An egg cooker includes a base band shaped to be placed on a cooking surface. A cover is connected to the base band. A tunnel within the cover is sized to allow contents of an opened egg to be poured through the tunnel and onto the cooking surface. A length of the tunnel is selected so that when the cover is mounted on the cooking surface, a base at a bottom of the tunnel is elevated over the cooking surface to a height that allows a white of the opened egg to pass under the base of the tunnel to the cooking surface under the cover, while retaining a top of a yolk of the opened egg within an inside circumference of the tunnel.

An egg boiler device for a refrigerator appliance is provided. In one aspect, a refrigerator appliance has a refrigerator door that defines a dispenser recess. The egg boiler device includes an end cap and a canister for receiving one or more eggs for cooking. The egg boiler device is positioned within the dispenser recess and the end cap is mounted to a dispenser assembly. A dispenser of the dispenser assembly directs a volume of heated water into the egg boiler device. The heated water imparts thermal energy to the eggs, and consequently, the eggs are cooked.

An egg boiler device for a refrigerator appliance is provided. In one aspect, a refrigerator appliance has a refrigerator door that defines a dispenser recess. The egg boiler device includes an end cap and a canister for receiving one or more eggs for cooking. The egg boiler device is positioned within the dispenser recess and the end cap is mounted to a dispenser assembly. A dispenser of the dispenser assembly directs a volume of heated water into the egg boiler device. The heated water imparts thermal energy to the eggs, and consequently, the eggs are cooked.

A tray assembly includes a tray having a top side, an underside opposite the top side, and a plurality of protrusions extending from the underside. Each protrusion defines a recess in the top side and has a bottom wall and a contoured surface connecting the bottom wall to the top side. The tray assembly also includes a diffuser in the form of a plate with a plurality of apertures therethrough. The diffuser is couplable to the tray and positionable a spaced distance above the top side of the tray.

A tray assembly includes a tray having a top side, an underside opposite the top side, and a plurality of protrusions extending from the underside. Each protrusion defines a recess in the top side and has a bottom wall and a contoured surface connecting the bottom wall to the top side. The tray assembly also includes a diffuser in the form of a plate with a plurality of apertures therethrough. The diffuser is couplable to the tray and positionable a spaced distance above the top side of the tray.

A cooking appliance includes: a base; a heater basin mounted above the base and comprising a floor and a side wall that form a cavity configured to hold water, the side wall having a perimeter edge; a heating element mounted beneath the floor of the heater basin and configured to be connected to a power source; an egg cup unit comprising a main panel and at least one cup depending from the main panel, the main panel having a perimeter edge, the at least one cup having a floor that contacts the floor of the heater basin; and a lid attached to the base and configured to cover the egg cup unit. The perimeter edge of the heater basin and the perimeter edge of the egg cup unit are in contact, the interaction of the perimeter edge of the egg cup unit and the perimeter edge of the heater basin configured to impede flow of steam generated by boiling water in the cavity of the heater basin.

A cooking appliance includes: a base; a heater basin mounted above the base and comprising a floor and a side wall that form a cavity configured to hold water, the side wall having a perimeter edge; a heating element mounted beneath the floor of the heater basin and configured to be connected to a power source; an egg cup unit comprising a main panel and at least one cup depending from the main panel, the main panel having a perimeter edge, the at least one cup having a floor that contacts the floor of the heater basin; and a lid attached to the base and configured to cover the egg cup unit. The perimeter edge of the heater basin and the perimeter edge of the egg cup unit are in contact, the interaction of the perimeter edge of the egg cup unit and the perimeter edge of the heater basin configured to impede flow of steam generated by boiling water in the cavity of the heater basin.

An egg cooking system includes two woks and each of the woks receives oil from an oil supply member. A support member is driven by a driving unit to allow one egg to be put in the at least one standby portion and the egg is pressed by the pressing member. A cracking member cracks the egg and the pressing unit moves toward the direction that the egg is located so that a claw is opened, and the egg flows into one of the woks. The egg is cooked for a pre-set time, and is dropped into the other wok to be cooked. The cooked egg is then dropped to a plate. The pressing unit presses the egg shell of the egg to further open the claw, and the egg shell drops into a garbage can.

An egg cooking system includes two woks and each of the woks receives oil from an oil supply member. A support member is driven by a driving unit to allow one egg to be put in the at least one standby portion and the egg is pressed by the pressing member. A cracking member cracks the egg and the pressing unit moves toward the direction that the egg is located so that a claw is opened, and the egg flows into one of the woks. The egg is cooked for a pre-set time, and is dropped into the other wok to be cooked. The cooked egg is then dropped to a plate. The pressing unit presses the egg shell of the egg to further open the claw, and the egg shell drops into a garbage can.

A system and method for manufacturing a cooked egg product includes an automated egg cracker that receives the raw, shelled eggs from the infeed conveyor and removes the shells from the eggs; a cooking conveyor having a plurality of cooking pans that receives the whole eggs and induction heats the cooking pans sufficiently to completely cook the eggs contained in the cooking pans, resulting in cooked eggs; a pasteurization tunnel that receives the cooked eggs in the cooking pans from the induction heater; and a control that actuates the pasteurization tunnel to heat the surfaces of the eggs to a pasteurization temperature. A freezer freezes the cooked and pasteurized eggs, and a packaging machine packages the frozen, cooked and pasteurized eggs. Alternatively, the induction cooked eggs are frozen after cooking and individually vacuum packaged, sous vide heated to a pasteurization temperature, then chilled or frozen for storage or shipment.