초록 ▼

A cooked food staging device and method is provided. The cooked food staging device allows previously cooked food items, particularly sandwich fillings such as hamburger patties, fish fillets, biscuits, Canadian bacon, pork sausage, eggs, chicken patties, chicken fillets and nuggets, to be stored ov

A cooked food staging device and method is provided. The cooked food staging device allows previously cooked food items, particularly sandwich fillings such as hamburger patties, fish fillets, biscuits, Canadian bacon, pork sausage, eggs, chicken patties, chicken fillets and nuggets, to be stored over extended periods of time at an elevated temperature without significant deleterious effects to the appearance, taste and texture of the food while avoiding risk of bacterial contamination. The food staging device is composed of a plurality of discrete compartments bounded by upper and lower heated compartment surfaces. Food can be stored within the compartments in trays having side walls of a height such that a gap is achieved between the top of the tray and the upper compartment heated surface to limit and control the evaporation of liquid from the food stored therein.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A device for holding a plurality of previously cooked food portions at elevated temperatures, comprising:at least one discrete compartment for holding the food portions, said compartment having a compartment height and being bounded by an upper heated compartment surface

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A device for holding a plurality of previously cooked food portions at elevated temperatures, comprising:at least one discrete compartment for holding the food portions, said compartment having a compartment height and being bounded by an upper heated compartment surface and a lower heated compartment surface;a cabinet defining a volume that encloses said at least one compartment therein, said cabinet including at least one inlet opening for inserting the food portions into said compartment and an outlet opening opposite said inlet opening for removing the food portions contained in said at least one compartment, said inlet and outlet openings located on opposed sides of said cabinet; andat least one tray for containing the previously cooked food portions, said tray including a tray bottom and a tray sidewall, said tray sidewall extending upwardly from said tray bottom and terminating at an upper edge, wherein said tray has a height that is zero to about 0.25 inches less than the height of said compartment such that when said tray is stored in said compartment, evaporation of liquid from the cooked food portions contained within that said tray is restricted.