Automatic roux maker

Claim 1

An automatic cooker system for preparing a roux or the like, comprising: a cooking pot having a bottom and cylindrically shaped side walls; heat source means for heating and cooking fluid contents of said pot; agitator means associated with the pot for mixing and moving the fluid contents of said pot, said agitator means including a centrally located rotor shaft extending down to a position in juxtaposition to the pot bottom; at least one paddle arm located at the bottom of said rotor shaft and extending radially out from said shaft with its bottom edge in sweeping contact with the upper surface of the pot bottom; a floating connector connecting said paddle arm to said rotor shaft by means of a connection which allows said paddle arm to move up and down and to pivot in the axial plane with respect to said rotor shaft; and a powered motor attached to said rotor shaft for rotatively driving it to move said paddle arms in sweeping contact across the bottom of said pot; and controller system means associated with said agitator means and said heat source for controlling the amount and duration of heating energy supplied to said heat source for said pot and for automatically controlling the power to said motor, said controller system including temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the contents of pot; controller circuitry means associated with said temperature sensing means for controlling the heat level and duration of heating of said heat source to the pot until the desired set degree of color level of the roux is reached; and motor control circuitry means associated with said motor for maintaining the motor in operation while the roux is being cooked and for a significant period of time thereafter while the cooked roux is cooking down until a safe, lowered temperature is reached.