A wirelessly operable cooking appliance for cooking food products includes a wireless communication device. A computing device, such as a smartphone, can wirelessly communicate with the cooking appliance to control and monitor the cooking appliance.

A cooking appliance such as a range or stovetop incorporates cooking container sensing for controlling burner ignition and/or triggering events in programmed cooking sequences.

A method for adjusting an appliance heating element power level includes adjusting a heating element to a first power level in response to actuation of a user input to a first level setting and adjusting the heating element from the first power level to a second power level in response to actuation of the user input to a second level setting. The second power level of the heating element is different than the first power level of the heating element, and the second level setting is next to the first level setting within a power level setting sequence. The method also includes adjusting the heating element from the second power level to a third power level in response to actuation of the user input back to the first level setting. The third power level of the heating element is between the first and second power levels of the heating element.

An induction heating device includes a first resonance circuit comprising a first working coil and a first resonance capacitor, a first inverter electrically connected to the first resonance circuit and configured to perform a first switching operation to thereby apply a first resonance current to the first working coil, a first group of snubber capacitors that are configured to be electrically connected to the first inverter, the first group of snubber capacitors comprising a first snubber capacitor and a second snubber capacitor, and a first relay configured to selectively connect the first group of snubber capacitors to the first inverter.

An immersion circulator cooking device comprising: a motor for drawing fluid used for cooking past a heating element; a heating element for heating the fluid; a first switching device used in a first power mode for controlling the heating element; a second switching device used in a second power mode for controlling the heating element; a temperature sensor for sensing a sensed device temperature of the first switching device; and a controller for selecting which of the first power mode and second power mode is selected based on the sensed device temperature of the first switching device.

An electric heating plate for electric cooking apparatuses is provided with the capability to prevent unintended ignition of cooking oil. The heating plate includes an electric heating conductor as the heat source and a temperature controller electrically connected with the heating conductor, sensing the temperature of the cooking vessel, controlling the heating plate output power, and limiting the temperature of the cooking oil in the cooking vessel. With this heating plate, the electric cooking apparatus will be able to prevent cooking oil ignition during cooking, while the minimum cooking temperature for a daily cooking is still maintained.

A method for controlling a cooking temperature within a cooking appliance is described. The preferred method includes setting a desired cooking temperature (T) for the cooking appliance via a temperature setting input, and operating the heating element to raise an internal temperature within the cooking chamber based on a power input strategy. Preferably, the power input strategy includes selecting an initial power (PO) between 50% and 100% power, powering the heating element at the initial power using an on/off cycle of N milliseconds based on the formulas:

on time=(P.sub.i).Math.N milliseconds; and

off time=(100−P.sub.i).Math.N milliseconds;

then, reducing the initial power to a reduced power (P.sub.r) as the rising internal temperature within the cooking chamber approaches the desired cooking temperature, wherein the reduced power (P.sub.r) is between 1% and 99% power. Finally, the desired temperature is maintained within the cooking chamber.

An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heater comprising a heating element having a region that does not contain a surface heating portion. The apparatus further includes a thermostat positioned in the region. The thermostat includes a contact surface disposed to make contact with an object placed on the surface heating portion. The thermostat includes a switch configured to prevent a current from conducting through the heating element when the contact surface experiences a temperature equal to or greater than a temperature limit. The apparatus further includes a medallion coupled to the thermostat and positioned below a top surface of the heating element, the medallion comprising an aperture shaped to allow the contact surface to extend through the aperture to make contact with the object. The apparatus includes an urging element configured to provide vertical movement of the medallion in response to a downward force applied from the object.

A cooking vessel sensor and an induction heating device including a cooking vessel sensor is provided. The cooking vessel sensor may include a cylindrical hollow body having a first receiving space defined therein; a hollow cylindrical magnetic core received in the first space and having a second receiving space defined therein; and a sensing coil wound on an outer face of the side wall by a predetermined number of winding counts. The cylindrical hollow body may have a side wall having a coil outlet defined therein, and the sensing coil may pass through the coil outlet out of the body. The cooking vessel sensor may further include a controller that applies a current to the sensing coil and determines, based on a sensing result of the cooking vessel sensor, whether the cooking vessel is inductive or has an inductive heating property.

A heat modulating system includes a heat source, a temperature sensor proximate the heat source, and a controller in connection with the temperature sensor and the heat source. The controller modulates a rate of temperature increase of the heat source based on temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and at a temperature set point detected by the temperature sensor the controller modulates power to the heat source to help to prevent unintended autoignition of cooking oil.