A method of roasting nuts comprises placing water and a mixture of nuts and sugar in a roaster bowl, mixing the water and mixture, heating the roaster bowl during mixing to roast and sugar coat the nuts, covering the roaster bowl with a cover after roasting and sugar coating, adding water to a reservoir disposed within the cover wherein the reservoir includes at least one metering hole, flowing through the metering hole, from the reservoir to the roaster bowl, the water added to the reservoir, glazing the nuts during the flowing of water into the roaster bowl from the reservoir, and removing the cover from the roaster bowl after glazing the nuts. The measured flow of water through the reservoir results in well coated glazed nuts and prevents the formation of a large burst of steam, thus protecting the operator against being scalded during glazing of the roasted nuts, as well as providing other benefits.

A liquid heating appliance for making a beverage, the liquid heating appliance comprising: a plurality of heating components for heating a liquid, where at least a first of the plurality of heating components is powered using mains power, a power management system, wherein the power management system comprises: a controller, and an energy storage device, wherein the controller is arranged to: control an amount of the mains power applied to the first of the plurality of heating components, control an amount of stored power from the energy storage device to be applied to at least a second of the plurality of heating components, and switch polarity of the voltage of the stored power from the energy storage device to be applied to the second of the plurality of heating components after one or more heating cycles associated with the second of the plurality of heating components.

A cooking and draining system includes: a vessel including a bottom and an upstanding side wall forming an interior region of the vessel and an opening opposite the bottom of the vessel, the vessel further including: a heating element located in one of the bottom and the side wall; a valve located in one of the bottom and the side wall, the valve selectively controlling outflow of fluid from the interior region of the vessel; a lid selectively sealing the opening opposite the bottom of the vessel; and a base selectively coupled to the vessel and selectively causing the heating element to heat the interior region of the vessel.

An actively heated mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container is provided. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a body that receives a liquid therein and a heating or cooling system at least partially disposed in the body. The heating or cooling system can include one or more heating or cooling elements that heat a surface of the receiving portion of the body and one or more energy storage devices. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power source and control circuitry configured to charge one or more power storage elements and to control the delivery of electricity from the one or more power storage elements to the one or more heating or cooling elements. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container also can have one or more sensors that sense a parameter of the liquid or sense a parameter of the heating or cooling system and communicates the sensed information to the control circuitry. The control circuitry can turn on, turn off, and/or operate the heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the body to maintain the liquid in a heated or cooled state generally at a user selected temperature setting based at least in part on the sensed parameter information. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can also be paired with a remote device or mobile electronic device to send or receive communications or commands.

An article of manufacture includes a wall portion having a wall inner surface and a wall outer surface, a base portion having a base inner surface and a base outer surface, at least a portion of the wall portion and the base portion forming a vessel to retain fluid therein, at least part of the base portion configured to receive heat, and a plurality of shaped portions with at least three sides extending above, each shaped portion of the base inner surface including at least three sides and polygonal shaped tops, each of the plurality of shaped portions capable of supplying heat from the sides to fluid adjacent to the sides, the plurality of shaped portions including the polygonal shaped tops to induce creation of a plurality of hexagonal convection cells in contact with a surface of the fluid which increases heat transfer from the heating source to the fluid.

An actively heated or cooled food container can have a lid movable between an open and a closed position and an insulated body to which the lid can be attached. The insulated body can have a sidewall that defines a perimeter of the container body and a base, the sidewall and base defining one or more chambers that can be sealed by the lid. The food container can have a temperature control system that can include one or more heating or cooling elements in thermal communication with one or both of the sidewall and the base and operable to heat or cool one or both of the sidewall and the base to thereby heat or cool the one or more chambers in the food container.

A steam cooking device which includes a pressure accumulating steam boiler and a steaming cabinet is disclosed. The pressure accumulating steam boiler heats liquid water and accumulates a steam having a pressure between 1.1 and 5.0 times atmospheric pressure. The steaming cabinet receives the steam from the pressure accumulating steam boiler to cook a foodstuff contained therein. To raise the temperature of a foodstuff accommodating chamber within the steaming cabinet from a room temperature to a cooking temperature, a WH1 amount of energy is consumed by an electricity-heat conversion unit in the pressure accumulating steam boiler. A foodstuff accommodating chamber within the steaming cabinet has a volume of V1. The steam cooking device satisfies V1/WH1≥160. The cooking temperature is between 101° C. and 150° C. and is lower than or equal to the temperature of the steam when the steam is outputted from the pressure accumulating steam boiler.

There is provided a modular barbecue system and kits for adapting a gas barbecue to other types of cooking and other uses. The modular barbecue system comprises a heating compartment having a bottom wall and a peripheral defining a cavity, a heat source provided in the cavity of the heating compartment, a plurality of add-on components receivable in the cavity of the heating compartment, a plurality of steps provided in the cavity of the heating compartment for supporting the add-on components at different distances relative to the heat source. Add-on components such as a large basin, a flat basin, a perforated plate system, a strainer, a lid and a pump are combined to form a plurality of kits enabling steam cooking, maple sap boiling, double boiling, coal fire cooking, boiling, smoke cooking and water heating to expand the typical grilling method of a gas barbecue to various cooking techniques.

There is provided a modular barbecue system and kits for adapting a gas barbecue to other types of cooking and other uses. The modular barbecue system comprises a heating compartment having a bottom wall and a peripheral defining a cavity, a heat source provided in the cavity of the heating compartment, a plurality of add-on components receivable in the cavity of the heating compartment, a plurality of steps provided in the cavity of the heating compartment for supporting the add-on components at different distances relative to the heat source. Add-on components such as a large basin, a flat basin, a perforated plate system, a strainer, a lid and a pump are combined to form a plurality of kits enabling steam cooking, maple sap boiling, double boiling, coal fire cooking, boiling, smoke cooking and water heating to expand the typical grilling method of a gas barbecue to various cooking techniques.

An article of manufacture includes a wall portion having a wall inner surface and a wall outer surface, a base portion having a base inner surface and a base outer surface, at least a portion of the wall portion and the base portion forming a vessel to retain fluid therein, at least part of the base portion configured to receive heat, and a plurality of shaped portions with at least three sides extending above, each shaped portion of the base inner surface including at least three sides and polygonal shaped tops, each of the plurality of shaped portions capable of supplying heat from the sides to fluid adjacent to the sides, the plurality of shaped portions including the polygonal shaped tops to induce creation of a plurality of hexagonal convection cells in contact with a surface of the fluid which increases heat transfer from a heating source to the fluid.