comprises a container including an essentially closed lower horizontal plate, generally vertical disposed plates and an open upper edge with peripheral walls. A pair of support racks are supported by the peripheral wall. Each of the racks is comprised of a lower apertured plate of open mesh upon which the food to be cooked may be placed. An upper apertured plate of open mesh is adapted to be positioned over the food. Hinges couple the upper and lower plates and a releasable clamp couples together the plates. A support couples the edges of each of the racks for rotatable movement of each of the racks independent of the movement of the other of the racks. Such coupling supports include rods extending outwardly and secured at their interior ends to the lower racks with their exterior ends supported in bearing assemblies. A tubular support surrounds each of the rods.

Abstract: A barbecue grill including a lower housing, heating means and food support means positioned within the lower housing, an upper housing or hood adapted to enclose the lower housing, a smoke exhaust means provided in said upper and/or lower housing for allowing smoke to escape from within the barbecue grill, and a filter positioned within the smoke exhaust means for removing contaminants from smoke passing therethrough into the atmosphere.

Abstract: A barbecue grill assembly adapted for simultaneously cooking one food and warming another, the grill comprising a base component having an upper portion and lower portion, a rearward end, a forward end, and two side walls extending between the rearward and forward ends, an opened top, and a closed bottom, the base component having a charcoal rack positioned within lower portion, the base component further having a food rack positioned above the charcoal rack; a lid component having an upper portion, a lower portion, a rearward end, a forward end, and two side walls extending between the forward and rearward ends, a closed top and an opened bottom, rack receiving means positioned upon the side walls of the lid component; an upper lid rack adapted to be received within the upper rack receiving means of the lid component; and a lower lid rack adapted to be received within the rack receiving means of the lid component, the distance between the upper lid rack and the lower lid rack being such that food items may b

Abstract: A fork segregating partitioning array for use with a fondue pot. The fondue pot is of the type defining a container with a large cavity to receive meltable foodstuff to be warmed by a heating source. The partitioning array consists of a cup member, freely releasably engageable into the container large cavity, and at least two partitioning walls disposed in crossing fashion relative to one another, whereby four distinct subcavities are defined within the cup member. The subcavities are for use in segregating a corresponding number of forks in cooking fondues such as meat fondue or chinese fondue. The cup member is further pierced by a plurality of through-bores, for free passage of the meat soup between the fondue pot and the cup member and vice-versa.

Abstract: A steam cooking appliance which enables food to be steam cooked while preventing condensate residue to be re-boiled again. The steam cooking appliance of the present invention provides a water containment basin defining a water reservoir and a condensate basin wherein the water reservoir is isolated from the condensate basin. The steam cooking appliance operates to enable the water reservoir to remain free from condensate residue even after boiling dry.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooking a tortilla for use, e.g. as a taco shell, produces an edible wrapper, preferably having a narrow partially cooked flexible strip across the central diameter and a fully cooked firm and crispy texture adjacent the flexible area, that can be folded into the typical taco shell U-shape. Preferably, the tortilla is cooked in a microwave oven using two perforated rigid and reusable microwave energy transparent frame members between which a flat fresh uncooked tortilla is positioned. Selective microwave attenuation by a conductive screen strip means, and controlled expansion and distortion of the tortilla by the frame members provide the double textured food end product with desirable surface bubbling, blistering and delamination.

Abstract: A roasting pan especially designed to permit uniform distribution of heat and moisture therein and to provide for collecting and removing meat juices therefrom which comprises a main roasting enclosure; a removable lid for such main enclosure; a perforated H-shaped holder removably positioned within said main enclosure; and a removable liquid-impermeable drawer extending through the wall of said main enclosure and being supported on the cross member of said H-shaped holder, said removable drawer having a means at the interior end thereof to permit pouring off collected meat juices.

