Apparatus for use in cooking food patties

An apparatus for use in cooking a food item, comprising:

• at least one spacer member;
• a hollow tube having a longitudinal end portion for receiving a food item and the at least one spacer member within the interior of the hollow tube;
• at least one lid member removably attached to the longitudinal end portion;
• the at least one spacer member each including two planar outer plates and means for keeping the outer plates a fixed distance apart;
• the at least spacer member and the transverse cross-section of the hollow tube being substantially circular;
• the at least one spacer member is adapted to snugly fit into the hollow tube;
• and wherein the wall of the hollow tube is intersected by at least one aperture,
• the at least one aperture having a dimension whereby the food item and the at least one spacer member cannot extend outside the interior of the hollow tube through the aperture;
• the outer plates are intersected by at least one aperture;
• and the lids are intersected by at least one aperture.

An apparatus for use in cooking a plurality of food items, comprising:

• a cooking tube having a pocket for receiving a plurality of food items and one or more spacer members;
• one or more spacer members disposed within the pocket for heat transfer engagement with a plurality of food items disposed in the pocket;
• and
• means coupled to the cooking tube for supporting the tube at an elevated position relative to a heat source.