Shortening management system

A computer for controlling a plurality of cooking apparatus, said computer comprising:

• means for storing a predetermined maximum anticipated customer demand for at least one type of food item;
• means for communicating with each of said cooking apparatus to determine how many of each of said at least one type of food item have been cooked;
• and
• means for signaling at least a first subset of the cooking apparatus based on the maximum anticipated customer demand and the amount of food cooked so that said first subset of the cooking apparatus is substantially immediately available to cook food items in order to meet the maximum anticipated customer demand.

A method of preventing a cooking apparatus from being utilized to cook foods until a maintenance operation is performed comprising:

• monitoring temperature of a cooking fluid in the cooking apparatus during a time said maintenance operation should be performed;
• monitoring elapsed time of the maintenance operation;
• and
• preventing the cooking apparatus from cooking food until a predetermined amount of elapsed time of the maintenance operation and a predetermined temperature of the cooking fluid are reached.

A method of controlling a plurality of cooking apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing a predetermined maximum anticipated customer demand for at least one type of food item;
• communicating with each of said cooking apparatus to determine how many of each of the said at least one type of food item has been cooked;
• and
• comparing the number of food items determined to have been cooked with the stored anticipated customer demand to determine a differential between cooked items and anticipated demand;
• signaling at least a first subset of the cooking apparatus based on the maximum anticipated customer demand and the amount of food cooked so that said first subset of the cooking apparatus is substantially immediately available to cook food items in order to meet the maximum anticipated customer demand.

Control apparatus for controlling a cooking apparatus, the cooking apparatus being adapted for cooking food in a cooking fluid which solidifies when cooled to a predetermined temperature, said control apparatus comprising:

• means for providing a first level of power to the cooking apparatus when it is determined that the cooking fluid is in a solidified state;
• means for monitoring the temperature of said cooking fluid and the time during which said cooking fluid has been subjected to said first power level;
• and
• means for providing a second higher level of power to the cooking apparatus when said means for monitoring indicates that said cooking fluid is of sufficient temperature and has been subjected to said first power level for a sufficient time such that said cooking fluid is in a substantially liquified form.

A method for controlling a cooking apparatus, the cooking apparatus being adapted for cooking food in a cooking fluid which solidifies when cooled to a predetermined temperature, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first level of power to the cooking apparatus when is it determined that the cooking fluid is in a solidified form;
• monitoring the temperature of the cooking fluid and the time during which the cooking fluid has been subjected to said first power level;
• and
• providing a second higher power level to the cooking apparatus when it is determined that the cooking fluid is of sufficient temperature and has been subjected to the first power level for a sufficient time such that the cooking fluid is in a substantially liquified form.