Abstract: A toasting or heating appliance, particularly an electric toaster comprising a housing with a toasting slot (7) defined by two movable squeezing grills (13), a bread rack (15) axially movable within the toasting slot (7), a carriage (40) which controls the movement of the movable bread rack (15) and is combined with a control handle (16), and a resilient return member (46) for returning the bread rack (15) to its raised receiving position, wherein the control carriage (40) is axially and resiliently movable relative to the movable bread rack (15) and provided with a member (19) that actuates a drive element (45) for moving at least one squeezing grill (13). The appliance is suitable for use as a toaster.

Abstract: A warming method in a bread maker characterized as detecting an increasing rate of the baking chamber temperature at the start of the baking operation or a decreasing rate of the baking chamber temperature after the baking operation has ended using a temperature detecting section and a rate detecting section based on an output of an oven sensor, and as causing a heater control section to change either a warming time, which is a time of the warming operation, or warming power to be supplied to a heater during the warming operation, or both the warming time and the warming power based on the detected rate. As a result, the impairment of the flavor of bread can be prevented without being affected by the type of bread to be baked or by the outside temperature.

Abstract: A toaster has a casing, a carrier for supporting a slice of bread, the carrier being movable between an upper position to expose the slice of bread outside the casing and a lower position to render the slice of bread inside the casing, a heating element provided inside the casing for heating the slice of bread when the carrier is in the lower position, an internal operating mechanism for moving the carrier, the operating mechanism including a spring assembly for resiliently biasing the carrier upwards and holding means including a stationary solenoid for holding the carrier in the lower position, and a time for controlling the time period during which the slice of bread is to be heated by the heating element wherein the holding means is releasable by a user at point other than the solenoid or with a force relatively smaller than the holding force of the solenoid in order to release the carrier from the lower position at any time during the time period.

Abstract: An automatic rice cooking apparatus including a rice washing section supplied with a predetermined amount of rice from a rice box via a measuring cup and adapted to wash the rice by a water supplied at a uniform water pressure and a rice cooker adapted to receive the washed rice and a water for boiling the rice controlled in quantity by a water supply time and achieve a cooking operation and a warmth-keeping operation. The apparatus includes a control circuit capable of automatically achieving all rice cooking procedures of measuring the amount of rice to be cooked, washing the rice, adjusting the quantity of water for boiling the rice, cooking the rice and keeping the cooked rice warm in accordance with a selected specification of a user. The control circuit also informs various operation states of the apparatus so that the user uses the apparatus conveniently and simply.

Abstract: An electronic control for a heating apparatus and specifically a deep fat fryer is provided. The electronic control includes a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of a cooking medium during a cooking cycle. Cooking medium temperature sensed during the cooking cycle is utilized as a pointer to one of a plurality of time compensation values for corresponding temperatures stored in a memory. The time compensation corresponding to the sensed cooking medium temperature is retrieved from the memory and adjusted by an offset value determined in accordance with the setpoint temperature to obtain an adjusted time compensation value. The adjusted time compensation value is utilized in the adjustment of the cooking time.

Abstract: An appliance which includes an inner compartment with one zone in which uncooked bagels can be boiled and a second zone for subsequently baking the boiled bagels. The same appliance can also be used to make bagel doughs and to both make and bake other yeast doughs.

Abstract: A bread maker having a reference value setting section for updating a reference value corresponding to a target temperature every heater-on/off control operation, the reference value serving to stabilize a current temperature to the target temperature by comparing the current temperature with the reference value and controlling a heater on the basis of a temperature difference between the current temperature and the reference value.

Abstract: A barbecue appliance capable of cooking a variety of foods by disposing a rotary grill in which food is held vertically within a cooking chamber between heating members provided therein and rotating the rotary grill between the heating members, so that an optimum cooking state is obtained. The barbecue includes a cooking unit and a rotary grill which may be inserted into the cooking unit. The cooking unit has an outer casing provided with an elongated top opening and having a removable drip reservoir provided in the bottom thereof, a main frame encased by the outer casing and having a bottom wall and side walls defining therewithin a vertical cooking chamber opened and its top, heating members disposed on both sides of the cooking chamber, a drive section having a driving gear extended to the inside of the cooking chamber, a solenoid-releasable lifting and lowering mechanism for lifting and lowering the rotary grill in the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A stirring blade driving device for a bread maker. In the device, a stirring blade is rotated by a motor having a main coil and speed-changing coils, and the respective coils of the motor are selectively connected to an ac power supply by a plurality of triacs. The on/off operation of the triacs is controlled by a microcomputer in accordance with the number of revolutions of the stirring blade.

