A toaster (103) having a side wall (10) with a reflective surface (16) to reflect radiant heat towards a toasting chamber (13), and an external surface to which there is attached a sensor assembly (12). The sensor assembly (12) provides a source beam to illuminate part of the product and receives a reflected beam that is received by a sensor, with the sensor providing a signal indicative of a property of the reflected beam and therefore a chromatic property of the product.

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).

A toaster includes a rack within a toasting chamber. A lid is movable with the rack to selectively occlude an opening to the toasting chamber. A heating element within the toasting chamber is operable to direct IR energy to the bread product on the rack. An image capture device operates to acquire image data of the bread product on the rack. A controller receives the image data. The controller processor analyzes successive image data received from the image capture device. Based upon the analysis of the image data, the controller operates the heating element to achieve a predetermined toasting level of the bread product and then turn off the heating element.

The present invention relate to an apparatus for processing of foodstuff. The apparatus comprises an element for processing of the foodstuff. The apparatus further comprises a light source that is arranged to emit light having at least two wavelengths or wavelength ranges, the light source further being arranged to direct the light to a surface of at least the foodstuff, and a detector positioned to detect at least a portion of light reflected from the surface of the foodstuff, and arranged to generate an output indicative of the detected intensity. In addition, the apparatus comprises a component for identifying a content property of the foodstuff, the component being arranged to determine a relation between a generated output for one of the at least two wavelengths or wavelength ranges and a generated output for the other or another one of the at least two wavelengths or wavelength ranges, the component further being arranged to compare the determined relation with predetermined data to generate information indicative of the content property of the foodstuff. The apparatus is arranged such that processing of the foodstuff is controlled using the information indicative of the content property of the foodstuff.

An infrared toaster and a method of toasting use a support configured to hold a food product relative to an infrared source. A light source and a camera are arranged relative to the support to illuminate the food product and capture digital images of the food product. A processor receives and analyzes successive images from the camera. The processor operates the IR source to achieve a predetermined toasting level of the food product. The processor operates the IR source to terminate operation directing IR energy when the predetermined toasting level is reached.

A toaster includes a housing that defines one or more cooking cavities. Each cooking cavity has a lift to lower and raise a food product inside the cooking cavity depending on food product type, and heating elements to cook the food product arranged inside the cooking cavity. The toaster includes a user interface operable to control a cooking cycle inside the one or more cooking cavities. The user interface can be used to select a combination of food product, cooking mode, and doneness level, and to initiate a cooking cycle performed by the toaster.

Several embodiments include a cooking instrument having: a housing frame defining a slot to fit a food item; a heater mechanically coupled to the housing frame and adapted to produce electromagnetic waves to heat the food item; one or more optical feedback components configured to measure light intensity at one or more regions in the slot perpendicular to an opening of the slot; and a controller configured to control the heater based on an output of the optical feedback components.

A heatable kitchen device such as a toaster has a housing having an outer wall and an inner wall (114), a heating area within the housing for receiving foodstuff to be heated, a heating element located between the heating area and the inner wall (114), a bracket (140) mounted to the inner wall (114) adjacent the heating area. The bracket (140) has a seat (142) located opposite the inner wall (114). The seat receives a sensor assembly (150) and has a first aperture and a second aperture through the bracket (140) to the seat (142). The first aperture has an area and the second aperture has an area, and the inner wall (114) has an opening (148) that is larger than the combined areas of the first and second apertures to allow the sensor assembly (150) to detect a property of the foodstuff.

A conveyor toaster includes a conveyor assembly with a bracket and a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt rotates about first and second gears. A drive motor operates to move the conveyor belt about the first and second gears. A platen is configured to be heated and is positioned relative to the conveyor belt. A mounting bracket is connected to the bracket of the conveyor assembly. Movement of the mounting bracket changes the position of the conveyor assembly relative to the platen.

An infrared source is arranged relative to support for bread product and operates to direct IR energy to the bread product. A light source is arranged relative to the support and operates to illuminate the bread product and a camera operates to capture images of the bread product. A processor receives the images from the camera. The processor compares successive images received from the camera. Based upon the comparison, the processor operates the IR source to achieve a predetermined toasting level of the bread product.