A Lasagna noodle cooking and drying rack including, a plurality of noodle cooking shelves formed from a plurality of horizontal shelf arms and a plurality of horizontal support members with the horizontal shelf arms attached to a plurality of vertical shelf support structures at an incline to hold the noodles securely on their individual shelves during the cooking process. Cooking the noodles on their individual shelves prevents the noodles from sticking together and promotes even cooking of the noodles which in turn prevents them from breaking apart when they are removed from the cooking water. The Lasagna noodle cooking and drying rack has a removable handle which can be hooked on to the two end vertical support structures to lift the rack from the cooking pot. The Lasagna noodles can be drained and dried on their individual shelves after the rack is lifted out of the cooking water.

A method includes inserting a food item into an inner volume of a thermal container. A liquid circulating through a liquid jacket at least partially surrounding and fluidically isolated from the inner volume of the thermal container is cooled such that thermal energy from the food item is transferred to the cooled liquid. After the cooling, thermal energy from a first heating element is transferred to the liquid circulating through the liquid jacket such that thermal energy from the heated liquid is transferred to the food item. Thermal energy from a second heating element is transferred to the food item in response to a criterion being satisfied. The second heating element is different from the first heating element and is disposed in the inner volume of the thermal container.

A method includes inserting a food item into an inner volume of a thermal container. A liquid circulating through a liquid jacket at least partially surrounding and fluidically isolated from the inner volume of the thermal container is cooled such that thermal energy from the food item is transferred to the cooled liquid. After the cooling, thermal energy from a first heating element is transferred to the liquid circulating through the liquid jacket such that thermal energy from the heated liquid is transferred to the food item. Thermal energy from a second heating element is transferred to the food item in response to a criterion being satisfied. The second heating element is different from the first heating element and is disposed in the inner volume of the thermal container.

Slow cookers are described that have multiple cooking modes that are based on user selected choices, including the cooking mode and the desired doneness or temperature of the food product to be cooked. Preferably, plural cooking modes are provided to be selected that include the use of a temperature probe to provided temperature feedback information. A control module can be mounted to the slow cooking and programmed to control the multiple cooking modes and the temperature probe can be operatively connected to the control module to provide sensed temperature data for use in the various cooking modes. Preferably, the cooking modes using the temperature probe include the heating of a cooking vessel within the slow cooker for heating the food product or a liquid within the cooking vessel to a desired temperature and to permit the user greater flexibility in cooking options and to vary option at time during the cooking processes. Moreover, the cooking modes preferably also provide functionality to control the cooking processes after a selected temperature is attained.

Slow cookers are described that have multiple cooking modes that are based on user selected choices, including the cooking mode and the desired doneness or temperature of the food product to be cooked. Preferably, plural cooking modes are provided to be selected that include the use of a temperature probe to provided temperature feedback information. A control module can be mounted to the slow cooking and programmed to control the multiple cooking modes and the temperature probe can be operatively connected to the control module to provide sensed temperature data for use in the various cooking modes. Preferably, the cooking modes using the temperature probe include the heating of a cooking vessel within the slow cooker for heating the food product or a liquid within the cooking vessel to a desired temperature and to permit the user greater flexibility in cooking options and to vary option at time during the cooking processes. Moreover, the cooking modes preferably also provide functionality to control the cooking processes after a selected temperature is attained.

A sous vide cooker having a housing, a bulkhead attached to the housing to form a first cavity, a heat sink attached to the bulkhead to form a second cavity, and a skirt attached to the bulkhead to form a third cavity below the heat sink. A TRIAC is physically attached in conductive thermal communication to the heat sink in the second cavity. The cooker also has a motor, an impeller located in the third cavity, a drive shaft extending through at least the heat sink and into the third cavity and operatively connecting the motor to the impeller, and a heating element located within the third cavity.

A sous vide cooker having a housing, a bulkhead attached to the housing to form a first cavity, a heat sink attached to the bulkhead to form a second cavity, and a skirt attached to the bulkhead to form a third cavity below the heat sink. A TRIAC is physically attached in conductive thermal communication to the heat sink in the second cavity. The cooker also has a motor, an impeller located in the third cavity, a drive shaft extending through at least the heat sink and into the third cavity and operatively connecting the motor to the impeller, and a heating element located within the third cavity.

Food preparation includes utilizing food immersion into low temperature cooking fluids, high temperature cooking fluids, or a combination of applications thereof. Foods are generally closely wrapped in vented, pliable, formidable outer skins. An example construction of such an outer skin is provided, as are examples of food preparation processes.

Food preparation includes utilizing food immersion into low temperature cooking fluids, high temperature cooking fluids, or a combination of applications thereof. Foods are generally closely wrapped in vented, pliable, formidable outer skins. An example construction of such an outer skin is provided, as are examples of food preparation processes.

Predictive cooking systems and methods. A representative system can include a cooking device submergible in a container of fluid and a memory device storing instructions for causing a processor to receive information and determine heater set point temperature and on time. The processor can receive information indicative of one or more characteristics of a food item to be cooked in the fluid and a desired food temperature. The processor can perform a control process that can include sending instructions for controlling a heater, obtaining a temperature measurement of the fluid from a temperature sensor, determining a measurement of power delivered to the heater, determining constants related to corresponding physical characteristics of the fluid and/or the container based on at least one of the temperature measurement and the measurement of power, and determining a food temperature of the food item.