Abstract: A bread baking apparatus having a bread container, a mixer for mixing ingredients in the container to form a dough, and an oven for baking the dough, and further having a storage unit for storing a plurality of bread types, bread recipes and bread processing operating times, a display unit for displaying the plurality of bread types, a selection unit for selecting one of the displayed bread types, with the display unit further displaying the recipe of the selected bread type, a control unit for controlling the time of operation of the apparatus, and a start unit for starting the mixing and baking. A method of baking bread utilizing such baking apparatus.

Abstract: A bread baking device enables automatic preheating of bread materials in the bread baking device provided with a bread baking oven (1), a bread baking vessel (13) installed in the baking oven (1), and the lid (3) openably installed on the baking oven, and by mixing raw ingredients to produce dough, and bakes bread after fermentation of the dough. The bread baking device includes a sensor (117) for detecting the temperature in the baking oven, a preheating control device (52a) heating the temperature in the baking oven to a pre-set temperature by comparing the detected temperature in the baking oven by applying the sensor.

Abstract: A cooking device includes an electrical motor disposed within a housing to drive, via a mechanical transmission including belt-pulley system, a stirring blade rotatably disposed within a food container which is also fixed within the housing for stirring food placed within the food container. Electrical heating elements and temperature sensor are provided within the housing for respectively heating the food container and determining the temperature of the food container. A micro-processor based control system is provided to be in electrical connection with the motor, the electrical heating elements and the temperature sensor for controlling the operation of the cooking device. The control system has a control panel to be accessible and operated by a user.

Abstract: The baking apparatus includes a surrounding wall that defines a heating chamber, and a kneading case provided centrally in the chamber. The surrounding wall has an upper opening and a lower opening which are formed through the surrounding wall. A guide fin unit is installed on the surrounding wall near the lower opening so as to guide air to enter into the chamber via the lower opening to flow upward along a passage defined between the surrounding wall and the kneading case. The kneading case is provided with a shaking blade that has a vertical rotating shaft adapted to be fastened to the motor shaft of a driving motor, a horizontal plate projecting radially from the rotating shaft, and a trapezoidal sheet fixed on and inclined relative to the plate.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for grilling and/or reheating a food product by subjecting the product, for an operating time T, to infrared radiation from at least one electrically operated unit for producing infrared radiation, the process comprising: setting a preestablished value for a frequency f; and varying, during at least part of the time T, the electrical supply to the electrically operated unit in a discontinuous manner between a first supply level during a time T1 and a second supply level, different from the first level, during a time T2 in cycles having the preestablished frequency f in order to generate infrared radiation of variable wavelength, wherein 1/f=T1+T2 whereby the product is heated by the infrared radiation.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for serving the dual purposes of baking bread and for churning butter. The apparatus includes a processing chamber which releasably receives a pan which retains the ingredients to be processed. The pan includes a paddle which rotates to stir bread and to churn butter. The processing chamber further includes a heating element surrounding the pan which heats the pan during a bread baking operation. A power controller controls a motor which drives the stirring paddle and controls the heater during a bread baking operation. A switch is supplied between the power controller and the power supply to disconnect the power controller during a butter churning operation. The switch further connects the motor which drives the stirring paddle directly to the power source when the switch is set in a butter churning position.

Abstract: A heat cooking apparatus includes a gas burner, and a temperature sensor for sensing a food correlative temperature. A microcomputer determines a category of the food on the basis of a time necessary for raising a temperature of the food by a predetermined temperature, and sets a termination temperature according to the category. If the time is more than a predetermined value, the microcomputer determines that the food is "boiled food", and sets a boiled food termination temperature. If the time is less than a predetermined value and a temperature drop occurs during temperature raising, the microcomputer determines that the food is "fried food", and sets a fried food upper limit temperature. If the time is less than a predetermined value and no temperature drop occurs during temperature raising, the microcomputer determines that the food is "deep-fried food", and sets a deep-fried food upper limit temperature.

