The invention is an apparatus used to divide existing cooking equipment into isolated areas to substantially reduce fluid or physical contact for preparing one or more types of food at once, to maximize existing baking equipment versatility. Features of the apparatus are a housing component; one or more arm components which attach or reside within the housing component. The one or more arm components are configured to expand and retract from the housing component and adjust to the shape of various cooking equipment. The base of the housing component and a base of the one or more arm components are effectively in a same horizontal plane so cooking equipment may be effectively partitioned. Each component within the design contains a magnet that facilitates the invention's ability to affix to cookware containing ferrous materials.

A semi-automatic food cooking apparatus comprising: a control unit; a communication unit; and a cooking compartment comprising: a cooking cartridge loading tray; a movable press; a movable cooking base; and a cooking cartridge lid guide.

A modular food holding system includes a plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, each of the plurality of food holding chambers being physically and communicatively removably connected to one another. Each of the food holding chambers includes a food holding cavity and at least one of a heating element and/or a cooling element for heating or cooling the food holding cavity. A chamber base is physically and communicatively removably connected to one of the food holding chambers and operation of at least one food holding chamber is controlled by the chamber base.

A system for storing food products at heated temperatures that includes a cabinet, a storage bin in the cabinet for receiving a tray, a temperature control device in thermal communication with the tray, and a controller displaying via a user interface a food product timer button that can be swiped to a side to change to a different food product timer button that is displayed on the user interface.

A mobile cabinet may include a cabinet body, a door, a heating or refrigeration module, and at least one attachable insulation panel. The insulation panel may be a single panel, or a plurality of panels, to provide insulation for the cabinet. The insulation panel may include a hinge to couple multiple wall sections that can be attached to different walls of the cabinet and integral hand holds.

A point-of-use food holding cabinet keeps food products hot and cold in different compartments, which are heated and refrigerated respectively. Solid state heat pumps such as Peltier devices absorb heat on one side and emit heat on the other. By configuring the solid state heat sinks appropriately, one compartment or shelf of a holding cabinet can be refrigerated while an adjacent compartment can be kept warm.

Food preparation apparatus and associated appliance modules and methods. Appliances modules can be selectively docked at docks of an appliance interface of a base. An appliance module includes a food container support surface movable between cooking and holding positions. An appliance module includes a receptacle having a holding well that can be selectively configured in a generally horizontal position or an inclined position.

A food thawing apparatus includes a first thawing chamber and a second thawing chamber alongside the first thawing chamber, an upright divider wall between the chambers, wherein the first thawing chamber includes a back side, a front side, an exterior lateral side spaced from the divider wall and an interior lateral side adjacent the divider wall, wherein the second thawing chamber includes a back side, a front side, an exterior lateral side spaced from the divider wall and an interior lateral side adjacent the divider wall. A plurality of air movers are located in or on the divider wall and are positioned and operable such that a looped air flow path, in top plan view, is created, through the first and second chambers.

An open food storage container is provided. The container includes a housing with side walls and end portions that establish a holding volume. The side walls and end portions are arranged with the right side wall extending from the first and second end portions and the left side wall also extending from the first and second end portions. The first and second end portion include air handling units and heating elements, the air handling units are configured to draw air in a first direction through a suction substantially parallel to a plane parallel to the side walls and discharge air in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the plane. The second end portion is configured to draw air in a third direction through a suction, wherein the third direction is opposite from the first direction and substantially parallel to the plane, and discharge air in the second direction.

A chafing dish and frame assembly including a lower frame section for supporting a disposable food tray for holding food, an upper frame section pivotally attached to the lower frame section; a disposable food cover supported by the upper frame section; and a pivot hinge that pivotally connects the upper frame section to the lower frame section. The pivot hinge allows the disposable food cover to be pivoted up to ninety degrees relative to the disposable food tray from a closed position, wherein the disposable food cover rests on top of the disposable food tray, to an open position wherein the disposable food cover is pivoted upwardly so that the food in the disposable food tray may be accessed.