Abstract: A divider assembly for dividing a cooking cavity of an appliance includes a housing portion. The housing portion includes front and rear walls spaced-apart from one another, upper and lower walls spaced-apart from one another, and first and second end walls spaced-apart from one another to define an interior cavity. The housing portion further includes an access slot opening into the interior cavity of the housing portion. A roller is positioned within the housing portion for rotation therein. A deployable divider includes a flexible body portion having first and second ends. The deployable divider is coupled to the roller at the second end of the body portion. The deployable divider is operable between a deployed position, wherein a portion of the deployable divider is positioned outside of the housing portion, and a retracted position, wherein the deployable divider is housed within the interior cavity of the housing portion.

Abstract: An induction cooktop includes a cooktop surface, a plurality of power delivery coils in an array beneath the cooktop surface, a cooking article detector, a light source directed toward the cooktop surface, and a controller. The controller receives a signal from the cooking article detector including size and position information for at least one detected cooking article on the cooktop surface and determines that a detected position of the detected cooking article does not correlate with a preferred position of the cooking article with respect to at least one of the plurality of power delivery coils. The controller then presents an indication, via the light source, of the preferred position of the detected cooking article on at least one of the detected cooking article and the cooktop surface.

Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a body, a chamber, and a thermal plate. The chamber is defined by the body. The chamber includes an upper region and a lower region. The thermal plate provides heat to the chamber. The thermal plate includes a coating. The coating includes a thermo-resistive layer. The thermo-resistive layer includes a polymeric portion and a nanostructure portion. The thermal plate is positioned in at least one location chosen from the upper region and the lower region of the chamber.

Abstract: A method of cooking food, such as fish and vegetables, using steam during a cooking cycle comprises a preheating step where the cavity is heated toward a cooking temperature and a cooking step where the cavity is maintained at the cooking temperature. The preheating step comprises a dry preheating step where no steam is introduced into the cooking cavity and a steam preheating step where steam is introduced into the cavity.

Abstract: A method of cooking food, such as fish and vegetables, using steam during a cooking cycle comprises a preheating step where the cavity is heated toward a cooking temperature and a cooking step where the cavity is maintained at the cooking temperature. The preheating step comprises a dry preheating step where no steam is introduced into the cooking cavity and a steam preheating step where steam is introduced into the cavity.

Abstract: A method of baking bread using steam in an automated household oven with a cooking cavity and a steam system for introducing steam into the cooking cavity comprises determining a presence of bread in the cooking cavity and introducing steam into the cooking cavity upon a positive determination of the presence of bread. After the positive determination, the steam is introduced into the cavity to maintain a desired relative humidity in the cavity for a predetermined period of time to aid in formation of a moist, flexible crust on the bread, and the amount of steam introduced into the cavity decreases after the predetermined period of time. The cavity can be preheated and prehumidified prior to the determining of the presence of the bread in the cooking cavity.

Abstract: A method of baking bread using steam in an automated household oven with a cooking cavity and a steam system for introducing steam into the cooking cavity comprises determining a presence of bread in the cooking cavity and introducing steam into the cooking cavity upon a positive determination of the presence of bread. After the positive determination, the steam is introduced into the cavity to maintain a desired relative humidity in the cavity for a predetermined period of time to aid in formation of a moist, flexible crust on the bread, and the amount of steam introduced into the cavity decreases after the predetermined period of time. The cavity can be preheated and prehumidified prior to the determining of the presence of the bread in the cooking cavity.

Abstract: A method of cooking food with steam in an automatic household oven comprises receiving a user inputted cooking temperature, receiving a user inputted steam level, and implementing a preprogrammed steam cooking cycle based on the user inputted cooking temperature and the user inputted steam level.

Abstract: A method of cooking food with steam in an automatic household oven comprises receiving a user inputted cooking temperature, receiving a user inputted steam level, and implementing a preprogrammed steam cooking cycle based on the user inputted cooking temperature and the user inputted steam level.

Abstract: A method of cooking food, such as fish and vegetables, using steam during a cooking cycle comprises a preheating step where the cavity is heated toward a cooking temperature and a cooking step where the cavity is maintained at the cooking temperature. The preheating step comprises a dry preheating step where no steam is introduced into the cooking cavity and a steam preheating step where steam is introduced into the cavity.

Abstract: A method of baking a dessert using steam in an automated household oven comprises a first heating step where a heating system preheats a cooking cavity to a first temperature at a first heating rate and a second heating step where the heating system preheats the cooking cavity from the first temperature to a second temperature at a second heating rate less than the first heating rate. The first temperature is preferably about the boiling point of water, and a steam system introduces steam into the cooking cavity to facilitate baking of the dessert after the cooking cavity reaches the first temperature. A convection fan of the heating system is active during the first and second heating steps to help circulate air and steam in the cooking cavity and becomes inactive later in the baking method.