A cooling and heating plate, in particular for serving food and beverages, is connected to a cooling unit and an electrical heating device, preferably a silicone panel heater, is also provided on the under side of the plate. The plate is a multilayered plate having an upper plate, preferably of chrome nickel steel, and an aluminum plate situated thereunder. At least one steel pipe, which is preferably seamless with serpentine curves, having a compressive strength of at least 50 bar is integrally cast in the aluminum plate. As a result, carbon dioxide can also be used as a coolant. Fastening elements can also be integrally cast in the aluminum plate.

Certain embodiments of the present invention include a retainer, a lid, and a sensor, where the sensor is configured to detect information about the retainer, the lid, or the contents in the retainer. The sensor also may be configured to communicate with an internal or external computer system, thereby facilitating showing the detected information as a representation via a display element. In certain embodiments, the system may include an action element such as an open/close lid opening assembly configured to permit automatically or manually opening or closing a drink aperture or another type of dispensing aperture.

An actively heated or cooled dishware or serverware device (e.g., a plate, a bowl, a serving dish, such as a platter) can have a temperature control system that can include one or more heating or cooling elements operable to heat or cool a surface of the dishware or serverware device to thereby heat or cool the food on said surface.

The present invention relates to a heat-retaining tray for a pizza, comprising one of a support means and an electricity supply means. The present invention provides a heat-retaining tray comprising: an upper plate having a plurality of protrusions formed such that food is laid on the upper surface of the plurality of protrusions; a side wall integrally formed vertically on the periphery of the upper plate; and a temperature increase unit for raising the temperature of the upper plate.

An actively heated mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container is provided. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a body that receives a liquid therein and a heating or cooling system at least partially disposed in the body. The heating or cooling system can include one or more heating or cooling elements that heat a surface of the receiving portion of the body and one or more energy storage devices. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power source and control circuitry configured to charge one or more power storage elements and to control the delivery of electricity from the one or more power storage elements to the one or more heating or cooling elements. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container also can have one or more sensors that sense a parameter of the liquid or sense a parameter of the heating or cooling system and communicates the sensed information to the control circuitry. The control circuitry can turn on, turn off, and/or operate the heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the body to maintain the liquid in a heated or cooled state generally at a user selected temperature setting based at least in part on the sensed parameter information. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can also be paired with a remote device or mobile electronic device to send or receive communications or commands.

An actively heated or cooled food container can have a lid movable between an open and a closed position and an insulated body to which the lid can be attached. The insulated body can have a sidewall that defines a perimeter of the container body and a base, the sidewall and base defining one or more chambers that can be sealed by the lid. The food container can have a temperature control system that can include one or more heating or cooling elements in thermal communication with one or both of the sidewall and the base and operable to heat or cool one or both of the sidewall and the base to thereby heat or cool the one or more chambers in the food container.

A ring for providing insulation for a plate or bowl. The ring surrounds a perimeter of the item, and insulates where it surrounds. The ring is formed of silicone which can be stretched to cover the perimeter.

An article for holding foodstuff. The article comprises a receptacle (4) having a wall with an inner surface for holding the foodstuff and an opposite outer surface. The wall is formed of a first material, such as a ceramic material, having a first thermal conductivity. The articles also has a shell (1; 5) spaced apart from the outer surface of the receptacle such as to define an interstitial chamber (2, 3) between the shell and the outer surface of the receptacle. The shell is at least partially formed of a ceramic material with a second thermal conductivity. Within the interstitial chamber, there is disposed a phase change material which abuts with at least the outer surface of the wall of the receptacle. The first thermal conductivity being greater than the second thermal conductivity, so as to allow for heat transfer through the wall to the phase change material, which will accumulate the heat.

Crockery system comprising at least one serving dish (130), at least one form-flexible package comprising liquid thermal buffer material (120), and at least one optionally form-retaining package comprising phase-change material (110), wherein the at least one package comprising thermal buffer material is in thermal contact on the upper side thereof with the at least one serving dish and is in thermal contact on the underside thereof with the at least one package comprising phase-change material.

Crockery (100) comprising a phase-change material mixture, wherein the phase-change material mixture comprises one or more organic phase-change materials to be selected from the group of organic acids, organic alcohols and organic esters, and one or more organic microwave susceptors, to be selected from the group of glycols, wherein the phase-change material mixture is contained in a plastic package (120), wherein the phase-change material mixture is positioned under a central portion of the crockery which is intended for placing food on, and not under an edge portion of the crockery which is intended for being free of food and for handling of the crockery, wherein the phase-change material mixture can be melted by means of microwave irradiation.