A system (20) for thermal processing food products (28) includes an oven 22 operating under selected parameters. A buffer area (26) receives and holds the food products heated in the oven for a selected time period before further processing. The buffer area can be heated or cooled as needed. A temperature determining system (120) determines the temperature of the food product during the thermal processing. A control system (30) receives the operational parameters of the oven and/or the buffer area and receives the temperature determination system data. The control system uses the temperature determination system data to determine over time the temperature equilibration of the interior of the food product after being heated in the oven to model the lethality of pathogenic microorganisms in the interior of the food product. The control system can adjust one or more of the operational parameters of the oven and/or buffer area as needed to achieve a desired lethality of the pathogenic microorganisms in the interior of the food product.

Systems and methods for an oven include a housing, a heating chamber positioned within the housing, an external nesting rack coupled to the housing, the external nesting rack is stationary while coupled to the housing, and a movable cook surface, the movable cook surface movable between a position completely within the heating chamber and a position at least partially external to the heating chamber, such that when the movable cook surface is in the position at least partially external to the heating chamber, the movable cook surface is positioned at least partially recessed below a top surface of the external nesting rack.

A food production system creating folded par-baked units (e.g. mini tacos) for frying, including a sheeter for continuously creating a succession of substantially flat raw dough units and an oven having a plurality of hanging conveyors (e.g. chains). The hanging conveyors are narrow so that the raw dough units raw fold down on either side thereof to form folded dough units. The oven includes a first plurality of cross-burners to pre-heat the hanging conveyor for transferring shape-setting heat directly from the hanging conveyor to the folded dough units. The oven further includes a second plurality of substantially longitudinal shape-setting burners that are substantially in parallel with and adjacent to the top dough carrying side of the hanging conveyor for providing further shape-setting heat to the folded dough units. The oven discharges par-baked units ready for frying.

The cooking module for bakery products includes a cooking enclosure having an arched roof and a sole on which the products rest. The module is equipped at least with a heating mechanism in the roof. The heating mechanism includes a plenum in which a heat-transfer fluid circulates from an inlet and at least one outlet. The plenum includes a plurality of blowing orifices for blowing fluid into the enclosure. The module includes a device for blanking off the orifices, being movable between a position of blanking of the orifices and a position of opening same. There is a means for extracting the heat-transfer fluid passing through the plenum and/or blown into the enclosure.

A pizza oven including a baking chamber is disclosed. The baking chamber includes a top panel, bottom panel, two side panels, and entry and exit openings. A conveyor belt is disposed to convey food products through the chamber where the food products are heated by a heating arrangement including a burner, blower motor, and a fan.

A material processing system includes an oven that cooks or bakes, with electrical resistance, dough contained within containers. The oven can include a frame defining, devices mounted, in a preselected pattern, on the frame for a reciprocal movement in a vertical direction during use of the system, each device configured to connect voltage to a respective container so as to cook or bake the dough with the electrical resistance, and one or more powered members configured to move the devices in the vertical direction. Conveyors are also provided to convey a plurality of rows of containers with a plurality of containers in each row along a material conveyance path, the conveyors disposed in a series with each other and with the oven along the material conveyance path, one of the conveyors disposed within the oven so as to position a batch of the containers in an alignment with the devices.

A cooking device has at least one support and a cooking body which is rotatably attached to the support via a rotatable axis, the cooking body has a tub-shaped cooking container and at least one gas burner. The cooking device has at least one supply line for the gas burner, which is connected to the gas burner, which extends through the rotatable axis and which is configured concentrically with the rotatable axis. The cooking device has an outer pipe surrounding the supply line, the supply line having a smaller diameter than the rotatable axis, as a result of which an annular gap is formed radially between the supply line and the wall of the outer pipe.

Systems and methods of bun holding and toasting use a bun dispenser and a toaster. The bun dispenser includes a bun holding cabinet in which a plurality of buns are held on shelves and each of the shelves include conveyors. A shuttle of the bun dispenser translates within at least one axis to align the shuttle with a shelf to receive a bun. A dispensing shelf of the bun dispenser receives the bun from the shuttle. A toaster receives the bun from the dispensing shelf and operates to toast the bun and dispense the toasted bun at a predetermined location.

A food baking apparatus includes a compressible die and a mechanical stop for controlling a die spacing of the compressible die. The mechanical stop includes a supporting system and a mounting element mounted onto the supporting system. The mounting element includes at least one protrusion having a particular amount of protrusion from the mounting element, which amount of protrusion may be adjustable for any single protrusion. By translation or rotation of the supporting system and/or the mounting element during operation of the apparatus, a protrusion is selected. The protrusions mechanically stop further compression of the dies during an operation of the food baking apparatus. Thus, the selection determines the die spacing applicable for the baking process, based on the amount of protrusion of the selected protrusion.

A food baking apparatus includes a compressible die and a mechanical stop for controlling a die spacing of the compressible die. The mechanical stop includes a supporting system and a mounting element mounted onto the supporting system. The mounting element includes at least one protrusion having a particular amount of protrusion from the mounting element, which amount of protrusion may be adjustable for any single protrusion. By translation or rotation of the supporting system and/or the mounting element during operation of the apparatus, a protrusion is selected. The protrusions mechanically stop further compression of the dies during an operation of the food baking apparatus. Thus, the selection determines the die spacing applicable for the baking process, based on the amount of protrusion of the selected protrusion.