Abstract: An electric circuit operating on a single-phase power supply system for controlling the heat output of at least two heating resistances which are electrically connected in parallel and are installed in electric household appliances, particularly toasters, wherein the control is being effected in compliance with flicker standards and without feeding interference back into the power supply system. A switch is connected in series with each heating resistance, wherein the switches are activated by an electronic energizing arrangement. During a heating phase, the switches of the circuit are repetitively asymmetrically cycled in such a way that always only one switch is closed and all other switches are open, wherein the switch which is closed at a given time exclusively permits the through-passage of full waves from the power supply system.

Abstract: A bread making machine having a bread case being releasably attached to an oven chamber and receiving ingredients therein and subjecting the ingredients to bread making processes such as a kneading process, a leavening process, and a baking process within the same oven chamber. In the bread making machine, the bread making operation is stopped temporarily before the baking process and then resumed.

Abstract: A bread making machine that prepares a dough by mixing and kneading water and ingredients poured into a bread baking case, leavens the dough, and thereafter bakes the leavened dough. The bread making machine is provided with an outside air temperature detector and an outside air humidity detector, and a dough leavening condition corresponding to a predetermined bread rising degree is set based on the correlational data on outside air temperatures and outside air humidities in function of dough rising degree and the values detected by the outside air temperature and humidity detectors.

Abstract: A process-controlling device enables the prevention of process deviation from preset standardized operations and the occurrence of abnormal effects, even if the baking machine is accidentally started without setting up the processing time. The process-controlling device alters the preset processing times by inputting external input data, performing successively each step of the process in accordance with each of the altered processing times allocated to each step of the preset process. A time data-inputting device for inputting time data equivalent to the difference between each of the preset processing times and each processing time to be altered, and a processing time-altering device for increasing or decreasing the time data against the preset processing time and altering the preset processing time to the new processing time.

Abstract: An automatic baking machine includes a hollow housing, a container disposed in the housing for containing dough therein, a temperature sensing unit disposed in the housing for detecting an initial container temperature of the container when the automatic baking machine is activated, a heating device operable so as to heat the container, and a programmable microcomputer control unit connected to the temperature sensing unit and the heating device for controlling the heating device to preheat the container up to a preheating temperature corresponding to the initial container temperature for a predetermined time period when the initial container temperature detected by the temperature sensing unit is lower than a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: An automatic cooking method for cooking food wherein one of a timed or automatic cooking mode is selected prior starting the heating of the food upon depressing a cooking start key. The quantity or concentration of gas (e.g. carbon dioxide) or smoke emitted from the food every sampling time of a certain period is determined, and counting the time T1 taken for the quantity or concentration of gas or smoke to vary from a predetermined minimum value to a predetermined maximum value is also determined. The cooking is carried out to further heating the food for a time T2 calculated by multiplying the counted heating time T1 by a coefficient predetermined depending on the food.

Abstract: A food heating oven comprising a plurality of perforate food baskets removably mounted to respective prongs of a rotating rod in an oven chamber. Hot air is blown through the oven chamber to heat the food in the baskets. Each prong is color coded, and there are a plurality of individually operable timing devices, each being color coded to correspond to related prongs. Thus, the time that each basket is placed in the oven can be selectively determined, and each basket can at any time be inserted into, or removed from, the oven chamber. This enables a variety of food items having different heating time rquirements to be simultaneously heated in the oven.

Abstract: A device and method for regulating a cooking apparatus. In order to obtain an effective servocontrol of the desired temperature with a cooking surface, when cooking for example by induction, a servocontrol curve is used in the plane (i.e., temperature, variation of the temperature as a function of time). Each time the curve is crossed the heating power is cut off or reduced. The device and method applies principally to monitoring of the heating device. The device according to the present invention is particularly well adapted to cooking surfaces and especially to cooking surfaces wherein cooking is done by induction.

Abstract: An arrangement (1) is provided for the frying or warming of articles of food (24) which mainly comprise loose parts with respect to each other. The arrangement (1) comprises a recipient (3) wherein the articles of food (24) may be introduced. This recipient (3) comprises a bottom (4) which may be subjected to a rotation around a central, oblique axis (6). The bottom (4) comprises separate segments (41-46) which are separated from each other, at least a part of the bottom (4) of each segment (41-46) being jointable to empty the fried of warmed articles of food. The arrangement (1) may receive, fry or warm, and deliver separate portions of articles of food (24).

