An apparatus for rapidly cooking food includes a housing having a reservoir, a heating element, a binary distributor, and a container. In a method of using the apparatus for rapidly cooking food, food is placed into the container and water is poured into the reservoir. The heating element heats the water in the reservoir, and the resulting steam travels into the binary distributor. Pressurized steam then exits the binary distributor to uniformally cook the top of the food. Condensed steam gathers at the bottom of the container and is kept at a temperature capable of cooking the food. In such a way, food in the container is rapidly cooked. In one embodiment, the food to be cooked is a single serving of ramen brick style noodles.

The invention is directed broadly to a method of preparing a texture modified food product, comprising the steps: (a) providing a partially cooked fruit or vegetable; (b) comminuting the partially cooked fruit or vegetable to form a paste; and (c) moulding the paste to form the texture modified food product which is shaped and/or textured into a generic shape of the fruit or vegetable selected to form the paste.

A method of reducing a concentration of formaldehyde in an aqueous solution containing formaldehyde, hydroxyacetaldehyde and other sugar carbonyls is provided. The method includes adding an amino acid to the aqueous solution and maintaining the aqueous solution at a temperature for a duration sufficient for the formaldehyde and the amino acid to react according to a Maillard reaction to produce a final concentration of formaldehyde and a final concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde in the aqueous solution. The final concentration of formaldehyde is substantially lower than an initial concentration of formaldehyde and the final concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde is not substantially lower than an initial concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde. An aqueous solution and a method of browning a foodstuff are also provided.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the system including a housing having a hollow interior, a lid movable relative to the housing, at least one heating element associated with one of the housing and the lid, wherein the cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a conductive cooking mode and a convective cooking mode, wherein in the conductive cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a conductive cooker and in the convective cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker.

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.

An immersion circulator cooking device comprising: a motor for drawing fluid used for cooking past a heating element; a heating element for heating the fluid; a first switching device used in a first power mode for controlling the heating element; a second switching device used in a second power mode for controlling the heating element; a temperature sensor for sensing a sensed device temperature of the first switching device; and a controller for selecting which of the first power mode and second power mode is selected based on the sensed device temperature of the first switching device.

Disclosed are a steam cooking apparatus (1) and a steam cooking method. The steam cooking apparatus (1) includes a food ingredient containing chamber (10) for containing a food ingredient (11) and having a normal atmospheric pressure; a saturated vapor generating device (20) having a vapor chamber (21) and configured to generate and accumulate high-pressure saturated vapor with a pressure higher than the normal atmospheric pressure; a saturated vapor spraying device (30) communicating with the vapor chamber (21) and having an outlet communicating with the food ingredient containing chamber (10) for releasing and spraying the high-pressure saturated vapor onto the food ingredient (11); when the released and sprayed saturated vapor reaches a surface of the food ingredient (11), the released and sprayed saturated vapor stays at a point of saturated vapor and releases latent heat to the food ingredient (11) and is transformed from the point of saturated vapor to a point of saturated liquid; and a water vapor discharge device (40). When the saturated vapor reaches the point of saturated liquid due to the releasing of the latent heat, the saturated vapor is transformed into a water vapor mixture, and the water vapor discharge device (40) discharges the water vapor mixture from the food ingredient containing chamber (10). As such, an optimum cooking effect may be obtained.

A steam cooking apparatus incorporates a steam cooking vessel for retaining water that is converted to steam. An interior food basket is configured to fit within the steam cooking vessel and retains the food to be steamed and has an insert basket lid that is adjustably coupled with the interior food basket to retain the food therein. The insert basket lid is adjustable in height within the interior food basket to accommodate different amounts of food in the interior food basket. Standoffs may be configured between the interior food basket and the base of the cooking vessel to prevent direct water contact with the food. A vessel lid may have lid aperture adjuster panel that enables changing the open area of apertures in the vessel lid.

An oven comprises a cooking cavity, a stirring member extending, in use, into foodstuff contained in a vessel disposed in the cooking cavity as well as drive means to provide, in use, relative movement between the stirring member and the vessel. The oven comprises a displacement device to move the stirring member from outside the cooking cavity through an opening in a wall bounding the cooking cavity into the cooking cavity as well as, in use, into the vessel disposed in the cooking cavity.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the system including a housing having a hollow interior, a lid movable relative to the housing, at least one heating element associated with one of the housing and the lid, wherein the cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a conductive cooking mode and a convective cooking mode, wherein in the conductive cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a conductive cooker and in the convective cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker.