A conveyor toaster includes a toaster cabinet, an opening extending through the toaster cabinet and configured to receive a food product, and a conveyor assembly positioned in the toaster housing and associated with the feed opening. The conveyor assembly includes a conveyor belt configured to be operated by a drive motor to transport the food product past a heating element. The conveyor toaster further includes a an input sensor arranged proximate the opening and configured to detect the food product and a processor operably coupled to the input sensor and the conveyor assembly. The processor is configured to change between an operating condition with a first belt speed and an idle condition with a second belt speed based upon a signal from the input sensor.

A toaster includes a housing that defines one or more cooking cavities. Each cooking cavity has a lift to lower and raise a food product inside the cooking cavity depending on food product type, and heating elements to cook the food product arranged inside the cooking cavity. The toaster includes a user interface operable to control a cooking cycle inside the one or more cooking cavities. The user interface can be used to select a combination of food product, cooking mode, and doneness level, and to initiate a cooking cycle performed by the toaster.

A cooking system positionable on a support surface includes a housing having an internal cooking compartment and an opening formed in said housing for accessing said internal cooking compartment. The housing is positionable about the support surface in both a first orientation and a second, distinct orientation. At least one heating element is associated with said internal cooking compartment. The at least one heating element is operable to heat said internal cooking compartment in both said first orientation and said second orientation.

A cooking system positionable on a support surface includes a housing having an internal cooking compartment and an opening formed in the housing for accessing said internal cooking compartment. At least one heating element is provided for heating said internal cooking compartment. The heating element is operable to heat the internal cooking compartment while the opening is at least partially exposed to an ambient environment to allow fluid transfer between the ambient environment and the internal cooking compartment. An output from said at least one heating element is variable across said internal cooking compartment during operation of the system.

A conveyor toaster for toasting a customized pattern with multiple levels of brownness on a surface of sliced bread is disclosed. The present invention provides an apparatus including a processor, a moistening chamber; and a heating chamber. The moistening chamber further includes a nozzle for discharging water to the sliced bread; and a sliding track allowing the nozzle to move along. The heating chamber further includes a plurality of heating elements. The processor is configured to control a pump motor for adjusting the amount of water discharged from the nozzle and a movement of the nozzle along the sliding track to coordinates determined according to the customized pattern for positioning the nozzle above a region on the sliced bread, wherein the amount of water discharged over the region is determined according to the coordinates and the customized pattern.

A heat transfer device for thermal treatment of food items includes an enclosure defining an interior of the heat transfer device. A first and second driven conveyor systems are positioned within the enclosure. A first primary heater is arranged interior of the first chain conveyor belt. A first chain heater is arranged proximate to the first chain conveyor belt at a location of the first chain conveyor belt proximate to the opening. A second primary heater is arranged interior of the second chain conveyor belt. A second chain heater is arranged proximate to the second chain conveyor belt at a location of the second chain conveyor belt proximate to the opening.

A conveyorized contact toaster includes a toasting platen and a conveyer mechanism. The toasting platen includes a planar toasting surface. The conveyer mechanism is arranged in a loop and includes a bun interface portion and a return portion. The bun interface portion is in opposed relation to the planar toasting surface and comprises a base including a pair of lateral edges, and a plurality of gripping bodies extending from the base. The gripping bodies may be resilient and independently compressible. The plurality of gripping bodies are positioned along a plurality of gripping axes, with each gripping axis extending orthogonal to the pair of lateral edges and having at least two of the plurality of gripping bodies residing thereon.

A contact baking mechanism of a toaster, comprising a baking tray, a fixed bracket and a mobile mechanism, the baking tray is provided in the fixed bracket, the baking tray comprising a left baking tray and a right baking tray, the mobile mechanism comprising a bread tray and a mobile bracket, the bread tray is provided between the left baking tray and the right baking tray, the end of the bread tray is clamped in the fixed bracket through a T-shaped groove, the mobile bracket is provided outside the fixed bracket and fixedly connected with the bread tray, the left baking tray and the right baking tray are moved back and forth by the elastic mechanism when the bread tray moves up and down along the T-shaped groove. The movable baking tray for direct contact baking in the present invention, which has high heating efficiency and energy saving; the structure is simple to using the spring to drive the baking tray to clamp the bread slice; compared with the fixed indirect non-contact baking, the time required for baking the bread slice is greatly shortened, the energy is saved, the evaporation of water in the bread slice is reduced, and the taste of the edible bread slice is improved.

A conveyor belt system provides a continuous flat support surface for a food item that moves the food item through a food preparation device. The conveyor belt system includes a conveyor belt having a plurality of spaced apart rods and a plurality of slats that are removably attached to the conveyor belt with a rod connection mechanism. The slats also include a lateral connection mechanism for lateral removable attachment to an adjacent slat. The slats are easily assembled and provide enhanced field service and/or replacement capability.

A conveyor toaster for toasting a customized pattern with multiple levels of brownness on a surface of sliced bread is disclosed. The present invention provides an apparatus including a processor, a moistening chamber; and a heating chamber. The moistening chamber further includes a nozzle for discharging water to the sliced bread; and a sliding track allowing the nozzle to move along. The heating chamber further includes a plurality of heating elements. The processor is configured to control a pump motor for adjusting the amount of water discharged from the nozzle and a movement of the nozzle along the sliding track to coordinates determined according to the customized pattern for positioning the nozzle above a region on the sliced bread, wherein the amount of water discharged over the region is determined according to the coordinates and the customized pattern.