Abstract: A foil web is arranged for positioning over a barbecue grill structure to effect the dissipation of grease and the like to drip uniformly to underlying briquets and meter such grease in a manner to effect its dissipation and vaporization upon contact with an underlying heating structure. The web includes a matrix of apertures coextensive with the web of specific sizing to effect such dissipation.

Abstract: A grill steamer tray both for steaming food that is being cooked on a grill and for collecting grease drippings from the food to prevent an undesirable flaming of the grill. The tray includes a plurality of depressions that may be filled with water to steam the food as well as to collect the grease drippings. A plurality of openings are provided between the depressions to allow heat and smoke to pass through the openings for cooking purposes. The tray further includes removable finned tray liners that fit into the depressions to provide for easier cleaning of the tray after use.

Abstract: A wire grill cooking pan that may be used to cook more than one type of food at a time on different levels of the pan while retaining the juices that are released during the cooking process. The wire grill cooking pan has a wire grill that is hinged to a pan and secured with a latch. Different food items may be placed below the wire grill for cooking while other food items are placed on the wire grill to be cooked. The pan may then be heated from either the top or the bottom to cook the food while retaining the juices that are released for collection or redistribution to the food.

Abstract: A pasta pan and cooking method is provided which is particularly suitable for preparing an entree which includes two or more components, with the pan assembly allowing the components to be cooked simultaneously. For cooking a pasta and sauce dish, pasta can be disposed in an apertured pan, with sauce disposed in a non-apertured pan. Both the pasta pan and the sauce pan are disposed in an outer pan which includes a small portion of water in the bottom thereof. The pans are covered and inserted into an oven for simultaneous cooking of two or more components of an entree, such as pasta and sauce, simultaneously.

Abstract: A flame suppressant marinating grill overlay and method of use having raised outer edges, gutters and ridges, said ridges being disposed between said gutters. The ridges contain holes. The flame suppressant marinating grill overlay is placed over the cooking surface of a conventional barbecue grill, food is placed on top of the flame suppressant marinating grill overlay and the conventional barbecue grill is operated as usual. The gutters collect accumulated food juices which serve to marinate the food being cooked and prevent the food from drying out. Excess food juices may escape through the holes contained in the ridges. The flame suppressant marinating grill overlay also serves to protect the food being cooked from burning due to flareups.

Abstract: A combination smoker and cooker comprising adjustably spaced grills so as to make easier access to the grills and to replenish cooking fuel. The cooker comprises a grill support bar for supporting multiple grills including a water pan steamer assembly, at adjustable vertically spaced intervals in a housing. The grill support bar comprises pairs of vertically spaced slots cut into oppositely facing sides thereof and is held in the housing by a socket which is sized and shaped to firmly receive a bottom end of the support bar and secure the support bar in place in the cooker.

Abstract: An air fryer includes a base, a seat attached to the base, a post having a lower portion slidably received in the seat, an arm pivotally coupled to the upper portion of the post, and a cap secured to the arm for enclosing the base. The post is adjustable relative to the seat such that the cap is adjustable up and down relative to the base.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a grate for a cooking grill. The grill includes a heat source such as an open flame heat source or electric resistance-type heat source. The grate includes a plurality of support members, and a plurality of elongated rails disposed in spaced apart parallel relationship with each other and extending transversely to the support members. The spaces between the rails prevent flames from passing through the spaces. The flames may be produced, e.g., by the heat source and/or a grease fire.

Abstract: A support device for a pair of vegetable steamers comprising a pillar (32,34) having at one end a support (38) for the base of an upper vegetable steamer (10a) and at its other end having means (60) to attach to a lower vegetable steamer (10b) so that the pillar is upstanding from the base of that lower vegetable steamer, the other end of the pillar thus extending above the lower vegetable steamer to support the upper vegetable steamer above the lower vegetable steamer in a vertical manner.