Abstract: When a carriage of the toaster is in a lower position, a switch (21) is closed and power passes through a bridge rectifier circuit (22) to an integrated circuit (19), which, for the normal cooking operation, switches SCR (20) off so that a relay (7) is energised, switching switches (8) and (9) on to energise heating elements (2) and (3). Power is also supplied to a latch (27) to hold the carriage in the lower position. If, however, a fault detection is input from a residual core balance (12) to the integrated circuit (19), SCR (20) is switched on so that power from bridge rectifier (22) is shorted. This causes relay (7) and latch (27) to be de-energised so that the heating elements (2) and (3) are turned off and the carriage is returned to the upper position, causing switch (21) to open.

Abstract: A toast shade selector includes a rotatable shaft interposed between aligned openings in upstanding plates of a mounting bracket. A cam on the shaft is rotated in the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to regulate the toasting time intervals. A spring carried by the shaft biases the cam against an adjusting nut and also biases a portion of the shaft into one of the openings. Both the shaft and the cam are made from sheet metal.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the automatic toasting of bread and other bakery products. The toaster includes a cool wall housing with a single elongated toast slot and a digital display and control panel. Provided within the housing is an automatic elevator controlled by a programmable microchip control device for selectively timing the operation of the elevator and toasting functions. In the preferred embodiment, three programs may be entered into memory and recalled according to personal taste or variety of bakery products.

Abstract: A food heating oven comprising a plurality of perforate food baskets removably mounted to respective prongs of a rotating rod in an oven chamber. Hot air is blown through the oven chamber to heat the food in the baskets. Each prong is color coded, and there are a plurality of individually operable timing devices, each being color coded to correspond to related prongs. Thus, the time that each basket is placed in the oven can be selectively determined, and each basket can at any time be inserted into, or removed from, the oven chamber. This enables a variety of food items having different heating time requirements to be simultaneously heated in the oven.

Abstract: A kneading wing sensing apparatus which, when user kneads materials for baking bread, detects whether the kneading wing is placed into a container or not. The main principal for detecting the kneading wind is to compare the pulse signal with a memorized pulse signal. The memorized upper limit value is a state of revolution without the kneading wing and the lower limit value is a state of revolution with the kneading wing in an unusual revolution. The detecting method of the revolution is a rotating disk inclusive of multiple holes and a sensing device attached to a motor.

Abstract: An automatic food dispenser for dispensing hot instant meals, particularly pizza, includes a refrigeration chamber and at least one oven. The frozen instant meals are stored in tubular magazines which are disposed on a circle within a rotatable drum-type storage container. The oven includes a horizontally extendable push frame and a push front which forms the oven door. A cooking tray is mounted on the push frame to be raised and lowered in such a manner that, when the oven is opened, the cooking tray is automatically moved upward from a lowered cooking position within the cooking chamber into a loading position and, once the push frame is fully extended, further upward into a discharge position within a discharge chamber accessible to the operator.

Abstract: A vending machine 10 has a hopper 24 which leads to a modular dispenser unit 38 which includes a hopper chute 26, a top plate 28, a bottom plate 32 and a carousel assembly 36 interposed between the top and bottom plates 28 and 32. The carousel assembly includes a closing plate and a container 53 depending therefrom which includes two mesh screen walls and two solid side walls. The carousel assembly is rotatable between the top and bottom plate such that the container is filled when it passes under the opening in the top plate. The container is moved to be adjacent a heat gun 66 which heats the food within the container 53 and is further moved to be over a discharge opening in the bottom plate which allows dispensing the heated food from the container.

Abstract: The device is intended to support the mechanical and electrical members of a toaster (1).The device consists of a plate (2) in plastic material comprising protuberances or tongues (3, 4, 5, 6) molded in the plastic material and projecting on one of the faces of the plate (2), these protuberances or tongues being shaped in order to receive and to ensure the fixing of conducting (7, 8) or mechanical elements by translation of the latter perpendicularly to the plate (2), these elements being intended to form the mechanical and electrical control members of the toaster.Application particularly in vertical toasters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooking food products has first and second sections of thermally conductive moving belt that are pulled over crowned hot plates to cook food product atop of the belt sections. An improved structure of reduced cost keeps the belt sections running true and in direct conductive contact with the hot plates. The improved construction provides for easy disassembly and cleaning without tools. The machine has an improved food roller for making roll-ups, and an improved scraper structure and suspension for removing cooked food from the belt sections. The method and apparatus will make crepes, filled crepes, roll-ups, omelettes, french toast, pancakes, and other cooked foods both from pre-fabricated items and/or liquid batters, with or without fillings.

