A toaster includes a housing, a conveyor configured to support food products, a motor configured to drive the conveyor to move the food products through the housing, a heating element disposed adjacent the conveyor and configured to emit thermal energy toward the food products as the food products are moved through the housing, a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature within the housing, and a controller operatively coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to control the motor to drive the conveyor at a conveyor speed. The controller is configured to store the sensed temperature within the housing as a function of time and calculate a derivative of the sensed temperature with respect to time. The controller is configured to vary the conveyor speed based on a value of the derivative.

A toaster heating assembly (55A, 55B) including: a frame (60); a panel (65) at least partly supported by the frame (60); a spacer (80) mounted to the panel (65); and an elongate heating element (93) having a plurality of spaced apart elongate heating element portions (95) supported by the spacer (80), so that the spacer (80) is located between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65) to provide a gap (94) between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65).

Cooking systems with improved heating consistency and corresponding methods are provided. A cooking system includes a cooking compartment for receiving food, and a control system for controlling food cooking therein. The control system stores multiple heating times corresponding to different user inputs (e.g., a food shade, a food type, a cooking mode, etc.) The control system can determine temperatures of the cooking compartment from the past to present, as well as a temperature change between the past and present. When the cooking system is activated, the control system receives the user inputs and selects a stored heating time based upon these user inputs and the present cooking compartment temperature. At certain present temperatures, the cooking system also selects the stored heating time based upon the temperature change. This allows the controller to adjust the heating time based upon the cooking compartment temperature, and optionally temperature change, to avoid overcooking food.

A toaster is provided with rotary slots propelled by an electric motor. The toaster utilizes infrared waves to heat or bake breads such as bagel, muffins or the like and is provided with a sensor that discontinues infrared heating after the temperature reaches a certain set temperature.

An apparatus is provided for toasting a food item arranged to receive and support the food item during toasting. The apparatus includes a heating element assembly arranged to heat the surface of the food item by radiant heat. The apparatus is arranged to operate in a first mode where the heating element assembly operates at a first power and a second mode where the heating element assembly operates at a second power. The apparatus further includes a thermally sensitive actuator having a first and a second position and being arranged to switch from the first mode to the second mode at a predetermined temperature by moving from the first position to the second position. The apparatus further includes an arrangement for forcing the actuator to return to its first position.

An apparatus for toasting a food item is arranged to receive and support said food item during toasting. The apparatus includes a heating element arranged to heat the surface of the food item by radiant heat and a fan arranged to blow air across the food item. The apparatus is arranged to operate in a first mode in which the fan is operative and a second mode in which the fan is reduced in speed or turned off. The apparatus is arranged to change from the first mode to the second mode automatically upon a predetermined condition being met. Other ways of moving air across the food item that do not use a fan are also disclosed.

A method for controlling a toaster having a first heating element adapted to heat food arranged in a first heating compartment includes executing a main heating program comprising a succession of activations of the first heating element separated by respective deactivations of the first heating element, wherein the activations of the heating element are carried out by providing power thereto and the deactivations of the heating element are carried out by disconnecting power therefrom.

A toaster includes a first heating compartment, a first heating element associated with the first heating compartment, and a control unit in communication with the first heating element for executing an activation of the heating element by providing a current thereto and a deactivation of the heating element by disconnecting the current therefrom, the control unit further executing a main heating program comprising a succession of activations, separated by respective deactivations.

A toaster has a user selectable supplementary toasting cycle that is intended to change the shade of a food after or during a toasting cycle.

A toaster includes a housing, with a first cavity for toasting bread and a second cavity outside of and separate from the first cavity. The housing also includes at least one slot for receiving bread into the first cavity, and the first cavity is provided with heating elements to toast the bread. The toaster also includes control circuitry for the heating elements with a thermal fuse. There is a first saturation temperature range for toasting bread and a second saturation temperature range which corresponds to a runaway condition. The thermal fuse is positioned in the second cavity and has an actuation temperature between the first saturation temperature range and a the second saturation temperature range, as measured in the second cavity.