Food warming apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A method of preserving cooked food, comprising the steps of:
- cooking food in a cooking appliance to provide pre-cooked food;
placing the pre-cooked food in a holding compartment of a food warming apparatus for a duration of holding time; and
heating the pre-cooked food in the holding compartment for at least a portion of said 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;
said heating step comprising varying the amount of radiant heat delivered to the pre-cooked food 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.
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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.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of preserving cooked food, comprising the steps of:
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cooking food in a cooking appliance to provide pre-cooked food;
placing the pre-cooked food in a holding compartment of a food warming apparatus for a duration of holding time; and
heating the pre-cooked food in the holding compartment for at least a portion of said 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;
said heating step comprising varying the amount of radiant heat delivered to the pre-cooked food 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of controlling a food holding oven, said oven comprising a cabinet, a plurality of separate, thermally isolated holding compartments in the cabinet, a plurality of trays for containing pre-cooked food having been previously 5 cooked in a cooking appliance, each compartment being adapted for removably receiving one tray per compartment, and heat sources above respective trays adapted for activation to emit radiant heat to the food in the trays to warm the food, said method comprising:
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setting a selected holding temperature for each compartment;
setting a duration of holding time for each compartment, said duration of holding time comprising a duration of heated holding time; and
varying the amount of radiant heat delivered to the pre-cooked food during a respective duration of heated holding time to maintain the food in a respective compartment at said selected holding temperature. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification