A ceramic deep-frying device capable of withstanding high temperatures and releasing far-infrared energy is made by grinding and mixing mullite, spodumene, energy ceramic material, ball clay, and kaolin clay into clay blank; molding the blank into ceramic green body; and sintering the green body at 1250-1320° C. for 18-24 hours. The device is completely immersed in the oil in a deep-frying vessel while leaving a gap between the device and heating pipe in the vessel or the inner bottom wall of the vessel, for enabling the oil to circulate through the through holes in the device due to temperature difference in the oil, causing the energy ceramic material to release anions and far-infrared rays that decrease van der Waals forces between oil molecules, and hence split, the oil molecules, thereby extending the service life of the oil, shortening the deep-frying time required, and lowering the oil content of deep-fried food.

A cooking system includes an appliance configured to cook food products, a fire suppressant supply configured to selectively provide fire suppressant agent, and a conduit. The appliance includes a food receptacle and a cover selectively repositionable between a fully open position and a closed position. The cover defines an internal volume configured to contain the food products during cooking, a fluid aperture fluidly coupled to the internal volume, and an access aperture through which the food products may be introduced into the internal volume. The cover extends at least partway across the access aperture in the closed position. The conduit fluidly couples the fire suppressant supply to the fluid aperture. The fire suppressant supply and the conduit are configured to introduce the fire suppressant agent into the internal volume of the food receptacle at least when the cover is in the closed position.

Improvements in a multi-pass fryer heat exchanger that has three passes through heating tubes to heat cooking oil. The first pass includes diffusers in each tube to disrupt the laminar flow of the ignited gas and spreads the heat outward to the inside diameter of the first pass. The turbulent flow of hot flue product is disrupted as the flue product enters each collection box. A bi-metal heat sink in each collection box creates a thermal mass that retains heat and dissipates to the cooking oil. The thermal mass stores heat and reduces the number of on-off cycle by storing and transferring heat within the bi-metal heat sink into the oil. The second and third pass uses a progressive reduction in the tube diameter with each pass of tube that increases the velocity of the flue product in each pass.

A hot food holding station is a device that can keep food warm, especially food that has been deep fried or cooked, thereby providing consumers convenience of serving heated ready-to-eat food. The device further ensures that edibles that are being held are evenly heated across the storage unit. In order to accomplish this, the device uses a heated airflow system that includes multiple air flow passages and a multi-functional grease tray ramp. The heated airflow system includes an air blower unit, an airflow unit, a heated air chamber and a food holding compartment that are fluidly communicated with one another. Further, the device utilizes fresh air from the atmosphere for heating the food, thereby preventing recirculation of air within the system.

A coupling bridge to prevent the accumulation of food products and cooking oils on the sidewalls of adjacent food preparation appliances. The coupling bridge is formed of a steel plate having a top plate with first and second legs downwardly extending from opposed sides of the top plate. The top plate has a width corresponding to a gap between the adjacent food preparation appliances and a width of each of the sidewall of the first cooking appliance and the adjacent sidewall of the second cooking appliance. The coupling bridge is reversible in orientation to accommodate a handedness disposition of the first and the second cooking appliance.

A portable cooking oil distribution device for filling remote fryers with fresh cooking oil. In other embodiments the device can also collect used cooking oil from the fryer. In one embodiment, a portable device includes a fresh oil tank, a three-way valve connected by piping to the fresh oil tank, a pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and a nozzle connected by piping to the pump, the nozzle having an outlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle. The device may also include a used oil tank, a second three-way valve connected by piping to the used oil tank, a second pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and piping connecting the second pump to the nozzle, where the nozzle includes a inlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle.

A gas fryer and associated methods of cooking food products are disclosed. The gas fryer includes an infrared burner and a fry pot including an interior casing defining a cooking chamber, with the interior casing including a bottom wall and opposing sidewalls that extend upwardly from the bottom wall. The opposing sidewalls include lower, central, and upper sidewall panels that are angled from one another to define a tapered profile that narrows towards the bottom wall. The tapering of a well defined at a lower chamber portions of the cooking chamber allows for a shallow depth at this portion of the fry pot and easy visibility and access for cleaning. Furthermore, the opposing sidewalls and a rear end wall of the interior casing include heat exchange fins on an external surface.

A refrigerated food pan cooling device includes a food pan receiving well and a cooling system, wherein the cooling system includes a refrigeration system with a compressor, a condenser, a metering device and an evaporator. The evaporator includes at least one first refrigerant line downstream of the metering device and upstream of the compressor. The first refrigerant line runs along an external surface of at least one of the well walls. The condenser is configured as a hot wall condenser, that lacks any fan or blower, wherein the hot wall condenser includes at least one second refrigerant line downstream of the compressor and upstream of the metering device. The second refrigerant line runs, at least partly, along an internal surface of at least the first exterior sidewall to transfer heat through the first exterior sidewall to ambient air.

(FIGURE I) The first drawing shows the entire charcoal grill with a circle indicating the location of the next drawing. The next drawing shows a close up view of the Perfecter Vent. The name is intended to describe the product as an improvement on any existing grill. The opening may have to be fitted to each model grill as they all have slightly different closure angles and thicknesses. The use is the same and the effectiveness is the same on any grill. The existing vents on grills are very effective and even perfect however this tool makes ventilation even Perfecter. This is not a real word but it means more perfect. The ventilation is more perfect because it creates an oven effect in the hood. Greater heat is contained in the lid of the grill in addition to the more perfecter amount of smoke. There is such a thing as to much smokey flavor. With the perfecter ventilation tool cooking temperatures are increased on all sides in addition to containing some of the smoke. By containing some of the smoke the charcoal is allowed to breathe just enough to maintain a good cooking temperature and a good amount of smoke. Without this product people achieve this same result by constant attention and checking and adjustment. This allows the operator to monitor the temperature on the thermometer from outside the grill and not release the heat and smoke every time checking is required. Experienced grill people have made mistakes so many times that they just know how long to leave the lid on for. In combination with a thermometer grilling will improve for all. The quality of the food will improve and the consistency of the food being cooked is also improved by this product because the charcoal cannot breathe too much to flare up but just enough to create the right temperature. This product improves health by supporting safe cooking temperatures, by having perfecter control of the temperature then food can be cooked more thoroughly.

(FIGURE II) This drawing shows a close up view of the product in place. The product it self is a flat piece of metal with a shape cut out of it which is placed in between the lid and the base of a grill. The shape allows the product to hold the lid open just slightly to allow heat and smoke to collect in the lid. All vents on the lid would be closed for this to have the best effect however existing vents could be utilized to control the temperature. The shape uses the weight of the lid to maintain its position. The product prevents the lid from falling off. The product does get hot however it can be lifted with a utensil such as tongs. It can be removed or placed with tongs or a handle may be developed later. It can be held temporarily wi

A capacitive sensor and control system is configured to detect the presence (or absence) of fluid within a container. Configured in a vat of a deep fryer, the sensor determines when a level of liquid within the vat is at or above the level of the sensor. The sensor is in communication with the control system and the sensor sends a signal to the control system representative of the presence or absence of liquid within the vat and at the level of the sensor. The controller receives the signal from the sensor, and allows operation of a fluid management system and its associated plumbing to maintain an appropriate level of liquid in the vat.