| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 426233000 | Preparing solid product in final form by heating | 86 |
| 20080279994 | METHOD FOR REDUCING ACRYLAMIDE FORMATION IN THERMALLY PROCESSED FOODS - A method for reducing the amount of acrylamide in thermally processed foods. This invention permits the production of foods having significantly reduced levels of acrylamide. The method relies on the manipulation of various unit operations used in the production of food products, particularly the peeling, cooking, and rejecting unit operations. For example, the peeling unit operation can be modified to provide a more fully peeled potato slice. The cooking unit operation can be modified by cooking to higher moisture and/or at lower hot oil temperatures to minimize the high-temperature/low-moisture conditions most favorable for acrylamide formation. The rejection unit operation can be modified to reject defects that result in high levels of acrylamide. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20090017173 | AUTOMATIC PROCESS CONTROL OF CONVEYORIZED OVENS FOR IMPROVED BAKING EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCT UNIFORMITY - An automated process control system for conveyorized bakery ovens comprises measuring the moisture level within the oven; measuring the rate of flow of fuel into the oven; measuring the moisture level of bakery products exiting the oven; measuring the color and geometry of bakery products exiting the oven; and regulating the volumetric flow of exhaust gases through the exhaust ductwork of the oven in accordance with the foregoing measurements. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090061056 | METHOD OF PREPARING PICKLES - A method of forming glazed, bluish-green pickles. Sugar, water and cider vinegar are mixed together and boiled to form a mixture. At this point of time green food coloring is added to the mixture and stirred in vigorously. After the green food coloring is added to the mixture pickles are added to the mixture wherein the pickles absorb the mixture. By absorbing the mixture the pickles have a bluish-green glaze to make them aesthetically pleasing and additionally sweeter, thus making the pickles better tasting. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090087523 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLAKING GRAINS - A system and method are provided for flaking grains. The system and method provide for an automated system to minimize manual intervention, yet optimize a steam flaking process. A calibration technique may be included to assist in automatic adjustment of system parameters to account for less than optimal operating conditions. Control of the system may occur from a remote location wherein a user is provided an interface, and a user's computer communicates with an industrial controller such as a PLC, through the Internet or a private network. The PLC is typically located at the site where the grain is to be processed. The PLC may receive various system inputs and generate system control outputs in accordance with programs installed on the PLC, or through some selected manual intervention as controlled by the user at the remote location. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090092716 | Gluten-free baked products and methods of preparation of same - The present invention provides an ingredient delivery system and methods of producing a gluten-free bakery product using an oven to produce quality gluten-free bakery products made by this method. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090181138 | PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PRECOOKED BACON SLICES - A process for producing precooked bacon slices comprising the steps of (a) conveying bacon slices through a spiral oven, (b) indirectly cooking the bacon slices in the spiral oven using a cooking medium which is circulated within the oven at a low rate sufficient to prevent the bacon slices from being displaced on the conveyor, and (c) adding steam to the cooking medium as necessary to at least reduce the percentage or substantially eliminate the presence of air in the cooking medium. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090238929 | COFFEE ROASTER METHOD AND CONTROL - A method and apparatus for pan roasting a mass of green coffee beans at rest by heat conduction from the pan bottom to the beans mass. A glass cover and smoke filter closes the roasting chamber. A radial blower operates at slow speed to draw ambient air and vacate smoke from the chamber to permit visual monitoring of roasting beans. Periodically, the fan can operate a high speed for a short time to mix or swirl the bean mass without substantial cooling them. The blower can sequence through high and low speed cycles until roasting completes and heating ceases. A high speed cool down phase removes remaining chaff, smoke, and quick cools the beans to preserve freshness. Electric power drives the blower and resistant heating element. The system enables the operator to use appearance, sound, smell, and time to determine roasting completeness. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090274805 | METHOD AND COOKING APPLIANCE FOR REGULATING A COOKING PROCESS IN A COOKING CHAMBER - In one embodiment for regulating a baking process in an oven, an operator introduces a product to be cooked into the oven, and a sensor detects a gas or moisture concentration release from the product cooking in the cooking chamber over time wherein The slope of the curve of the detected concentration is determined, and a trigger value that is linked to the product to be cooked is determined for the slope. The point in time at which the trigger value will be reached is determined, and an additional time linked to said point in time is determined at the point in time at which the trigger value is reached. The additional time depends on the point in time at which the trigger value is reached. The additional time is continued as an additional process until the additional time has elapsed in case the trigger value is not reached. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090304876 | POPCORN KETTLE - A popcorn kettle is provided with a heater plate mounting one or more heater elements in an annular configuration about a thermostat. Two semicircular disposed slots in said heater plate isolate the thermostat from heat directly conducted through the plate to the thermostat except in defined areas between ends of the slots. This prevents a high rate of heat rise which could be witnessed by the thermostat causing premature cessation of a popping cycle. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100040744 | EGG TRAY AND FIXER AND METHOD OF PROCESSING EGGS USING THE SAME - The present invention relates to an egg tray that is used to sterilize an egg or to boil the egg soft or hard and in which an egg is washed, heated, sterilized, boiled soft or hard, dried, coated, inspected, cooled, and packed to increase the safety and the value of commodity of foods and to increase the productivity, a fixer for layering the egg trays to fix them, and a method for processing an egg by using the same. The egg trays of the present invention includes a plurality of convex parts that are disposed at a predetermined interval to be connected to each other, a plurality of bottom parts that are protruded in an opposite direction with respect to the convex parts, and a guide part that is protruded from the center part of the convex part, and in which a plurality of fluid discharging holes that are formed around the guide parts, inclined sides that form lateral parts of the convex parts are convex, a plurality of egg insertion holes are formed on the inclined sides by using the egg trays, and a plurality of fluid discharging holes may be further provided around the bottom part. