This invention is related to a novel process and automatic apparatus for delivering formed, freshly fried potato products from a dehydrated potato granulate. The process includes the steps of preparing a dough by rehydrating the granulate, cutting the dough into pieces, frying the pieces of dough, and controlling the frying time by measuring the temperature of the frying oil during the frying time; computing the introduced energy amount by integrating the temperature of frying oil over the frying time; and terminating the frying time when the introduced energy amount equals a predetermined constant value. The pieces are removed from the oil when the frying time is terminated.

A food processing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has a refrigerated compartment with a batch dispensing system for delivery of batches of frozen food to a cooking compartment. The cooking compartment has a deep-fry cooking chamber which has a basket and an integral chute which extends between the walls of the cooking chamber to form a barrier between the oil and the discharge outlet for sealing of the chamber. An analogue transducer monitors the position of the basket so that the continuous control may be achieved via a microprocessor control unit. Thus, control of cooking times, drain times, and movement of the basket is readily achieved by suitable setting of a control unit.

An automatic food vending machine comprises: a cooking means for cooking food materials; a first storage means for preserving food materials for a long period; a second storage means for preserving food materials in a condition that they can be instantly cooked by said cooking means; a first transport means for transporting food materials from said first storage means to said second storage means; and a second transport means for transporting food materials from said second storage means to said cooking means. A large quantity of food materials may be stored in the first storage means and transported to the second storage means by the first transport means as required. In the second storage means the food materials are stored so that they may be instantly cooked. The apparatus permits on one hand preservation of a large amount of food materials without deterioration and on the other hand prepare them for quick heat treatment for sale.

A vending machine 10 has a hopper 24 which leads to a modular dispenser unit 38 which includes a hopper chute 26, a top plate 28, a bottom plate 32 and a carousel assembly 36 interposed between the top and bottom plates 28 and 32. The carousel assembly includes a closing plate and a container 53 depending therefrom which includes two mesh screen walls and two solid side walls. The carousel assembly is rotatable between the top and bottom plate such that the container is filled when it passes under the opening in the top plate. The container is moved to be adjacent a heat gun 66 which heats the food within the container 53 and is further moved to be over a discharge opening in the bottom plate which allows dispensing the heated food from the container.

A machine for preparing pasta-based dishes for direct consumption starting from precooked deep-frozen pasta products, comprises at least one basket adapted to receive the dosages of precooked deep-frozen pasta, a vat containing heated water, a drive arrangement for moving the basket between a dipped position where the basket is submerged under the heated water contained in the vat for heating the precooked deep-frozen pasta and a removed position where the basket is removed from the vat.