The autonomous cooking grill comprises a grate or griddle connected to a rotatable hub which is connected to a hub rotating means, all supported by a grill body, wherein when the hub rotating means is activated the hub rotates the grate. In a further embodiment, the autonomous cooking grill comprises a griddle connected to a rotatable hub which is connected to a hub rotating means, all supported by a grill body, wherein when the hub rotating means is activated the hub rotates the griddle. The autonomous cooking grill can have one or more of the additional features of autonomous flipper(s), autonomous ejector(s), autonomous grate cleaner(s) and autonomous temperature probe(s), and bins to store cooked food products ejected from the grill. The features are utilized with suitable food products, such as patties. The autonomous cooking grill can use gas (or alternatively electricity) for cooking and use an electric actuator to turn the grate or griddle. The autonomous cooking grill may additionally comprise a cover to partially cover the grill or griddle. In a further embodiment, there is additionally a center grill for manually cooking food.

A meat grill installation for preparing large quantities of meat, and a method of preparing such large quantities of meat. Embodiments of the meat installation comprise various features, including a detachable horizontal cylindrical carrier comprising a series of meat fixators, a motor, heaters, at least two position adapters for maintaining each individual heater at a predetermined distance from the cylindrical carrier, at least one temperature sensor, a conveyer belt located underneath the cylindrical carrier for receiving and transporting heated meat, a cutter for removing a slice of a predetermined thickness of meat from the detachable cylindrical carrier, and at least one controller for driving the motor, for maintaining and/or adapting a temperature of each individual heater, for driving the at least two position adapters, for receiving the sensor output, for providing feedback to at least one heater, and for controlling thickness of slices of meat.

Systems and methods for cutting and cooking a substance are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: convey, via a primary conveying subsystem, a layer of food substance along a conveyance path along which the layer of food substance is conveyed; cut, via a cutter, the layer of food substance into food pieces; apply, via a primary pressurized fluid outlet, primary pressurized fluid such that the food pieces are released from the cutter; heat, via the heating mechanism, a chamber; apply, via a secondary pressurized fluid outlet, secondary pressurized fluid so that the food pieces are held flat to the primary conveying substrate, and hold, via a secondary conveying subsystem, the layer of food substance flat between the primary conveying substrate and a secondary conveying substrate for at least a portion of the chamber.

Systems and methods for cutting and cooking a substance are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: convey, via a primary conveying subsystem, a layer of food substance along a conveyance path along which the layer of food substance is conveyed; cut, via a cutter, the layer of food substance into food pieces; apply, via a primary pressurized fluid outlet, primary pressurized fluid such that the food pieces are released from the cutter; heat, via the heating mechanism, a chamber; apply, via a secondary pressurized fluid outlet, secondary pressurized fluid so that the food pieces are held flat to the primary conveying substrate, and hold, via a secondary conveying subsystem, the layer of food substance flat between the primary conveying substrate and a secondary conveying substrate for at least a portion of the chamber.

An oven has a first conveyor, a first burner that directs heat toward the first conveyor from above the first conveyor, and a second burner that directs heat toward the first conveyor from below the first conveyor. A method includes providing foodstuff on a conveyor, exposing the foodstuff to heat directed toward the foodstuff from above the conveyor, and exposing the foodstuff to heat directed toward the foodstuff from below the conveyor. Another oven has a first conveyor and first conveyor insulators that surround the first conveyor and define a first zone. Another method includes introducing foodstuff to a first conveyor belt within a first insulated zone, introducing heat into the first insulated zone, and retaining a portion of the heat within the first insulated zone. Another oven has an insulated cooking zone that closely envelopes a cooking path and an insulated oven zone that substantially envelopes the cooking zone.

Systems and methods of bun handling include a cassette with opposed side walls. The cassette includes a front wall, an open rear face opposite the front wall, and a floor between the opposed side walls. A cover extends between the opposed side walls above the floor. The cover is movable relative to the opposed side walls and the floor. A slot is defined through the floor from the open rear face in a direction towards the front wall.

Food service equipment comprises a multiple-pass feeder conveyor and toaster which comprises an upper inclined food product infeed conveyor ramp for causing the food products to proceed in a first direction extending from the rear of the appliance toward the front of the appliance and onto the upper run of a first upper endless conveyor. The upper run of the first upper endless conveyor conveys the food products into a semi-circular return product feeder which causes the food products to be conveyed in a second opposite direction extending from the front of the appliance toward the rear of the appliance and into an entry space defined by means of the lower run of the first upper endless conveyor and the upper run of a second lower endless conveyor, the two conveyors being synchronized together. The pair of conveyors convey the food products between heated platens respectively associated with the two conveyors whereby the food products are cooked or toasted. Additional pairs of conveyors can also be incorporated within the system, in a vertically stacked array, so as to effectively increase the length of travel experienced by the multiple food products without increasing the footprint of the equipment. In addition, upper and lower heated platens are operatively associated with the first and second upper and lower endless conveyors, and the upper heated platen is movably mounted within the food service equipment so as to move upwardly and downwardly and thereby permit different food products, having different thickness dimensions, to be conveyed through the food service equipment.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for preparing foodstuffs accommodated in a vessel (2), the apparatus including a steam-generating unit arranged in a housing (3) and intended for generating steam, a steam-feeding unit (4) connected to the steam-generating unit in a steam-conducting manner via a steam-supply line and having a steam probe (6) containing at least one steam-discharging opening, and a linear drive having a drive train (17) with an electric motor (18) and by means of which a carriage (10), which carries the steam-feeding unit (4) or a vessel holder (7), is adjusted in translatory fashion relative to the housing (3), wherein an overload clutch (28) is integrated in the drive train (17), between the electric motor (18) and a belt drive (13), in the form of a toothed belt drive, for adjusting the carriage (10).

Systems and methods for cutting and cooking a substance are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: convey, via a primary conveying subsystem, a layer of food substance along a conveyance path; cut, via a cutter, the layer of food substance into food pieces; apply, via a primary pressurized fluid outlet, primary pressurized fluid such that the food pieces are released from the cutter; apply, via a secondary pressurized fluid outlet positioned above the primary conveying substrate and pointed toward the primary conveying substrate, secondary pressurized fluid so that the food pieces are held flat to a primary conveying substrate; heat, via a heating mechanism, air within a chamber to provide an environment suitable for dehydrating the food pieces passing through the chamber; and convey the food pieces for at least a portion of the conveyance path through the chamber and hold the food pieces flat with a secondary conveying subsystem.

A method of operating an oven to cook a food product that includes changing a heat setting of a heating element of the oven, selecting a cook time for the food product in the oven, driving a heating element of the oven at a heat power input based on the heat setting, predicting a cooking ability of the oven by calculating an estimated temperature in the oven using a formula that is a function of a heat power input during a previous time period, and modifying the cook time to a modified cook time based on the estimated temperature that was calculated using the formula.