Described herein are automated cooking apparatuses for storing and cooking food items as well as methods of operating such apparatuses. In some examples, an automated cooking apparatus comprises a storage unit, a delivery unit, and a cooking unit. The storage unit may be equipped with a refrigeration unit and a container delivery opening. The delivery unit is aligned with this opening and configured to load a set amount of the food items into each food compartment of the cooking unit. The cooking unit moves its food compartments through a cooking tank (e.g., filled with a cooking liquid and heated using a set of heating elements) and into a cooked food receiver. The storage unit or, more specifically, its uncooked food container unit is positioned proximate (e.g., within 200 millimeters) to the cooking tank thereby reducing the time for transporting the food items relative to the cooking time.

Aspects of the present invention relate to A beverage dispensing machine (1) for dispensing a beverage (BV) into a vessel (2). The beverage dispensing machine (1) has a upper engaging member (63) movable to a deployed position for engaging a upper portion of the vessel (2) and at least one side engaging member (68-1, 68-2) movable to a deployed position for engaging a sidewall (51) of the vessel (2). An actuating mechanism (5) is provided for deploying the upper engaging member (63) in conjunction with the at least one side engaging member (68-1, 68-2) to retain the vessel (2) in the beverage dispensing machine (1). Aspects of the present invention also relate to a vehicle having a beverage dispensing machine (1).

A beverage maker with controllable operation includes: a brewing unit, a storage container for at least one beverage; at least one detection unit for detecting a fill level in the storage container; a quantity of beverage brewed in the brewing unit and/or a quantity of beverage consumed by the user; an evaluation unit which communicates with the at least one detection unit and is configured such that it evaluates the data transmitted by the detection unit and determines therefrom the quantity of new beverage to be brewed; and a control unit for controlling the quantity of beverage to be brewed in the brewing unit to the desired filling quantity in the storage container based on the evaluation result of the evaluation unit.

One form of a drip coffee machine comprises a water level sensor, a boiler, and a processor. The water level sensor is positioned within the drip coffee machine at a junction where a water tank connects to the drip coffee machine. The water level sensor comprises a pair of electrodes positioned within an interior region, wherein a resistance between the pair of electrodes indicates whether water is present in the water tank. The boiler comprises a heating element that is configured to heat water within the boiler. The processor is in communication with the water level sensor and the boiler, and is configured to turn on the heating element of the boiler and to turn off the heating element of the boiler based in part on the resistance between the pair of electrodes of the water level sensor.

A control method of a cooking apparatus. The control method of the cooking apparatus includes controlling an operation of the water supply pump to supply water to the steam generator, controlling an operation of the water supply pump for a period of time to additionally supply water to the steam generator when a level of water supplied to the steam generator reaches a position. The method includes controlling an operation of a drain pump to discharge the water from the steam generator when the period of time expires, and respectively controlling an operation of a steam heater installed in the steam generator and a bottom heater installed on a bottom surface of the cooking apparatus, when the level of the water in the steam generator reaches the position at which the water is discharged from the steam generator.

An immersion circulator cooking device comprising: a motor for drawing fluid used for cooking past a heating element; a heating element for heating the fluid; a first switching device used in a first power mode for controlling the heating element; a second switching device used in a second power mode for controlling the heating element; a temperature sensor for sensing a sensed device temperature of the first switching device; and a controller for selecting which of the first power mode and second power mode is selected based on the sensed device temperature of the first switching device.

In a method for operating a household steam treatment appliance which includes an evaporator with a heatable water holding chamber and a fill level sensor with at least two measurement electrodes, which are disposed over one another at a distance from each other in the heatable water holding chamber, a water detection measured value provided for indicating wetting of the at least two measurement electrodes with water introduced into the water holding chamber is adapted in an adaptation process to an electrical conductivity of the water in the water holding chamber.

A fluid level detection system to determine a level of a fluid in a container engageable with a kitchen device, the fluid level detection system comprising a float comprising a magnet, the float being located in the container and movable relative to the container, a sensor configured to detect a magnetic flux associated with the magnet, the sensor being located in the kitchen device, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the sensor configured to provide to the controller a real-time feedback of the detected magnetic flux as the float moves relative to the container, wherein the controller is configured to determine the level of the fluid in the container based on the detected magnetic flux.

A sous vide assembly for use in a microwave oven includes an outer tank and an inner tank positioned inside the outer tank to define a heating gap therebetween. The inner tank and the outer tank are filled with water and are in fluid communication with each other through one or more apertures. One or more vertical dividers are positioned within the inner tank and extend along the vertical direction to define a plurality of food chambers and a cover is mounted over the one or more vertical dividers and is movable between an open position and a closed position to provide selective access to the plurality of food chambers and keep food submerged during the sous vide cooking process.

A system for allowing a user to automatically measure the contents in a container. The system has a base for holding the contents within the container, a lid for the base of the container, a central processing unit within the container, an antenna connected to the central processing unit for transmitting data. a software application running on a mobile device for communicating with the central processing unit, a remote server for connecting to the central processing unit and to the internet and a sensor device connected to the central processing unit to create data files about the container. The system is characterized in that the sensor device has a particle detector for measuring the contents of the container.