Abstract: A free standing collapsible, portable barbeque (1) adapted to be moved between a closed/folded configuration and an open/assembled configuration and from an open/assembled configuration to a closed/folded configuration thereby assuming the character of a portable suitcase; the barbeque comprising a substantially cubic receptacle (2) supported by legs (5, 6, 7 and 8) pivotally attached to the underside of the receptacle so that they fold inwardly to a plane parallel with the base of the receptacle.A lid (15) is pivotally connected to the receptacle which when open acts as a rear baffle and when closed as a cover for the receptacle.The barbeque has first and second side baffles (11 and 12) which are adapted to move independently of the lid (15) each pivotally connected to the base of the the receptacle and between a sidewall of the receptacle; and a well (37) formed within said receptacle which acts as a cooking waste trap.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of preparing a safer form of grilled or flame-broiled foods by reducing the presence and formation of known and potential carcinogenic compounds in such foods without sacrificing the flavors and organoleptic properties normally associated with such food. The invention also relates to a grill apparatus for carrying out the grilling of such foods. Both the inventive grilling process and grill apparatus utilize a fractionating medium which is capable of separating the lower boiling point smoke compounds from the higher boiling point smoke compounds, allowing said lower boiling point flavor compounds to contact the food, while retaining said higher boiling point carcinogenic compounds and thereby preventing them from contacting the food.

Abstract: A roll-up portable table or cooking grill which presents, when in an open first condition for use, a relatively flat, substantially rectangular, upwardly facing table adapted to be supported to define a generally horizontal rigid cooking surface. When in a rolled up second condition for transport or storage, the table is configured to be contained within a generally cylindrical container. The portable table or grill includes a plurality of bars, each having a straight, stiff, longitudinally extending, central rod spaced from and mutually parallel with respect to every other central rod; and two generally J-shaped hook portions, one at each end of that rod. The J-shaped hook portions of each bar each include a shank, a first end of which extends integrally from one end of the rod. These hook portions each include a hook which extends integrally from a second end of the shank.

Abstract: A barbecue grill including a lower housing, heating means and food support means positioned within the lower housing, an upper housing or hood adapted to enclose the lower housing, a grease collecting grease pan mounted within the top surface of the lower housing so as to prevent heat flow therearound into the upper housing, and a plurality of apertures provided adjacent at least a portion of the perimeter of the lower housing to provide heat flow from the lower housing into the upper housing.

Abstract: An improved basket for the preparation of fried food products includes a wire mesh bottom wall and three upstanding wire mesh side walls. A perforate gate is pivotally attached along the fourth side of the basket and is secured in a closed configuration by a latching arm pivotally attached to a top edge of each side wall. Handles including a grip are also attached to the top edge of the side walls and can be used for the insertion and removal of the basket containing food products from a hot oil bath. The fried food products can be gently removed from the basket and deposited onto a worktable by conveniently tilting the basket to an inclined orientation so that the latching arm disengages from the gate either by gravity or by downward pressure on a lever arm attached thereto.

Abstract: A barbecue pit is arranged to include a rotary shaft mounted in adjacency to the pit having an extension shaft, wherein a mesh basket is arranged for selective positioning over the barbecue pit for ease of access to the basket and for food components positioned thereon. A rotisserie housing is mounted to the basket structure in an intercommunication to permit selective rotation of the basket over the pit structure.

Abstract: The heat distribution plate provides controlled flare-up through a system of drop-in distribution plates having holes or slots to allow dripping fats to be ignited. Good heat uniformity across the entire grill is afforded, and the controlled flare-up provided by the holes are slots gives the food a barbecued rather than baked flavor. The distribution plates are held in position in the containment casting by engaging flanges on the casting. The flanges are arranged to minimize the air gap between adjacent edges of the plates.

