An apparatus and method for controlling the movement of liquids into and out of a container is described. The cleanable, portable, fully automated apparatus includes a main container for holding the food product, a liquid inlet container having a liquid inlet and inlet valve for controllably providing liquid into the main container and a liquid outlet container receiving liquid drained from the main container. A heater automatically heats the main container and a motor rotates or otherwise moves the main container from a receiving position for receiving fresh liquid from the inlet container to a drainage position for draining waste liquid via gravity from the main container into the outlet container. This rotation/movement of the main container can be used repeatedly to add fresh liquid and remove waste liquid during multiple fully automated cycles (e.g., sprouting, rinsing, soaking, cooking, etc.) that do not require user interaction.

A method and a system for decontamination the surface of food items such as meat pieces is described. A method includes obtaining at least one food item and/or at least one meat piece to be surface decontaminated, microwave treating the food item and/or the meat piece with microwaves in the range of 0.5-18 GHz such as 4-18 GHz, wherein the microwave treating is performed on at least one food item and/or meat piece which is packed in a packaging material, and/or the food item and/or meat piece pivot during microwave treating at least along two circular paths.

An improved fluid level sensor includes a radially magnetized magnet integrated into a float, and a Hall sensor adapted to monitor the magnet field emitted from the magnet. This arrangement provides a continuously variable signal across a range of travel, such that a controller receiving the signal can produce precise fluid level measurements and detect operational states of an associated device based on fluid behavior. In addition, the present fluid level sensor is suitable for use in harsh service environments, both because it is physically resilient to fouling, and because the controller is capable of detecting fouling by sensor behavior. In the context of a steam cooker, the present fluid level sensor can also sense low-water, overfill and fouling conditions, while remaining relatively insensitive to food residue, water scale buildup, corrosion and foaming.

A cooking system for cooking a product flow utilizing steam. A supply of steam is provided at a supply pressure that is regulated by a control unit to a regulated pressure. The supply of steam is provided to a plurality of steam injection cookers which are positioned within a product supply pipeline that receives a product flow. The product flow is cooked as the product flow passes through the product supply pipeline and the plurality of cookers. Each of the steam injection cookers includes a steam modulator that controls the amount of steam injected. By regulating the steam pressure and the steam modulator, the control unit can modify the amount of shear created within the product flow and control the temperature of the fluid. The cooking system further includes a clean-in-place system that can inject a cleaning solution into the steam supply pipeline and the plurality of steam injection cookers.

In one embodiment, a method for monitoring for boiling fluid in a kitchen environment by a smart hood apparatus includes accessing sensor data indicating one or more parameters of a cooking utensil detected by the smart hood apparatus from sensors associated with the smart hood apparatus, wherein the sensors comprise one or more of a camera, a thermal sensor, or an audio sensor, and wherein the cooking utensil contains fluid, determining information associated with boiling events associated with the fluid in the cooking utensil based on the sensor data by algorithms, wherein the information comprises at least a boiling time required for the fluid to boil, and sending instructions for presenting a notification comprising the information associated with the boiling events.

The present invention relates to two new strains of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus brevis DSM 33325 and Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 33326, to a new food composition, and to the process for the preparation thereof.

A household PEF cooking appliance includes a container for food to be cooked, opposing outer PEF electrodes disposed in the container, and a partition variably disposed in the container between the outer PEF electrodes and oriented parallel to the outer PEF electrodes.

One or more methods are disclosed to provide for the preparation of a food product that can be quickly cooked, while exhibiting flavors, textures, and colors of more traditional and time consuming cooking methods. The method produces a food product with the full flavor profile of barbeque, with the ease of a ready-made meal. The preparation prior to packaging facilitates a Maillard reaction and carmelization of the food product. The method can include marinating the food product, searing an outside portion of the food product, smoking the food product, vacuum sealing and then cooking the food product using a sous vide method. The prepared food product can then be easily heated by the end user for consumption.

A system and method for storing, preserving and cooking meals using the sous-vide technique. The system and method of the present invention is designed to automatically cook, upon request a meal having various ingredients by immersing bagged food in temperature-controlled liquid. The cooking time may be manually or automatically programmed from downloaded cooking direction associated with the food. The cooking request may be given by a user from the physical apparatus or using a mobile device application.

A steam regulation valve, includes: a first portion, a second portion, and a flow path defined by the first portion and the second portion. The second portion is movable relative to the first portion to decrease a cross-sectional area of the flow path in response to an increase in pressure applied to the second portion.