Food warming apparatus and method

a technology of food warming and heating apparatus, which is applied in the field of food service equipment, can solve the problems of limiting the effectiveness of this technology for holding applications, loss of flavor, and certain equipment, and achieves the effect of less space and enhanced food quality

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-11-17
DUKE MANUFACTURING COMPANY
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] Among the several objects of this invention will be noted the provision of food service equipment, e.g., a food warmer, which is adapted for holding pre-cooked food longer without degradation of the quality of the product, including products having a crust which tends to become soggy or rubbery, such as fried potato products, fried chicken, and rotisserie chicken; the prov...

Problems solved by technology

However, such equipment has certain disadvantages.
For example, short holding times (e.g., twenty minutes or less) and rapid product quality degradation often limit the effectiveness of this technology for holding applications.
As the food loses moisture due to evaporation, flavor is lost.
This affects the texture and taste of the product.
For example, chicken meat fibers will dry out and become tough, while the breading will bec...

Method used

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  • Food warming apparatus and method
  • Food warming apparatus and method
  • Food warming apparatus and method

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Fried Chicken Nuggets

[0066] Ambient hold time delay (B)=10 minutes [0067] Hold temperature (T)=180° F. [0068] Time-base of duty cycle (G)=120 seconds [0069] Percent on time (E)=50% [0070] Total hold time (D)=60 minutes

example 2

Fried Apple Turnover

[0071] Ambient hold time delay (B)=25 minutes [0072] Hold temperature (T)=200° F. [0073] Time base of duty cycle (G)=120 seconds [0074] Percent on time (E)=40% [0075] Total hold time (D)=240 minutes

[0076]FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate an example of the operation of the oven 101 in the second (heat up and hold or rethermalizing) mode. In particular, FIG. 14 illustrates a time vs. temperature curve for a complete hold cycle D for one compartment 128 of the oven 101, and FIG. 15 illustrates a time vs. activation curve for the heat source 146 of that same compartment during the hold cycle D. The time vs. temperature curve of FIG. 14 plots the temperature of the food product as a function of time. One skilled in the art will understand that this curve can be different for each type of food product to be held in the oven 101.

[0077] In this mode, the oven 101 is used to raise the temperature of a food product to a selected temperature and hold the food product at the sel...

example 3

Diced Frozen Chicken

[0079] Rethermalization time (I)=40 minutes [0080] Hold temperature(T)=220° F. [0081] Time-base of duty cycle (G)=180 seconds [0082] Percent on time (E)=50% [0083] Total hold time(D)=160 minutes

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Abstract

A method of preserving cooked food. Food is cooked in a cooking appliance to provide pre-cooked food and placed in a holding compartment of a food warming apparatus for a duration of holding time. The pre-cooked food is heated in the holding compartment for at least a portion of the duration of holding time by delivering in a pre-programmed manner an amount of radiant heat to the pre-cooked food from a radiant heat source positioned above the pre-cooked food. The amount of radiant heat delivered to the pre-cooked food is varied to maintain the food at a selected holding temperature by delivering radiant heat to the pre-cooked food at a first level during a first phase of the duration of holding time and delivering radiant heat to the pre-cooked food at a second level during a second phase of the duration of holding time.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a divisional of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 680,626, filed Oct. 7, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 611,295, filed Jul. 1, 2003, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 394,841, filed Jul. 10, 2002, titled HOLDING OR COOKING OVEN.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates generally to food service equipment and more particularly to equipment for maintaining foods at temperatures suitable for serving food. [0003] In one embodiment, this invention is especially (but not exclusively) directed to food service equipment that uses infrared (IR) heaters to maintain pre-cooked food at proper temperatures before serving. This type of equipment is referred to using such terms as holding oven, holding unit, and food warmer, and these terms are used interchangeably hereinafter. Such equipment is often used in, for example, the fast food s...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): F24C1/00A21B1/22A21B1/26A21B2/00A23L1/00A47J9/00A47J27/14A47J36/24A47J39/00A47J39/02F24C7/04F24C7/06F24C7/08F24C15/16F27DF27D1/00
CPCA21B1/22A21B2/00F24C7/087F24C7/06A47J39/006A47J39/003
Inventor SHEI, STEVEN M.
Owner DUKE MANUFACTURING COMPANY
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