A pancake cooking device with two opposable, generally circular, internally heated cooking plates having substantially smooth cooking surfaces that are cooperatively configured to be selectively placed in facing and spaced-apart relation to contact and cook flowable pancake batter disposed between the plates to form a generally circular pancake that, when removed from the device and oriented in a preferred serving position, has a substantially uniform thickness between substantially planar, top and bottom pancake surfaces, and a continuous, circumferentially extending, outwardly inclined and upwardly facing lip of substantially uniform height disposed around the perimeter of the top surface of the pancake. The pancake cooking device is desirably configured to cook each pancake in an inverted position with the circumferentially extending, outwardly inclined lip projecting downwardly and away from the top and bottom pancake surfaces when the cooked pancake is oriented in a preferred serving position.

A belt cooking apparatus (10) includes a lower frame structure (12) and an upper frame structure (14) in registry with the lower frame structure. A lower cooking conveyor belt (16) is supported by the lower frame structure (12) and correspondingly an upper conveyor belt (18) is supported by the upper frame structure (14). Heating element assemblies (20) are mounted on the lower frame structure (12) just below the lower cooking belt (16) as well as on the upper frame structure (14) just above the upper cooking belt (18). Food products are cooked while positioned between the upper and lower moving cooking conveyor belts (16) and (18) by heat generated by the heating element assemblies (20) while being advanced by the conveyor belts.

Toasting apparatus for preparing food products, e.g., buns, are provided for a griddle including a flat griddle surface onto which food products may be placed for cooking, as well as methods for using such apparatus. The apparatus includes a rigid frame movable between a raised position to place food products on or remove food products from the griddle surface and a lowered position wherein a lower surface of the frame is positioned above the griddle surface. The frame includes a plurality of flexible members, e.g., elongate strips, including intermediate regions extending from the lower surface to contact food products on the griddle surface such that the flexible members conform to shapes of food products placed on the griddle surface when the frame is placed in the lowered position to apply pressure to the food products.

A toaster oven system includes a main body, a heating element, a front door, and a top door. The main body has a cooking cavity for holding food, and in which the heating element is disposed. The main body also has a front side and a top side, with the front side defining a front opening of the main body, and the top side defining a top opening of the main body. The front door is hingedly attached to the main body and movable between a closed position and an opened position. The top door is hingedly attached to the main body and movable between a closed position and an opened position. The food is insertable or removable by the user through either the front opening or the top opening when an associated one of the front door and the top door is in the opened position.

A barbecue grill apparatus includes a first folding plate, a second folding plate, a rotating connector and a first heater. The first folding plate has a first top part, a first middle part and a first bottom part. The second folding plate has a second top part, a second middle part and a second bottom part. The rotating connector connects the first bottom part and the second bottom part for the first folding plate and the second folding plate to rotate along the rotating connector to spread with a first angle to be an open mode and to rotate along the rotating connector to collapse with a second angle to a close mode. In the open mode, a grill bracket is placed between the first folding plate and the second folding plate. The first heater placed in the first middle part to emit heat toward the grill bracket.

Devices and methods for automating the process of making flatbread, such as roti. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a housing, an ingredient metering assembly, a mixing bowl assembly, a mixing actuator assembly, a cooking assembly, and an electronic assembly. The housing defines an interior volume and has several access openings with corresponding lids and/or covers. The ingredient metering assembly includes a flour container assembly, a flour delivery system, a water reservoir, and an oil reservoir. The mixing bowl assembly includes two bowls and a measurement system. The mixing actuator assembly includes a mixing mount, a mixing motor, a mixing paddle assembly, and a lower motor. The cooking assembly includes two platens and an actuator assembly. The electronic assembly includes a power source, a control module, and a LCD input/output screen. All components are integrated within the housing such that the apparatus is a consumer grade countertop appliance.

The present technology provides a device, such as an electric grill, that cooks food items on two or more sides. The electric grill includes upper and lower elements to create the sealed interior cooking environment. One of the elements of the electric grill includes a pressure plate that compresses the distance between the upper and lower thermal plate to create a sealed interior cooking environment and to engage the food item with both an upper and lower element. The pressure plate may be compressed by one or more spring-actuated cylinders or any other suitable mechanism. The compressed cooking area allows the cooking environment to contain any smoke generated from the cooking environment.

The present disclosure provides a grill having a movable upper platen and a lower platen, the latter of which holds food products that are cooked by between the platens. The upper platen has a platen arm, locking drive, and locking pin connected thereto. An actuator, drive shaft, and drive shaft head are operably connected to the platen arm. During operation of the grill, the locking drive drives the locking pin into the drive shaft head, holding the upper platen parallel to the lower platen, even when greater downward pressure is applied by the actuator than the weight of the upper platen. In prior art devices, applying this kind of pressure would cause the upper platen to become nonparallel to the lower platen, causing uneven cooking. Locking the upper platen horizontally ensures that the upper platen will not go out of horizontal level when it comes into contact with food products on the lower platen.

Implementations claimed and described herein provide system and methods for controlling griddle temperature. In one implementation, a temperature measurement of a region of a griddle top is obtained. The temperature measurement is captured using one or more sensors. A set temperature range is obtained for the region of the griddle top. The temperature measurement is compared to the set temperature range. One or more burners are adjusted based on whether the temperature measurement is within the set temperature range. The temperature of the region of the griddle top is maintained within the set temperature range using the one or more burners.

A sandwich maker includes a base, a first hot-pressing module, a connecting rod set, a second hot-pressing module, a driving motor, and a control module. The first hot-pressing module is assembled to the base. The connecting rod set is pivotally disposed on the base and pivots between a standby position and a heating position. The second hot-pressing module is assembled to the connecting rod set, and is moved between the standby position and the heating position driven by the connecting rod set. At the standby position, the second hot-pressing module is far away from the first hot-pressing module. At the heating position, the second hot-pressing module correspondingly covers the first hot-pressing module. The driving motor is connected to and drives the connecting rod set. The control module is electrically connected to and controls the first hot-pressing module, the second hot-pressing module, and the driving motor.