Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the system including a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A lid is movable relative to the housing. The lid contacts the housing in a closed position about the upper portion of the housing to close the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with at least one of said housing and said lid. The cooking system is operable in a plurality of cooking modes including a pressure cooking mode and a dry cooking mode. In the pressure cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a pressure cooker and in the dry cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a dry cooker.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system including a housing defining a hollow chamber. An upper portion of the housing defines an opening to the hollow chamber. A food container is receivable within said hollow chamber. A lid configured to cover the upper portion of the housing and the opening in a closed position, is moveable to an open position where the lid does not cover the opening. At least one heating element is associated with the housing or the lid. The cooking system is operable in a conductive cooking mode and a convective cooking mode. In said conductive cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a conductive cooker and in said convective cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker. The cooking system is operable in the conductive cooking mode and then the convective cooking mode without removing said food container from said hollow chamber.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system including a housing defining a hollow chamber. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A food container is receivable within said hollow chamber. A lid, movable relative to said housing, contacts the upper portion of the housing in a closed position to close the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with at least one of said housing and said lid. The cooking system is operable in a conductive cooking mode and a convective cooking mode. In the conductive cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a conductive cooker and in said convective cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker. The cooking system is operable in the conductive cooking mode and then is operable in said convective cooking mode without removing said food container from said hollow chamber.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the cooking system being functional in a plurality of cooking modes. The cooking system including a housing defining a hollow chamber and including an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A lid is positionable relative to the housing to cover the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with one of the housing and said lid. An air movement device is located in at least one of the housing and the lid to circulate air through the hollow chamber. An air diffuser positionable in the hollow chamber and is configured to impart rotation to air circulating through the hollow chamber when the air diffuser is positioned in the hollow chamber during at least one of the plurality of cooking modes.

Methods for prolonging the quality of a warm food item after the warm food item is prepared, the methods including the steps of placing the warm food item in a thermally insulated enclosure, maintaining the temperature in the thermally insulated enclosure within a predetermined temperature range based on the type of warm food item, maintaining the temperature in the thermally insulated enclosure by blowing heated air over the warm food item, and maintaining the moisture level within the thermally insulated enclosure within a predetermined moisture range based on the type of warm food item.

Devices for prolonging the quality of a warm food item contained within the device, the devices include an enclosure configured to receive the warm food item, the enclosure including a floor, a ceiling opposite the floor, sidewalk extending from the floor to the ceiling and defining an opening,the sidewalls the floor, and the ceiling collectively defining an interior void of the enclosure, and a door operatively connected to the sidewalk in a position covering the opening in a closed position and configured to selectively move to an open position to provide access to the interior void through the opening, a convection heat source mounted inside the enclosure and configured to direct heated a within the enclosure, and a ventilation system mounted to the enclosure and configured to move air through the enclosure.

Cabinet with enclosures for keeping food products at a hot temperature, in which each enclosure (2) is defined by two side walls (3), a back wall (4), a front face (5) that is open or can be opened, a top wall (6) and a bottom shelf (7), each enclosure comprising, over the entire width thereof: on the outside and behind the bottom shelf (7), a cylindrical turbine (8) for circulating air; at the base of the back wall (4), louvers (9) for air to pass from inside the enclosure to the cylindrical turbine (8); in the bottom shelf (7), between a top face (13) carrying the food products (18) and a bottom face, a space (20) for air to pass between the cylindrical turbine (8) and a front hatch (14) open toward the inside of the enclosure (2); and in the air passage space (20), heating elements (11) distributed over the entire surface of the shelf (7), heating the top face (13) of the shelf and the air circulated by the cylindrical turbine (8).

A cabinet for holding a plurality of food products is provided and includes a housing this formed with a plurality of outer walls and establishes a holding volume and an air handling volume. The holding volume includes a plurality of discrete holding areas, wherein each of the discrete holding areas are configured to receive a food product therein and an air flow path between the air handling volume and the holding volume. The housing includes an inner bottom wall that is spaced from the lower wall to allow air to flow therethrough, the inner bottom wall includes a plurality of apertures to direct air to return to the holding volume from the air handling volume.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the system including a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A food container having a hollow container interior is positionable within the hollow chamber. An end of the food container extends above the upper portion of the housing when the container is installed within the hollow chamber. A lid is moveably attached to the housing and is moveable between a first position that covers the upper portion of the housing and the opening to the hollow chamber when the food container is installed within the hollow chamber and a second position where the lid does not cover the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with at least one of said lid and said housing.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the system including a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A food container having a hollow container interior is positionable within the hollow chamber. An end of the food container extends above the upper portion of the housing when the container is installed within the hollow chamber. A lid is moveably attached to the housing and is moveable between a first position that covers the upper portion of the housing and the opening to the hollow chamber when the food container is installed within the hollow chamber and a second position where the lid does not cover the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with at least one of said lid and said housing.