Abstract: A household toaster is operated at will asymmetrically, e.g. at one side, or at low power, or so as to keep a toast warm after a given toasting cycle. The toaster has a power control circuit which includes a power stage which controls heating resistors of the toaster. The power stage comprises two triacs, tripped at zero passage due to a provision of a zero passage detector. The higher or lower power supplied to the resistors in the various operating modes is always carried out by means of full cycles of the system, either continuously in the case of top output, or by means of cycle trains, controlled by a power control, a selector circuit and a heat holding timer. The toaster is provided with a start button and an ejector-and-stop button as well as a toaster control timer, indicators and actuators.

Abstract: A cooking device, comprises a base; a fulcrum mounted on the base; a support for carrying a pan, the support being mounted on the fulcrum and including first and second portions extending respectively from each side of the fulcrum a substantial distance; device for mounting the pan on the first portion; and an actuator operably associated with the second portion for periodically accelerating and decelerating rapidly the first portion about the fulcrum between first and second positions, thereby causing the pan to move upwardly and downwardly with the first portion and propel food placed therein into the air upon rapid upward deceleration and downward acceleration of the first portion and causing the food to be turned for uniform heating of different portions of the food.

Abstract: A device for detecting a boiling condition of a liquid including a moisture sensor coupled to a detection circuit that provides an output signal, the output signal being coupled to any of various devices for, among things, providing an alarm signal, controlling a heating element, or turning a heating element off.

Abstract: An automatic bread-making device comprises a housing, a cooking vessel removably arranged therein and provided at its bottom with a rotating shaft, a kneading blade removably attached to the rotating shaft, and a driving means for rotating the kneading blade through the rotating shaft. The kneading blade is providing with at least one crescent-shaped projection at a wall surface of a bore for attachment of the blade to the rotating shaft, while the rotating shaft is provided at its upper portion with at least one groove extending in the direction parallel to a line which intersects the axis of the shaft to form a head with a figure similar to that of an opening formed between the inner wall of the bore and a free end of the projection. The kneading blade is attached to the rotating shaft so that the head of the rotating shaft is engaged with the projection of the blade when the head of the shaft is arranged in the bore of the blade.

Abstract: In an electric toaster (1), a carriage (18) which supports the bread slices (8) and (10) to be toasted is movable automatically from a toasting position to a first position (FIG. 1a) where larger slices (10) can be removed and then manually to a second position (FIG. 1b) where smaller slices (8) can be removed.

Abstract: A toaster with one control system for toasting one slice of bread and another control system for toasting two different slices of bread in which the one slice control system and the two slice control system can be operated independently and together so that between one to three slices of bread can be toasted.

Abstract: A baking machine provided with a yogurt manufacturing device and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed with: a first heating means; a baking room; a first temperature sensor; a controller for controlling all components; a yogurt preparing vessel; a fermenting room for accommodating the yogurt manufacturing vessel; a temperature elevating device for elevating the fermenting room temperature; a second temperature sensing means for detecting the fermenting room temperature; and a temperature lowering device for lowering the fermenting room temperature. Through manipulations of selective switches, either yogurt can be manufactured simultaneously with the baking of bread, or only yogurt or only bread can be manufactured.

Abstract: An electrically heatable toaster includes at least one bread holder which is held in toasting position by an electromagnet. The electromagnet has a tripping device which is actuated manually as well as electrically by a timing control. The timing control includes a clock pulse actuated counting circuit connected to a frequency-determining charging capacitor and a voltage divider. The voltage divider includes a temperature-dependent resistor for compensating the influence of the toasting degree temperature and for triggering the electromagnet tripping device after a preset degree of toasting is reached. An oscillator with two complementary transistors combined in a programmable unijunction transistor circuit operates the counting circuit. The transistors are connected on the input side to a charging current circuit of the frequency determining capacitor and on the output side through a dividing point of the voltage divider with the temperature-dependent resistance to a clock input of the counting circuit.

