Abstract: There is disclosed herein a device (100) compatible with more than one type of portafilter to remove a coffee puck contained within an open compartment of the respective portafilter (180, 182), the coffee puck having an exposed first major face and a second major face in contact with the compartment, the device including: a body (102) providing an interior space (108) and having a rim (118) surrounding an aperture of the space (108), with the rim (118) being configured to engage the respective portafilter such that the first major face of the coffee puck in the open compartment of the respective portafilter (180, 182) communicates with the aperture; a vacuum source (132) to create a pressure differential between the first major face and the second major face of the coffee puck; and a sealing member (158) to sealingly connect the respective portafilter (180, 182) and the rim (118) so that air pressure applied to the first major face is less than air pressure applied to the second major face of the coffee puck

Abstract: A decanting vessel has an internal pump for recirculating a beverage such as wine and aerating it within the decanter.

Abstract: An appliance including: a vessel to receive a liquid, the vessel having a longitudinal axis, a bottom wall, and a side wall at least partly enclosing a chamber within which the liquid is heated, the chamber having an upper region axially spaced from the bottom wall, and a lower region located between the bottom wall and the upper region; a heating element within the chamber; a heater base including at least a portion of an induction coil; connections to deliver an alternating current to the induction coil to deliver a magnetic field to the lower region; the element being movable relative to the coil between an operative position at which the element is located within the lower region to be energised by the magnetic field to cause heating of the element, and an inoperative position at which the element is located in the upper region to not energize the element.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a toaster (2) for toasting bread or other food, the toaster (2) comprising: a body (4) having an upward facing slot (6) to receive a slice of bread or a food to be toasted; a carriage (16) mounted in the body beneath the slot (6) to receive a slice of bread, the carriage (16) being movable between an elevated position and a lowered position; a heating panel (10) mounted to the body (4) in an upright configuration adjacent the carriage (16) for toasting one side of a slice of bread in the carriage (16); a linkage assembly (53) for connecting the heating panel (10) to the carriage (16); wherein, the heating panel (10) has a contracted form when not toasting bread, and an expanded form when toasting bread, the heating panel (10) having a vertical dimension in the contracted form that is less than the vertical dimension in the expanded form, and the linkage assembly (53) is configured to move the carriage (16) from the elevated position to the lowered position when the heating panel (10)

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an appliance to heat a liquid, the appliance including: a vessel to receive the liquid to be heated, the vessel having a base, and a side wall extending upwardly from the base, with the base and side wall at least partly enclosing a chamber within which the liquid is heated; and a heating element for conductive heating of the base and the liquid in the chamber, wherein the base includes a floor and a raised portion extending from the floor into the chamber, the floor having a major surface to contact the liquid, and the raised portion having at least one minor surface to contact the liquid, the at least one minor surface being inclined relative to the major surface to promote movement of one or more bubbles, formed by heating of the liquid, away from the floor and into the chamber.

Abstract: An induction heating circuit for an appliance, the induction heating circuit comprising: an AC power supply with an AC monitoring output connected to the active line of the AC power supply, the AC monitoring output providing an indication of current being drawn from the AC power supply; a control circuit comprising at least one processor and a semiconductor current sensor, the semiconductor current sensor arranged to i) detect the current being drawn from the AC power supply and ii) output an output voltage based on the detected current; and an induction driving circuit for driving an inductor of the appliance comprising a semiconductor switch, wherein the semiconductor switch is controlled by the processor based on, at least, the output voltage.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a humidity sensor (10) for a cooking appliance (100). The humidity sensor (10) comprises: a sensor assembly (30) comprising: conductive plates (50) having a space located therebetween, wherein the conductive plates (50) are electrically charged and subsequently discharged over time; a dielectric plate (60) locatable in the space between the conductive plates (50), wherein the dielectric plate (60) is removable from the space between the conductive plates (50) for cleaning; a controller (20), in electrical communication with the sensor assembly (30), configured to: measure a capacitive characteristic across the conductive plates (50) whilst the dielectric plate (60) is located in the space; and determine, based on the capacitive characteristic, a humidity measurement indicative of the humidity within the cooking appliance (100).

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a level detection system includes a housing (120) having a plurality of wall portions defining a receiving space for a container (200). The system further includes a capacitor having a first plate (142a) and a second plate (142b), the wall portions including a first wall portion having the first plate (142a) and a second wall portion having the second plate (142b). When the container is in the receiving space, a capacitance of the capacitor depends on a level of substance in the container (200). The system also includes a processor configured to determine the level of the substance in the container (200) based on the capacitance of the capacitor.

Abstract: A sous vide device (10) for at least partial immersion in a liquid (16) contained in a vessel (30), the sous vide device (10) comprising: a housing (12) defining a cavity (14) for fluidic communication with the vessel (30) to at least partially fill the cavity (14) with the liquid; and, a heater (32) for heating the liquid (16) in the cavity (14) to generate vapour that displaces some of the heated liquid (16) from the cavity (14) into the vessel (30).

Abstract: A jug for a juicer has scaling features so that its contents may be isolated from the environment when it is not being filled or when used for pouring.

