The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for final rethermalizing of precooked food products such as pasta products and particularly, individual sized portions of pasta products.
There is a need for an apparatus for rethermalizing food products such as pasta products quickly and to order, and particularly a need to rethermalize individual sized ready-to-eat portions of pasta promptly and to order. Even more particularly, there is a need to be able to supply individual sized portions of pasta which are cooked properly and which have the requisite texture and consistency on a "fast food" basis.
In the past, it has not been possible to prepare pasta quickly, with the required texture and in individual sized portions. Means are known for cooking large quantities of pasta, but these typically will result in cooked pasta products which do not have the proper texture when served. If pasta is cooked in large quantities, typically, after some time passes, the pasta will continue to cook and will become soft, and not have the desired texture and consistency. Other systems have been developed to provide individual sized portions of pasta, but these systems are typically cumbersome and complex and rely on high pressure and high temperature. If pasta is cooked according to the prior art systems on a made to order basis, the process typically takes too long, particularly for consumers who are "on the run" and need to order and obtain food on a speedy basis. Accordingly, there is a need in the food service industry for equipment which will allow a consumer to obtain an individual sized portion of a pasta product to order, cooked to the proper consistency and texture, and which rethermalizes the pasta product in a short period of time, i.e., in a time period of a little more than a minute and generally, less than about two minutes and no more than about 4-5 minutes.
Applicant is aware of the following patents:
______________________________________ Patent No. Dated Name ______________________________________ 5,347,917 9/20/94 Vezzani et al. 4,803,917 2/14/89 Barbieri 4,732,080 3/22/88 Vita 4,214,514 7/29/80 Contino et al. 5,215,001 6/1/93 Narcisi 5,033,364 7/23/91 Narcisi et al. 5,010,806 4/30/91 Narcisi et al. 4,869,160 9/36/89 Pratolongo 4,803,916 2/14/89 Tacconi 4,741,261 5/3/88 DiMaria 4,569,277 2/11/86 Stiglich 5,630,359 5/20/97 Stein 4,901,632 2/20/90 Lori 5,586,487 12/24/96 Marino 4,175,482 11/27/79 Kumagaya 3,790,391 2/5/74 Bolleter et al. 5,609,093 3/11/97 Hohler et al. 5,220,864 6/22/93 Ejiri et al. 5,313,876 5/24/94 Hilger et al. 4,821,632 4/18/89 Bolzani et al. 3,928,045 12/23/75 Tsunoda et al. 5,351,605 10/4/94 Sai et al. 5,241,899 9/7/93 Kuhlman 5,365,831 11/22/94 Kuhlman 5,613,423 3/25/97 Polster 5,282,498 1/1/94 Cahlander et al. 5,353,847 10/11/94 Cahlander et al. 5,315,919 5/31/94 Hoeberigs 5,404,797 4/11/95 Millar ______________________________________
The Vezzani et al. patent discloses a machine, which may be microprocessor controlled, for preparing pasta based dishes starting from pre-cooked deep frozen pasta products. The machine includes a basket adapted to receive dosages of pre-cooked deep frozen pasta, a vat containing heated water, a drive arrangement for moving the basket between the dipped position where the basket is submerged under the heating water contained in the vat for heating the pre-cooked deep frozen pasta and a removed position where the basket is removed from the vat.
The Vezzani et al. reference is directed in particular to the means employed for loading the pasta into the cooking basket. The means employed comprises two chests 12 each slidable in a respective box-type seat 13 inside a body 11. The chest is open at the top and bottom. The seats 13 have bottom openings 19 so that the pasta disposed in the chests 20 can drop into the basket 23 which can then be immersed in the heated water in the vat 20. A basket is immersed in the vat 20 using a pivoting arrangement.
Another reference is U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,917 to Barbieri for an automatic apparatus to cook and serve ready-to-eat pasta helpings. In this reference, the cooking vessel 5 is movable between a higher and lower position. In the higher position, the pasta contained in a basket 18 is cooked. The basket has a clam shell arrangement which opens from the bottom to dispense the pasta onto a plate, for example, plate 32 shown in FIG. 4, once the pasta has been cooked. This reference notes in col. 5, at lines 12-19 that it can be used for pre-cooked pasta, in which case the cooking time can be reduced. Another reference which discloses the cooking of pre-cooked foods including pasta is U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,080. This reference describes an apparatus for preparing hot food, including the pre-cooking operation and the later storing, heating and dispensing operation.
There are a number of references directed to cookers for cooking individual portions of food products, including pasta. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,514 to Contino et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,215,001, 5,033,364 and 5,010,806 to Narcisi and Narcisi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,160 to Pratolongo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,916 to Tacconi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,261 to DiMaria, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,277 to Stiglich and U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,359 to Stein. Each of these references is directed to a pasta cooking apparatus. Generally, these devices employ pressurized heated water to cook the pasta quickly. Accordingly, uncooked pasta can be cooked in a relatively short period of time because it is cooked at a high temperature and pressure. There is a need for a less complex and less dangerous pasta rethermalizing device wherein pasta is rethermalized at atmospheric pressure and at temperatures below the boiling point of water for a short period of time because the pasta is precooked and therefore does not need to be cooked for a long period of time.
Other references, not necessarily directed to cooking individual servings of pasta, but which employ pressurized cooking techniques include U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,632 to Lori, U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,487 to Marino, U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,482 to Kumagaya and U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,391 to Bolleter et al.
In addition, there are a number of other references of which applicant is aware including U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,093 to Hohler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,864 to Ejiri et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,876 to Hilger et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,632 to Bolzani et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,045 to Tsunoda et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,605 to Sai et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,899 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,831 to Kuhlman. These are directed to larger scale pasta cooking systems or pasta cooking systems using specialized techniques, for example, employable in vending machines. Other references include U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,423 to Polster for a cooker/rethermalizer, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,282,498 and 5,353,847 to Cahlander et al. directed to food dispensing devices and U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,919 to Hoeberigs and U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,797 to Millar directed to apparatus for use with fried foods.
Although the above patents show a number of devices and methods for cooking pasta and other food products, there is a need in the industry for a method and apparatus for cooking individual sized portions of pasta products, and particularly pre-cooked pasta products, and which can be used to provide ready-to-eat pasta products to consumers quickly and conveniently.