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100092626 | DEEP FRYER ARRANGEMENT - An automated fryer having a storage container for food, the storage container having an outlet opening, a cooking drum for accommodating liquid fat or oil, the cooking drum having a loading opening and a removal opening; a rotatable turner provided in the cooking drum for moving the food in the cooking drum; and transport means for transporting the food from the outlet opening of the storage container to the loading opening of the cooking drum; in an operating position of the automated fryer, the outlet opening of the storage container is located below the loading opening of the cooking drum, and the transport means being designed to comprise a drive in order to transport the food upward from the outlet opening of the storage container to the loading opening of the cooking drum. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100098817 | EDIBLE CONTAINER APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE - A method and apparatus are provided for forming and baking an edible cone-shaped container, the container being of a bread dough provided with a light, flaky texture by the inclusion of solid flaked fat pieces in the dough mixture and the cone formed by an initial forming and cooking step followed by multiple baking steps. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100143549 | Apparatus, pods and methods for processing expandable food materials - The present invention relates in general to methods and apparatus for processing expandable food materials, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for low shear thermo-mechanical processing of food materials and unique pods for use in connection with such methods and apparatus. The invention can include cooker and extruder apparatus for the customized production of food products, including a compression module, a dryer module, and a control unit, that interact with the pods to produce desired food product. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100183780 | Method For The Energy-Saving Control Of A Food Processing Process Or A Processing Chamber Cleaning Process And Cooking Device Used Therefor - Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for the energy-saving control of at least one process in a food processing device including a processing chamber, at least one processing device, and a control or regulating device. The control or regulating device can reduce the duration of at least the first process step or the duration of regulation in the first processing step or switch off the processing device during at least a part of the processing step to save energy, based on at least one first variable relating to the climate in the processing chamber or at least one second variable relating to the processing device or at least one third variable relating to the food item to be processed or at least one fourth variable relating to a degree of soiling of the processing chamber, during at least one second processing step directly after the first processing step. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100196561 | Method for Visualizing Programs And A Cooking Device For Said Method - A method is provided for visualizing programs for cooking devices, in which after at least one program has been selected from a plurality of programs, the selected program is shown on at least one display device in the form of at least one program representative, wherein each program representative comprises a virtual token. Also a cooking device is provided for the method. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100266734 | PROCESS FOR MAKING A HEALTHY SNACK FOOD - The present invention is directed towards a method for making a healthy snack food having an appearance and taste similar to conventional fried snack products without the use of an oil-frying process. The method of the present invention includes the steps of providing food slices from a starch-based food or dough. The food slices can be blanched and a controlled amount of oil can be added to enhance final organoleptical properties. The food slices are then rapidly dehydrated to a much lower moisture content in a primary drying step that simulates conventional frying dehydration rates. A food snack, such as a corn or potato-based snack, produced by this method is a low-fat, ready-to-eat snack having the conventional texture and taste associated with fried snack products. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100303972 | Method and System for Food Preparation - A system for preparation of high quality and healthy food by automatic means is provided. The system includes one or more sections for carrying out the one or more operations required for the preparation of food. The food is prepared using automated or semi-automated processes using one or more processing devices. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100303973 | DEVICE TO EFFICIENTLY COOK FOOD - 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. Methods are disclosed which help purify oil for extended life without use of filtration. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100310733 | PRESSURIZED COOKING OVEN - A pressurized cooking oven system is disclosed that includes an oven enclosure having front, back, top, bottom and side walls. A door is hingedly attached to one of the walls for sealing an opening in the walls. A heating system is connected to the enclosure for generating heat in the enclosure. The heating system may be a gas or electric heating system. A process is also disclosed for cooking a food item in an oven. The process involves generating heat within the oven; creating pressure within the oven enclosure above atmospheric pressure during at least a portion of the cooking process; maintaining the pressure within the oven enclosure during at least a portion of the heating process; and controlling the heating and pressure during the cooking process. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20110033588 | System and method for dispensing oil for popping popcorn - A system and method for dispensing a desired volume of popcorn popping oil into the kettle of a popcorn popper assembles a container of oil raised above the kettle with a flexible tube leading from the container to a point just above the kettle and the placement of two normally closed valves along the tubing forming a chamber within the tube between the two valves with a volume determined by the separation of the valves and the volume of the tube chamber is the volume of oil to be dispensed and the system is operated by opening the upper valve closest to the oil container, closing the upper valve after the tube chamber fills with oil, and then opening the lower valve allowing the oil to flow from the tube chamber into the popping kettle. