A microwave heating apparatus includes a cavity arranged to receive a load. At least one microwave generator is configured to feed a plurality of microwaves into the cavity. At least one image-capturing device and a control unit is adapted to obtain load volume information of the load within the cavity based on information recorded by the image-capturing device about at least one portion of the load, obtain load density information using at least one of a user input and information recorded by the image-capturing device about at least one portion of the load, determine load mass information based upon the load volume information and the load density information, determine a heating pattern based upon the load mass information and control the at least one microwave generator to provide the heating pattern within the cavity.

An outdoor cooking station configured to simultaneously and independently cook food with separate cooking modes. The cooking station includes a main body extending to define a griddle portion and an oven portion. The griddle portion includes a griddle member having a flat griddle surface such that the griddle member is configured to be supported by the main body. The oven portion is positioned adjacently to one side of the griddle member, the oven portion including a cooking chamber defined by a lower stone and an upper stone and an internal wall, the lower stone including a stone cooking surface. With this arrangement, the stone cooking surface and the griddle cooking surface are sized and configured to cook food independently from each other.

The present invention relates to a food product processing plant including a loading unit (10), one or more processing units (20), and a food product unloading unit (30) that are connected via a rail (41) supporting a plurality of carriages (61) with a hook (62) which are clustered together forming multiple independent trains of carriages (60) which are independently actuated by means of multiple actuating units (51).

Systems, methods, and devices include a griddle device with a heat management system and a digital control system. The griddle device includes a body defining an internal space and the heat management system is disposed within the internal space and below a griddle top. The heat management system includes one or more partitions and an underbracing panel to divide the internal space into a plurality of heat compartments, each with a primary burner, a secondary burner (e.g., a pilot burner), and/or a temperature sensor. The digital control system receives temperature data from the temperature sensors, compares the temperature data to a temperature threshold value, and actuates one or more gas valves to increase or decrease fuel supplied to the burners (e.g., the primary burner). Griddle leveling feet secure the griddle top to the body and are used to adjust the griddle top between a level position and a slanted position.

Example methods and apparatus for automatically advancing steps of cook programs for grills based on detected lid position data are disclosed. An example grill includes a cookbox, a lid, a cooking chamber, and a controller. The lid is movable relative to the cookbox between a closed position and an open position. The cooking chamber is defined by the cookbox and the lid, and is accessible to a user of the grill when the lid is in the open position. The controller is to implement a cook program to cook an item of food within the cooking chamber. The cook program includes a plurality of ordered steps, which include a lid-opening step requiring the lid to be moved from the closed position to the open position. In response to determining, based on lid position data, that the lid-opening step has been performed, the controller is to automatically advance the plurality of ordered steps from the lid-opening step to a next step of the plurality of ordered steps.

Provided is a cooking apparatus, preferably including a plurality of heating plates for contact cooking. The cooking time is determined by selecting a desired degree of cooking of the food. After estimating the surface area occupied by the food on one of the heating plates, said cooking time is calculated on the basis of the desired degree of cooking, the thickness of the food, and the surface area occupied by the food.

A household PEF cooking device includes a cooking product container which can be filled with liquid and includes PEF electrodes which lie opposite one another and between which a cooking product can be introduced. A PEF signal generator applies PEF signals to the PEF electrodes, and a control device control the PEF signal generator. An IR sensor which measures contactlessly is disposed at a distance from the PEF electrodes and connected to the control device. A measuring dot of the IR sensor encompasses an outer face of an electrically conductive region of a wall of the cooking product container, which electrically conductive region can be contacted on an inner face by the liquid when the cooking product container is full.

Example methods and apparatus for controlling gas flow in grills based on position data detected via rotary encoders. An example grill includes a burner valve, a rotary encoder, and a controller. The burner valve is movable between an open position and a closed position. The rotary encoder includes a rotatable portion and a fixed portion. The control knob is mechanically coupled to the rotatable portion. The rotatable portion is rotatable relative to the fixed portion. The rotary encoder is to detect a rotational position of the control knob. The rotational position of the control knob corresponds to a rotational position of the rotatable portion relative to the fixed portion. The controller is in electrical communication with the rotary encoder. The controller is to determine a target position of the burner valve based on the rotational position of the control knob. The controller is to instruct the burner valve to move to the target position.

A cooking apparatus includes a heating device intended to be placed opposite a cooking chamber, and a ventilation member arranged to generate a flow of hot air, the flow of hot air is heated by the heating device wherein the heating device includes a first heating member and a second heating member, the apparatus having a processing unit configured to propose an operating mode of the cooking apparatus in which at least one of the first heating member and the second heating member and the ventilation member are activated simultaneously to perform a function of cooking food placed in the cooking chamber, and to propose another operating mode in which only one of the first heating member or the second heating member is activated to perform a function of grilling or browning food disposed in the cooking chamber, and the ventilation member is deactivated.

A combination cooking system and methods for cooking having a simplified venting structure are provided. In one embodiment, the cooking system can include a housing having a hollow chamber for receiving food, a lid coupled to the housing for enclosing food within the chamber, and at least one heating element. In use, a seal disposed between the lid and housing can be selectively removed to create an air gap there between, thus providing a simplified method for venting air within the housing and thereby enabling the system to operate in different cooking modes. A locking element for locking the lid relative to the housing and/or an adjustable vent can also be selectively used to control venting within the system to enable the system to operate in different cooking modes.