This invention relates to the food industry. More particularly it relates to a pan puller for a steam table pan.
In the food industry, it is common to use a steam table to warm food during the service process. These steam tables are commonly used, for example, in a restaurant that has a food bar or smorgasbord-type of service. Steam tables are also used widely in the catering industry.
The steam table comprises an upper steam tray surface which has a series of essentially rectangular cut-outs in the top. Steam pans (which have a wide flange around the upper edges) are inserted into the cut-outs of the steam table top. Food is placed in the steam pan. Underneath the steam table is a system of heat, commonly steam heat, which is used to heat the food in the pans. Heating the lower portion of the steam pans keeps the food warm.
When food is being served, it will often be necessary to replace the food consumed with additional prepared food from the kitchen. In order to do this, it is common practice to replace the entire pan. However, access to the steam pan edge, or flange, is frequently difficult to achieve. Oftentimes forks, knives or spoons are used to raise the lip of the steam pan from the steam table in order to lift the pan. Furthermore, once the pan is lifted, it is normally carried by the use of towels, hotpads or the like to protect the carrier's hand since the steam pans are hot. The use of eating utensils to raise the pans, as well as the use of towels or hotpads to carry the steam tray, is not conducive to an efficient method of serving food from a steam table.
It is an object of this invention to provide a removable pan puller which is capable of pulling the steam pan from the steam table without the necessity of using separate implements. It is a further object of this invention to provide a stable means of attaching a pan puller to a steam pan in order to carry the pan.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a unique handle for placing a steam pan on a steam table and for removing the pan once it is empty. It is also an object of this unique invention to provide a removable steam table pan puller which enables the user to quickly and efficiently remove and carry steam pans. Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the below described Specification.