A grease spatter containment device for containing bacon grease spatter includes a lid, which is selectively engageable to a pan so that the lid covers an open top of the pan. The lid comprises a plurality of layers, with adjacently positioned layers being separated by a gap. A plurality of apertures is positioned in the plurality of layers so that apertures positioned in one of the adjacently positioned layers are offset from the apertures positioned in the other of the adjacently positioned layers. The lid thus contains grease spatter resulting from cooking of a food item, such as bacon, that is positioned upon an elevated grated cooking surface that is positioned in the pan.

A grease spatter containment device for containing bacon grease spatter includes a lid, which is selectively engageable to a pan so that the lid covers an open top of the pan. The lid comprises a plurality of layers, with adjacently positioned layers being separated by a gap. A plurality of apertures is positioned in the plurality of layers so that apertures positioned in one of the adjacently positioned layers are offset from the apertures positioned in the other of the adjacently positioned layers. The lid thus contains grease spatter resulting from cooking of a food item, such as bacon, that is positioned upon an elevated grated cooking surface that is positioned in the pan.

A rotisserie strainer device; the rotisserie strainer device includes a platform sized and configured to be positionable in a bottom-portion of a host rotisserie-goods-container and elevate a rotisserie-food-item from an interior base section of the rotisserie-goods-container. The platform includes a planar section having a plurality of apertures allowing liquid to pass therethrough, a center support, a first-foot, and a second-foot. The platform is provided for elevating the rotisserie-food-item from the interior base section of the host rotisserie-goods-container in order to prevent contact between the rotisserie-food-item and the liquid collected in the bottom-portion of the host rotisserie-goods-container.

A system and method for preparing a meal is disclosed. A meal may be prepared from foodstuffs such as ingredients of a meal kit with a cooking accessory such as a rack configured to be used with a cooking appliance for foodstuffs; the cooking accessory may comprise a support structure and at least one platform configured to support foodstuffs; the rack may be configured to at least partially fit within the cooking appliance so that foodstuffs on the at least one platform can be heated within the cooking appliance and for removal from the cooking appliance after foodstuffs have been heated. The platform may be attached to the rack or removable. The meal kit may comprise ingredients and a label configured to be detected by a mobile device to provide instructions for preparing the meal. A method of preparing the meal from the meal kit may comprise obtaining instructions.

A cooking apparatus includes a base, a cover with a hot air system, an inner pot, an upper temperature sensor located in the lid, and a lower temperature sensor located in the base. A processor is configured to operate in one of multiple cooking modes, and for each of the cooking modes the processor is configured to measure an upper and a lower temperature using the upper and the lower temperature sensor, respectively; compare the upper and the lower temperature to an upper and a lower temperature sensor setting, respectively; when the upper temperature differs from the upper temperature sensor setting, adjust power to the hot air heating element such that the upper temperature approaches the upper temperature sensor setting; and when the lower temperature differs from the lower temperature sensor setting, adjust power to the heating plate such that the lower temperature approaches the lower temperature sensor setting.

A pasta binding vessel includes a base, a mating lid, and a closure component. The base is a sheet with shaped troughs. The lid is linear and/or has a shape mirroring the troughs. The vessel binds long pasta together as it cooks, preserving the cohesion of the pasta noodles. A method of producing bonded pasta includes inserting elongated pasta into the pasta binding vessel; closing the pasta binding vessel; submerging the pasta binding vessel into boiling water; cooking the pasta for a predetermined period; removing the pasta binding vessel from the boiling water; cooling the pasta for a predetermined period; opening the pasta binding vessel; and removing the bonded pasta from the pasta binding vessel. The pasta is rigid enough to be cut into manageable pieces and dunked into sauce or used as “edible toothpicks” inserted into items such as meatballs, shrimp, and chicken.

A pasta binding vessel includes a base, a mating lid, and a closure component. The base is a sheet with shaped troughs. The lid is linear and/or has a shape mirroring the troughs. The vessel binds long pasta together as it cooks, preserving the cohesion of the pasta noodles. A method of producing bonded pasta includes inserting elongated pasta into the pasta binding vessel; closing the pasta binding vessel; submerging the pasta binding vessel into boiling water; cooking the pasta for a predetermined period; removing the pasta binding vessel from the boiling water; cooling the pasta for a predetermined period; opening the pasta binding vessel; and removing the bonded pasta from the pasta binding vessel. The pasta is rigid enough to be cut into manageable pieces and dunked into sauce or used as “edible toothpicks” inserted into items such as meatballs, shrimp, and chicken.

A fill and drain tube apparatus may have a drain plate with drain plate holes therethrough and at least one support bracket coupled to its lower surface for suspending the drain plate over the bottom cooking surface of a cooking utensil. A user may place food on the drain plate to allow liquids to fall through the drain plate holes to the bottom cooking surface of the cooking utensil. A drain tube having drain holes near its bottom end may extend perpendicularly through an opening in the drain plate. A user may pour liquid through the drain tube and onto the bottom cooking surface without the liquid contacting the food. The liquid may flow through the drain holes. The user may also extract liquid from the cooking utensil through the drain tube, using a ladle, or the like, without removing the food or moving or tipping the cooking utensil.

A fill and drain tube apparatus may have a drain plate with drain plate holes therethrough and at least one support bracket coupled to its lower surface for suspending the drain plate over the bottom cooking surface of a cooking utensil. A user may place food on the drain plate to allow liquids to fall through the drain plate holes to the bottom cooking surface of the cooking utensil. A drain tube having drain holes near its bottom end may extend perpendicularly through an opening in the drain plate. A user may pour liquid through the drain tube and onto the bottom cooking surface without the liquid contacting the food. The liquid may flow through the drain holes. The user may also extract liquid from the cooking utensil through the drain tube, using a ladle, or the like, without removing the food or moving or tipping the cooking utensil.

A cooking apparatus includes a base, a cover with a hot air system, an inner pot, an upper temperature sensor located in the lid, and a lower temperature sensor located in the base. A processor is configured to operate in one of multiple cooking modes, and for each of the cooking modes the processor is configured to measure an upper and a lower temperature using the upper and the lower temperature sensor, respectively; compare the upper and the lower temperature to an upper and a lower temperature sensor setting, respectively; when the upper temperature differs from the upper temperature sensor setting, adjust power to the hot air heating element such that the upper temperature approaches the upper temperature sensor setting; and when the lower temperature differs from the lower temperature sensor setting, adjust power to the heating plate such that the lower temperature approaches the lower temperature sensor setting.