Patent ID: 7328654

Claim:
Food holding apparatus for holding pre-cooked food at a selected holding temperature, said apparatus comprising: a cabinet having a plurality of holding compartments for holding said pre-cooked food therein; a heat source in each compartment of said plurality of compartments for delivering heat to the food in the compartment; and a control mechanism programmed to vary the heat delivered by each heat source to the food in a respective holding compartment through a duration of holding time during which: said control mechanism operates to activate said heat source such that said duration comprises a first period of time during which the heat source operates at a first duty cycle whereby the food reaches said selected holding temperature, said control mechanism operates to activate said heat source such that said duration comprises a second period of time after the first period of time during which the heat source operates at a second duty cycle different from said first duty cycle whereby the food is held at said selected holding temperature, and said control mechanism operates to activate said heat source such that said duration comprises a third period of time after the second period of time at which the heat source operates at a third duty cycle different from said first and second duty cycles whereby the food is maintained at said selected holding temperature.