An apparatus and method for controlling the movement of liquids into and out of a container is described. The cleanable, portable, fully automated apparatus includes a main container for holding the food product, a liquid inlet container having a liquid inlet and inlet valve for controllably providing liquid into the main container and a liquid outlet container receiving liquid drained from the main container. A heater automatically heats the main container and a motor rotates or otherwise moves the main container from a receiving position for receiving fresh liquid from the inlet container to a drainage position for draining waste liquid via gravity from the main container into the outlet container. This rotation/movement of the main container can be used repeatedly to add fresh liquid and remove waste liquid during multiple fully automated cycles (e.g., sprouting, rinsing, soaking, cooking, etc.) that do not require user interaction.

A cooking apparatus includes a communicator that communicates with a terminal, a link-state manager that manages link-state information indicating whether or not a link to the terminal is active, a heater that performs a heating operation on a cooking tool, a receiver that receives a user operation, and a controller that controls the communicator or the heater which is a control target, on the basis of the user operation. In the case where the link is active, when the user operation is performed on the receiver, the controller causes the communicator to transmit instruction information to the terminal. The instruction information indicates an instruction to switch an image being displayed on the information display apparatus from a first image to a second image.

A method for reducing energy consumption in a steam cooker that includes a steam cooking cavity, a steam generator for delivering steam along a steam path to the steam cooking cavity, a steam outlet from the steam cooking cavity to a first flow path leading to a drain path. The method involves: (a) utilizing a second flow path from the steam outlet to a vent stack to deliver excess steam flows from the steam cooking cavity up the vent stack rather than down to the drain box; (b) sensing temperature within the vent stack; and (c) utilizing sensed temperature within the vent stack to regulate power of a heating unit of the steam generator to produce steam in a controlled manner that reduces flows of excess steam out of the steam cooking cavity.

A cooking system includes a housing and a liner with a bottom heating element and a side circumferential heating element in a plurality of segments electrically connected. A control subsystem includes a selector for the user switchable between slow cook and stove top modes. Both the bottom heating element and the side circumferential heating element are energized and in the stove top mode. Only the side circumferential heating element is energized in the slow cook mode.

A cooking system is disclosed which includes a wok for receiving food, the wok being placed on top of a base unit housing a heating element for heating up the wok, a lid substantially covering the wok, at least a portion of the lid being able to rotate relative to the wok, a shaft secured to the rotating portion of the lid, a stirrer pivotally mounted to the shaft, a controller housed in the base unit controlling the heating element and rotations of the shaft and the lid, the rotation of the shaft causing a part of the stirrer to sweep from an edge of the wok to approximately a center of the wok in a low path and return to an edge of the wok in a high path, in the low path the part of the stirrer approximately touching a surface of the wok, in the high path the part of the stirrer being high above and not touching the surface of the wok, and a computing device residing outside of the base unit and signally coupled to the controller, the computing device storing a computer program upon execution instructing the computing device to send operating commands to the controller, the operating commands controlling the heating element and the rotations of the shaft and the lid.

Disclosed is a cooking device with optical identification means for identifying food to be cooked. A motion detector is provided to activate the optical identification means. The motion detector may also activate a light source for lighting the field of vision of the optical means. Optical identification is controlled by the outer appearance of the food. A controller accesses a physical feature database and compares previously stored picture data to the physical features of the food to be cooked. The controller calculates a matching probability rank between the stored picture data and the food to be cooked. The controller is also programmed to have a learning ability for recognizing a previously unknown food product. Based upon the identification of the food product to be cooked, the cooking device starts the recipe for cooking the food product.

Provided is a household electrical food-cooking appliance including: a housing having a container arranged such as to receive the food to be cooked; a removable cover arranged such as to close the container while cooking; at least one safety switch arranged in the housing in order to turn off at least one electrical circuit of the appliance when the cover is not closing the container and in order to turn on said at least one electrical circuit when the cover is closing the container; and a cam having at least one control surface arranged such as to actuate a key for controlling said at least one safety switch in a direction in which the control key is pressed. Said appliance is characterized in that the cover includes a control finger arranged such as to actuate a surface for inputting the cam in a direction for moving the input surface in a direction that is different from the one in which the key is pressed while the container is open, such as to turn off said at least one electrical circuit, and while the container is closed, such as to turn on said at least one electrical circuit.

A method of regulating the temperature of a cooking liquid during sous vide cooking in a cooking vessel on a burner of a cooktop includes setting a desired cooking temperature and measuring the temperature of the cooking liquid inside the sous vide cooking vessel at a plurality of predetermined time intervals with a first temperature sensor mounted on an interior surface of a wall of the sous vide cooking vessel. The temperature of the cooking liquid is compared to the desired cooking temperature at each of the predetermined time intervals. The energy output of the burner is controlled based on the difference between the temperature of the cooking liquid and the desired cooking temperature. A cooking vessel and system for sous vide cooking using this method are also disclosed.

A method for translating cooking time and temperatures for prepackaged food products. The sous-vide program allows users to cook to a food manufacturer recommended doneness based on the size, shape and fat content of the food. The program also lets user adjust setting if the users modified the food product like cut it in half. The program can be located on the sous vide cooking device or on person computing device.

A tabletop cooking assembly for preparing foods thereon comprises a cooking element having a cooking area and a vent disposed peripherally to one side of the cooking element defining an aperture for receiving smoke from the cooking element. The assembly includes a first exhaust duct, a filter assembly, an electrostatic precipitator, and a high velocity blower. The first exhaust duct is substantially unobstructed and in fluid communication with the vent for directing smoke away from the cooking element. The high velocity blower is in fluid communication with the first exhaust duct and the filter assembly for drawing smoke from the cooking element through the vent. The heating system includes a retaining plate, a plurality of heating strips, and an insulating material. The heating strips are disposed between the retaining plate and the heating surface to heat the cooking area for preparing foods thereon.