Abstract: A distiller control circuit includes a power bus including first and second lines and a fan circuit connected across the lines and including a fan motor and a fan thermostat in series. There is also a heater circuit connected across the lines and including a heater and a heater thermostat in series. The fan thermostat is normally open, closes at an elevated temperature and automatically re-opens when the temperature subsides. The heater thermostat is normally closed, opens at an elevated temperature and must be manually reset to the closed position. The raw water vessel has a reset mechanism with a pivot-mounted bar and a contact surface on the bar. When the contact surface is depressed, the bar is urged to the second position for resetting the heater thermostat. The heater circuit terminates in a two-stud male connector and the platform has a two-slot female connector. The studs slide into electrically-conductive engagement with the slots when the raw water vessel is inserted into the condensing platform.

Abstract: A rapid cycle household automatic breadmaker for producing bread has a total cycle time in the order of about one hour, including a kneading cycle of 10 minutes, a rise time cycle of twenty minutes and a baking cycle of thirty minutes. In producing a loaf of bread, the bread ingredients are preheated by hot water to a preheat temperature of about 49.degree. C. to 54.degree. C. and maintained at the preheat temperature for the duration of the kneading cycle and for at least a portion of the rise time. The bread dough is baked at a temperature of about 216.degree. C. to 232.degree. C. during the baking cycle.

Abstract: A new baffle device for a distiller has a tubular body and a baffle member fixed with respect to such body. The baffle member has a plurality of apertures for stripping dissolved solids from steam passing through the member. The distiller raw water vessel has a steam discharge nozzle and the baffle device extends part way into and is in telescoped engagement with the nozzle. The device is held in place by a retention ring and both the ring and the device are quickly removable from the raw water vessel for easy cleaning of the device and the vessel. The distiller has a condensing platform with a steam receiving port built into it. When the raw water vessel is on the platform in the water-boiling position, the baffle device extends between the nozzle and the port and forms a conduit for steam to flow to the condensing coil.

Abstract: A distiller control circuit includes a power bus with first and second lines and a fan circuit connected across the lines and having a fan motor and a fan thermostat in series. There is also a heater circuit connected across the lines and having a heater and a heater thermostat in series. The fan thermostat is normally open, closes at an elevated temperature and automatically re-opens when the temperature subsides. The heater thermostat is normally closed, opens at an elevated temperature and must be manually reset to the closed position.The raw water vessel has a reset mechanism with a pivot-mounted bar and a contact surface on the bar. When the contact surface is depressed, the bar is urged to the second position for resetting the heater thermostat. The heater circuit terminates in a two-stud male connector and the platform has a two-slot female connector. The studs slide into electrically-conductive engagement with the slots when the raw water vessel is inserted into the condensing platform.

Abstract: Disclosed is a water distiller of the type having a raw water container, a heater for boiling water in the container and a thermostat for disabling the heater. In the improvement, the container includes a water cavity having a upper perimeter around a panel and the heater is mounted in heat-transfer relationship to the panel. The container includes a thermostat in heat-transfer relationship to the panel and connected to the heater. When water diminishes to a level at which the panel is no longer submerged, the panel temperature rises and trips the thermostat.A heater retention member secures the heater to the panel and a reflective heat shield has a first portion spaced from the retention member. The heater is between the panel and the first portion. The thermostat projects through an aperture in the retention member and an opening in the heat shield so that such thermostat is in intimate, heat-transfer relationship to the panel.

Abstract: The new bread slicing guide includes a base member and a pair of guide members mounted with respect to the base member for pivoting movement about respective pivot axes. The pivot axes are under the base member so that the guide members may be folded toward and substantially against one another for storage. Each guide member is retained in a bread slicing position or a storage position by a position retention mechanism having a cavity and a raised portion generally conforming in shape to the shape of the cavity. A new method is also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure involves a countertop distiller for home use. Such distiller is of the type including a condensing coil and an electrically-powered water heater. A method for controlling power flow to the heater includes the steps of activating a timer circuit to energize the heater, increasing the temperature of the coil and bypassing the timer circuit when the coil temperature increases to a predetermined value. The heater is de-energized when the water in the raw water container is substantially depleted and the heater temperature increases to a predetermined value because of such depletion. A new electrical circuit for a countertop distiller is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preselected extension of the dough rise period for dough products prepared in an automatic breadmaker. The method includes the step of selecting an extended final dough rise period from a group of predetermined times programmed into the breadmaker controller. The selection may be made before initiating the kneading/degassing and rising cycles or during what would otherwise be the final dough rise period.

Abstract: The new bread slicing guide includes a base member and a pair of guide members mounted with respect to the base member for pivoting movement about respective pivot axes. The pivot axes are under the base member so that the guide members may be folded toward and substantially against one another for storage. Each guide member is retained in a bread slicing position or a storage position by a position retention mechanism having a cavity and a raised portion generally conforming in shape to the shape of the cavity. A new method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new heating device for an appliance such as a coffee urn. Such device has a main heating element and a spaced-apart warming element, both of which are embedded in a common casting. The device may be mounted to and removed from an appliance as a single unit and when mounted, the main heating element is closer to the liquid container than the warming element. The elements are vertically spaced from one another and each element has flattened coil portions contacting one another. Such flattened portions minimizes the height of the device. The new device also has one or more "mounting points" for attaching auxiliary components such as a grounding wire and a thermostat, as needed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic breadmaker of the type having an oven chamber for baking bread. The chamber is formed by a floor and wall members, including top, front, rear and side wall members. The breadmaker also has a pan in the oven chamber for containing a bread product. The improvement comprises a lamp secured to the top wall member, whereby light is directed downwardly to illuminate the bread product during baking. Preferably, the lamp is over the pan and the breadmaker includes a barrier interposed between the lamp and the region from which a user views the contents of the pan. Unreflected light from the lamp is thereby substantially prevented from entering the viewing region and impairing the user's view of the bread product.

Abstract: An automatic breadmaker has a floor, enclosing surfaces and a door which form the oven chamber. The door swings horizontally to create a front opening extending substantially to the oven floor, thus facilitating "wide-side" insertion and removal of the baking pan. When closed, the door extends upwardly from along the oven floor and rearwardly to a position directly above the pan. With the door open, insertion and removal of the pan is further facilitated by the resulting wide-mouth configuration. The pan has two driven kneading members spaced along its bottom for mixing dough. The loaf made by the new breadmaker is of normal configuration, has a risen topside extending along its length and has a size, shape and overall appearance closely resembling that of a normal bakery loaf.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a potato into a helical shape, the apparatus having a hollow, generally cylindrical body, a cutting plate having a top side and a bottom side located in the body for cutting a potato into a helical shape when a potato is inserted into the body, forced against the cutting plate and rotated around the longitudinal axis of the body, the cutting plate having a plurality of vertical blades for cutting a potato extending perpendicularly upward from the cutting plate and a horizontal blade located above the cutting plate for cutting a potato, and a feeding apparatus for forcing a potato onto the cutting plate and for rotating the potato about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body to cut the potato into a helical shape, and an apparatus for cutting an onion into a helical shape, the apparatus having a hollow, generally cylindrical body, a cutting plate having a top side and a bottom side located in the body for cutting an onion into a helical shape when an onion is inserted into the b