A belt cooking apparatus (10) includes a lower frame structure (12) and an upper frame structure (14) in registry with the lower frame structure. A lower cooking conveyor belt (16) is supported by the lower frame structure (12) and correspondingly an upper conveyor belt (18) is supported by the upper frame structure (14). Heating element assemblies (20) are mounted on the lower frame structure (12) just below the lower cooking belt (16) as well as on the upper frame structure (14) just above the upper cooking belt (18). Food products are cooked while positioned between the upper and lower moving cooking conveyor belts (16) and (18) by heat generated by the heating element assemblies (20) while being advanced by the conveyor belts.

A conveyor oven includes a controller configured to change the operation of a first set of burners and a second set of burners from a cooking mode to an energy saving mode based at least in part upon detection of the absence of food in the oven chamber. The first set of burners operating at a first intensity during the cooking mode and are off during the energy saving mode. The second set of burners operating at a first intensity during the cooking mode and being adjustable to a different intensity during the energy saving mode, where the second set of burners produce heat during the different intensity.

A bun separator separates pre-sliced buns into portions. A bun feeder receives a pre-sliced bun having a plurality of portions and moves the pre-sliced bun along a first feed path. An obstruction is arranged relative to the first feed path and engages at least one portion of the plurality of portions of the pre-sliced bun. An actuator operates to selectively engage at least one portion of the plurality of portions of the pre-sliced bun against the obstruction to separate the least one portion of the pre-sliced bun and transfer the at least one portion to a second feed path.

Food orders are divided into components or tasks. Systems and methods of food order preparation communicate instructions for automated actions to devices to carry out the automated actions. A toaster operates to toast a bun according to toaster settings. A bun magazine operates to deliver a bun into the toaster. A condiment dispenser receives the bun from the toaster and operates to dispense at least one portion of at least one condiment onto the bun.

An automated grill system includes a food product dispensing system for dispensing uncooked food product; a dual-sided grill system for cooking the uncooked food product; a staging system for receiving cooked food product; and a non-continuous indexed conveyor belt for conveying the uncooked food product from the food product dispensing system to the dual-sided grill system and for conveying the cooked food product from the dual-sided grill system to the staging system.

A spiral oven and a method of cooking a food product in a spiral oven using a cooking medium wherein (a) the food product is conveyed within the oven cooking chamber by a spiral conveyor having a plurality of spiral flites and (b) the cooking medium is discharged either upwardly and/or downwardly within, or laterally into, one or more vertical gaps between adjacent pairs of spiral flites using one or more delivery duct structures which extend inside the interior of the cooking chamber.

Methods and systems for automatically grilling meats and other food items comprise a movable grate and a plurality of burners that are controlled by a PLC-based control system. The control system automatically controls the speed of the movable grate and the temperature of the burners to automatically grill the meets and other food items. Additional components and equipment are provided that simulate the actions and steps that an operator must perform to produce grilled meats in the style of traditional grilling in a continuous manner over prolonged time periods with no interruption. Automation of processes such as seasoning, grilling, turning over and cutting meats, and grate cleaning are also provided. The above arrangement provides a number of environmentally friendly benefits, including lower fuel use, less contamination, and greater energy savings.

A baked goods handling system includes a holding cabinet operable to create a controlled environment therein. A dispenser receives a baked good from the holding cabinet and directs the baked good away from the holding cabinet. A treatment device receives the baked good from the dispenser to perform a treatment on the baked good.

A grill is provided. The grill comprising: an oven configured to maintain a holding temperature within the oven; one or more grilling stations located in the oven, each of the one or more grilling stations comprising: an upper platen assembly including an upper grilling plate; a lower platen assembly including a lower grilling plate opposite the upper grilling plate, the upper grilling plate being separated from the lower grilling plate by a distance; one or more actuators operably connected to at least one of the upper platen assembly and the lower platen assembly, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to adjust the distance; and a conveyor belt located between the upper grilling plate and the lower grilling plate, wherein the conveyer belt is configured to move a food product between the upper grilling plate and the lower grilling plate.

A food processing apparatus includes a pressure vessel defining a compartment having an inlet end for receiving food product and an outlet end for discharging food product, an open-top screen mounted within the compartment and movable relative to the compartment between a first position, for food processing, and a second position, to facilitate cleaning, a rotatable auger mounted such that at least a portion of the auger is within the screen, the auger being operable to advance food product within the compartment from the inlet end of the pressure vessel toward the outlet end, and a transfer mechanism including a conduit in communication with the compartment, a fluid discharge positioned substantially within the conduit, and a pressurized fluid source in communication with the fluid discharge and operable to propel a fluid through the fluid discharge to move food product through the conduit.