Patent ID: 8071918

Claim:
An apparatus for heating pre-cooked food products, said apparatus comprising: an electrically powered infrared heater; a controller, operatively coupled to an electrical energy source and to the infrared heater, the controller controlling the electrical power to the infrared heater during at least three successive time periods, wherein: during a first time period, a first amount of electrical energy is provided to the infrared heater to output a first amount of infrared energy; during a second time period that begins after a termination of the first time period, a second amount of electrical energy is provided to the infrared heater to generate a second amount of infrared energy that is greater than the amount of infrared energy provided in the first time period; during a third time period that begins after a termination of the second time period, a third amount of electrical energy is provided to the infrared heater to generate a third amount of infrared energy that is greater than the amount of infrared energy provided in a second time period; and, at termination of the third time period, a fourth amount of electrical energy is provided to the infrared heater; wherein the duration of each of the first, second and third time periods is a different duration and each of said first, second and third amounts of infrared energy are different, the durations of the first, second and third time periods and the first, second and third amounts being selected according to a type of food to be warmed, and wherein the fourth amount of electrical energy is less than the second amount of electrical energy.