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110045149 | Electronic Roasting System, Method Implementing the System and Roasting Tool for the Same - An electronic roasting system, a method implementing the system, and a roasting tool for the same are disclosed. The electronic roasting system includes at least one roasting tool, a grill body supporting the roasting tool, at least one mechanical unit, a processing unit, an electrical control unit and an information output/input unit. The electrical control unit is utilized for controlling the at least one mechanical unit. The information output/input unit is provided for presetting control information. According to the preset control information, the processing unit can programmably control movement of the at least one mechanical unit so as to lead the roasting tool to rotate. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110052767 | Method and system for determining level of doneness in a cooking process - A method and apparatus for determining when meat is cooked to a desired degree of doneness, the method continuously calculating the arithmetic integral of the meat's temperature (T) minus some threshold temperature (T | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110129577 | PROCESS AND MACHINE EQUIPMENT FOR THE CONTROL OF QUALITY OF BAKERY PRODUCTS - In an industrial bakery system, the control of quality of bakery products is carried out by a process comprising submitting said products when present in their respective locations on a moulding plate to a first visiometric inspection step wherein they are inspected from above and digital image data are produced comprising at least location data indicative of their respective positions on said plate, then seizing individually said products out of said plate depending on said location data by prehensors arranged in a gripping matrix of prehensors, and further submitting said seized products to a second visiometric inspection step wherein they are inspected from underneath while they are hanging from said gripping matrix. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110129578 | Automated fryer filtration device and method - A commercial device and method for cooking food product in cooking oil includes a fry vat containing an amount of cooking oil used to cook discrete batches of uncooked food in discrete batches of a weight relative to the amount of cooking oil in the range of from about 0.0375 to about 0.1, with the total amount of food being cooked at any one time relative to the amount of oil in the fry vat being about 0.1 or less. Cooking the food results in an uptake of oil by the food in an amount of from about 5.5% to about 13% by weight of the uncooked food, and an oil turnover ratio of from about 0.0026 to about 0.007 per discrete batch. Replacement oil is periodically added, and a sufficient number of batches are cooked over 60 hours of operation to achieve at least one vat oil turnover. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110142998 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING ROTISSERIE OVEN - An oven for performing a rotisserie cooking operation includes an oven cavity having a door for selectively accessing the oven cavity, at least one heating element for heating the oven cavity and a rotisserie arm adapted to support a food product within the oven cavity. A motor is operatively coupled to the rotisserie arm for rotating the rotisserie arm and a food product. The oven also includes a control interface having a rotisserie cooking mode input and a control system for controlling the rotisserie motor and the heating element. In addition to other functions, the control system automatically causes the rotisserie motor to cycle on and off to allow for intermittent rotation of the food product supported on the rotisserie arm when the oven door is opened. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110151074 | Automated food preparation apparatus and method - An apparatus for cooking a food product has a housing having a refrigeration section and a cooking section therein. The refrigeration system has a plurality of separate conveyor belts located to store the food product thereon and to feed the food product from one conveyor belt to the next and into a food proportioning device which delivers the food into the cooking section and into the cooker where the food product is cooked and then delivered into a container. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110195162 | SELF-MAKING BREAD METHOD, BREAD MACHINE AND BREAD INGREDIENT BOX THEREOF - The self-making bread method includes: weighing a certain amount of ingredients according to a bread recipe and placing them in a bread ingredient box; putting the bread ingredient box into the corresponding containing region of the top portion of the bread machine; using the jagged ring of the bottom portion of said containing region to open the thin film of the bottom portion of the bread ingredient box, so the ingredients will fall into the mixing container in the bread machine; controlling the water delivering mechanism inside the bread machine to deliver a certain amount of water into said mixing container; starting the mixing device inside the bread machine, which mixes the ingredients into an appropriate dough; turning off the mixing device; energizing the electric heating tube in the bread machine, to bake the dough inside the mixing container into bread. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20120009309 | Storage and packaging of bulk food items and method - A semi-automated food processing station, system and method is provided that allows food to be dispensed, stored and packaged in a suitable container, which may be an individual portion-sized container for serving to a customer. In one embodiment, the system includes an automated salting device, and may include a pivotable food receiving tray that automatically transfers the food items to one or more storage bins, where an infrared heater maintains the temperature of the food items by directing infrared radiation thereon. In a preferred embodiment, the infrared radiation passes through a filter that filters out the wavelengths of infrared radiation that may be irritating to an operator. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120082765 | STOVE AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING COOKED MATERIAL FROM BEING BURNT DRY - A stove and a method for preventing a cooked material from being burnt dry are provided. The stove includes a stove body for heating the cooked material, a weighing unit for generating a weighing signal of the cooked material, a monitoring unit for judging whether the user is managing the cooked material, and a computing unit. The weighing signal is changed with time. A plurality of weighing signal change amounts respectively generated within a plurality of time intervals are calculate by the computing unit. According to the weighing signal change amounts, the heat source of the stove body is adjusted. Consequently, the function of preventing the cooked material from being burnt dry will be achieved. