Method and apparatus for controlling cooking cycles in a cooking system

Abstract

Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a commercial deep-fryer cooker as used in preparing fried chicken or other food products. The controller (11), according to the invention, has been designed to control essentially all aspects of the cooking process and includes a number of features which enhance the flexibility of the system, allow it to be operated with greater efficiency and provide increased safeguards against accident or machine malfunction. Among the features provided by the invention is the capability of lengthening or shortening or changing the ending temperature of a cooking cycle without changing the overall cooking cycle. This permits fast changes to be made in a cooking cycle, even while it is in progress. The system also provides protection against a power failure by saving essential data relating to an interrupted cooking cycle so that the cycle can be resumed if the power is restored within a prescribed period of time. The system also provides for more efficient heat regulation, provides safeguards when cooking under pressure to significantly reduce the risk of accident, provides means for preventing cooking cycle programs from being entered improperly, and includes a variety of built-in diagnostic capabilities to ensure everything is working properly and to notify the operator of a malfunction.