Abstract: A steam cooking utensil includes a base and a boiling liquid reservoir defined by the base. A heater is mounted in the base to heat liquid in the boiling liquid reservoir. A cooking bowl is supported by the base and includes a food support surface having a plurality of vent holes. An adjustable and removable divider basket is mounted in the cooking bowl and includes a food support surface aligned with the food support surface of the cooking bowl. The food support surface of the cooking bowl includes a plurality of vent holes for enabling steam formed in the boiling liquid reservoir to enter into the cooking bowl and into the divider basket. The divider basket comprises first and second sections movably connected to each other for enabling the use to adjust the effective cooking area of the cooking bowl and the divider basket. The divider basket includes handle means for enabling the user to remove the basket from the bowl.

Abstract: The present invention is a wire cake rack for supporting either tubular or rectangular cakes while they cool. The wire cake rack can be either a round cake rack for supporting tubular cakes, e.g. Bundt cakes or a rectangular cake rack for supporting rectangular cakes, e.g. pound cakes. The round cake rack is made with sides in the shape of an open top cylinder that are manufactured integrally with a bottom that is concentric with the sides. The bottom has a greater diameter than the diameter of the sides. The bottom has handles on diametrically opposite edges of the bottom. The rectangular cake rack is made with sides in the shape of an open top rectangular box that are manufactured integrally with a bottom that is axially aligned with the sides. The bottom extends a predetermined distance beyond the sides. The bottom has handles on the two edges of the bottom that are longer than the other two edges of the bottom.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating foodstuffs contained in packages of parallelopiped shape which includes a container for a heating medium, a placing table disposed inside the container, and a heater for heating the heating medium. The placing table has rectangular cylindrical elements between which the foodstuffs are placed. The faces of the rectangular cylindrical elements which face the foodstuffs on either side are roughly the same size as the faces of the foodstuffs which face the rectangular cylindrical elements and have discharge holes to facilitate the flow of the heating medium. The heated heating medium is circulated from below the placing table, up through the placing table, out through the discharge holes of the cylindrical elements and into contact with the packages, thus providing for quick and efficient heating of the foodstuffs.

Abstract: An outdoor grill apparatus, comprising four side walls, a floor portion, and a cover portion hingedly moveable between open and closed positions, the container defined by the walls and floor portion and cover defining the grilling area therein. Further there is provided a tray positioned adjacent the floor of the container for housing a quantity of coals or other heating elements for producing heat during grilling. The tray is moveable via a handle member positioned exterior to the container, which allows the tray to be positioned at various distances from the grilling surface, to regulate the amount of heat radiating to the meat to be grilled. There is further provided air channels positioned in the walls of the container so as to allow adequate air flow to the coals when the coals are in the various positions established by the exterior handle member.

Abstract: A flame suppressant marinating grill overlay and method of use are disclosed having raised outer edges, gutters and ridges, said ridges being disposed between said gutters. The ridges contain holes. The flame suppressant marinating grill overlay is placed over the cooking of a conventional barbecue grill, food is placed on top of the flame suppressant marinating grill overlay and the conventional barbecue grill is operated as usual. Said gutters collect accumulated food juices which serve to marinate the food being cooked and prevent said food from drying out. Excess food juices may escape through the holes contained in said ridges. The flame suppressant marinating grill overlay also serves to protect the food being cooked from burning due to flareups.

Abstract: A cooking grill assembly adapted to be placed on the upper work surface of a barbecue heating unit. The grill assembly consists of two overlapping slotted plates, a grill component and an underlying drip pan component, releasably hinged together along one margin. The slots are offset from each other in such a manner that the molten fat dripping downwardly through the slots of the upper grill plate will be intercepted by the underlying drip pan plate and conveyed to a fat accumulation trough on the latter. The arrangement is such that the smoke and other combustion vapors can rise upwardly through the slots of both grill components and flavor the meat in the usual manner, without danger of igniting the molten grease resulting from the cooking operation.

