A vending machine is provided for vending pieces of bread that are toasted on the spot. The vending machine includes a control module; a toaster module; a screen displaying a graphical interface showing information related to the sale of the product; a contactless user interface for selecting the desired type and quantity of product; a storage device for storing the pieces of bread or product for sale; a pair of product feed modules set up to receive product from the storage device and feed a toaster module with the product selected by the user; an exit device allowing the exit of the product piece halves from underneath the toaster module, and a transport devices. The product halves are slid and conveyed to an exit outside the housing of the vending machine so that the user can take the purchased product.

A discrete zone energy transmission system is provided. The system includes an object treatment area, an array of energy transmission elements configured to direct energy toward predetermined zones in the treatment area, a sensor configured to detect a presence and a location of an object in the treatment area, and a controller in communication with the array of energy transmission elements and the sensor. The controller is configured to receive presence and location data from the sensor, assign the data to the predetermined zones, and control an operation of the array of energy transmission elements to selectively radiate energy from the array of energy transmission elements only toward a select number of zones in the object treatment area based on the presence and location data, thereby selectively radiating the energy from the array of energy transmission elements only toward the object in the treatment area.

A heating assembly for a cooking appliance, such as a toaster or oven, has a support and/or heating element with a curved shape having a concave side facing a cooking cavity. The support and/or heating element may be flexible, e.g., having a planar shape when unstressed and a curved shape when stressed. The support and/or heating element may define a sheet, e.g., having a length and width. The heating element may have openings in the sheet. The heating element may be coupled to the support so as to be slidable movable relative to the support, e.g., so the heating element can slide relative to the support when the support and heating element are bent into a curved shape.

The present disclosure is directed to a multi-heat source apparatus. The multi heat source may include a fire pit and is configured to provide ambient heating with both convection heat transfer and radiation heat transfer. The multi-heat source apparatus comprises an infrared emitter for generating infrared radiation. The multi-heat source apparatus comprises a shielding member between a heat source for the convection heat transfer and another heat source for radiation heat transfer.

A C-shaped or U-shaped open radiant cooking appliance including a lower cooking cassette; an upper cooking cassette; and a posterior part together defining a cooking chamber; the appliance having a proximal portion including at least one proximal radiant element; and a distal portion including at least one distal radiant element, at least one isolation element separating the at least one distal radiant element from the at least one proximal radiant element; the isolation element including at least one first reflector configured to direct the radiation emitted by the at least one distal radiant element towards the cooking chamber.

Disclosed herein is a cooking appliance. A working coil provided at a lower portion of the cooking appliance. The working coil heats a tray disposed in a cooking compartment in an IH mode. A temperature measurement module, which measures a temperature of the tray in a contact mode, is provided in the center of the working coil. The temperature measurement module includes a module body that is elastically biased upward by a spring. The module body is inserted into the spring and supports upper and lower ends of the spring. When the module body is installed on the working coil, the lower end of the spring is supported by an installation base of the working coil. The module body and the installation base are fastened in a key-to-key groove structure.

An electric grill configured for cooking food and a method of cooking food using the electric grill includes a housing that defines an open interior and an aperture. Element frames are positioned at the sides of the open interior. Electric heating elements are positioned within the element frames and are positioned within the open interior exterior of the aperture in a direction towards the housing. The electric heating elements generate IR energy that is directed towards a middle of the open interior below the aperture. Heat energy exits the housing through the aperture by radiative heat transfer and convective heat transfer. Such convective heat transfer includes air currents circulating within the open interior past the electric heating elements and out of the aperture.

The heating cooker includes a first heater disposed below a tray to heat the tray, and second heater disposed over the tray to heat the tray. In addition, the heating cooker includes a controller that controls output of the first heater and switches energization of second heater in accordance with a kind of object to be heated and a quantity of object to be heated. Furthermore, second heater includes two plane-shaped insulators and a plurality of planar heat generators that are sandwiched between insulators, and the controller heats regions that are disposed over and below the tray to be opposed to each other by controlling energization of the first heater and second heater. Furthermore, second heater has a distortion suppressor between the plurality of planar heat generators, and the distortion suppressor suppresses internal distortion of insulators caused by heating of the plurality of planar heat generators of second heater.

This disclosure relates to a multi-planar heater element for use in a high-speed oven with a new tensioning system. Disclosed subject matter includes a radiative heater for use in a high-speed oven formed from two or more planar heater elements stacked closely to form an effective single element and allowing for extended life through the minimization of concentrated eddy currents in both elements. The disclosure further includes structures to install and remove various planar heating elements without any external tools.

A modular, two-story electric platter where more pots can be heated over the same ground surface. The second story may be removable or permanently attached to the first electric platter. An optional guard rail can protect the pots from falling off the electric platter.