An apparatus and method for controlling the movement of a food product in a container is described. The apparatus can be cleanable, portable, and fully automated. It can include a main container for holding the food product and one or more other containers for holding a substance, such as liquid. The main container can be moved between the one or more other containers so that the food product is immersed in the substance (e.g., liquid) in the one or more other containers. Any of the containers can be heated to heat the food product. This movement of the main container can be used run fully automated cycles (e.g., sprouting, rinsing, soaking, cooking, cleaning, etc.) that do not require user interaction.

A cooking assembly comprises a container for receiving cooking fluid therein and comprising a vat and a reserve tank in fluid communication with the vat such that overflow of cooking fluid from the vat flows into the reserve tan. The vat provides for cooking food products therein. The reserve tank includes at least a two stage filter for filtering the cooking fluid overflow so as to return it back to the vat. A mobile basket provides for receiving food product and positioning it within the cooking vat and removing it therefrom when cooked. A three stage air filtering system is provided for suctioning air above the container during cooking and filtering it to provide clean air to the outside of the assembly. The assembly can be provided in a single enclosed unit with an in-feed for food products and an out-feed to discharge cooked food products therefrom.

A food processing system has a wheel-shaped assembly having a stationary sub-assembly and a movable sub-assembly. The movable sub-assembly has three or more arms extending away from the stationary sub-assembly; three or more connecting rods; three or more pivoters; three or more rotators; and three or more food processing devices. The three or more food processing devices comprise a plurality of cooking chambers and a plurality of blenders. The three or more arms are rotatable about a first direction. A horizontal diameter of each connecting rod stays in a respective horizontal position parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction during rotation of the respective arm about the first direction.

Example methods and systems are directed to moving a quantity of a bulk food item within an automated cooking system. A quantity of the bulk food item may be provided from a bulk food dispenser. The quantity of the bulk food item may be received at a lower transfer component from the bulk food dispenser. The quantity of the bulk food item may be transferred from the lower transfer component to a dump bin at a first location. The dump bin may move vertically from the first location to a second location above the first location. The quantity of the bulk food item may be provided or dispensed to the automated cooking system while the dump bin is located at the second location.

A modified product dispenser unit and a batch product lift or elevator unit adjacent to an automatic fryer. Fries (or other forms of batch product) are dispensed into an angled chute, and thence into the lift or elevator batch product holder at the bottom or loading position in a batch product elevator in the batch product elevator unit. The holder is raised by motorized chains, cables, or the like to a top or release position in the batch product lift or elevator, where the fries are then delivered to an exit chute which drops the fries into the automatic fryer. The batch product lift or elevator unit may comprise a pair of holders and corresponding lifting mechanism and exit chutes, corresponding to the pair of hoppers.

A fryer system and method for producing fried food pieces are disclosed herein. A fryer, located in a frying region of the fryer system, produces fried food pieces. An adjustable draining device, located in a draining region of the fryer system, is downstream from the frying region and controls a residence time of the fried food pieces in the draining region. A set of takeout conveyors bridges the frying region and the draining region and reduces a bed depth of the fried food pieces as the set of takeout conveyors transfers the fried food pieces from the fryer to the draining device. An enclosure at least partially encloses the frying region and the draining region to maintain a controlled environment within the draining region.

A robotic system for cooking food products, including: (a) a robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm includes a pair of opposing gripping members, and wherein the robotic arm is horizontally displaceable within a first plane, vertically displaceable within a second plane, and pivotally displaceable about a first axis; (b) a cooking reservoir basin for containing oil, wherein the cooking reservoir basin includes a basket flipping plate, and one or more basket holders; (c) a cooked food products basin for containing cooked food products; (d) means for heating oil in the cooking reservoir basin; (e) an optional hopper for supplying food products; and (f) a control panel for controlling/directing the robotic arm.

The present application discloses a cooking system comprising more than one cooking apparatuses, each capable of cooking a food. A first cooking apparatus can boil or deep fry food or food ingredients to produce a semi-cooked food. The semi-cooked food may be cooked or mixed in a second cooking. The cooking apparatuses work together to produce cooked foods. A computer system is used to control the cooking system.

An automatic meal serving system includes a conveyer module, a transporting module, a first food serving and heating module, and an ingredient serving module. The transporting module is located on the conveyer module for sequentially positioning a plurality of vessels on the conveyer module. The first food serving and heating module provides a variety of foods, heats one of the foods that is chosen, and feeds one of the vessels on the conveyer module with the heated food. The ingredient serving module is located beside the first food serving and heating module. The transporting module, the first food serving and heating module, and the ingredient serving module are sequentially located along the conveyer module.

A robotic kitchen system for preparing food items in combination with at least one kitchen appliance such as a fryer comprises an automated bin assembly, a robotic arm, and a basket held by the robotic arm. The automated bin assembly comprises at least one automated bin for holding the food items. A camera or sensor array collects image data of the food items in the bin(s). A central processor is operable to compute and provide directions to the first robotic arm and automated bin assembly based on the image data and stored data to (a) move the robotic arm to the bin; (b) actuate the bin to drop the food items from the bin into the basket; (c) and to move the basket into the fryer all without human interaction. Related methods are also described.