Abstract: A storage and transport container for blades of the type used in an electric food processor has a series of platforms adapted to horizontally accommodate a stack of a plurality of blade discs in a positively locked manner within the platforms. A door is provided to enclosed the inside of the container.

Abstract: A slow cooker and method of cooking with a slow cooker is provided. The slow cooker has a base unit with a housing defining a heating chamber for heating and retaining a cooking basin placed therein, a lid for covering the cooking basin, and at least two cooking controls for controlling a time and a temperature for cooking at a first desired temperature and maintaining a cooked item at a second desired temperature. The method of cooking preferably includes at least two cooking controls cooperating to operate the slow cooker so that at the end of a cooking time at the first desired temperature set by the at least two cooking controls, the slow cooker operates to heat the cooking chamber to the second desired setting.

Abstract: A handheld mixer has a body comprising a housing that houses a motor and drive system and an integral handle, and to an eccentric drive arrangement that is adapted to accept a single mixer attachment that is rotatably mounted about its own axis and that is orbitally mounted about a second, parallel moving axis in order to impart an eccentric orbit in combination with rotation.

Abstract: A cooking appliance is provided. The cooking appliance has a heating plate with at least one cooking surface, a heater for heating the heating plate, a support structure for supporting the heating plate, and an interface mechanism that, in response to the heating plate being positioned on the support structure in a predetermined position, is actuated to permit heating of the heater.

Abstract: A cooking device and method for cooking food items by boiling and by steaming is provided. The method of cooking the food items includes placing an amount of liquid in a recess of the cooking device, heating the recess to heat a liquid therein to a cooking temperature, and receiving the sidewalls of a bowl having apertures in a bottom surface thereof in the recess, in a first position, for cooking by boiling. The bowl is supported in a second position over the recess on an intermediate member for cooking the food items by steaming.

Abstract: A handheld mixer (10) has a body comprising a housing (12) that houses a motor and drive system and an integral handle (16), and one or more mixer attachments (20). A rotatable dial control (24) is rotatable about an axis (28) that is located within the housing (12) and, thus, only a portion of the dial (24) is exposed. The dial (24) is engaged by the user's thumb or finger of the same hand that is holding the device by its handle (16). The dial (24) comprises a smaller diameter dial (30) that is fixed to or integral with the manipulated dial (24) and which is positioned beneath a transparent surface (34) of the housing (12). The smaller dial (30) has markings that are viewed through the transparent surface (34) to indicate the larger dial position, such as “on/off”; “high/low”; and the like. Another novel feature of the present invention is an attachment eject button (36) that activates a lock to release a mixer attachment (20).

Abstract: A toaster broiler oven with an NTC temperature probe located within the oven chamber and a controller that controls the heater of the oven in a thermostat operation for non-toasting modes and in a variable toasting interval length operation in the toasting mode. When the toaster start switch is activated in the toast mode, the controller determines if the oven chamber temperature is greater than a predetermined temperature, such as room temperature. If not, a first toast interval is selected. If so, a second shorter toast interval is selected. The length of the second interval is chosen so that the toaster oven consistently produces toast of a selected color from one toast cycle to the next, regardless of the elapsed time between consecutive toast cycles.

Abstract: An improved toaster includes a user control panel for receiving and displaying user selections corresponding to a desired toast darkness setting. A toaster shade display displays a user selected toast darkness setting and includes a linear array of LEDs (LED bar), horizontally arranged on an exterior portion of the toaster body. The LEDs are sequentially turned on and off to indicate the user selected toast darkness setting, lighter or darker toast. The user control panel also contains preprogrammed custom settings for one-slice, two-slice, bagel, defrost and reheat mode of operation. A user can select a custom setting or any combination of custom settings thereof.