A system to store food products within a heated compartment is provided. The system includes an enclosure that receives stacked trays, and an elevator to lift trays to a position to receive a plurality of food products from a conveyor or another source. A fork may be provided that receives a cooked food product thereon and rotates to allow the cooked food product to fall into the positioned tray while being maintained in a horizontal manner. A shuttle moves a full tray into a heated compartment, which moves trays therewithin to organize them for future use within a restaurant operation.

According to the present invention, there is provided a tunnel-shaped continuous barbecue apparatus including: more specifically, a main body having an opening portion at a center thereof; a conveyance unit that rotates and moves a barbecue unit, in which meat is put, with external power from one side to the other side of the main body and is formed at both ends of the opening portion of the main body in a length direction of the main body; heating units that are formed at regular intervals at a lower part on one side of the main body and heat the meat in the barbecue unit over direct fire through the opening portion of the main body; smoking units that are formed at regular intervals at the lower part on the other side of the main body and smoke and heat the meat by supplying smoke into the barbecue unit through the opening portion of the main body, the smoke being produced by burning a smoke material; and an exhaust unit that is provided above the main body and discharges smoke outside.

A plurality of heat sources are arranged about at least one conveyor. The plurality of heat sources are configured to output heat towards the at least one conveyor. At least one temperature sensor is arranged at a food product inlet relative to the at least one conveyor. A controller is configured to receive temperature measurements from the at least one temperature sensor and to operate at least one heat source of the plurality of heat sources between a high fire condition and a low fire condition in an idle mode operation and a cooking mode operation.

A belted food warmer assembly is disclosed that includes a housing containing a heated rotating drum, a belt roller, and a belt. The belt is draped over a portion of the heated rotating drum and is configured to hold a flexible food product against the heated drum as the food product rotates with the heated drum.

In one aspect, a cooking device includes independently controllable cooking zones. In one aspect, a cooking device includes a first cooking zone with heated air configured to move horizontally there through in a first direction and a second cooking zone with heated air configured to move horizontally there through in a second direction different than the first direction. In one aspect, the first and second directions are opposite directions. In one aspect, the heated air flows from one side of the cooking device.

Heating systems utilizing radio frequency (RF) energy and methods for using the same to rapidly and uniformly heat packaged articles moving through the system on one or more convey lines. These systems may be useful for a variety of processes, including the pasteurization or sterilization of packaged foodstuffs.

Systems and methods for cutting and cooking a substance are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: convey, via a primary conveying subsystem, a layer of food substance along a conveyance path along which the layer of food substance is conveyed; cut, via a cutter, the layer of food substance into food pieces; apply, via a primary pressurized fluid outlet, primary pressurized fluid such that the food pieces are released from the cutter; heat, via the heating mechanism, a chamber; apply, via a secondary pressurized fluid outlet, secondary pressurized fluid so that the food pieces are held flat to the primary conveying substrate, and hold, via a secondary conveying subsystem, the layer of food substance flat between the primary conveying substrate and a secondary conveying substrate for at least a portion of the chamber.

A heat transfer system for heat treatment of a food product includes an enclosure with a food product inlet and a food product outlet. At least one conveyor extends into the enclosure from the food product inlet. At least one heat source is arranged relative to the at least one conveyor. A ramp at least partially extends below the at least one conveyor.

A meat grill installation for preparing large quantities of meat, and a method of preparing such large quantities of meat. Embodiments of the meat installation comprise various features, including a detachable horizontal cylindrical carrier comprising a series of meat fixators, a motor, heaters, at least two position adapters for maintaining each individual heater at a predetermined distance from the cylindrical carrier, at least one temperature sensor, a conveyer belt located underneath the cylindrical carrier for receiving and transporting heated meat, a cutter for removing a slice of a predetermined thickness of meat from the detachable cylindrical carrier, and at least one controller for driving the motor, for maintaining and/or adapting a temperature of each individual heater, for driving the at least two position adapters, for receiving the sensor output, for providing feedback to at least one heater, and for controlling thickness of slices of meat.

Systems and methods for cutting and cooking a substance are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: convey, via a primary conveying subsystem, a layer of food substance along a conveyance path along which the layer of food substance is conveyed; cut, via a cutter, the layer of food substance into food pieces; apply, via a primary pressurized fluid outlet, primary pressurized fluid such that the food pieces are released from the cutter; heat, via the heating mechanism, a chamber; apply, via a secondary pressurized fluid outlet, secondary pressurized fluid so that the food pieces are held flat to the primary conveying substrate, and hold, via a secondary conveying subsystem, the layer of food substance flat between the primary conveying substrate and a secondary conveying substrate for at least a portion of the chamber.