An oven may include a cooking chamber configured to receive a heat modulating material (HMM), a radio frequency (RF) heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber, and a cooking controller configured to control the frequency of RF energy provided by the RF heating system into the cooking chamber. The MINI may be configured to contain a food product and may include a thermally active section. The thermally active section may include a base matrix and a particulate material dispersed in the base matrix.

A heating apparatus that applies energy waves to an item located therein includes a main body including a cavity that houses the item, and an energy beam module that converts power from at least one power source into at least one energy beam, and emits the at least one energy beam to intersect with the item, which is directed to the item by at least one of a beam convertor or at least one wall of the cavity. At least one processor determines a plurality of power distributions of energy beams onto at least one surface of the item in respective different configurations of the energy beam module, determines at least one power distribution of the determined plurality of power distributions based on attributes of the item, and controls the energy beam module to perform heating of the item by emitting the energy beams to the item based on the determined at least one power distribution.

In a method for treating food in a food handling device with a parameter configuration a measured value distribution of a surface property of the food is determined after expiration of the period of time by means of a sensor. A pattern of change is calculated from a comparison of the p-th measured value distribution with a measured value distribution determined previously. An assessment value Bq which represents a difference between a deviation of a target distribution from the measured value distribution and a deviation of the target distribution from a prediction pattern is calculated for all patterns of change stored hitherto. The prediction pattern is formed by superimposing the measured value distribution with the respective pattern of change, and the parameter configuration is set for which the assessment value Bq meets at least one predetermined criterion.

A microwave treatment device comprises: a heating chamber that accommodates an object to be heated; a microwave generator that generates a microwave in a specified frequency band; an amplifier that amplifies the microwave; a feeding unit that supplies the amplified microwave to the heating chamber; a detector that detects a reflected microwave power; and a controller. The controller selects one of plural frequencies in the specified frequency band and causes the microwave generator to generate the microwave with the selected frequency. The controller causes the amplifier to change an output power of the microwave so that the microwave supplied to the heating chamber has one of plural output powers. The controller measures a reflected microwave frequency characteristic based on reflected microwave powers detected under each of a condition that the microwave has a first output power and a condition that the microwave has a second output power.

A food preparation appliance includes a processing mechanism, a thermal element, a sensor positioned to acquire identifying data regarding identifying characteristics of a food product to be processed by the food preparation appliance, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive the identifying data from the sensor, identify a type of the food product based on the identifying data, and automatically set a predefined operating parameter of at least one of the processing mechanism and the thermal element to provide target processing of the food product based on the type and the identifying characteristics.

A microwave treatment device of the present disclosure includes heating chamber (1) for accommodating object (2) to be heated, microwave generator (3), heater (7), power feeder (4), detector (5), and controller (6). Microwave generator (3) generates microwaves. Heater (7) includes a heat source other than the microwaves and heats an inside of heating chamber (1). Power feeder (4) supplies the heating chamber with the microwaves. Detector (5) detects reflected power from power feeder (4). Controller (6) controls heater (7) and microwave generator (3). When heater (7) carries out heating, Controller (6) causes microwave generator (3) to generate the microwaves in heating by heater (7). The microwaves have output power such that the reflected power at a level detectable by detector (5) returns. By present disclosure, by understanding progress of cooking, a heating target can be appropriately cooked.

A cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber wall delimiting a cooking chamber and including an opening, and a motor-movable changing device arranged outside the cooking chamber and including at least two sensor units for detecting a property of the cooking chamber. The changing device can be set in such a way by motorized movement that one of the at least two sensor units can be positioned in front of the opening at a time for detecting the property of the cooking chamber through the opening.

An electromagnetic cooking device is provided having a controller and a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into an enclosed cavity to heat up a food load. The controller is configured to: select a heating target; generate a heating strategy to determine a sequence of desired heating patterns; cause the RF feeds to output an RF signal to thereby excite the enclosed cavity; monitor the created heating patterns to measure resonances in the enclosed cavity and store a map of efficiency in frequency and phase domains from which the controller identifies resonant modes and Q-factors associated therewith; continue to monitor the created heating patterns and store maps of efficiency in the frequency and phase domains until a specified change is detected in at least one Q-factor; and when the specified change in the at least one Q-factor is identified, stop cooking the food load.

A sound sensing module for monitoring the operation of an appliance includes a microphone for monitoring sound generated during operation of the appliance and a controller operably coupled to the microphone. The controller can obtain a sound signal generated during operation of the appliance, analyze the sound signal to identify a sound signature corresponding to an operating event, and implement a responsive action, such as providing a user notification, providing troubleshooting instructions, ordering a replacement part, scheduling a maintenance visit.

A heating appliance includes a housing having interior walls with interior surfaces defining a cooking chamber for heating food, a microwave heating source configured to generate microwave radiation for heating the food, and a hybrid easy-to-clean coating on at least a portion of the interior surfaces, the hybrid easy-to-clean coating including a microwave absorbing component and a super hydrophobic component.