A surface heater including a substrate, an insulating layer positioned on the substrate, and a heater layer positioned on the insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer and the heating layer are co-fired.

A cooktop for a fixed or mobile cooking appliance, including a base plate, at least a part, or all, of a peripheral outer edge of a window being in the plane of a peripheral outer edge of the base plate, at least one end plate which is made of different material than that of a seal and is disposed above or on the seal, at least a part of an outer surface of the seal which is located between an outer surface of the base plate and an outer surface of the window being covered by the end plate.

A heating device has a sheet-like heating element and a holding device for the heating element, wherein the heating element is held along an outer edge on the holding device and, by way of at least 70% of its surface area, runs freely within the holding device. The heating element has a weave which at least partially contains heating conductor material. Therefore, warp threads can advantageously be composed of electrically conductive heating conductor material, and weft threads can be composed of carbon fibre or ceramic fibres. The heating element can be centrally supported or be provided with a structuring over its surface area, which structuring stabilizes the heating element, for example can be corrugated.

A cooking device includes a body, at least one functional element which is positioned on the body; and a ceramic-based panel which is positioned on the outer section of the body. At least one conductive strip is directly passed through the ceramic-based panel so as to transmit electricity to the functional element through the ceramic-based panel. The conductive strip can be electrically positively or negatively charged. The functional element may be a motor or an illumination element which can function at low voltage.

A cooktop is provided that has a glass ceramic cooking plate, at least one heater arranged below the glass ceramic cooking plate, and at least one touch sensor. The touch sensor is operable across the glass ceramic cooking plate for adjusting the power of the at least one heater. The glass ceramic cooking plate has an increased strength and is therefore produced with a reduced thickness, whereby the sensitivity and reliability of the touch sensor is significantly improved.

An isothermal cooking plate assembly is formed from a first plate of high thermal conductivity material having a back surface and an oppositely disposed top cooking surface. One or more heater circuit assemblies are disposed on the first plate back surface for forming a composite having a back surface. A controller is in electrical connection with the heater circuit assemblies for controlling temperature of the first plate of high thermal conductivity material. The first plate can be substantially pure one or more aluminum, substantially pure copper, or aluminum nitride. The first plate can be a laminate formed from a clad bottom metal layer and clad top cooking surface metal layer, where the clad layers formed from the same material and having about the same thickness. The clad material can be austenitic stainless steel. A second plate of low thermal conductivity material can be attached to the composite back surface.

An isothermal cooking plate assembly is formed from a first plate of high thermal conductivity material having a back surface and an oppositely disposed top cooking surface. One or more heater circuit assemblies are disposed on the first plate back surface for forming a composite having a back surface. A controller is in electrical connection with the heater circuit assemblies for controlling temperature of the first plate of high thermal conductivity material. The first plate can be substantially pure one or more aluminum, substantially pure copper, or aluminum nitride. The first plate can be a laminate formed from a clad bottom metal layer and clad top cooking surface metal layer, where the clad layers formed from the same material and having about the same thickness. The clad material can be austenitic stainless steel. A second plate of low thermal conductivity material can be attached to the composite back surface.