Abstract: A pad with a fiber reinforced silicone rubber material wherein the fiber reinforcement is of a weight of at least 100 grams per square meter, the pad having a thickness over a majority of the pad's surface area which between 0.5 and 4 millimeters thick wherein the pad is flexible and impervious to fluid and has sufficient surface tack to inhibit objects from sliding off the pad. The pad does not include metallic materials. The pad is manufactured by: providing a fiber reinforcement sheet and applying silicone to said fiber reinforcement sheet; curing the fiber reinforcement sheet with applied silicone to create a fiber reinforced silicone sheet which is impervious to fluid; cutting said fiber reinforced silicone sheet in a rectilinear pattern sized based on known cooktop dimensions; printing said fiber reinforced silicone sheet with an ink of a first color.

Abstract: A DC powered cooking appliance which uses an induction or a resistance based DC heating element and excludes AC powered heating elements and preferably does not rely on directly connected combustion powered heating elements. Some embodiments include wattage of 1500 watts or less, voltages of 40 or 48 volts or more and are installed on a boat, van, rv or bus such that an inverter of that boat, van, rv or bus is not electrically connected to the cooking appliance.

Abstract: A DC powered cooking appliance which uses an induction or a resistance based DC heating element and excludes AC powered heating elements and preferably does not rely on directly connected combustion powered heating elements. Some embodiments include wattage of 1500 watts or less, voltages of 40 or 48 volts or more and are installed on a boat, van, rv or bus such that an inverter of that boat, van, rv or bus is not electrically connected to the cooking appliance.

Abstract: A cooking system that utilizes vibration to improve the convenience of preparing food and the quality of the finished product. The system uses a vibrating device coupled to a cooking vessel with a pad and/or isolation blocks disposed between the vibrator and the vessel. The cooking system can be adapted to prepare specific foods in specific quantities, such as popcorn in pre-packaged containers.

Abstract: A DC powered cooking appliance which uses an induction or a resistance based DC heating element and excludes AC powered heating elements and preferably does not rely on directly connected combustion powered heating elements. Some embodiments include wattage of 1500 watts or less, voltages of 40 or 48 volts or more and are installed on a boat, van, rv or bus such that an inverter of that boat, van, rv or bus is not electrically connected to the cooking appliance.

Abstract: A DC powered cooking appliance which uses an induction or a resistance based DC heating element and excludes AC powered heating elements and preferably does not rely on directly connected combustion powered heating elements. Some embodiments include wattage of 1500 watts or less, voltages of 40 or 48 volts or more and are installed on a boat, van, rv or bus such that an inverter of that boat, van, rv or bus is not electrically connected to the cooking appliance.

Abstract: A cooking system that utilizes vibration to improve the convenience of preparing food and the quality of the finished product. The system uses a vibrating device coupled to a cooking vessel with a pad and/or isolation blocks disposed between the vibrator and the vessel. The cooking system can be adapted to prepare specific foods in specific quantities, such as popcorn in pre-packaged containers.

Abstract: A popcorn popper configured to cook popcorn includes a vessel and an electric heating element which heats the vessel. A vibration element vibrates the vessel and a controller controls the heating element and the vibration element. A temperature sensor is in communication with the controller such that the controller can receive temperature readings from the temperature sensor indicative of a temperature of the vessel. The controller activating the heating element to heat the vessel which contains the popcorn until the temperature sensor indicates that a first temperature has been reached. The controller, based on readings from the temperature sensor, maintains the vessel at a second temperature by controlling a power setting of the heating element and the controller activates the vibration element to vibrate the vessel which thereby vibrates the popcorn. The controller after maintaining the vessel at the second temperature, reduces the power of the heating element.

Abstract: A combined handle and light source for a cooking appliance such as a grill which is provided with a rotation joint such that the handle can be placed in a stored position to allow for articulation of a lid which covers a cooking surface and such that the handle can be moved relative to the joint to put the handle in a use position to allow the light to illuminate the cooking surface when the lid is in an open position.

Abstract: A DC powered cooking appliance which uses an induction or a resistance based DC heating element and excludes AC powered heating elements and preferably does not rely on directly connected combustion powered heating elements. Some embodiments include wattage of 1500 watts or less, voltages of 40 or 48 volts or more and are installed on a boat, van, rv or bus such that an inverter of that boat, van, rv or bus is not electrically connected to the cooking appliance.

Abstract: A cooking system that utilizes vibration to improve the convenience of preparing food and the quality of the finished product. The system uses a vibrating device coupled to a cooking vessel with a pad and/or isolation blocks disposed between the vibrator and the vessel. The cooking system can be adapted to prepare specific foods in specific quantities, such as popcorn in pre-packaged containers.

