Abstract: A waffle maker has upper and lower baking plates each of which is powered with at lease one heating element for baking waffle. A power control unit responds to a temperature sensing unit to control power applied to the heaters and to maintain the heating plates both before and after each baking cycle at a manually pre-selected temperature. A manually adjustable timer controls the duration of the baking cycle.

Abstract: A wide range of knives and blades, including Western, Asian or traditional Japanese style blades that have a primary edge facet on at least one side of the knife edge are sharpened through use of an electric knife sharpener having a first sharpening stage with at least one rotating abrasive surface disk and a knife angle guide to position the blade's facet at a first relative angle of approximately 15 degrees as it contacts the moving abrasive surface. The knife sharpener includes a second sharpening stage with at least one rotating abrasive surfaced disk and a knife angle guide to position the blade's facet at a second relative angle of approximately 20 degrees as it contacts the rotating abrasive surface.

Abstract: A knife sharpener sharpens a wide range of knives and blades. The knife sharpener includes an angle guide associated with a first stage abrasive surface at an angle in the range of 12-18 degrees. A second stage is provided at an angle in the range of 17-23 degrees. A third stage is provided at an angle in the range of 19-25 degrees. The abrasive surface in the first and second stages is in the range of 240 to 400 grit while the abrasives in the third stage is in the range of 600 to 2000 grit.

Abstract: A knife edge enhancing apparatus includes a support having a support surface and knife blade clamping structure mounted to the support and located above the support surface. An object having a knife edge modifying surface which could be abrasive or non-abrasive is mounted to a holder which is freely slidable on the support surface so that the object surface can be manually moved into contact with a knife edge facet. At least one of the clamping structure and the object surface is angularly adjustable to control the angle of contact of the object surface with the knife edge facet.

Abstract: A knife edge enhancing apparatus includes a support having a support surface and knife blade clamping structure mounted to the support and located above the support surface. An object having a knife edge modifying surface which could be abrasive or non-abrasive is mounted to a holder which is freely slidable on the support surface so that the object surface can be manually moved into contact with a knife edge facet. At least one of the clamping structure and the object surface is angularly adjustable to control the angle of contact of the object surface with the knife edge facet.

Abstract: A vessel for preparing heated water or other liquid includes a container, an electric heater and a temperature sensing probe mounted through a wall of the container. The probe includes an efficient heat transferring structure in direct thermal contact with and wet by the liquid. An electrical sensor within the probe is in intimate thermal contact with the transferring structure and has electrical properties directly correlating with the temperature of the transferring structure. The transferring structure is attached to a supporting structure mounted to the wall by an elastomeric efficient thermal insulating material held in compression providing physical support for the probe and sealing the wall from leaking and insuring that the sensor is primarily thermally responsive to the temperature of the transferring surface and to the liquid but is thermally insulated from variations in the temperature of the supporting wall.

Abstract: A sharpener for creating cross-grind knife edges includes a nominally flat annular abrasive sharpening member which could be a ring or a disk and is rotated about its center and held against a moving knife edge facet to simultaneously and sequentially abrade the knife edge at multiple locations on the abrasive member. The disk may be slidably mounted on a shaft in opposition to a spring restraining force. The disk is nominally disposed in a vertical orientation. The sharpener may include multiple stages including a manual stage having a pair of off axis conical shaped rotatable abrasive coated disks which have abrading lines on opposing facets which are not parallel but cross and intersect in a crossing pattern at the blade edge.

Abstract: A knife sharpener sharpens a wide range of knives and blades. The knife sharpener includes an angle guide associated with a first stage abrasive surface at an angle in the range of 12-18 degrees. A second stage is provided at an angle in the range of 17-23 degrees. A third stage is provided at an angle in the range of 19-25 degrees. The abrasive surface in the first and second stages is in the range of 240 to 400 grit while the abrasives in the third stage is in the range of 600 to 2000 grit.

Abstract: A sharpener for creating cross-grind knife edges includes a nominally flat annular abrasive sharpening member which could be a ring or a disk and is rotated about its center and held against a moving knife edge facet to simultaneously and sequentially abrade the knife edge at multiple locations on the abrasive member. The disk may be slidably mounted on a shaft in opposition to a spring restraining force. The disk is nominally disposed in a vertical orientation. The sharpener may include multiple stages including a manual stage having a pair of off axis conical shaped rotatable abrasive coated disks which have abrading lines on opposing facets which are not parallel but cross and intersect in a crossing pattern at the blade edge.

Abstract: An apparatus for manually steeling or conditioning the edge of a knife blade comprises a precision angle guide attached to a manual sharpening steel. The angle guide establishes a guiding surface that provides for sustained sliding or rolling contact with the face of the knife blade such that the plane of at least one edge facet adjacent to the edge of the blade is maintained at a precisely established angle relative to the plane of the sharpening steel surface at the contact point of the facet with the surface of the sharpening steel.