Abstract: A method for treating food in an appliance (14) by at least one treatment device of the appliance (14) comprises the steps of a. providing a food recognition system with at least one camera image of a food item to be treated by the appliance (14)(S1), b. picture data about the food item by extracting a number of at least one characteristic features of the food item from the at least one camera image (S2), c. assigning a food identification to the food item based on at least one of the number of characteristic features (S4, S6), d. executing a food treatment process or program allocated to the assigned food identification (S8). According to the invention, the camera image is provided during step a. (S1) by an external camera device (12, 14), wherein the camera image provision is executed—by data retrieval by the food recognition system, and/or—by data transfer by the mobile camera device (12, 20), and/or—on the operator's initiation.

Abstract: An induction hob (100) includes a solid plate (105), and a plurality of electrically activatable coil members (1101-1108) arranged underneath the plate. The define corresponding cooking zones (1151-1158) of the induction hob, and a control unit (135) is configured to select power levels for the cooking zones. Upon selection of first (P1) and second (P6) power levels for non-adjacent first (1151) and second (1156) cooking zones, respectively, the control unit is configured to automatically select for each intermediate cooking zone (1152-1155) between the first and second cooking zones a corresponding power level (P2-P5) obtained by interpolation of the first and second power levels with a predefined interpolating function.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for controlling a fryer (1) comprising a vat (3), a logic unit (9) and a manual validation interface (70, 72), the method comprising the following steps: S.1) carrying out a learning frying run, in its turn 1 0 comprising the following steps: S.1.1) placing a first batch of food to be fried in a cooking medium contained in the vat (3), the food to be fried being of a predetermined kind; S.1.2) when the food to be fried reaches a desired frying condition, communicating to the logic unit (9) through the manual validation interface (70, 72) that the food has reached said desired frying condition; S.2) carrying out a successive frying run comprising the following steps: S.2.1) placing a second batch of food to be fried in the cooking medium contained in the vat (3), the food of the second batch being substantially of the same kind as of the food of the first batch; S.2.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooking food products on both sides which has a food-support surface that is transparent to both microwave and infrared radiation, an electric heating device, and a microwave generator. The microwave generator is connected to a waveguide cavity for irradiating the food products. The apparatus also has a food-contact heating surface that, together with the food-support surface, forms a cooking chamber capable of retaining the microwaves inside. The electric heating device has a shielded resistor with the external shield electrically connected to ground. The apparatus has a partition element made of thermal-insulating and microwave-transparent material, a portion of which is below the shielded resistor to separate the resistor from the microwave generator. The waveguide cavity has a microwave launch aperture underneath the partition element.

Abstract: An induction hob (100) is provided. The induction hob comprises a solid plate (105), a plurality of electrically activatable coil members (1101-1108) arranged underneath the plate, said coil members defining corresponding cooking zones (1151-1158) of the induction hob, and a control unit (135) configured to select power levels for the cooking zones. In the solution according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, upon selection of first (P1) and second (P6) power levels for non-adjacent first (1151) and second (1156) cooking zones, respectively, the control unit is configured to automatically select for each intermediate cooking zone (1152-1155) between said first and second cooking zones a corresponding power level (P2-P5) obtained by interpolation of the first and second power levels with a predefined interpolating function.

Abstract: Deep-freezing apparatus for foodstuffs comprising a deep-freezing compartment, signal display means, sensor means adapted to detect the temperature inside the foodstuffs stored in said deep-freezing compartment, processing means for the signals generated by said sensor means, wherein the apparatus further comprises a neural network adapted to receive the signals issued by a temperature sensor situated inside the foodstuff being deep-frozen and by an information on the time elapsed from the beginning of the deep-freezing process, and further adapted to provide a signal representative of the residual time needed to reach a pre-set (deep-freezing) temperature, as well as processing means adapted to receive the signal output by said neural network and provide in response an information representative of the predicted time needed for a pre-determined temperature to be reached on said first temperature sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooking food products on both sides thereof, including a base member (2) comprising a food-support surface (3) transparent to both microwave and infrared radiation, an electric heating device (4) and at least one microwave generator (5), said microwave generator (5) being connected to a waveguide cavity (6) for irradiating the food products, an upper member (7) comprising a food-contact heating surface (8) and adapted to close in onto the base member (2) so as to form a cooking chamber (9) enclosing said surfaces (3,8) and capable to retaining the microwaves there within.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a machine, such as a washing machine, in particular a dishwashing machine and a clothes washing machine, an ironing machine, a food cooking oven and a boiling pan of the kind intended for use in professional kitchens, such machine being provided with water heating means 6,l 36, 46) and being further provided with a device adapted to curb and reduce scale formation. A machine provided according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an electrolytic cell (2, 22, 32, 42) eluting zinc ions in the process water, and in that it further comprises sensor means (11, 211, 211a, 311, 411) and processing means (12, 212, 312, 412) for determining the (Zn)-to-(Ca) ratio, i.e. the ratio of the concentration by weight of zinc to the concentration by weight of calcium in said water.

Abstract: Arrangement for automatically measuring the salt concentration in cooking water, comprising: a kettle containing the cooking water, wherein said sensor comprises a toroidal probe that is submerged in the cooking water bath and on an end portion of which there is provided an annular ferromagnetic core, round which there are wound two distinct conductive windings, the respective terminals of which are connected outside; said probe comprises a sensor (11) for the temperature of the cooking water bath. The two windings are connected to a processing and control unit, which is provided with means for detecting and measuring the voltages across said two windings, measuring the ratio of these two voltages to each other, and processing said ratio so as to produce a value that correlates to the electric conductivity of the cooking water bath, wherein the value of the electric conductivity of the cooking water bath is furthermore rectified with the value of the temperature being measured by said temperature sensor.

Abstract: Deep-freezing apparatus for foodstuffs comprising a deep-freezing compartment, signal display means, sensor means adapted to detect the temperature inside the foodstuffs stored in said deep-freezing compartment, processing means for the signals generated by said sensor means, wherein the apparatus further comprises a neural network adapted to receive the signals issued by a temperature sensor situated inside the foodstuff being deep-frozen and by an information on the time elapsed from the beginning of the deep-freezing process, and further adapted to provide a signal representative of the residual time needed to reach a pre-set (deep-freezing) temperature, as well as processing means adapted to receive the signal output by said neural network and provide in response an information representative of the predicted time needed for a pre-determined temperature to be reached on said first temperature sensor.