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.

A food distribution system comprising an electronic locking food storage device, wherein users interact with a software application to purchase food items from the system, track their orders, and can view multiple container systems and their locations when selecting items to purchase. Controllers and stockers of the food sales system can use the application to remotely lock and control the food sales system, monitor inventory, and review sales data from the purchases.

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.

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 may further include 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 smart sensor is disposed within or connected to a food pan that is removably inserted within the food holding cavity of a food holding chamber. The smart sensor is configured to sense a characteristic of an interior environment of the food pan and communicate with the food holding chamber or the chamber base.

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.

A vending machine system for loading and dispensing pre-baked unpackaged food including a fixed cartridge disposed in a refrigerator of a vending machine, and a transport cartridge adapted to removably attach to the fixed cartridge, the transport cartridge operable for holding trays of unpackaged food and loading the trays of unpackaged food from the transport cartridge into the fixed cartridge, wherein, when the transport cartridge is removably attached to the fixed cartridge, a front opening of the transport cartridge aligns with a front opening of the fixed cartridge, and wherein the rack of the transport cartridge aligns with the conveyor system of the fixed cartridge such that trays of unpackaged food within the transport cartridge can simultaneously be transitioned from the rack to the conveyor system.

A multi-zone food holding bin has a continuous food supporting surface with multiple food holding zones. Each food holding zone is independently controllable so that different food temperatures may be maintained in adjacent food holding zones.

An apparatus (1) for the preparation and dispensing of bakery food products, in particular pizzas, comprising: a magazine (2) containing a plurality of food products (P) having a storage compartment (3) for storing said products (P) in a respective semi-cooked condition; cooling means (4) arranged inside the magazine (2) to keep the compartment (3) of said food products (P) at a predetermined freezing temperature; a supply line (15) for supplying said food products (P) extending between a product loading station arranged in the area of the magazine (2) and a dispensing station for dispensing the food products (P), packaging means (21), located in the area of said dispensing station to arrange each product (P) leaving the supply line (15) inside a respective package (C); said supply line comprising: a first oven (16) arranged downstream of the loading station and configured to thaw the food products (P) leaving the magazine (2); and a second oven (17) interposed between said first oven and said dispensing station and configured to cook the thawed food product at a given temperature depending on the type of the product (P) itself.

Food holding system, liner thereof, and associated methods. A food tray receiver liner is configured to be installed in a food tray receiver. The liner is configured to collect food that may fall into the food tray receiver. Desirably, the liner obstructs food from passing between the liner and side walls of the food tray receiver.