a method and apparatus for cooking a starch solution and then dispensing that cooked starch solution to a commercial laundry washer provides a vessel with an interior surrounded by a wall for holding a volume of liquid , a water supply inlet for supplying water to the vessel interior , an opening for adding dry starch to the vessel interior , and a steam supply inlet for adding steam to the vessel interior so that the volume of liquid within the vessel can be heated . a level controller controls the level of fluid within the vessel in between the minimum and maximum levels that is fabricated of a generally low or non - heat conductive material . a recirculation flow line has an inlet and outlet that each communicate with the vessel interior . a centrifugal pump mounted in the recirculation flow line pumps fluid from the inlet to the outlet in a recirculating fashion , the pump having a filter disposed on the inlet side within the vessel that breaks up starch lumps flowing in the recirculation flow line . a discharge flow line transmits the heated starch solution from the vessel interior to the commercial laundry washer .