Disclosed is a cooking apparatus including a cooking chamber and, being open in a first direction, a shelf insertable into the cooking chamber in the first direction and including a container, and a magnetron to generate a high frequency to be supplied to the shelf, wherein the shelf includes a heat generating member to generate heat by the high frequency generated from the magnetron, the container includes a first container disposed on one side in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a second container disposed on the other side in the second direction, and a holder to detachably support the first and second containers, the heat generating member includes a first heat generating member disposed on the first container to provide heat to the first container, and a second heat generating member disposed on the second container to provide heat to the second container.

Processes and systems that enhance the heating of packaged foodstuffs and other items in various microwave heating systems are described herein. The foodstuffs may be contained in a package including one or more energy control elements that interact with microwave energy in order to alter the effect that microwave energy has on the foodstuff. These energy control elements can enhance or inhibit microwave energy and a single package may include one or more energy control elements. In some cases, the energy control element may respond differently to different types of microwave energy. As a result, some packages described herein may exhibit different absorption or reflectance characteristics when exposed to microwave energy while being pasteurized or sterilized in a larger-scale microwave heating system than when the package is reheated in an at-home microwave oven prior to consumption or use.

An automated microwave oven configured to autonomously determine a duration of time for heating an object based on a location of the object in a microwave cavity. The heating duration may be a function of cumulative energy estimated to be experienced by the object due to the object location, e.g., radial distance from center, under rotational motion of the rotating tray. A concentric energy visualization is provided on an interior surface of the microwave cavity, representing a function of cumulative energy experienced under rotational motion of a rotating tray about its center-line. The visualization may comprise a plurality of rings concentric about the center-line, each concentric ring representing a constant value of the function of cumulative energy, oscillating in value along the radial length of the rotating tray.

An apparatus for heating a load with microwave energy is provided. The microwave energy is applied by the apparatus at frequencies wherein the load's dielectric constant is within a predetermined range. The apparatus may include a microwave power source configured to supply microwave energy at the applied frequencies; and a radiating plate. The radiating plate may include an electrically conductive structure that includes a plurality of radiating elements; and a feeding port, connecting the electrically conductive structure to the microwave power source. The radiating plate is configured so that most of the power fed from the microwave source through the feeding port returns towards the power source when no load is contacting the radiating plate, and most of the power fed from the microwave source through the feeding port is absorbed by the load to be heated by the apparatus when the load is contacting the radiating plate, even in absence of a microwave cavity that encloses the radiating plate and the load.

A biodegradable microwave susceptor and constructs incorporating the susceptor are disclosed for heating a food item in a microwave oven. The biodegradable microwave susceptor includes a patterned susceptor layer of metal on a biodegradable substrate. Selected areas of the susceptor layer may be demetallized to remove susceptor material. The susceptor may be incorporated into a construct for containing or supporting a food item to be heated.

A microwave heating apparatus is disclosed. The heating apparatus comprises a cavity comprising a ceiling and a bottom support plate. The cavity is arranged to receive a food load. The apparatus further comprises at least one microwave supply system configured to supply microwaves at the cavity bottom. The at least one microwave supply system comprises at least one microwave source and at least one antenna arranged below the bottom support plate. The apparatus further comprises a heat element and a crisp plate. The heat element is connected proximate the ceiling and extends substantially over a ceiling area formed by the ceiling. The crisp plate is disposed in the cavity and vertically spaced from the bottom support plate by a rack.

An automated microwave oven configured to autonomously determine a duration of time for heating an object based on a location of the object in a microwave cavity. The heating duration may be a function of cumulative energy estimated to be experienced by the object due to the object location, e.g., radial distance from center, under rotational motion of the rotating tray. A concentric energy visualization is provided on an interior surface of the microwave cavity, representing a function of cumulative energy experienced under rotational motion of a rotating tray about its center-line. The visualization may comprise a plurality of rings concentric about the center-line, each concentric ring representing a constant value of the function of cumulative energy, oscillating in value along the radial length of the rotating tray.

The cooking device for a microwave oven comprises an assembly (1) including a micro-wave heatable cooking element (10) and two handles (20) made of a thermo-insulating material transparent to microwaves removably attached to opposite end sections of the cooking element (10). The cooking element (10) comprises a sheet metal plate (11) defining a cooking surface (4a) on a first side thereof and a heat absorbing surface (4b) on an opposite second side thereof, and an induction layer (12) made of a microwave-absorbing material laid on the heat absorbing surface (4b) of the sheet metal plate (11) in thermal contact therewith. The sheet metal plate (11) has a smooth continuous perimetral edge (13) with no vertexes and a shaped perimetral region (14) adjacent to the perimetral edge (13). The shaped perimetral region (14) is bent, preferably more than 180 degrees, towards one side of the sheet metal plate (11).

A microwave heating sheet includes a substrate and a heating layer disposed on a first surface of the substrate. The heating layer includes a polar solvent that has a boiling point of not less than 100 C. and a polyelectrolyte that is dissolved in the polar solvent.

Some embodiments provide a multi-purpose microwave cooking apparatus. The cooking apparatus has a metallic vessel having a bottom surface, a side wall, and an edge. An open region is defined with the side wall extending from the bottom surface to the outer edge. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the outer side wall is coated with a layer of exothermic coating to insulate the vessel and generate thermal energy from microwave radiation.