A cooking appliance includes a cooktop including an energy transmission unit for transmitting energy in order to heat a place-on appliance placed on the cooktop, and a PEF (“Pulsed Electric Fields”) cooking apparatus including a receptacle accessible from a top side of the cooktop and designed for insertion of a PEF container. The receptacle includes a connection contact for electrically connecting to the PEF container inserted in the receptacle.

Hot surface igniter assemblies used in cooktops are shown and described. The hot surface igniters include a silicon nitride ceramic body with an embedded, resistive, heat-generating circuit. The igniters are less than 0.04 inches thick, and when energized, they reach surface temperatures in excess of 2000° F. in under 4 seconds to ignite combustible gas such as propane, butane, or natural gas. Examples of cook top burner systems are also provided which allow the igniter to remain on after ignition at a power level that is lower than during ignition but high enough to ignite the cooking gas should a flame out occur. Examples are also provided of burners that ignite on a low flow setting (e.g., simmer) as opposed the high flow settings that are common in cook top industry.

Hot surface igniter assemblies used in cooktops are shown and described. The hot surface igniters include a silicon nitride ceramic body with an embedded, resistive, heat-generating circuit. The igniters are less than 0.04 inches thick, and when energized, they reach surface temperatures in excess of 2000° F. in under 4 seconds to ignite cooking gas such as propane, butane, or natural gas. Examples of cook top burner systems are also provided which allow the igniter to remain on after ignition at a power level that is lower than during ignition but high enough to ignite the cooking gas should a flame out occur. Examples are also provided of burners that ignite on a low flow setting (e.g., simmer) as opposed the high flow settings that are common in cook top industry.

A cooking device top plate according to the present disclosure comprises: a crystallized glass substrate containing Li.sub.2O-Al.sub.2O.sub.3-SiO.sub.2 as a main component and a transition element; and a substrate color improving layer provided on a lower surface of the crystallized glass substrate, the substrate color improving layer containing a blue pigment and including a brightness enhancing layer having a refractive index smaller than that of the crystallized glass substrate or not less than (a refractive index of the crystallized glass substrate+0.1).

A cooking device top plate according to the present disclosure comprises: a crystallized glass substrate containing Li.sub.2O-Al.sub.2O.sub.3-SiO.sub.2 as a main component and a transition element; and a substrate color improving layer provided on a lower surface of the crystallized glass substrate, the substrate color improving layer containing a blue pigment and including a brightness enhancing layer having a refractive index smaller than that of the crystallized glass substrate or not less than (a refractive index of the crystallized glass substrate+0.1).

A gas stove, including: a stove body, a range hood, a closed stove, and an exhaust system. The closed stove is disposed in the stove body. The closed stove includes a heat conduction panel, a burner, and a thermal insulation and guide device. The thermal insulation and guide device is disposed around the burner. The heat conduction panel is disposed on the top of the thermal insulation and guide device, and a combustion chamber is formed therebetween. The range hood is disposed on the stove body. The range hood includes a fume absorption inlet for receiving oil fumes formed in the process of food cooking. The stove body includes a fume release channel. The fume release channel communicates with the fume absorption inlet. The thermal insulation and guide device includes a smoke outlet for discharging hot smoke in the combustion chamber.

A gas stove, including: a stove body, a range hood, a closed stove, and an exhaust system. The closed stove is disposed in the stove body. The closed stove includes a heat conduction panel, a burner, and a thermal insulation and guide device. The thermal insulation and guide device is disposed around the burner. The heat conduction panel is disposed on the top of the thermal insulation and guide device, and a combustion chamber is formed therebetween. The range hood is disposed on the stove body. The range hood includes a fume absorption inlet for receiving oil fumes formed in the process of food cooking. The stove body includes a fume release channel. The fume release channel communicates with the fume absorption inlet. The thermal insulation and guide device includes a smoke outlet for discharging hot smoke in the combustion chamber.

The invention relates to a vapour extraction device for extracting cooking vapours downward. The vapour extraction device comprises a fan apparatus for sucking in the cooking vapours having a fan impeller which can be driven in rotation, a fan motor for supplying a drive torque, and a releasable fan coupling for transmitting the drive torque to the fan impeller.

A method for the manufacture of a worktop formed of at least one glass-ceramic substrate with a surface area of greater than 0.7 m.sup.2 in which at least one cycle of ceramization of a glass plate with a surface area of greater than 0.7 m.sup.2 is carried out in a manner where the rate of passage is reduced or the length of the ceramization furnace or the residence time in said furnace is increased.

A method for the manufacture of a worktop formed of at least one glass-ceramic substrate with a surface area of greater than 0.7 m.sup.2 in which at least one cycle of ceramization of a glass plate with a surface area of greater than 0.7 m.sup.2 is carried out in a manner where the rate of passage is reduced or the length of the ceramization furnace or the residence time in said furnace is increased.