Abstract: This invention is a cooking device which consists of cylindrical main vessel with a flared open top with annular shoulders on which is seated the perforated annular shoulder of a smaller cooker vessel that extends downwardly in the main vessel, a tray-like vessel having a perforated annular shoulder seated on the inwardly extending annular rim of the smaller cooker vessel, a central upwardly extending wall defining an annular circular opening on the tray-like vessel, a combined cover and receptacle seated on the annular shoulder of the main vessel and having a perforated concave top spacedly above the tray-like vessel, and a cover on top of the perforated concave top.

Abstract: General purpose equipment is provided for supporting bread making products or similar during the process of fermentation and baking of the dough, including as basic unit elements: a tray with side flanges (1), one or more replaceable and interchangeable non stick membranes or molds, perforated, or not, each preformed to the dimensions and shapes of a bread, Viennese bread or pastry piece or pieces to be baked, each of these interchangeable membranes or molds resting, on the tray without being fixed or at least while remaining removable.

Abstract: A support for manufacturing and storage of cheese, including a mesh which is weared and stretched, and then secured on a peripheral, rigid reinforcement. The mesh has weft threads and warp threads which are interlaced, forming crossing zones. A coating of anti-corrosion synthetic material is provided, which coats threads of the mesh and the peripheral reinforcement, thereby forming an organic matrix connecting the weft threads and the warp threads of the mesh. The coating also provides a sealed surface along the threads of the mesh, along the peripheral reinforcement, in the crossing zones of the threads of the mesh, and in a connecting zone of the threads of the mesh to the peripheral reinforcement.

Abstract: A barbecue grill assembly including a main cooking chamber, a removable cooking grid positioned within the main chamber above a primary heat source, a frame for supporting the cooking grid and a drawer element connected to and supporting the frame for rollably withdrawing the cooking grid from the main chamber. The assembly also includes an elevator mechanism for raising and lowering the frame and cooking grid without the need to remove any elements from within the main chamber. A rotisserie is also provided removably supported on the frame which facilitates withdrawal of the spit and cooking food held on the spit from the main chamber for attending without the need for handling hot food or spit. An overhead infrared heating element, side grill elements, a warming chamber and other features are also disclosed.

Abstract: A smokeless and scorchless grill pan comprising a food plate, an oil pan placed under the food plate, and a lower pan placed under the oil pan for burning a fire to heat the oil pan and the air in a hollow space between the oil pan and the food plate, the oil pan having a bottom corrugated with a plurality of holes for heated air to flow through and two opposite recesses near a circumferential edge, the food plate also corrugated and having a plurality of oil holes for oil coming out of food placed on the food plate to flow through down to drop on the oil pan and then flow into the two opposite recesses of the oil pan.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for cooking a casingless food product such as a casingless sausage or the like is provided. The apparatus includes a tray to support a plurality of casingless sausages and the like which nest within laterally extending recessed areas and the tray is provided with a plurality of pores or slots extending therethrough. The tray is positioned within an oven housing and separates the interior thereof into a first space above the tray and a second space below the tray. The air within the housing is heated and the second space is pressurized to a positive pressure over that within the first space to provide for the forced escape of heated air from the second space into the first space through the pores in the tray to thereby lift the casingless food product above the surface of the tray and to cook the food product while suspended above the tray.

Abstract: A perforated steam plate mainly consists of a retaining plate and an upright tube vertically connected to the retaining plate via a central hole thereof. The retaining plate is a convex plate and therefore allows an adequate space between the retaining plate and the surface on which the retaining plate is positioned. Both the retaining plate and the upright tube have a plurality of perforations evenly formed on their entire surface. When the perforated steam plate is put into a common boiler or a cooker, raw rice to be boiled may be adequately separated from the bottom surface of the boiler or the cooker by the steam plate. In the course of steaming, steam formed by heated water inside the boiler or the cooker permeates from the perforations on the retaining plate and the upright tube to every corners of the boiler or the cooker, making the boiled rice more delicious.

