Abstract: In a toaster, when a supporting member on which a sliced bread is placed is moved down to hold the sliced bread in a bread holding space, a pressing member almost straightly keeps and presses the sliced bread toward the plate heater with a pattern plate in conjunction with a downward movement of the supporting member. When heating is started, radiation heat from the plate heater to the sliced bread is shielded by the pattern plate attached to the plate heater. Thus, the sliced bread is toasted with a pattern in the shape of the pattern plate, and a peripheral region of the pattern plate is almost uniformly browned by radiation heat from the plate heater.

Abstract: A cooking machine which has: a cooking vessel removably provided in a case cavity and having an open top; a rotary shaft extending through a bottom of the cooking vessel and having an upper end to be fitted with an agitator blade; a driving mechanism provided below the cooking vessel for rotatively driving the rotary shaft of the cooking vessel; a heater provided in the case cavity for adjusting an ambient temperature within the case cavity; and a steam generating mechanism for supplying steam into the cooking vessel. The cooking machine selectively performs a kneading process for kneading an ingredient put in the cooking vessel, a shaping/fermenting process for allowing an ingredient to expand to a predetermined level in the cooking vessel, a baking process for baking an ingredient, and a steaming process for steaming an ingredient in the cooking vessel.

Abstract: In a toaster for toasting a sliced bread with a pattern of a pattern plate, a heater guard is attached to the pattern plate on the side of the sliced bread, and the heater guard has a protrusion over the length between the upper and lower portions of the pattern plate generally in the shape of a rectangle with one side opened such that a prescribed space is ensured between the heater guard and the pattern plate. Thus, a pattern caused by the shadow of the heater guard is not formed in the pattern of the toasted sliced bread, and a toaster allowing a fine toasting pattern can be obtained.