A system and method for cooking food in a valved pouch. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a vacuum sealer that vacuum seals uncooked food in the pouch; a cooker that heats the vacuum sealed pouch containing the uncooked food to cook the food; and a control that modulates a cooking temperature and a cooking time at which the cooker cooks the vacuum sealed pouch containing the uncooked food to selectively partially or completely cook the food in the vacuum sealed pouch. The cooking temperature and cooking time are selected such that the valve of the vacuum sealed pouch remains closed in the cooker throughout the cooking time. The valve is selected to open during subsequent retherming of the cooked food in the vacuum sealed pouch to allow steam and/or vapor to escape from the pouch to the ambient.

A vacuum cooking appliance is provided. The vacuum cooking appliance may include a housing in which a housing mount and a vacuum packing module mount may be located at adjacent positions, a first container configured to accommodate liquid inside an accommodation space therein and coupled to the container mount, a heater configured to heat the liquid accommodated inside the first container, a vacuum pressure generator installed at the vacuum packing module mount and configured to suction air inside a food packing container, and a vacuum packing module installed adjacent to the vacuum pressure generator and including a sealer configured to heat

A vacuum cooking appliance is provided. The vacuum cooking appliance may include a housing in which a housing mount and a vacuum packing module mount may be located at adjacent positions, a first container configured to accommodate liquid inside an accommodation space therein and coupled to the container mount, a heater configured to heat the liquid accommodated inside the first container, a vacuum pressure generator installed at the vacuum packing module mount and configured to suction air inside a food packing container, and a vacuum packing module installed adjacent to the vacuum pressure generator and including a sealer configured to heat

A cooking apparatus may include a housing having an open top surface and having a cooking space formed therein; a door provided on a top of the housing to open and close the cooking space; a container inserted into the housing, the container having an open top surface to receive food to be cooked therein; and a heating unit provided in the housing and contacting a bottom surface of the container to heat the container. The heating unit may include a heating unit body defining a support surface that supports the container; a heater provided in the heating unit body; and a rib that extends downward from the heating unit body to prevent water or foreign material from entering between the heating unit and a bottom of the housing.

A cooking apparatus may include a housing having an open top surface and having a cooking space formed therein; a door provided on a top of the housing to open and close the cooking space; a container inserted into the housing, the container having an open top surface to receive food to be cooked therein; and a heating unit provided in the housing and contacting a bottom surface of the container to heat the container. The heating unit may include a heating unit body defining a support surface that supports the container; a heater provided in the heating unit body; and a rib that extends downward from the heating unit body to prevent water or foreign material from entering between the heating unit and a bottom of the housing.

The system is preferably used with a cooking appliance with a heating cavity and can include: a vessel and a temperature probe. The system can optionally include: a lid, a tray, and/or a circulator. However, the system can include any other suitable components. The system functions to monitor and/or control the temperature of a volume of working fluid in a cooking appliance with a heated cavity.

The system is preferably used with a cooking appliance with a heating cavity and can include: a vessel and a temperature probe. The system can optionally include: a lid, a tray, and/or a circulator. However, the system can include any other suitable components. The system functions to monitor and/or control the temperature of a volume of working fluid in a cooking appliance with a heated cavity.

A cooking apparatus for cooking a food item. The cooking apparatus may include a base component and a lid component. The base component includes a reservoir. The lid component may be alterable between a closed state whereby the lid closes an open top end of the reservoir and an open state whereby the reservoir is exposed. A plurality of cups may be positioned in the reservoir of the base component. Each of the cups may have an internal cavity with a first liquid holding capacity. The reservoir of the base component may have a second liquid holding capacity when the plurality of cups are positioned in the reservoir. The second liquid holding capacity is equal to or greater than the first liquid holding capacity so that one of the cups can be filled with liquid and then the liquid poured from the cup into the reservoir without overflowing the reservoir.

A cooking apparatus for cooking a food item. The cooking apparatus may include a base component and a lid component. The base component includes a reservoir. The lid component may be alterable between a closed state whereby the lid closes an open top end of the reservoir and an open state whereby the reservoir is exposed. A plurality of cups may be positioned in the reservoir of the base component. Each of the cups may have an internal cavity with a first liquid holding capacity. The reservoir of the base component may have a second liquid holding capacity when the plurality of cups are positioned in the reservoir. The second liquid holding capacity is equal to or greater than the first liquid holding capacity so that one of the cups can be filled with liquid and then the liquid poured from the cup into the reservoir without overflowing the reservoir.

A system and process for sous vide cooking and enzyme tenderization of food. In an exemplary embodiment, a tenderizer applicator applies a selected enzyme tenderizer to uncooked protein pieces at a temperature below an activation temperature of the tenderizer; a packaging machine vacuum seals the uncooked protein pieces with inactive tenderizer in pouches; a sous vide cooker cooks the pouches a first temperature to activate the enzyme tenderizer for a first time interval to provide a selected tenderization of the protein pieces, then cooks the pouches of tenderized protein pieces at second temperature higher than the first temperature to deactivate the selected tenderizer for a second time interval to cease tenderization of the protein pieces and completely cook the tenderized protein pieces; and a chiller chills the cooked tenderized protein pieces in the pouches to cease cooking the protein pieces.