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.

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 cooking system includes a grill, a first arm assembly and a second arm assembly. An electronic hardware controller is in signal communication with the at least one grill, the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly. The controller operates the first arm assembly to transfer a prepared product to the grill, and operates the second arm assembly to transfer a cooked product from the grill.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to food preparation systems and associated automated gantry systems. An example automated food preparation system may include a housing that supports one or more baskets therein and a gantry system. The gantry system may include a retrieval arm and a drive system operably coupled with the retrieval arm. The drive system may cause movement of the retrieval arm in at least two directions relative to the housing. In operation, the retrieval arm may engage a basket and cause movement of the basket about the housing. In some instances, an ejection mechanism is provided that receives the basket from the retrieval arm and causes removal of the contents of the basket.

A control method for operating a cooking oven in a deep-frying program which is configured for a predetermined set temperature is disclosed, wherein the cooking oven has an oven cavity, a tray arranged within the oven cavity, a bottom heating element for heating the bottom of the cavity, a fan located at the rear wall of the cavity, and a ring heating element surrounding the fan. The method comprises the following stages: (a) a heat-up phase in which the ring heating element is continuously operated and the bottom heating element is intermittently operated, the heat-up phase being conducted until reaching a temperature of the oven cavity which corresponds to the set temperature plus a predetermined first hysteresis; (b) a subsequent holding phase in which the bottom heating element and the ring heating element are non-operative; and (c) a frying phase conducted upon reaching a temperature within the oven cavity which corresponds to the set temperature minus a predetermined second hysteresis, the frying phase comprising continuously or intermittently operating the ring heating element, and intermittently operating the bottom heating element so as to raise the temperature within the oven cavity to a temperature which corresponds to the set temperature plus a predetermined third hysteresis.

A degree of deterioration of frying oil in a fryer can be assessed easily and accurately. A frying oil deterioration assessment device 41 comprises a recording unit 45 that records types of fried foods 19 fried in frying oil 17 in an electric fryer 14 and a fried quantity for each type, a holding unit 46 that holds correlation data indicating a relationship between the fried quantity for each type of fried food 19 and a degree of deterioration of the frying oil 17, and an assessment unit 47 that assesses the degree of deterioration of the frying oil 17 on the basis of the correlation data and the recorded types of fried food 19 and fried quantity of each type.

A frypot of a commercial deep fat fryer includes a foam deck and a front wall that is a downward extending vertical face of the frypot. The foam deck and the front wall are formed by sheet metal that has a radius bend between the foam deck of the frypot and the front wall. The radius has a bend radius of between 0.25 inches and 1.5 inches.

Provided is a system for reporting frying oil processing work information, with which frying oil processing work can be appropriately carried out. The frying oil processing work information reporting system comprises a deterioration state analysis unit 55 that analyzes a state of deterioration of frying oil 17 in a fryer 14, a processing work information recognition unit 56 that recognizes information about processing work for the frying oil 17 on the basis of the result of the analysis performed on the state of deterioration of the frying oil 17, and a first reporting unit 57 that is set up in a shop 32 and that reports the processing work information.

A deep fat fryer with a vat containing cooking oil for frying food including an integrated circulating pump housing below the oil level connected to a separate heat exchanger wherein the cooking oil is circulated from the cooking vat through the heat exchanger then back into the cooking vat. Circulating pump motor, pump inlet, and pump impeller assembly is mounted with the pump motor above the cooking oil level and the pump assembly is removable from the cooking vat and pump housing without the need to remove the oil from the cooking vat.

A heating system for a fluid includes a double helical coil of continuous tube, a burner, and a containment structure. The double helical coil has an inlet and an outlet disposed at a bottom end and a plurality of external radial fins spaced apart along a length thereof. The burner is centered in the double helical coil and disposed above the inlet and the outlet. The containment structure has a closed bottom end and a flue opening at an upper end. The containment structure is positioned above the inlet and the outlet to enclose the double helical coil and the draft-type burner. The burner heats the continuous tube to evenly transfer heat to the fluid while the fluid flows through the continuous tube from the inlet to the outlet.