Abstract: A cooktop appliance and heating element, as provided herein may define a heating zone having a thermostat positioned therein. The thermostat may include a base, a bimetallic disk, and a conductive spring. The base may extend axially between a first end and a second end. The bimetallic disk may be disposed within the base. The conductive spring may be disposed within the base in biased engagement with the bimetallic disk to motivate the bimetallic disk towards the first end within the base. The conductive spring may include a first layer and a second layer. The first layer may extend from a contact end proximal to the bimetallic disk to a joinder end connected to the first terminal. The second layer may extend from a biasing end proximal to the bimetallic disk to a secured end fixed within the base.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a cooking cavity, a microwave module, and a turntable rotatably mounted in the cooking cavity. An upper pan is mounted above the turntable. The cooking appliance also includes a motor operatively coupled to the turntable to rotate the turntable and the upper pan within the cooking cavity.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a cooking cavity, a microwave module, a convection module, an upper heater module and a lower heater module. A turntable is rotatably mounted in the cooking cavity. The cooking appliance is operable for, and related methods may include, activating at least one of the microwave module, the upper heater module, the lower heater module, and the convection module, while also rotating the turntable within the cooking cavity within the cooking cavity. The cooking appliance is further operable for, and related methods may also include rotating the turntable to a predetermined position at a predetermined time.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a cooking cavity, and a plurality of heater modules. A turntable and an upper pan are rotatably mounted in the cooking cavity. The turntable and the upper pan are configured for positioning a plurality of food items thereon in a predetermined food arrangement. The plurality of food items collectively make up a meal. The cooking appliance is operable for, and related methods may include, rotating the turntable and the upper pan within the cooking chamber and activating at least one of the plurality of heater modules while the turntable and the upper pan are rotating within the cooking cavity, such that differing amounts of energy are provided to each food item of the plurality of food items based on a spatial location of each food item in the predetermined food arrangement on the turntable and the upper pan during a meal cook cycle.

Abstract: A method of operating cooking appliance includes activating a motor to rotate a turntable within a cooking cavity defined in a casing of the cooking appliance. The methods also includes activating a cooking lamp in response to the turntable reaching a first angular position after activating the motor to rotate the turntable and deactivating the cooking lamp in response to the turntable reaching a second angular position after the first angular position.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a cooking cavity, a microwave module, a convection module, an upper heater module and a lower heater module. A turntable is rotatably mounted in the cooking cavity. The cooking appliance is operable for, and related methods may include, activating at least one of the microwave module, the upper heater module, the lower heater module, and the convection module, while also rotating the turntable within the cooking cavity within the cooking cavity. The cooking appliance is further operable for, and related methods may also include rotating the turntable in a back-and-forth motion during at least a portion of a cook cycle.

Abstract: A cooking appliance such as a microwave oven is provided with a sacrificial region for repairing damage caused by arcing and related failure modes. The sacrificial region incorporates a component that, when damaged, is removable from the cooking appliance for replacement by another component of similar construction. In one implementation, a sacrificial component is utilized in a microwave oven with a heated cavity subject to microwave radiation from a magnetron. The sacrificial component in this example includes an aperture that communicates with an opening in the cavity, and through which the radiation impinges into the heated cavity.

Abstract: A cooking appliance such as a microwave oven is provided with a sacrificial region for repairing damage caused by arcing and related failure modes. The sacrificial region incorporates a component that, when damaged, is removable from the cooking appliance for replacement by another component of similar construction. In one implementation, a sacrificial component is utilized in a microwave oven with a heated cavity subject to microwave radiation from a magnetron. The sacrificial component in this example includes an aperture that communicates with an opening in the cavity, and through which the radiation impinges into the heated cavity.

Abstract: A microwave oven and methods are presented in which the duty cycle of the current to the primary winding of a transformer in a half-wave voltage doubler feeding the magnetron is controlled according to the current drawn by auxiliary devices in the microwave oven to control the average current consumption of the microwave over time during a heating operation so an associated protection device will not trip.

Abstract: A control system for a an oven having at least one cooking element and a surface warmer includes a microprocessor, a memory, and a user input interface for user entry of cooking recipes including a cooking mode, an oven temperature, and a cooking time. Up to five favorite recipes can be stored in system memory for selection by a user, and two recipes can be combined for automatic sequential execution. The surface warmer is operable upon manipulation of two input selectors within a pre-determined time, and a preheat algorithm preheats the surface warmer by applying a 100% duty cycle to the surface warmer until an oven thermal limiter input switch reaches a predetermined temperature.