An automated cooking system for adding time and labor efficiencies has a fryer including a plurality of fryer vats, heating elements, and a vertical transport assembly associated with each of the fryer vats. The vertical transport assembly is configured to support and move a basket of food product into and out of the cooking medium at the fryer vat, and optionally also with reciprocating shaking movements as well. The vertical transport assembly includes a lift base, a platform support hanger, and a basket support platform. The basket support platform includes a tray-shaped platform portion defined by a wire rack construction that circumferentially surrounds a bottom portion of the basket to retain the basket, the platform portion having an angled entry taper to correct any misalignments of the basket and the basket support platform as a gantry moves the basket onto the basket support platform.

An electric deep fryer includes a vat configured to contain a frying bath, and an electric immersion heating element configured to be immersed in the frying bath contained in the vat. The vat has a bottom with a sloping part draining into a depression forming a water collection area. The sloping part has a slope change area extending between an upper bottom part and the depression. The electric immersion heating element has heating wires extending above the sloping part.

The heating wires extend above the upper bottom part without reaching the depression.

Automated pressure fryer systems, cooking vessels, heated oil reservoirs, and methods of operating same to conduct pressure frying cooking cycles are disclosed. An example automated pressure fryer system includes a plurality of cooking vessels, each with a locking lid that engages to form a pressure-sealed cooking chamber for cooking oil and food items, and a food carrier coupled to the lid's bottom surface to hold food items, a gantry system movably positioned above the cooking vessels, and a gripper mechanism coupled to the gantry system and configured to engage and manipulate the locking lids.

A high efficiency heating apparatus for heating fluids and cooking mediums, such as oil or shortening within a fryer, includes one or more natural draft combustion chambers that are affixed to exterior surfaces of a fry tank.

A high-efficiency heating apparatus for heating fluids and cooking mediums, such as oil or shortening within a fryer, includes a natural draft (non-powered) or a powered draft combustion chamber that is affixed to an exterior surface of a fry tank.

An automated food frying system includes an enclosure defining a robotic workspace, a robotic arm and a plurality of functional stations for dispensing raw food to a bin, transferring the raw food from the bin to a fry basket, frying the raw food, and transferring the cooked food to a receiving pan. Optionally, an auto-drawer station is arranged and operable within the enclosure to transfer an entire fry basket of order-specific food between an operator and the robotic arm without the operator or the robotic arm penetrating the enclosure. Related methods are described.