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120148713 | COOKING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF COOKING - An apparatus and method for cooking food, such as meat, protein, vegetable, or soup is disclosed. In one embodiment, the food items are supplied in a flexible polymer package that can withstand the temperature needed to cook the item. The cooking apparatus has two cooking surfaces in the form of heated platens. These platens come together to simultaneously contact both sides of the food item. The cooking apparatus further includes a controller, configured to prepare the food using various control system algorithms. The apparatus cooks the food item from both sides to affect rapid and even cooking. It uses a combination of temperature, time, food thickness, platen force and a cooking code that is unique for each food type. The control system algorithm uses some or all of these parameters to determine precisely when the food item is cooked correctly. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120237646 | FOOD VENDING MACHINE SYSTEM INCORPORATING A HIGH SPEED STORED ENERGY OVEN - A novel vending machine system integrating a food storage container and a high speed stored energy cooking oven capable of cooking foods in under one minute such as that further described by U.S. Provisional Application 60/822,028 filed on Aug. 10, 2006 as well as co-pending application “Wire Mesh Thermal Radiative Element and Use in a Radiative Oven” filed on Dec. 30, 2008 by De Luca. The invention disclosing a novel configuration for the oven incorporating storage, a system allowing for the proper cooking of items and food positioning, an activation system, and an invoicing system. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120301582 | Systems and Methods for Selecting Flour - Flour may be treated to denature the proteins and modify starches. The invention includes methods and systems for determining whether to use treated flour or untreated flour. The invention also includes methods and systems for determining whether to treat flour or not. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20120321763 | Doneness indicator for cooking meats - A method of ensuring that meat has been adequately cooked to doneness, wherein a substrate, such as a foil, film, fabric, laminate, label, card, or paper, having a thermo-sensitive color-forming coating thereon, is placed onto meat pieces such that cooking causes the coating to change color at a predetermined temperate. Said color-forming coating is comprised of ingredients generally recognized as safe as food additives or as food colorants by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or as materials FDA-approved for food contact. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120321764 | Doneness indicator for cooking meats - A method of ensuring that meat has been adequately cooked to doneness, wherein a substrate, such as a foil, film, fabric, laminate, label, card, or paper, having a thermo-sensitive color-forming coating thereon, is placed onto meat pieces such that cooking causes the coating to change color at a predetermined temperate. Said color-forming coating is comprised of ingredients generally recognized as safe as food additives or as food colorants by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or as materials FDA-approved for food contact. A further embodiment of this invention relates to labels that visibly change color, or produce a visible image or code, which may be used to determine if a product has been exposed to a given temperature. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20130022718 | Method for Producing Hypoallergenic Peanut Products - A peanut food product with reduced levels of allergenic protein Ala h1 is produced by initiating the germination process in raw peanuts, holding the peanuts in moist conditions for a period of time, typically something like 48 hours, roasting the peanuts, and then performing an assay for Ala h1 to verify that a reduced level has been achieved. | 01-24-2013 |
| 20130034636 | CANDY APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system, apparatus and methods for candy making are disclosed, wherein an apparatus for candy making may comprise a blade portion and a handle portion, and wherein the handle portion may be multiple times longer than the blade portion. | 02-07-2013 |
| 20130078346 | Method for Induction Heating and Induction Heating Device - A method and apparatus for preparing foodstuffs cooked in a liquid in a cooking vessel is provided. According to various aspects, an induction heating device includes a resonant circuit with an induction heating coil. A parameter value of the resonant circuit may be determined, depending on a temperature of a bottom of the vessel. During a heating-up phase, a high-frequency rectangular voltage may be applied to the resonant circuit to supply heating power to the bottom of the vessel. A heating power setpoint may be periodically varied and may be set to a first value during a first interval of a period, and set to a second, smaller value during a remaining interval. A determination of a change in the parameter value within the period may be made, and an evaluation of the change in order to determine the boiling point of the liquid and end the heating-up phase. | 03-28-2013 |
| 20130122158 | CONVEYOR OVEN WITH DOORS AND SENSORS - A reliable conveyor oven minimizes escape of heat by minimizing the time that inlet and outlet openings appear in the baking oven. This may reduce energy consumption by | 05-16-2013 |
| 20130142923 | PROCESSING OBJECTS BY RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) ENERGY - A method of processing an object is disclosed. The method comprises heating the object by applying radio frequency (RF) energy, monitoring a value related to a rate of absorption of RF energy by the object during the heating, and adjusting the RF energy in accordance with changes in a time derivative of the monitored value. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130189406 | SELF-MAKING BREAD METHOD, BREAD MACHINE AND BREAD INGREDIENT BOX THEREOF - The self-making bread method includes: weighing a certain amount of ingredients according to a bread recipe and placing them in a bread ingredient box; putting the bread ingredient box into the corresponding containing region of the top portion of the bread machine; using the jagged ring of the bottom portion of said containing region to open the thin film of the bottom portion of the bread ingredient box, so the ingredients will fall into the mixing container in the bread machine; controlling the water delivering mechanism inside the bread machine to deliver a certain amount of water into said mixing container; starting the mixing device inside the bread machine, which mixes the ingredients into an appropriate dough; turning off the mixing device; energizing the electric heating tube in the bread machine, to bake the dough inside the mixing container into bread. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130196038 | METHOD AND APPARATUS OF PROGRAMMABLE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER WITH DUAL PROBES FOR COOKING AND SMOKING OF FOOD - A programmable temperature controller with dual temperature probes for food cooking, comprising: (a) an AC power supply for providing power supply to the programmable temperature controller, a smoker cooker, and a smoke generator, (b) a plurality of temperature probe inputs, (c) a smoker cooker power supply, (d) a smoker cooker cooling fan power supply, (e) a smoke generator control, (f) a plurality of user input keys, and (g) a plurality of information displays, wherein the cooking is divided into several phases and these phases can be terminated by either a predetermined cooking time or a predetermined food internal temperature, and the user uses the plurality of user input keys to program the programmable temperature controller, the programmable temperature controller controls the smoker cooker, and the smoke generator according to the plurality of the temperature probe inputs and cooking duration programmed into the programmable temperature controller to obtain optimal cooking results. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130196039 | APPARATUS FOR COOKING AN EGG USING MICROWAVE RADIATION - The invention relates to an apparatus for boiling an egg, said apparatus comprising a device for providing microwave radiation in a confined space, said space further comprising a holder provided with at least one cavity adapted to the shape of an egg with an eggshell, said cavity provided with a first layer surrounding the eggshell, said first layer:—is in heat exchanging contact with the shell of the egg;—has a dielectric constant with an imaginary part, ε″, between 20-500 at a temperature between 0° C.-100° C. and at a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz, and—having a layer thickness d of 1-6 millimetre and varying less than 30% over the egg, or said holder for holding at least one egg assembly adapted for cooking an egg using microwave radiation, said egg assembly comprising an egg having an eggshell which is provided with an packaging surrounding the eggshell, said packaging comprising a first layer which:—enfolds the shell of the egg and is in heat exchanging contact with the eggshell;—has a dielectric constant with an imaginary part, ε″, between 20-500 at a temperature between 0° C.-100° C. and at a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz, and—has a layer thickness d of 1-6 millimetre and which varies less than 30%, and—said packaging designed to retain the layer thickness of the first layer while said egg assembly is subjected to said microwave radiation to turn said egg into a boiled egg. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130209626 | GRINDING OF COFFEE BEANS - A device for processing roasted coffee beans, including a unit for grinding the beans, and a method for processing coffee beans, wherein the coffee beans are ground and the temperature of the coffee to be ground, at least at the start of the grinding operation, is between 30° C. and 150° C., in particular between 35° C. and 100° C., preferably between 40° C. and 90° C., and more preferably between 40° C. and 60° C. For this purpose, the device includes a thermal unit. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130280386 | POPCORN MACHINES AND OTHER FOOD SERVICE MACHINES HAVING COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES, INCLUDING REMOTE AND NETWORK COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES - Popcorn machines having communication capabilities are disclosed herein. Popcorn machines configured in accordance with the disclosure can include communication devices or components that provide remote notification of the status of operations of the machine and/or the indication of particular parameters. Several popcorn machines can be controlled remotely by mobile devices, personal computers, and/or other suitable devices. In some embodiments, notification that a popcorn machine requires maintenance or repair can be sent to a remote location and a user can be provided options to order parts or schedule repairs. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130280387 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR COOKING RICE - The invention proposes a method and a device for cooking rice. The device comprises a first container ( | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130295245 | OIL LEVEL DETECTION SYSTEM FOR DEEP FAT FRYER - A detector configured to indirectly monitor a level of liquid within a container is provided. The detector includes a temperature sensor and a heat producing element proximate to the temperature sensor. A shell is disposed around the temperature sensor and heat producing element, the shell is configured to be disposed within a container and to provide a barrier between liquid disposed within the container and each of the temperature sensor and heat producing element. The heat producing element is configured to transfer heat generated therein to the shell, and the sensor is configured to measure a surface temperature of the heat producing element. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130302483 | OPTICAL QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM - Disclosed are cooking devices having inspection systems including: a distance sensor and a digital optical recognition device. The distance sensor detects the position of the food product placed in the cooking device and the digital optical recognition device captures a series of images for the purpose of food product recognition. Once the food product is recognized, the operator is provided with the correct cooking cycle/program for the position and type of food product placed in the cooking device. The inspection systems also ensure that the food product has been properly cooked at the end of the cooking cycle/program. The inspection systems ensure: (1) the food product is correctly recognized; (2) the cooking cycle/program is correctly selected; (3) the correct cooking cycle/program is followed to completion and (4) the quality of the cooked food product meets expected standards. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20130344207 | SMOKELESS COFFEE ROASTER - A coffee bean roasting machine of the type having a cyclone separator heating chamber and a coffee bean roasting chamber in a recirculating process stream driven by a recirculation fan is operated to air cool the roasted coffee beans in the roasting chamber, to a temperature beneath which the beans give off smoke, while at the same time incinerating smoke removed from the roasting chamber. A purge gate in ducting between the cyclone separator and the roasting chamber is opened to allow the flow of ambient air into and through the roasting chamber while blocking flow out of the cyclone separator, so that ambient air is directed through the roasting chamber. The smoke and any airborne particulate material from the roasting chamber are carried into the heating chamber and through the incineration tube, where they are incinerated. Preferably the system and process are operated automatically by a computer and programming. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20140030395 | PRODUCT-SEGREGATING CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR TESTING PRODUCTS PROCESSED IN A PRODUCT TUMBLING APPARATUS - A rigid, foraminous, ball-shaped container for housing products treated in a product-tumbling apparatus. The container allows selected products to be segregated from a mass flow of products and can protect a sensor mounted in the container from damage that can be caused by the tumbling action. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140030396 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CUTTING PRODUCTS - Apparatus for cutting products, comprising: a base; a cutting head with at least one cutting element along the circumference of the cutting head for cutting products fed into the cutting head, the cutting head being rotatably fitted to the base; an impeller adapted for rotating concentrically within the cutting head to urge products fed into the cutting head towards the circumference of the cutting head by means of centrifugal force; a first drive mechanism for driving the rotation of the impeller at a first rotational speed setting the centrifugal force; and a second drive mechanism for driving the rotation of the cutting head at a second rotational speed, determined such with respect to the first rotational speed that the product is cut by the at least one cutting element at a predetermined cutting velocity. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140044841 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A COOKING PROCESS OF FOOD STUFF - A method for controlling a cooking process of food stuff includes: a) detecting at least one physical property such as electrical impedance (Z) and/or a temperature (T) at a check point of the food stuff, b) deriving food type information about the type of food of the food stuff and/or food age information about the age of the food stuff, c) deriving a bacterial information (e.g. F or F| 02-13-2014 | |
| 20140120220 | AIRFLOW PATTERN FOR SPIRAL OVENS - An improved spiral oven and method for its use includes the step of using a forward/reversing fan to produce a first airflow and a second inverted airflow in the cooking chamber. The proportion of time each airflow occurs may be unbalanced within an oven residence time or cook cycle, and either airflow may begin the cycle. In addition, the fan velocity may vary so that the speed of the first airflow is different from the speed of the second airflow. A braking resistor allows the fan to quickly changeover between full-forward and full-reverse directions, while a programmable delay limits adjustments to the heat output control method until temperature variations caused by alternating between the first direction of rotation and the second direction of rotation have stabilized. Because of the reversing airflow pattern, the product cooks more evenly across the cook belt. | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140161946 | AUTOMATED PROCESS FOR PREPARING AND BAKING BAKERY PRODUCTS AND A RELATED SYSTEM - A process for preparing and baking bakery products is described, comprising the steps of: a) providing an apparatus ( | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140170275 | System For Automating Cooking Steps - A cooking system for automating cooking steps of a recipe on a stove comprising a stove including a plurality of cooking elements; power controller for controlling the operation of each one of the cooking elements; and computer system in communication with the power controller, said computer system including a processor, computer readable data storage, and a visual display unit. The processor causes the computer system to perform the steps of: for each automated step of said recipe, generates a control signal for actuating at least one of the cooking elements and sends said control signal to the power controller; and for each manual or user step of said recipe, generates data representing user readable instructions for performing the user step and displays said data on the visual display unit. The power controller is adapted to actuate the cooking elements in accordance with each control signal received from the computer system. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140199446 | Split-Belt Conveyor Toaster - A conveyor toaster includes a housing with a split-conveyor extending through the housing to convey food items through a cooking chamber for cooking by infrared heating elements located above and below the conveyor. Electrical components are separated from the heating elements and cooled with ambient air. | 07-17-2014 |
| 20140220196 | Temperature Controlled Cooking Device, Control System, and Method - A device and method are provided for measuring and controlling temperatures of a cooking platen. In particular, according to the invention, a surface temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature on or proximate to a cooking surface of the platen and an internal temperature sensor is provided to measure an internal temperature of the platen, which may be proximate to the hottest location in the platen, i.e., the opposite surface of an insulated platen or the core of an uninsulated platen. The surface temperature sensor provides an accurate reading of the actual cooking surface temperature, while the internal temperature sensor provides a better indication of total heat energy stored in the platen, being less sensitive to surface fluctuations. A microprocessor controls the rate of heat energy addition to the platen based on information from both temperature sensors. | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140220197 | Thermal Process Control - A thermal processing and control system ( | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140242227 | COOKING DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - A cooking device is provided. The cooking device may include a cavity forming a space in which food may be received for cooking, a grill heater provided at one side of the cavity and having a plurality of heaters to heat the food, a food sensing device provided in the cavity to acquire information related to a size of the food received in the cavity, and a main controller to estimate the size of the food using information sensed by the food sensing device. The main controller may then operate a part or all of the plurality of heaters according to the estimated size of the food to perform a grill cooking operation. | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140314923 | FLUIDIZED BED COFFEE ROASTER - A fluidized bed coffee roaster controls air flow and/or temperature to maintain a desired time-temperature roast profile. The roaster may also provide a two stage quenching cycle for rapidly cooling roasted coffee beans to ambient temperature. In a first stage of the quenching cycle unheated air is passed through the roasted beans while they are still in the roasting chamber of the fluidized bed roaster. In a second stage of the quenching cycle which is carried out outside of the roasting chamber, in a fluidized bed quenching station, unheated air is flowed through, and fluidizes, the roasted coffee beans cooling them to ambient temperature. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140335243 | METHOD OF MAKING FLAT EDIBLE USING A COMPACT APPARATUS - A method of using compact apparatus for automatically making a plurality of flat edibles includes a storage and dispensing limit that makes it unnecessary for a user to pre-measure ingredients. The apparatus also includes a mixing and kneading unit for making dough of optimal consistency. The dough prepared may be transferred onto a lower platen from a transfer base by a transfer sweeper. The dough may be flattened in a platen unit. An upper platen and the lower platen of the platen unit may be heated to a pre-programmed temperature for cooking the flat edible. The temperature may also be manually set by the user based on user's preference. The flat may be cooked by the platen unit. This method has very little human intervention. One has to load the flour and water in their respective containers and every other step is automated. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140348988 | Method and Device for the Pasteurization and/or Sterilization of a Food - The method for pasteurisation and/or sterilisation of a food according to the invention comprises, in a first step, provision of a device ( | 11-27-2014 |
