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:a plurality of compartments for holding the food portions, each of said plurality of compartments having a compartment height and being bounded by an upper heated comp

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A device for holding a plurality of previously cooked food portions at elevated temperatures, comprising:a plurality of compartments for holding the food portions, each of said plurality of compartments 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 plurality of compartments therein, said cabinet including one inlet area for inserting the food portions into said compartment and an outlet area opposite said inlet area for removing the food portions contained in said plurality of compartments, said inlet and outlet areas 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 at least one of said plurality of compartments such that when said tray is stored in said at least one of said plurality of compartments, evaporation of liquid from the cooked food portions contained within said tray is restricted. [12.] A method of storing previously cooked food portions in a device having at least one heated compartment for holding the food portions bounded by upper and lower heated compartment surfaces, and a cabinet defining an enclosed volume for containing the compartment therein, the cabinet including at least one area for inserting and removing the food portions into the compartment, the compartment having a compartment height and a compartment width, comprising the steps of:placing the previously cooked food portions in a tray having a tray height that is about 0 to 0.090 inches less than the compartment height;placing the tray containing the cooked food portions in the heated compartment, the heated compartment surfaces having a temperature in the range of from about 145.degree. F. to less than the boiling point of water and achieving a gap between about 0 and 0.090 inches between the top of the tray and the upper heated compartment surface for restricting water vapor evaporating from the food portions contained in the tray; andstoring the food portions in the tray in the compartment for a desired period of time. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of placing the food portions in a tray comprises placing sufficient food portions in the tray to fill at least 5% of the volume of the tray. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of placing the food portions in a tray comprises placing sufficient food portions in the tray to fill at least 50% of the volume of the tray. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of maintaining the heated compartment surfaces in the temperature range of from about 145.degree. F. to less than the boiling point of water during the period of time that the food portions are stored in the compartment.