Abstract: A convection oven with laminar airflow and/or moisture injection. A radial airflow fan is used to provide a circulating airflow that is substantially even and substantially turbulence free. The circulating airflow is provided to an oven chamber via a plurality of egress ports that rim a divider wall disposed between the oven chamber and a fan chamber. The airflow interleaves with a plurality of pans in the oven chamber to provide a laminar airflow. Moisture is injected into the circulating airflow either upstream of the fan or by flashing water onto the hot blades of the fan from either the low pressure side or the high pressure side of the fan.

Abstract: A grill having a platen with a plurality of heating zones. Each heating zone has a heating unit. Thermal transfer between adjacent heat zones is limited by air gaps and insulation. The heater unit of each zone has a heater that is disposed to attain substantially uniform temperature of the platen for that zone before a temperature sensor senses a set temperature during either pre-heat or recovery modes.

Abstract: A convection oven with laminar airflow and/or moisture injection. A radial airflow fan is used to provide a circulating airflow that is substantially even and substantially turbulence free. The circulating airflow is provided to an oven chamber via a plurality of egress ports that rim a divider wall disposed between the oven chamber and a fan chamber. The airflow interleaves with a plurality of pans in the oven chamber to provide a laminar airflow. Moisture is injected into the circulating airflow either upstream of the fan or by flashing water onto the hot blades of the fan from either the low pressure side or the high pressure side of the fan.

Abstract: A cooking appliance for grilling food products has a griddle plate and a heating assembly that contains a non-contact infrared heating element to achieve uniform plate temperatures, fast initial warming times and fast recovery times. The heating element is situated in a cavity formed by thermal insulating material in the assembly. When the assembly is secured to the griddle plate, there is a space between the heater element and the griddle plate to allow infrared radiation heat transfer to heat the griddle plate. The insulating material has a relatively high insulating factor so as to minimize heat loss and reduce energy usage.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus comprising a heatable component insulated by a heat insulating material, wherein the heat insulating material comprises a plurality of metal sheets that are spaced apart from each other by a separator.

Abstract: A combination convection/microwave oven in which a food product is cooked by microwave energy from a source thereof and by a heated airflow provided by a thermal energy source and a blower. The food product is located in the near field of the microwave energy. The oven includes a controller that operates the thermal energy source and/or the blower according to temperature and or time to improve cooking results. The cooking procedure includes a soak interval during which the thermal energy source, the blower and/or the microwave energy source is turned off, whereby the temperature of the food product is permitted to equilibrate and thereby provide more uniform cooking. The food product may be located directly on the rack or in a microwave transparent or reflective container.

Abstract: A pizza oven that has an air curtain or air wash along the bottom of the cooking stones that reduces heat transfer from the burners to the stones during idle modes to thereby prevent over heating and burning of pizza bottoms during an ensuing cooking mode. The heating stones are situated on a plurality of bosses that extend from a base plate disposed between the burner flame and the stones. The air curtain extends along a gap between the bottom surface of the stones and the upper surface of the base plate.

Abstract: A combination convection/microwave oven in which a food product is cooked by microwave energy from a source thereof and by a heated airflow provided by a thermal energy source and a blower. The food product is located in the near field of the microwave energy. The oven includes a controller that operates the thermal energy source and/or the blower according to temperature and or time to improve cooking results. The cooking procedure includes a soak interval during which the thermal energy source, the blower and/or the microwave energy source is turned off, whereby the temperature of the food product is permitted to equilibrate and thereby provide more uniform cooking. The food product may be located directly on the rack or in a microwave transparent or reflective container.

Abstract: A combination convection/microwave oven in which a food product is cooked by microwave energy and by a heated airflow provided by a thermal energy source and a blower. The oven is capable of cooking food in a microwave reflective pan. Microwave energy enters the oven below the pan and is guided to a spacing between the pan and oven sides and then reflected by the sides and top of the oven to the food product in the pan. The heated airflow is laminar with an upper layer and a lower layer. The pan is positioned at about the interface of the two layers so that the upper layer is incident on the food product and the lower layer is incident on the bottom of the pan.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus comprising a heatable component insulated by a heat insulating material, wherein the heat insulating material comprises a plurality of metal sheets that are spaced apart from each other by a separator.

Abstract: A combination convection/microwave oven in which a food product is cooked by microwave energy and by a heated airflow provided by a thermal energy source and a blower. The oven is capable of cooking food in a microwave reflective pan. Microwave energy enters the oven below the pan and is guided to a spacing between the pan and oven sides and then reflected by the sides and top of the oven to the food product in the pan. The heated airflow is laminar with an upper layer and a lower layer. The pan is positioned at about the interface of the two layers so that the upper layer is incident on the food product and the lower layer is incident on the bottom of the pan.

Abstract: A temperature control method and controller for an oven having a heater, a temperature sensor, a fan, a door, a cooking compartment and on oven on/off switch. The method includes a heat up procedure that involves running two or more heat up cycles to stabilize the cooking compartment to a cook temperature. The method also includes a time out procedure that reduces the cooking compartment temperature to a standby temperature in the event a time out period expires between the end of one cooking procedure and the start of the next cooking procedure. The method also includes an automatic cooling procedure that automatically cools the cooking compartment to a safe temperature whenever the oven on/off switch is switched from on to off.