| 20140370167 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD PRODUCTS - A food preparation and delivery system can include a plurality of cooking units such as ovens, each containing one or more prepared, but partially or completely uncooked, food items. The food items in the cooking units are for delivery to each of a corresponding plurality of consumer delivery destinations. The cooking units are loaded into a cargo compartment of a delivery vehicle for delivery to the plurality of consumer delivery destinations. The cooking conditions within the cooking unit are controlled such the each food item is cooked prior to arrival at the consumer destination location. In at least some embodiments, the estimated delivery time for each consumer destination location can be dynamically updated and the cooking conditions within the cooking unit adjusted. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20150010679 | CONTINUOUS LOW TEMPERATURE PASTEURIZATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A continuous low temperature food pasteurization system ( | 01-08-2015 |
| 20150056344 | APPLIANCE FOR PROCESSING FOOD AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - Appliance for processing food and method of operating the same The present application in particular is related to a method of operating a cooking appliance, in which a food category of a food item automatically can be assigned based on features extracted from an image of the food item. For improving assignment, the method is provided with self learning performance. | 02-26-2015 |
| 20150064316 | Method for Providing Information on the Cooking of a Food Item, and Associated Apparatus - Provided is an apparatus for cooking a food cooked by contact, characterized in that the apparatus is made to transmit information to a user after a period of time during which the food is heated by the resistor(s) has elapsed, said period of time depending on at least one value of the internal cooking temperature of the food, which is pre-stored in a memory of the apparatus at the factory prior to the first operational use thereof. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150132450 | COOKING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A COOKING APPARATUS - Cooking apparatus comprising at least one baking mould ( | 05-14-2015 |
| 20150147443 | CHEESE-MAKING METHODS AND APPARATUSES - The disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for the production of cheese. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for making pasta filata cheese. In one embodiment a tube within a tube design is used for the production of pasta filata cheese. | 05-28-2015 |
| 20150297030 | TOASTER USING THIN-FILM HEATING ELEMENT - In a toaster and method for toasting a food product, the generally includes at least one thin-film heating element, the thin-film heating element including a resistive film coupled to a substrate and extending between a pair of electrical conductors. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150305554 | TWO-SIDED GRILL AND METHOD - Two-sided grills are provided having a positively controlled vertical gap between two opposed cooking surfaces, means for detecting initial contact of an upper cooking surface on a food item placed on a lower cooking surface, means for measuring the gap between the cooking surfaces at the initial contact position to determine a thickness of the food item and a food-item type, and a control system for automatically initiating a pre-programmed cooking routine based on the food-item type. The cooking routine includes varying the gap dimension between the platens while cooking the food item, the range or sequence of gap dimension variation being based on either the measured thickness of the food item or a nominal thickness associated with the identified food item type. In other aspect, grills according to the invention may include a lower platen mounted for vertical movement and an upper platen mounted only for pivoting. | 10-29-2015 |
| 20150351421 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DRYING AND/OR ROASTING A FOOD - A method for drying and/or roasting a food which is performed in a treatment apparatus ( | 12-10-2015 |
| 20150374023 | APPARATUS FOR COOKING AN EGG USING MICROWAVE RADIATION - The invention relates to an apparatus for boiling an egg, comprising a device for providing microwave radiation in a confined space, comprising a holder with at least one cavity adapted to the shape of an egg with an eggshell, said cavity provided with a first layer surrounding the eggshell, said first layer:—is in heat exchanging contact with the shell of the egg;—has a dielectric constant with an imaginary part, ε″, between 20-500 at a temperature between 0° C.-100° C. and at a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz, and -having a layer thickness d of 1-6 millimetre and varying less than 30% over the egg, or said holder for holding at least one egg assembly adapted for cooking an egg using microwave radiation. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20150374162 | COOKING APPARATUS, INFORMATION DISPLAY APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, COOKING TOOL, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM - A cooking apparatus includes a communicator that communicates with a terminal, a link-state manager that manages link-state information indicating whether or not a link to the terminal is active, a heater that performs a heating operation on a cooking tool, a receiver that receives a user operation, and a controller that controls the communicator or the heater which is a control target, on the basis of the user operation. In the case where the link is active, when the user operation is performed on the receiver, the controller causes the communicator to transmit instruction information to the terminal. The instruction information indicates an instruction to switch an image being displayed on the information display apparatus from a first image to a second image. