A heater system includes a plurality of heater cores defining zones, a plurality of power pins extending through each of the heater cores and made of different conductive materials, and at least one jumper connected between two of the plurality of power pins being made of dissimilar materials. The jumper is in communication with a controller to obtain a temperature reading of the heater system proximate the jumper.

The invention relates to a method for treating a food product by non-conventional resistive heating using. contact with spaced-apart electrically conductive electrodes connected to a power source that regulates current to the electrodes by pausing heating of the food product to a predetermined temperature. The electrodes are configured into two groups at a first distance from one another. Each electrode group has individual electrodes, similar to a comb-like set of needles, wherein neighboring needles of each group are at a second distance from one another that is greater than or equal to the first distance. Each set of needles penetrates the food product such that points of the needles leave penetration points, wherein the food product is accommodated in a space between two conveyor belts and the individual electrodes extend from at least one of the conveyor belts in the direction of the opposite conveyor belt.

The present invention relates to a method for performing a cooking process on a food product ready to be cooked on the basis of a cooking recipe information provided in a cooking recipe (10). At least one food model (30) is generated on the basis of the cooking recipe information and a database (14, 16, 20, 22, 26, 28). The cooking recipe (10) comprises at least one of the information about: —an ingredient, —a preparation step or process, —the shape of unprocessed food, and —composition, properties and condition of the food product. The database (14, 16, 20, 22, 26, 28) comprises information about ingredients and/or unprocessed food, which may be basic nutrient information of ingredients and/or unprocessed food, particularly information about content of at least one of: water, fat, carbohydrates and proteins. The database (14, 16, 20, 22, 26, 28) may also comprise, in addition or alternatively, information about at least one thermal property of the unprocessed food or food product ready to be cooked. If applicable, at least one thermal property of the food product ready to be cooked, in particular its density, thermal conductivity and/or heat capacity, is estimated on the basis of the cooking recipe information and the basic nutrient information. At least one cooking parameter of the cooking process, in particular temperature of the cooking equipment and/or environment, duration of a cooking program and/or program segment and/or program step, heating mode, etc., is defined based on the food model (30) and/or on at least the provided or estimated at least one thermal property of the food product.

A food delivery system comprising an induction heating apparatus, an induction-heatable apparatus, and a food delivery cart. The induction heating apparatus includes an induction heating element and an electronic system including a communication element configured to communicatively link to an ordering system. The induction-heatable apparatus is configured to be heated via the induction heating apparatus and includes an RFID tag configured to store information of food being heated and information of an intended recipient or intended destination of the food. The food delivery cart includes an induction heating element configured to warm the induction-heatable apparatus and hence the food and an electronic system including an RFID reader to determine information corresponding to the food, augment the information, and transmit the augmented information a central monitoring system.

The invention relates to a method for operating a heating element (210), in particular in a food processor (1) for the at least partially automatic preparation of foodstuffs, wherein the following steps are performed: a) detecting an electrical resistance of the heating element (210) such that at least one resistance value is determined, b) performing a heating operation on the heating element (210) based on the at least one determined resistance value to perform the heating operation depending on a temperature of the heating element (210).

A heater to heat a container within which food is to be cooked. The heater includes a flexible elongated base that is to at least partly surround the container periphery, so that the heater can be urged towards the periphery. A heating element is attached to the base of the container to enable the heating element to be in thermal contact with the periphery. An elongated power conduit is connected to the heating element to provide for the connection of the heating element to a source of electric power so that upon electric power being delivered to the heating element, the heating element can heat the container.

A cooking apparatus has a cooking chamber, a microwave unit to radiate microwaves to the cooking chamber, a convection unit to supply hot air to the cooking chamber, a grill unit to supply radiant heat to the cooking chamber, an input unit to receive a cooking command and a control unit to perform a cooking corresponding to the received cooking command by performing one of a first heating stage and a second heating stage, and after performing the one of the first heating stage and the second heating stage, performing the other one of the first heating stage and the second heating stage. In the first heating stage, the control unit operates the microwave unit and at least one of the convection unit and the grill unit, and in the second heating stage, the control unit operates the grill unit and the convection unit while not operating the microwave unit.

A heater includes a first power pin and a second power pin made of dissimilar materials, and a resistive heating element made of a material different from those of the first and second power pins. The resistive heating element includes a first end electrically and directly connected to the first power pin to form a first thermocouple junction and a second end and electrically and directly connected to the second power pin to form a second thermocouple junction. The first and second power pins perform a dual function of supplying power to the resistive heating element and detecting changes in voltage at the first and second thermocouple junctions without interrupting the power supplied to the resistive heating element.

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 sous-vide circulator cooker that sounds an audible alarm when the system raises the temperature of the water to a determined temperature. The sous-vide circulator cooker includes temperature sensors, heaters and a pump to circulator temperature controlled fluids. The system also contains a speaker or buzzer that can play alarms or music when the system comes to a predetermined temperature. In at least one embodiment, the sous-vide circulator can also distinguish between self-heating and user-induced temperature changes, and will sound alarms accordingly.