Food tray, insert and method

• US 8,601,941 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Esparza, Fernando, Traylor, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Tu B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thien S
• Application Number:
  US11/473,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20070295325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,727 Days
• Field of Search: 994/83, 994/48, 994/68, 219/395, 219/521, 426/523, 426/418
• US Class Current: 99/450
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 3/155 of wire or mesh wire material A21B3/131 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/067 Horizontally disposed broiling griddles
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0704 with horizontal fire box
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/006 for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving

Abstract

A food tray and tray insert are provided that are particularly adapted for use in a heated food holding compartment. Methods of storing cooked food are also provided using such devices. The devices and use thereof allows cooked food such as hamburger patties to be stored at elevated temperatures for extended periods of time without a significant deleterious effect on the organoleptic properties of the cooked food.

Claims

1. A method of storing individual portions of previously cooked food items comprising:

providing a food tray having an open top comprising a tray body having a first end and a second end, a lower surface and a sidewall structure defining a tray height and a tray volume within said tray body, and a removable tray insert positionable in the tray volume and comprising an elongated supporting surface and insert supports defining a tray insert height, wherein said supporting surface is above said lower surface and below the top of the sidewall structure, and wherein said tray insert height is at least about 0.2125 inches, the supporting surface having a plurality of spaced apart apertures extending therethrough, the apertures providing a void space in the supporting surface area of at least about 30%;

wherein said lower surface defines a lower volume between said lower surface and said supporting surface, and the supporting surface defines a food holding volume in conjunction with said sidewall structure for storing food items completely contained in the food holding volume, wherein the lower volume is between 10% and about 80% of the tray volume; and

placing the individual portions of previously cooked food items on said supporting surface so that each of the individual portions of food items are completely contained in the food holding volume and so that all of the spaced apart apertures are covered by the individual portions of food items;

placing and storing for a period of time the tray having the individual portions of previously cooked food items therein in a heated compartment having an upper compartment surface and a heated lower compartment surface to maintain the temperature of the cooked food items in a desired elevated storage temperature range, wherein said supporting surface is elevated above said heated lower compartment surface; and

maintaining the tray during said storing so that the top edge of the tray is between about 0 and 0.25 inches from the upper compartment surface;

wherein said gap is sufficiently sized to restrict water vapor from evaporating from the cooked food in the tray and from leaving the tray volume during storage in the compartment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said supporting surface comprises a plurality of spaced apart apertures.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the combined area of the apertures is at least about 30% of the area of the supporting surface.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said apertures comprise oval apertures.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said lower volume avoids significant convection heat transfer between said heated lower compartment surface and said individual portions of cooked food items.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the tray insert is an integral part of the tray body.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the volume between the lower surface and the supporting surface is a sealed void.

6. A method of storing previously cooked hamburger patties after cooking and before incorporation into a hamburger sandwich comprising:

providing a food tray having an open top comprising a tray body having a first end and a second end, a lower surface and a sidewall structure defining a tray height and a tray volume within said tray body, and a tray insert positionable in the tray volume and comprising an elongated supporting surface and insert supports defining a tray insert height at least about 0.2125 inches, wherein said supporting surface is above said lower surface and below the top of the sidewall structure, and said lower surface defines a lower volume between said lower surface and said supporting surface, wherein the lower volume is between about 10% and about 80% of the tray volume, and the supporting surface defines a food holding volume in conjunction with said sidewall structure for storing food items completely contained in the food holding volume, the supporting surface having a plurality of at least generally circular aperture-containing areas and the approximate size of the hamburger patties to be stored, the apertures providing a void space in the area of the supporting surface of at least 30%;

placing the previously cooked hamburger patties on said supporting surface so that each of the hamburger patties is completely contained in the food holding volume and that each aperture-containing area is covered by a separate one of said hamburger patties;

placing and storing for a desired period of time the tray having the cooked hamburger patties therein in a heated compartment having an upper surface and a heated lower compartment surface, to maintain a storage temperature of the cooked hamburger patties at about 145°

F. or more; and

maintaining the tray during said storing so that the top edge of the tray is between about 0 and 0.25 inches from the upper surface to restrict water vapor from evaporating from the cooked hamburger patties in the tray and from leaving the tray volume during storage in the compartment.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein each of said aperture-containing areas comprises a plurality of spaced apart apertures.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said apertures are in an at least generally circular area, the circular area generally corresponding to the size of hamburger patties to be stored thereon.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein said lower volume is about equal to the food holding volume.

10. The method according to claim 6 further comprising continuing the storage of the hamburger patties in the tray until the hamburger patties are assembled into hamburger sandwiches.

11. The method according to claim 6 wherein said hamburger patties are stacked two high.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein eight hamburger patties are stored in said tray.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein six hamburger patties are stored in said tray.

14. A method of making a hamburger sandwich comprising:

cooking a plurality of hamburger patties;

providing a food tray having an open top comprising a tray body having a first end and a second end, a lower surface and a sidewall structure defining a tray height and a tray volume within said tray body, and a tray insert positionable in the tray volume and comprising an elongated supporting surface and insert supports defining a tray insert height at least about 0.2125 inches, wherein said supporting surface is above said lower surface and below the top of the sidewall structure, and said lower surface defines a lower volume between said lower surface and said supporting surface, wherein the lower volume is between about 10% and about 80% of the tray volume, and the supporting surface defines a food holding volume in conjunction with said sidewall structure for storing food items completely contained in the food holding volume and the supporting surface has a plurality of spaced apart apertures extending therethrough, the apertures providing a void space in the supporting surface of at least about 30%;

placing the previously cooked hamburger patties on said supporting surface so that each of the hamburger patties is completely contained in the food holding volume and covers the supporting surface apertures;

placing and storing for a desired period of time the tray having the cooked hamburger patties therein in a heated compartment having an upper surface and a heated lower compartment surface, to maintain a storage temperature of the cooked hamburger patties at about 145°

F. or more;

maintaining the tray during said storing so that there is between about 0 and 0.25 inches between the top edge of the tray and the upper surface to restrict water vapor from evaporating from the cooked hamburger patties wholly contained in the food storage volume of the tray during storage in the compartment;

thereafter removing cooked hamburger patties from the tray when needed for assembly into hamburger sandwiches; and

assembling the hamburger patties into hamburger sandwiches.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the assembling includes applying condiments and placing the hamburger patties into buns.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein said supporting surface comprises a plurality of circular arrays of spaced apart apertures.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein said hamburger patties are stacked two high.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein said lower volume is about equal to the food holding volume.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein six hamburger patties are stored in said tray.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of cooked hamburger patties contained in the tray and at least substantially covering the apertures with the hamburger patties.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein the tray insert is an integral part of the tray body.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the volume between the lower surface and the supporting surface is a sealed void.