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20160022091 | GRILL WITH ACTIVE PLATE LEVELING CONTROL - A cooking apparatus includes a base including a lower heating plate, an upper heating unit including an upper heating plate and a mounting structure configured to support the upper heating unit, where the mounting structure includes a motor mounting part. The cooking apparatus includes two or more motors configured to control an angle of the upper heating plate with respect to at least two axes that cross each other by controlling a length of wire extending between the two or more motors and the upper heating plate. The cooking apparatus also includes at least one sensor configured to detect an angle of the upper heating plate and a controller configured to receive from the at least one sensor a signal corresponding to the angle of the upper heating plate and to automatically adjust the angle of the upper heating plate to correspond to a pre-defined plane. | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160037958 | COOKING APPARATUS WITH ROBOTIC ARM - A cooking apparatus includes a base including a lower heating plate and an upper heating unit including an upper heating plate. The cooking apparatus includes a robotic arm connected to the upper heating unit to move the upper heating plate between at least a cooking position adjacent to the lower heating plate and a non-cooking position separated from the lower heating plate based on a control program. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160037967 | GRILL WITH ACTIVE PLATE LEVELING CONTROL - A heating apparatus includes a first heating plate ( | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160045066 | COOKING GAP CONTROL OF A COOKING APPARATUS - A method of controlling a cooking apparatus includes identifying an initial thickness of a food product on a lower heating plate of the cooking apparatus and calculating a difference between an initial gap value corresponding to the initial thickness of the food product and a predefined final gap value. The method includes controlling at least one of a pressure of at least one of an upper heating plate and a lower heating plate on the food product, a rate of descent of the upper heating plate toward the lower heating plate, and a rate of ascent of the lower heating plate toward the upper heating plate based on the calculated difference between the initial gap value and the predefined final gap value. | 02-18-2016 |
| 20160051077 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COOKING FOOD SUCH AS RICE - A method of cooking food using a device for cooking the food in a container includes supplying water for cooking the food; generate heat by a heater of the device; and controlling by a controller an operation of the heater to initially supply the container with a first quantity of the water in a form of steam during a first period of time of a cooking process, and to subsequently supply the container with a second quantity of the water in a form of heated water during a second period of time of the cooking process. The second period of time is longer than the first period of time. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20160058231 | METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT A COOKING PROCESS - A method for carrying out a cooking process in a cooking space of a cooking appliance, comprising the following method steps: simultaneously introducing a plurality of different cooking products arranged on product trays and having associated base cooking parameters into the cooking space; determining at least one updated cooking parameter of each cooking product introduced into the cooking space as a function of the number of introduced product trays, the base cooking parameters, a pre-set optimisation value (T | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160066737 | Apparatus and Method for Improved Food Steaming - Apparatus using a method of steam cooking food items in two consecutive steps whereby the food items contained in a food carrier are first preheated in water in a container which is being heated by a heater. After the food items are at or near the cooking temperature, the food carrier is raised above the water and into the steam zone produced by the boiling water for the purpose of steam cooking the food items. A cover is placed on the container so as to retain and concentrate the steam within the container to affect steam cooking of the food items. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160095469 | POWERED COOKING ACCESSORY FOR AN OVEN CAVITY - A powered cooking accessory for use in an oven includes a body receivable within an interior of the oven and a first electronic device received within a portion of the body. The accessory further includes a device coupling extending from the body and having a power coupling exposed thereon and electrically connected with the electronic device. The device coupling has an identification element encoded with information regarding at least one characteristic of the accessory and is coupleable with the oven to receive electrical power from the oven and to communicate the information encoded with the identification element to the oven. | 04-07-2016 |
| 20160100598 | Continuous Process to Produce Firmer Processed Vegetables - A continuous method for improving the firmness of vegetable products uses a continuous vegetable product treatment device comprising a vegetable product treatment chamber having a vegetable product inlet, a vegetable product outlet, a vegetable product transport mechanism for urging the vegetable product toward the vegetable product outlet, and at least one liquid introduction orifice for introducing a liquid. Vegetable product is continuously treated in the chamber at a temperature of from about 125° F. to about 160° F., and the liquid in the treatment chamber is maintained at a pH of from about 5 to about 7. Individual vegetable products reside in the treatment chamber for a time of from about 20 minutes to about 60 minutes. The heat-treated vegetable products are blanched in a subsequent blanching step at a temperature ranging from about 190° F. to 210° F. for a time of from about two to about 10 minutes. | 04-14-2016 |
| 20160120211 | Method and Apparatus for Controlling Coffee Bean Roasting - A system and method for roasting coffee beans, or similar products, is disclosed. In an aspect the invention includes an acoustic sensor, such as a microphone, which senses the acoustic emissions or “cracks” made by the coffee beans during the roasting process. The acoustic emissions are translated in the system and method to signals that are processed, including in some aspects using frequency domain processing, so as to control the roasting process and achieve a desired final product. The acoustic emissions can also be used to determine if the coffee beans are caffeinated or decaffeinated. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160143296 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WAFER SHAPED BODIES BAKED UNDER PRESSURE - The invention relates to an apparatus, baking oven and method for producing a wafer shaped body ( | 05-26-2016 |
| 20160178591 | REHEATING COOKED FOOD SUCH AS MEAT | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160249636 | METHOD OF PREPARING AN ALKALIZED CAROB | 09-01-2016 |
| 20160249657 | METHOD OF POPPING POPCORN | 09-01-2016 |
