A food thawing apparatus includes a cabinet structure defining a thawing chamber, and at least one air mover and associated air flow structure for causing an air flow through the thawing chamber. At least one air heating element is positioned for heating the air flow. At least one shelf is positioned within the thawing chamber for supporting a food product in the thawing chamber, the shelf including at least one integrated shelf heating element. A control system is configured for controlling the air mover, the air heating element and the shelf heating element so as to thaw the food product.

An exemplary method for preserving fresh herbs includes obtaining fresh trimmings from a plant, grinding and/or chopping the fresh trimmings to form processed trimmings, packaging the processed trimmings in a container, and freezing the processed trimmings in the container. Freezing the processed trimmings may include subjecting the processed trimmings to a dry ice atmosphere.

A partial-freezing meat fresh-preservation control method, a controller and a refrigerator are provided. The control method includes: S1 (101), acquiring a current temperature of meat food in a compartment of a refrigerator in real time; S2 (102), judging whether the current temperature of the meat food is greater than or equal to a first temperature threshold to, and if yes, performing S3 (103); S3 (103), controlling the compartment to perform a cooling operation; S4 (104), judging whether the meat food is frozen during the cooling operation, and if yes, performing S5 (105), S5 (105), starting timing once the freezing occurs, and performing S6 (106) after the timing reaches a first preset time period; S6 (106), controlling the compartment to perform a heating operation; wherein, after the performance of the step S6 (106) is completed, the performance of the step S1 (101) is continued. The partial-freezing fresh-preservation control method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can maintain the meat food in a fresh and easy-to-cut state for a long time, and make up for the technical gap in the field.

An overcooled meat fresh-preservation control method, a controller and a refrigerator are provided. The control method comprises: S1 (101), acquiring a current temperature of meat food in a compartment of a refrigerator in real time; S2 (102), judging whether the current temperature of the meat food is greater than or equal to a first temperature threshold to, and if yes, performing step S3 (103); S3 (103), controlling the compartment to perform a cooling operation; S4 (104), judging whether the meat food has been cooled down to a phase transformation point temperature tl during the cooling operation, and if yes, performing step S5 (105), the phase transformation point temperature tl being the temperature of a critical point at which the phase transformation of the meat food occurs; S5 (105), starting timing once the temperature has been cooled down to the phase transformation point temperature tl, and performing step S6 (106) after the timing reaches a first preset time period; and S6 (106), controlling the compartment to perform a low-temperature stable operation according to a third target temperature T.sub.3, the third target temperature T.sub.3 being a freezing point temperature of the meat food. The overcooled meat fresh-preservation control method provided by the present disclosure may prolong the fresh-preservation period as much as possible while ensuring that the meat food is not frozen.

A system, apparatus, and method of storing food including a storage container having a base; a resilient liner nesting in the base, and a lid that interlockingly engages with the liner and/or base to close off access to foodstuffs retained in a compartment defined by the liner. A valve assembly in the lid is actuated by a pump to evacuate air from the liner's compartment and create a vacuum or near-vacuum condition therein. Apertures defined in the wall of the base allow air to flow into a compartment of the base as the resilient liner shrinks around the food. The closed storage container may be placed in a freezer to freeze the food therein. For defrosting, the base of the closed storage container is placed in a volume of water, some of which flows through the apertures in the base's wall and comes into direct contact with the liner.

A method of using a storage and cooking device having multiple thermal containers includes disposing a first food item in a first thermal container, a second food item in a second thermal container, and a third food item in a third thermal container. A volume of fluid is cooled and circulated through at least a portion of the device such that thermal energy from at least one of the first, second, or third food item is transferred to the cooled fluid. The device is transitioned from a first operating mode to a second operating mode in response to a criterion being satisfied. When in the second configuration, the volume of fluid is heated and circulated through at least a portion of the device such that thermal energy is transferred from the volume of fluid to at least one of the first, second, or third food item.

A food material powder supply device 1 of the disclosure includes a supply tank 50 that temporarily stores food material powder in a tank 50A and supplies the food material powder to a processing container 2A of a food processing machine 2, a vacuum device 70 that reduces the pressure inside the supply tank 50 with vacuum pumps 71A and 71B, and a control device 3 that operates the vacuum device 70 to reduce the internal pressure of the supply tank 50 to be equal to or lower than a predetermined atmospheric pressure at which moisture of the food material powder is evaporated and cools the food material powder in the supply tank 50. A stirring member 54 which is driven to rotate during the cooling of the food material powder is arranged inside the tank 50A.

An exemplary method for preserving fresh herbs includes obtaining fresh trimmings from a plant, grinding and/or chopping the fresh trimmings to form processed trimmings, packaging the processed trimmings in a container, and freezing the processed trimmings in the container. Freezing the processed trimmings may include subjecting the processed trimmings to a dry ice atmosphere.

A machine for vacuum treatment of food products, which includes a base structure which defines a vacuum chamber which can be connected to a vacuum pump. At least one filtration device is interposed between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump and has elements for varying at least one thermodynamic/fluid dynamics parameter of the air flow aspirated by the vacuum pump; the filtration device includes at least one conveyor of the air flow, which is provided with elements for varying the advancement direction of the air flow and which is, with at least one part thereof, in a heat exchange relationship with a cooling circuit, and at least one collection manifold for collecting the water and the particles separated from the air flow.

The present application discloses a vacuum assembly for a refrigerator, comprising: upper and lower sealing bodies, which are buckled to define a sealed cavity; a vacuum pump, provided in the cavity; a plurality of plate-like members, arranged between the vacuum pump and a sealing box; a plurality of abutting parts, provided on the upper sealing body and abutting against tops of the plate-like members, a step being provided at an end of the abutting part coming into contact with the plate-like member, a top surface of the step abutting against the plate-like member, and a side surface of the step abutting against the plate-like member; a plurality of ribs, provided on the lower sealing body and spaced apart from the side walls to define limiting grooves; and a plurality of guide grooves, provided on the lower sealing body and extending in a vertical direction to guide the plate-like members.