Abstract: A pizza screen or pan receiving and holding assembly for use in combination with a pizza baking oven is disclosed. The assembly includes a main frame formed of side and end rails interconnected in a generally rectangular pattern with casters provided at the four corners to position the main frame in the open space beneath the baking sections of pizza baking oven. Cross members extend laterally of the side rails to define an open lattice for receiving pizza baking screens or baking pans. Upright members extend upwardly from the front and rear sides of the main frame. A box support frame of a generally rectangular shape formed of interconnected side and end shaft members is secured to the upright members and is inclined rearwardly downwardly. A plurality of boxes sized to receive different dimensioned pizza screens or pans are removably received on the box support frame. The boxes have opened front ends and closed rear ends.

Abstract: A two-part smoker assembly having a slide-detachable fire chamber engageable to a separable smoking chamber, the latter capable of being mountably rested atop the firebox walls of a grill. The slide-detachable smoking chamber has front and rear access doors, a side opening for side-attaching the fire chamber thereto, a top-opening for mounting a cover lid thereon, and food racks for supporting food materials within the smoking chamber. Within the smoking chamber, rack supports for the food racks are provided for adjusting the food racks to various levels. The cover is hinged and consists of a central piano hinge, which divides the cover lid into two openable halves and allows access to the food racks from the top front or top rear of the assembly.

Abstract: A forced air oven for and a method of heating, cooking or roasting granular food, such as nuts, seeds and coffee beans. The apparatus houses a hollow cylindrical drum into which food is placed. A heated gaseous stream is forced through the inside of the drum with sufficient force to blow the food away from the inside surface of the drum. In addition, perforations in the drum are positioned such that the heated gaseous stream blows the food toward a rear end of the drum and causes the food to churn. This churning allows the heated air to envelope the outside surface of the food and provides an even transmission of heat to the food. In addition, the drum is provided with a helical fin that pushes the food toward a front end of the drum. A wire mesh is also provided for collecting particles that are dislodged from the food, and an exhaust system is provided for venting the gasses created during the heating, cooking or roasting of food.

Abstract: A steam cooker having a high capacity heating element in the bottom wall of the cooker reservoir employs a body of heat conducting metal to define a shallow boiler for transferring heat to water in the reservoir from a metal sheathed electric resistant heating element extending in a generally circular groove in the bottom of the metal body with the terminal end portions of the heating element extending in generally radially overlapping relation. An annular recess formed in the top surface of the metal body has a first portion of uniform depth defined by a first substantially planar bottom wall portion and a second portion of varying depth defined by a second substantially planar bottom wall portion overlaying the overlapped end portions of the heating element and inclined with respect to the first wall portion whereby water in the water reservoir will have a greater depth above the first bottom wall portion than above the second bottom wall portion.

Abstract: A grilling surface is cooled by circulating water from a reservoir. The surface is preferably formed by two parallel metal sheets which are deformed to space them apart and to form heat passageways therethrough. The sheets and the circulation passageway formed therebetween extend continuously between and around the heat passageways. Reservoirs on the sides of the circulation passageway are in direct communication therewith and are configured to receive pans. Food in the pans is cooked by heat from the water in the reservoir. Covers on the grill and pans may be aligned to communicate steam from the pans to a grilling chamber formed by the grill cover. The grilling surface may be flat. Alternatively, it may have a wok-like configuration.

Abstract: A self-draining cooking pot, such as a pasta pot, which facilitates the draining of liquid. A handle assembly includes a valve module which is readily-removable to facilitate cleaning, and a strainer to block the passage of food into the valve while permitting the flow of liquid. Included as part of the removable valve module is a sliding shaft with a resilient sealing member mounted on one end, and the sealing member is spring-biased against a valve seat. The handle assembly also includes a trigger lever for manual actuation of the valve. To prevent inadvertent draining of the pot, a lock-closed device engages the trigger lever until released by a pushbutton. To facilitate removal of the readily-removable valve module, a similar lock-open device is provided for the sliding shaft.