Reduced cooking liquid usage deep fryers, particularly adapted to cooking fowl, as well as other articles. Cooking liquid storage and filtering apparatus. Heating element structure configured to reduce the overall height of a deep fryer. Food support apparatus which simplify food handling. Cooking vessel configurations configured to reduce cooking liquid usage. Volume displacement members which may reduce cooking liquid usage. Fry basket construction. Food support and containment structures. Cooking liquid overflow safety structures. Passive condensation exhaust filtering. Apparatus allowing the cooking of stuffing and/or other articles, while deep frying a fowl or other articles. Removable dual food support handles. Food support apparatus for deep fryers which deep fry only a portion of unitary food article at one time.

Fire protection mist nozzles for industrial oil cookers, oil cookers with fire protection systems, and method of oil cooker fire protection are provided. The mist nozzles operate at pressures between 170 and 250 psi, and provide a unique distribution pattern that allows for variable installations for protection in certain operative environments including oil cookers with various hood configurations. The fire protection nozzles includes a base defining an inlet and an outlet along an axis. The base includes an orifice having an inlet diameter and an outlet diameter. The outlet diameter is preferably greater than the inlet diameter; and the orifice defines a K-factor of less than 1.0 gpm/psi. The nozzle includes a diffuser aligned with the orifice. The diffuser has a preferably substantially domed portion with a maximum diameter that is less than the summation of the inlet diameter and the outlet diameter of the orifice.

The present invention is an apparatus comprising a disposable frying oil filter and a filter securing element, and a method of using the same. The disposable filter is adapted to cover the sides and base of a fryer basket and allow oil to pass though at a substantially similar rate to a filterless fryer basket, while trapping virtually all small particles released from a cookable item. The filter securing device is preferably a frame attached to the fryer basket, and is adapted to hold the disposable filter in place and allow for easy replacement when the disposable filter becomes saturated with small particles.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to make the process of cooking safer, specifically cooking on hot burners or cooking with hot liquids such as oil. Presented methods and devices in accordance with the present disclosure generally comprise shields that may be temporarily or permanently attached to the body or the handle of cookware or utensils to protect a user's hand from convective and/or radiative heat and from hot liquid splash.

A method for removing excess oil from a plurality of food items is provided and can include placing the plurality of food items in a sequential manner on a conveyor advanceable in a direction of travel. Each of the plurality of food items can be inclined upwardly at an angle relative to the direction of travel of the conveyor. A stream of hot air can be blown downwardly towards a side periphery of the plurality of food items to remove excess oil from the plurality of food items. An apparatus relating to the method is provided.

A fryer and method for cooking food products is provided that automates the movement of baskets carrying the food products. The fryer) includes a cooking chamber with a heating element located therein for heating cooking medium in the cooking chamber. The fryer also includes at least one vertical transport assembly that selectively engages with and moves the basket vertically into and out of the cooking medium. A horizontal transport assembly selectively engages with and moves the basket horizontally between different positions. The horizontal transport assembly hands off the basket to and from the vertical transport assembly, and first and second hooks on the horizontal transport assembly engage with front and rear receiving mechanisms on the basket to continuously maintain at least two points of contact with the basket. This allows for controlled pivotal movements of the basket when food products are to be added or removed from the basket.

A pan holder for supporting batter-dipping pans from the front edge of a restaurant type fryer, especially a flat bottom type fryer with a raised front edge. The pan holder comprises a frame with an opening for receiving the batter-dipping pan and supporting the upper flange of the pan, a rear hook edge configured to mate with the front raised edge of the fryer, and side brace panels for engaging the front face of the fryer. The holder includes finger holes in both sides of the frame, extending beyond the pan flange so that the pan can be lifted evenly out of the frame; utensil holders formed in the side brace panels; and a perforated and/or discontinuous rear hook edge configured to reduce heat transfer and increase drainage of hot oil.

A mobile machine for recovery and on site storage of used cooking oil with reservoir, detachable pump, oil reservoir, wand, wand filter, casters hoses, fittings, withdrawal port, and oil level determination means.

A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil in a deep fryer is provided. The system includes a filter system with a filter vat, a filter media, and a filter pump. A sensor is disposed with respect to the vat or the piping associated with the filter system, the sensor being adapted to measure an electrical property that is indicative of total polar materials of said cooking oil.

An anti-sticking conveyor belt of a frying machine includes a first transmission axle and a second transmission axle oppositely disposed, two chains, a plurality of connecting rods and a plurality of conveyor strips. Each conveyor strips is made of a high temperature resistant and anti-sticking material, and includes a conveyor belt surface for conveying fried products, a conveyor lower surface away from each conveyor belt surface, and a channel provided outwards between each conveyor belt surface and each conveyor lower surface. As each conveyor belt surface is greater than each conveyor lower surface and with cooperation of the chains, leveled progressing of the conveyor strips is maintained. At arched positions of the first transmission axle and the second transmission axle, the conveyor lower surfaces do not come into contact with one another, and the conveyor belt surfaces arranged are small to obtain an even and flat conveying plane.