Food preparation includes utilizing food immersion into low temperature cooking fluids, high temperature cooking fluids, or a combination of applications thereof. Foods are generally closely wrapped in vented, pliable, formidable outer skins. An example construction of such an outer skin is provided, as are examples of food preparation processes.

A plant-based food product and methods of producing thereof. The plant-based food product may include a gel matrix formed from about 20% to 80% w/w of a liquid and about 15% to 50% w/w of a flour, a plant-derived protein or a combination thereof. The flour and/or plant-derived protein may be pretreated by impregnation and enriched with an additive, an amino acid, a peptide, a protein or a dietary supplement. The gel matrix may be formed by mixing the components, optionally pressurizing the mixture within a cooking container and heating at a maintained temperature to form a gel matrix to provide a plant-based food product that mimics the characteristics of meat fat. The gel matrix may be incorporated into plant-based meats or other non-meat base products as a visual, taste and/or mouthfeel mimicker of fat.

Embodiments herein relate to air-fried snack food products and related methods. In an embodiment, a method of preparing a reduced fat fried snack product is included. The method can include preparing discrete units of a snack product, par frying the snack product in an oil fryer, wherein par frying the snack product in the oil fryer reduces moisture in the snack product to approximately 2 to 8 weight percent, and frying the snack product in a centrifuge air fryer, wherein frying the snack product in the centrifuge air fryer reduces moisture in the snack product to 1.5 to 2.5 weight percent and reduces fat content of the snack product to 12 to 38 weight percent. Other embodiments are also included herein.

A cooking system for cooking food includes a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A lid is configured to cover the upper portion of the housing and the opening to the hollow chamber in a closed position. The lid is movable to an open position where the lid does not cover the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element associated with at least one of said housing and said lid. The cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a pressure cooking mode and a convective cooking mode. In the pressure cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a pressure cooker, and in the convective cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker.

A connected oven, including a set of in-cavity sensors and a processor configured to automatically identify foodstuff within the cooking cavity, based on the sensor measurements; and automatically operate the heating element based on the foodstuff identity.

In one aspect, a spiral cooking device includes a first cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally therethrough in a first direction, a second cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally therethrough in a second direction different than the first direction, and a spiral conveyor belt at least partially positioned in the first and second cooking zones and configured to transport food product thereon through the first and second cooking zones. In one aspect, a spiral cooking device includes a spiral conveyor belt providing a central opening inside the belt and a conveyor belt drive member positioned externally of the central opening. In one aspect, a conveyor belt cleaning device is provided. In one aspect, a cooking device includes a frame including a plurality of coupled pipes for providing structural support to the device and at least one of the pipes is configured to have liquid pass therethrough.

A method is disclosed for cooking food in an oven cavity, where air is the cooking medium. Using a predetermined cooking algorithm, a temperature of the oven cavity is adjusted in a plurality of temperature and/or time regulated cooking stages. An initial pre-heat stage targets a first target temperature including a user-selected oven cavity temperature plus a first offset. A subsequent post-heat stage targets a second target temperature including the user-selected temperature plus a second offset different from the first offset. Two or more heating elements and a fan are operated during the post-heat stage according to a duty cycle controlled via a hysteresis temperature control algorithm or a PID temperature control algorithm.

A method is disclosed for cooking food in an oven cavity, where air is the cooking medium. Using a predetermined cooking algorithm, a temperature of the oven cavity is adjusted in a plurality of temperature and/or time regulated cooking stages. An initial pre-heat stage targets a first target temperature including a user-selected oven cavity temperature plus a first offset. A subsequent post-heat stage targets a second target temperature including the user-selected temperature plus a second offset different from the first offset. Two or more heating elements and a fan are operated during the post-heat stage according to a duty cycle controlled via a hysteresis temperature control algorithm or a PID temperature control algorithm.

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.