Abstract: A coffee puck removal device (10) to remove a coffee puck (24) from a portafilter (20) is disclosed herein. The coffee puck removal device (10) has an open compartment (22) containing the coffee puck (24), the coffee puck (24) having an exposed major outer face (26) and a major inner face (28) when the coffee puck (24) is located in the open compartment (22). The device (10) includes: a body (12) having a rim (14) surrounding an aperture (16), with the rim (14) being configured to engage the portafilter (20), with the open compartment (22) facing the body (12) to inhibit air passing between the portafilter (20) and the rim (14); and a vacuum source (30) to remove air from the aperture (16) so that air pressure applied to the major inner face (28) is greater than air pressure applied to the exposed major outer face (26) so that the coffee puck (24) is removed from the portafilter (20).

Abstract: A jug for a juicer has sealing features so that its contents may be isolated from the environment when it is not being filled or when used for pouring.

Abstract: A slow cooking appliance device. The device including: a body having a base, the body receives within it a removable cooking vessel; a movable heating element supported by the base; and a lift mechanism within the base for raising and lowering the movable heating element, such that the heating element is movable between an upper position and a lowered position.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a toaster (10) including: a housing (12); a pair of opposing food guards (24a, 24b) located within the housing (12) and defining a toasting cavity (25a, 25b) for receiving foodstuff to be toasted; a pair of heating elements (28) located within the housing (12), each heating element (28) being located on a respective side of the pair of food guards (24a, 24b), wherein each food guard (24a, 24b) is spaced from the corresponding heating element (28) by a clearance (81); and wherein each food guard (24a, 24b) has an upwardly-extending portion (75c, 75d) that extends upwardly to a portion (75a, 75b) that extends transversely from the upwardly-extending portion so as to extend above the corresponding heating element (28), the transversely-extending portion (75a, 75b) of each food guard (24a, 24b) projecting away from the opposing food guard (24a, 24b).

Abstract: A slow cooking appliance device. The device including: a body having a base, the body receives within it a removable cooking vessel; a movable heating element supported by the base; and a lift mechanism within the base for raising and lowering the movable heating element, such that the heating element is movable between an upper position and a lowered position.

Abstract: A kitchen device (100) having: a base (110) with a coupling (120) for receiving an accessory (130), the accessory (130) comprising a magnet and being configured for performing an operation when operated by the kitchen device (100); a controller configured to operate the kitchen device (100), and thereby the accessory (130), to perform the operation; and a magnetometer located in the base (110) and configured to interact with the magnet when the accessory (130) is coupled to the base (110) to provide an accessory signal indicative of a presence of the accessory (130) to the controller, wherein the magnetometer comprises a magnetoresistor.

Abstract: A toaster heating assembly (55A, 55B) including: a frame (60); a panel (65) at least partly supported by the frame (60); a spacer (80) mounted to the panel (65); and an elongate heating element (93) having a plurality of spaced apart elongate heating element portions (95) supported by the spacer (80), so that the spacer (80) is located between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65) to provide a gap (94) between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65).

Abstract: An appliance (100, 200) for heating a liquid to make a beverage, the appliance (1) including: a sensor assembly (10) including: a duct (12) having an inlet (18) and an outlet (20), the duct (12) defining a liquid flow path (21) between the inlet (18) and the outlet (20) for the liquid; a sensor (22) having an operative end portion (28) in the flow path (21) for measuring line parameters of the liquid in the flow path (21); and a nozzle (34) to receive water under pressure and direct a water jet transverse to the flow path (21) and towards the operative end portion (28) of the sensor (22) to at least aid in cleaning the operative end portion (28) of the sensor (22).

Abstract: The invention relates to coffee packing and dosing devices and machines and more particularly to a portafilter dosing tools used to control the amount, distribution and/or packing of ground coffee within the filter basket of a portafilter prior to extraction. In one aspect the invention provides a device for vibrating the filter basket to vibrate coffee grounds therein to promote levelling and devoiding prior to tamping. In other aspects the invention provides machines and methods for filling a coffee filter basket with tamped ground coffee to a target level. In still other aspect the invention provides a tool for manually administering a uniform tamping force to coffee during tamping.

Abstract: An appliance (10) to heat a liquid, the appliance (10) including: a vessel (12) to receive the liquid to be heated, the vessel (12) having a generally central upright longitudinal axis (24), a bottom wall (26), and a side wall (28) extending upwardly from the bottom wall (26), with the bottom wall (26) and side wall (28) at least partly enclosing a chamber (40) within which the liquid is heated, with the chamber (40) having an upper region (42) axially spaced from the bottom wall (26), and a lower region (44) located between the bottom wall (26) and the upper region (42); a heating element (50) located within the chamber (40) for relative movement therewithin, with the element (50) at least partly formed of ferromagnetic material; a heater base (14) to be positioned relative to the bottom wall (26) of the vessel (12), the heater base (14) including at least a portion of an induction coil (18); connections to deliver an alternating current to the induction coil (18) so as to deliver a magnetic field to the low