A system for steam-peeling products including a rotatable pressure vessel having a wall surrounding a pressure space, an opening for products, and a closure member for closing the opening. A feeder feeds steam to the pressure space. An evacuator evacuates steam and condensate from the pressure space. At least one agitation member is disposed on an inner wall of the vessel for radially inward movement of products during rotation of the vessel. The at least one agitation member has an agitation body with a convex shape that together with the wall surrounds a cavity, and on a front side has at least one flow opening in the agitation body and/or between the body and the wall. Part of the wall jointly surrounds the cavity and has a flow opening to a collection tank outside of the pressure vessel.

A peeling process and system comprising a primary peeling device; a sorting device arranged to sort product output from the primary peeling device into peeled product and partially peeled product; a secondary peeling device arranged to receive the partially peeled product output from the sorting device; and a peel control system to monitor the peel quality of product detected in at least one position after the primary peeling device and control the peeling system in response to same.

A steam peeling vessel for rotation about an internal axis of rotation, including at least one internal lifter having a longitudinal axis oriented at an oblique angle to the internal axis of rotation of the vessel. The vessel may include at least two internal lifters. The vessel may include a first lifter oriented at a first oblique angle to the axis of rotation, and at least a second lifter oriented at a second oblique angle to the axis of rotation.

A system for steam-peeling products including a rotatable pressure vessel having a wall surrounding a pressure space, an opening for products, and a closure member for closing the opening. A feeder feeds steam to the pressure space. An evacuator evacuates steam and condensate from the pressure space. At least one agitation member is disposed on vessel. The at least one agitation member has an agitation body with a convex shape that together with the wall surrounds a cavity, and on a front side has at least one flow opening in the agitation body and/or between the body and the wall. Part of the wall jointly surrounds the cavity and has a flow opening to a collection tank outside of the pressure vessel.

A steam peeling vessel for rotation about an internal axis of rotation, including at least one internal lifter having a longitudinal axis oriented at an oblique angle to the internal axis of rotation of the vessel. The vessel may include at least two internal lifters. The vessel may include a first lifter oriented at a first oblique angle to the axis of rotation, and at least a second lifter oriented at a second oblique angle to the axis of rotation.

A cooking device includes a user interface having an outer surface. The user interface is connected to an outer enclosure. A duct is connected to the user interface. A door is connected to the outer enclosure. A cooling device is in thermal communication with a member selected from the group consisting of the outer surface and the door. The cooling device is connected to the user interface or the door by the duct.

A valve (61) for enabling release of pressurized steam from a pressure vessel has a displaceable closure member (67) which is maintained in its closed disposition by exposure to the pressure of the steam within the pressure vessel. The closure member (67) is displaced between its closed disposition and an open disposition by a double-acting actuator (69), suitably an air-driven piston/cylinder device, the closure member (67) being preferably mounted at one axial end of a spindle (68) extending between the closure member (67) and the actuator (69). The closure member (67) is suitably mounted for substantially metal-to-metal contact with a valve seat portion (63), without interposition of any sealing element, preferably for substantially vertical displacement between its closed and dispositions.

One embodiment of the invention relates to apparatus (10) for roasting coffee beans, the apparatus comprising: a chamber (12) in which a supply of coffee beans can be received for roasting; means (15) for heating air; and means (20) for driving heated air into the chamber (12) for roasting coffee beans received therein; wherein the air driving means (20) and chamber (12) are configured and arranged so that coffee beans located in the chamber (12) circulate generally horizontally about the periphery of the chamber (12) when the air driving means (20) drives heated air into the chamber (12).

A peeling process and system comprising a primary peeling device; a sorting device arranged to sort product output from the primary peeling device into peeled product and partially peeled product; a secondary peeling device arranged to receive the partially peeled product output from the sorting device; and a peel control system to monitor the peel quality of product detected in at least one position after the primary peeling device and control the peeling system in response to same.