A kitchen appliance has a power switch for controlling supply of power to a motor and a separate control circuit (18) for controlling the speed. A button (14) for control by the user is provided for controlling both the actuation and speed. A carrier (40) carries the button, and also carries a first actuator (44, 86) for mechanically actuating the power switch when the button is first moved. When the button is further moved, the motor speed is controlled.

A multifunction cooking range with sous-vides functionality. Cooking ranges are found in every home and in every restaurant; with the addition of a high precision temperature controller attached to the heating elements, a fluidic temperature control device, the range can also be configured to enable sous-vide cooking. By using a pot filled with fluid located on a burner, the user would immerse a fluidic temperature control device in the pot while using the burner with a heating element that is modulated by the controller and temperature sensor.

A cooking appliance for processing food, more specifically a cooking appliance of the type that include a body housing an electric motor, a shaft for actuating a processing tool, and an integral handle, the various processing tools being coupled to the body by means of an arm that comprises an implement, such as a grinding, whisking or mixing implement, where the operating control of the appliance (on, off, rotating speed of the implement, etc.) is carried out by means of a sensor system that can detect a characteristic or predetermined movement performed on the appliance and can interpret said movement as an operating instruction, for example, turning the implement on, turning it off, and establishing and controlling the rotating speed thereof, etc.

A pot lid assembly comprises a pot lid, an electric motor assembly and a mixing apparatus. The electric motor assembly is fixed to the pot lid. The mixing apparatus includes a stirring rod and a plurality of stirring vanes. The electric motor assembly includes an electric motor. The electric motor includes a rotary shaft operatively connected with the stirring rod so that the electric motor can cause the stirring rod to rotate. The pot lid is configured to cover the pot body to form a closed cooking space. When the pot lid is removed from the pot body, the rotary shaft is disengaged from the stirring rod, and the mixing apparatus can stand in the cooking space of the pot body, with the stirring vanes serving as a support. The mixing apparatus remains in the cooking space of the pot body after the removal of the pot lid.

A lid and blade assembly for a micro puree machine includes a lid having a central aperture for receiving a central hub of the blade. At least two cutting arms and at least two mixing arms extend radially outward from the central hub. A retaining component retains the blade within the lid during processing. The lid includes a recess below the retaining component for collecting slush and ice displaced by the blade during processing. Portions of the blade also include serrated grooves for clearing slush deposits when the blade engages the lid.

A micro puree machine including a housing, a power shaft, a bowl assembly and a platform. The power shaft extends from the housing. The bowl assembly including at least one locking bowl element. The platform includes at least one complementary locking platform element that is configured to engage the at least one locking bowl element such that rotation of the bowl assembly relative to the platform is prevented at times the bowl assembly is positioned thereon. The platform is rotatable from a first position to a second position relative to the housing such that the platform raises the bowl assembly towards the power shaft during the rotation of the bowl assembly and platform. The raising of the bowl assembly facilitates connection between the power shaft and a blade assembly that is positioned in a lid assembly on the bowl assembly. A blade assembly detection system detects proper positioning of the blade assembly within the lid assembly.

Food processing apparatuses having a drive unit which has more than one mode of operation, works with more than one food processing container, and/or may be operated in more than orientation are disclosed. The drive unit may be operated in first and second modes of operation. In some embodiments, the drive unit may be actuated in a different manner in the second mode of operation as compared to the first mode of operation. In some embodiments, the orientation of the drive unit in the second mode of operation is vertically flipped upside-down as compared to the orientation of the drive unit in the first mode of operation.

A handheld kitchen appliance assembly including a drive unit having a housing, a rechargeable battery disposed within the housing, and a motor disposed within the housing and powered by the battery. The handheld appliance assembly also includes a tool having an attachment portion for releasably connecting the tool to the drive unit. The tool is selectively driven by the drive unit when the tool is connected to the drive unit. A charging unit includes a cavity sized and shaped to receive a portion of the drive unit. The charging unit includes a power supply and is configured to send a charging current to the battery of the drive unit to recharge the battery when the drive unit is received within the cavity. A cradle includes an opening sized and shaped to support the tool when the tool is disconnected from the drive unit. The cradle includes a linkage that is engagable with the charging unit for selectively connecting the cradle to the charging unit.

A kitchen appliance has a power unit 2 and a removable tool 4 connected through a mechanical interface 12. A controller 16 controls an electric motor 14 driving the tool 4 through the mechanical interface. A vibration sensor 18 identifies the vibrations of the tool and feeds the vibration data to the controller 16. The controller may use the vibration data to identify the tool and/or to select an appropriate drive pattern based on the sensed vibration.

A hand blender comprises a motor unit and a tool unit. The motor unit comprises a motor unit coupling part for coupling the tool unit to the motor unit. The tool unit will be coupled onto the motor unit via the motor unit's motor unit coupling part and the tool unit's tool unit coupling part. Coupling of the tool unit directly onto the end part of motor reduces the tolerance along the longitudinal axis of the motor unit. Reduction of tolerance is advantageous as it reduces vibration and noise and as it reduces the load on the coupling parts.