Abstract: A system for popping popcorn includes a housing, a container positioned in the housing, a cooking vessel removably supported in the housing and containing unpopped popcorn kernels, wherein the cooking vessel comprises a ferromagnetic material, a coil that creates an oscillating magnetic field that interacts with the ferromagnetic material of the cooking vessel and generates an amount of heat in the cooking vessel, and a separate receiving vessel for receiving popped popcorn positioned adjacent the cooking vessel, wherein the receiving vessel is configured to move relative the cooking vessel.

Abstract: A combined handle and light source for a cooking appliance such as a grill which is provided with a rotation joint such that the handle can be placed in a stored position to allow for articulation of a lid which covers a cooking surface and such that the handle can be moved relative to the joint to put the handle in a use position to allow the light to illuminate the cooking surface when the lid is in an open position.

Abstract: A combined handle and light source for a cooking appliance such as a grill which is provided with a rotation joint such that the handle can be placed in a stored position to allow for articulation of a lid which covers a cooking surface and such that the handle can be moved relative to the joint to put the handle in a use position to allow the light to illuminate the cooking surface when the lid is in an open position.

Abstract: A cooping appliance which has a multi-layer lid, the lid preferably includes three spaced layers and venting between the outer and middle layers such that the outer most layer remains cooler to the touch compared to prior art grills. The lid preferably can comprise materials of relatively low melting points or burning points such as polymers or leather or wood or other decorative materials which ordinarily would get too hot on a grill lid. The outer layer is preferably curved in shape with the middle and inner layers formed from a number of straight sections with bends therebetween.

Abstract: A combined handle and light source for a cooking appliance such as a grill which is provided with a rotation joint such that the handle can be placed in a stored position to allow for articulation of a lid which covers a cooking surface and such that the handle can be moved relative to the joint to put the handle in a use position to allow the light to illuminate the cooking surface when the lid is in an open position.

Abstract: A pad with a fiber reinforced silicone rubber material wherein the fiber reinforcement is of a weight of at least 100 grams per square meter, the pad having a thickness over a majority of the pad's surface area which between 0.5 and 4 millimeters thick wherein the pad is flexible and impervious to fluid and has sufficient surface tack to inhibit objects from sliding off the pad. The pad does not include metallic materials. The pad is manufactured by: providing a fiber reinforcement sheet and applying silicone to said fiber reinforcement sheet; curing the fiber reinforcement sheet with applied silicone to create a fiber reinforced silicone sheet which is impervious to fluid; cutting said fiber reinforced silicone sheet in a rectilinear pattern sized based on known cooktop dimensions; printing said fiber reinforced silicone sheet with an ink of a first color.

Abstract: An electrically powered infrared based thermal weed control system. A housing has a downwardly facing chamber. At least one electrically powered infrared heating element is mounted within the chamber. A source of electrical power is electrically coupled to the electrically powered infrared heating element. A control assembly varies the electrical power to the electrically powered infrared heating elements and the heat generated for controlling undesired vegetation there adjacent using targeted infrared radiation emitted by the electrically powered infrared heating element.

Abstract: A popcorn popper configured to cook popcorn includes a vessel and an electric heating element which heats the vessel. A vibration element vibrates the vessel and a controller controls the heating element and the vibration element. A temperature sensor is in communication with the controller such that the controller can receive temperature readings from the temperature sensor indicative of a temperature of the vessel. The controller activating the heating element to heat the vessel which contains the popcorn until the temperature sensor indicates that a first temperature has been reached. The controller, based on readings from the temperature sensor, maintains the vessel at a second temperature by controlling a power setting of the heating element and the controller activates the vibration element to vibrate the vessel which thereby vibrates the popcorn. The controller after maintaining the vessel at the second temperature, reduces the power of the heating element.

Abstract: A popcorn popper configured to cook popcorn includes a vessel and an electric heating element which heats the vessel. A vibration element vibrates the vessel and a controller controls the heating element and the vibration element. A temperature sensor is in communication with the controller such that the controller can receive temperature readings from the temperature sensor indicative of a temperature of the vessel. The controller activating the heating element to heat the vessel which contains the popcorn until the temperature sensor indicates that a first temperature has been reached. The controller, based on readings from the temperature sensor, maintains the vessel at a second temperature by controlling a power setting of the heating element and the controller activates the vibration element to vibrate the vessel which thereby vibrates the popcorn. The controller after maintaining the vessel at the second temperature, reduces the power of the heating element.