The present disclosure generally relates to articles and methods for handling food items. In one aspect, an article for receiving or holding a food item comprises: a blade; and a rim extending along at least one side of the blade. In another aspect, a method of handling a food item using an article comprises a blade and a rim extending along at least one side of the blade, the method comprising: gripping or holding a part of the rim by hand; causing the food item to be placed onto the blade; and moving the article containing the food item therein to a desired location.

A pizza making system in an automated kitchen, where the pizza making system includes a pneumatic arm having a gripper supported on a base in the automated kitchen, a storage box arranged in the automated kitchen, within a reaching distance of the pneumatic arm; a press arranged in the automated kitchen, within a reaching distance of the pneumatic arm; a dosing and distribution device arranged in the automated kitchen, within a reaching distance of the pneumatic arm; a toppings device arranged in the automated kitchen, within a reaching distance of the pneumatic arm; an oven arranged in the automated kitchen, within a reaching distance of the pneumatic arm; and a cutting station arranged in the automated kitchen, within a reaching distance of the pneumatic arm. The storage box, press, dosing and distribution device, toppings device, oven, and cutting station are in a substantially ring-shaped production line around the pneumatic arm.

A pizza peel features a blade, a support bracket, a hinge, a nut and a handle. The support bracket is connected to the blade. The hinge is pivotally connected to the support bracket via a pin. The nut is assembled to the hinge outer threads. The handle is screwed in the hinge inner threads. The handle may be pivoted between a storage position and a deployed position and may be locked in the selected position by clockwise rotation of the nut. When the handle is in the stored position, the pizza peel may be easily stored.

An grooved pizza peel that when transferring an uncooked pizza to a pizza oven the invented grooved pizza peel retains dusting powder, wherein an adaptation includes a plurality of elongate grooves in a leading planar region of the pizza peel, wherein each of the elongate grooves is proximate to a frontal portion of the pizza peel, wherein the frontal portion has a sloped arced front portion with a bottom edge and an upper edge; wherein the grooves extend to the sloped arced front portion and the plurality of elongate grooves are straight and about parallel to each other. The adaptation ensures that even with a heavy loading of the dusting powder any excess dusting powder is retained. The plurality of elongate grooves have a preferred width of about 0.25 inches±about 0.1 inches. The adaptation retains as much as 85% of the dusting powder.

A pizza peel features a blade, a support bracket, a hinge, a nut and a handle. The support bracket is connected to the blade. The hinge is pivotally connected to the support bracket via a pin. The nut is assembled to the hinge outer threads. The handle is screwed in the hinge inner threads. The handle may be pivoted between a storage position and a deployed position and may be locked in the selected position by clockwise rotation of the nut. When the handle is in the stored position, the pizza peel may be easily stored.

An grooved pizza peel that when transferring an uncooked pizza to a pizza oven the invented grooved pizza peel retains dusting powder, wherein an adaptation includes a plurality of elongate grooves in a leading planar region of the pizza peel, wherein each of the elongate grooves is proximate to a frontal portion of the pizza peel, wherein the frontal portion has a sloped arced front portion with a bottom edge and an upper edge; wherein the grooves extend to the sloped arced front portion and the plurality of elongate grooves are straight and about parallel to each other. The adaptation ensures that even with a heavy loading of the dusting powder any excess dusting powder is retained. The plurality of elongate grooves have a preferred width of about 0.25 inches±about 0.1 inches. The adaptation retains as much as 85% of the dusting powder.

A piece of equipment for on-demand food preparation, for instance on an assembly line, that can use an end-of-arm tool to retrieve and deposit food items on a horizontal surface, such as the surface of a conveyor. The end-of-arm tool may include a peel, in which the peel can be translated from a retracted position to an extended position to transfer food items. The piece of equipment may translate the peel quickly into the extended position to facilitate the retrieval of food items from the horizontal surface. The piece of equipment may be rotated to position the robotic appendage and the peel in a desired direction. The peel may include a push bar that may be movable between a withdrawn position and a push position to selectively push items off of the peel.

A piece of equipment for on-demand food preparation, for instance on an assembly line, that can use an end-of-arm tool to retrieve and deposit food items on a horizontal surface, such as the surface of a conveyor. The end-of-arm tool may include a peel, in which the peel can be translated from a retracted position to an extended position to transfer food items. The piece of equipment may translate the peel quickly into the extended position to facilitate the retrieval of food items from the horizontal surface. The piece of equipment may be rotated to position the robotic appendage and the peel in a desired direction. The peel may include a push bar that may be movable between a withdrawn position and a push position to selectively push items off of the peel.

A piece of equipment for on-demand food preparation, for instance on an assembly line, that can use an end-of-arm tool to retrieve and deposit food items on a horizontal surface, such as the surface of a conveyor. The end-of-arm tool may include a peel, in which the peel can be translated from a retracted position to an extended position to transfer food items. The piece of equipment may translate the peel quickly into the extended position to facilitate the retrieval of food items from the horizontal surface. The piece of equipment may be rotated to position the robotic appendage and the peel in a desired direction. The peel may include a push bar that may be movable between a withdrawn position and a push position to selectively push items off of the peel.

A cooking utensil for reducing the friction between a food contact surface and any food positioned thereon through vibrations to allow the food to more easily be transferred therefrom. The cooking utensil has a food contact member and a handle coupled to the food contact member. An actuator is coupled to the food contact member. A power supply is selectively electrically coupled to the actuator through a switch. When the switch is in a first position, the switch electrically decouples the power supply from the actuator. When the switch is in a second position, the switch electrically couples the power supply to the actuator to activate the actuator and jostling or vibrating the food contact member to reduce the higher static friction to the lower kinetic friction between the food contact member and the food.