Food stuffs are cooked at precise temperatures, which are optionally below 100° C., in a vessel that is evacuated to exclude air, in which low pressure steam replaces the air. When a sufficient quantity of air is excluded and replaced with water vapor, the temperature of vapor is accurately measured inside the vessel below the lid to control the temperatures within about 1° C. Air is preferably excluded via a controlled heated process for a relatively short period of time at high temperature to generate steam, the temperature is lowered to condense water vapor upon which the lid will sealingly engage the rim of the vessel, forming a partial vacuum in the cooking vessel.

A method of using a fluid-immersion storage and cooking device having a thermal container that defines a first volume and a second volume includes disposing a first food item in the first volume. A second food item and a third food item are disposed in the second volume in a first position and a second position, respectively. A volume of fluid having a first temperature is circulated through the first volume to transfer thermal energy to the first food item. After a predetermined time, at least a portion of the volume of fluid is heated to a second temperature. A portion of the volume of fluid is conveyed to the second volume such that (1) the second food item is substantially submerged in the portion of the volume of fluid and (2) the third food item is disposed substantially outside of the portion of the volume of fluid.

A cooking system for cooking pasta; the system is configured to feed a given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50° C. to a container and to feed water vapour to the container containing a given quantity of pasta for an amount of time ranging from 7 to 40 seconds.

A cooking procedure to cook pasta; the procedure comprises a water feeding step. During which a given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50° C. is fed to a container; and a vapour feeding step, during which a given quantity of water vapour is fed to the container containing a given quantity of pasta for an amount of time ranging from 7 to 40 seconds; the vapour feeding step is at least partially simultaneous with or subsequent to the water feeding step.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the system including a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening in said hollow chamber. A first lid is connectable to the housing. When the first lid is connected to the housing, the first lid has a first position where the lid is in contact with said upper portion of the housing. A second lid is connectable to the housing. When the second lid is connected to the housing, the second lid is in contact with the upper portion of the housing. The first lid and the second lid are simultaneously contactable with the upper portion of the housing so that each of the first lid and the second lid are in contact with the upper portion of the housing.

Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the cooking system being functional in a plurality of cooking modes. The cooking system includes a housing having a hollow chamber, and a cooking lid movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the housing. At least one heating element is associated with said lid. The cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a convective cooking mode and a pressure cooking mode. The cooking lid is configurable in the closed position when the cooking system is in both the convective cooking mode and the pressure cooking mode.

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.

An air fryer with a steaming function includes a cooking chamber and a water tank arranged inside a housing. A steam generator is also arranged in the air fryer. A heating chamber is provided in the steam generator. The heating chamber in the steam generator is connected to a water tank via a water pump. High-temperature steam produced in the heating chamber of the steam generator is introduced into the cooking chamber. The steam generator is equipped with an over-temperature protector and a temperature sensor. Each of the over-temperature protector, the temperature sensor, the water pump, and the steam generator is electrically connected to the controller.

A process of producing crispy pulses includes hydrating a plurality of raw pulses including cooking to produce hydrated pulses having a predetermined hydrated texture and a predetermined hydrated moisture content and crisping the hydrated pulses to produce the crispy pulses having a crispy texture and a predetermined final moisture content. A crispy pulse formed from a raw pulse has a predetermined crispy texture profile and a crispy texture.

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.