Abstract: A cooking device and method for selectively automatically cooking and rotating a plurality of food products is disclosed. Cooking information for several cook cycles can be stored and later used to cook selected food products automatically based on the stored cooking information. According to one embodiment, at least sear, cook and hold modes may be programmed to automatically sear, cook and a hold a food product in a rotisserie cooking device. According to another aspect of the invention, automatic fan control during a hold mode is used to selectively operate a fan in a continuous or pulsed mode to minimize product dry out and increase the amount of time a product can be held without lowering the quality of the cooked food product. Another aspect of the invention is related to determining the feasibility of reinitiating an interrupted cooking cycle based on a temperature comparison.

Abstract: Toaster comprising a housing (1), a heating resistance controlled by a switch (2) associated with a timer, a breed carriage (3) guided within the housing and adapted to occupy at least two positions, namely a toasting position in which the carriage (3) closes the switch (2) actuating the timer, and in which the carriage (3) is moved by the user and maintained during the toasting cycle by a catch (5) operated by an electromagnet (6) which comes into engagement with an abutment (7) of the carriage (3), or a rest position into which the carriage (3) is moved by a return spring (8), at the end of the toasting cycle, when the catch (5) frees the abutment (7).

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing foods for predeterminable period of time. One embodiment of the apparatus is for cooking; another is for refrigeration. The apparatus includes either a cooking container or a refrigeration container, a conveyor for carrying food products to and from this container, and a robot assembly for removing food products from the conveyor, inserting them into the container, extracting them from the container after the predetermined cooking or refrigeration period, and returning them to the conveyor. The robot assembly is programmable to extract and return these food products after cooking or refrigeration for a predeterminable period of time.

Abstract: A salamander-type overhead broiler/cooler has a base on a support adapted to hold a foodstuff to be heated, a heating unit vertically displaceable on the support energizable to radiate heat downward at the support, and a horizontal light curtain at a predetermined spacing fixed relative to and below the heating unit so that the light curtain can be broken by a foodstuff on the base when the unit is lowered. A motor is connected between the unit and the support for vertically displacing the unit and the light curtain on the support and a controller connected between the light curtain and the motor means arrests downward displacement of the unit when the light curtain is broken by a foodstuff on the base.

Abstract: An automatic bread-making device comprises a housing, a cooking vessel, a kneading apparatus for kneading ingredients for bread in the vessel, a heating apparatus for heating the cooking vessel, and a control system for controlling the kneading apparatus and heating apparatus in sequence. The control system comprises a control memory for storing a sequence of standard operations for a bread-making process, a time-setting apparatus for manually setting a time at which a step to be executed in the bread-making process is proceeded to the next step, a storage apparatus for storing a sequence of operations set by the time-setting apparatus, and a control apparatus responsive to the program stored in the control memory apparatus or the program stored in the storage apparatus.

Abstract: A cooking device and method for selectively automatically cooking and rotating a plurality of food products is disclosed. Cooking information for several cook cycles can be stored and later used to cook selected food products automatically based on the stored cooking information. According to one embodiment, at least sear, cook and hold modes may be programmed to automatically sear, cook and a hold a food product in a rotisserie cooking device. According to another aspect of the invention, automatic fan control during a hold mode is used to selectively operate a fan in a continuous or pulsed mode to minimize product dry out and increase the amount of time a product can be held without lowering the quality of the cooked food product. Another aspect of the invention is related to determining the feasibility of reinitiating an interrupted cooking cycle based on a temperature comparison.

Abstract: A food cooking device for cooking Oriental dishes is disclosed comprising a base and a cooking pan support means pivoted to the base. An acceleration and deceleration means is provided for rapidly accelerating upwardly from a starting position to at least the rear portion of the support means at an initial high velocity followed by a subsequent rapid deceleration, whereby when the cooking pan is positioned on the support means, it will move upwardly with the support means and propel food placed therein into the air upon rapid deceleration of the support means, thereby causing the food to be turned for uniform heating of different portions of the food.

Abstract: An electrical toaster is provided with timer means which is initiated when a food product carrier is secured in an operative position adjacent a toasting element. The timer means normally releases the carrier from its operative position after a toasting interval. In the event of a malfunction, the timer means operates a cut-out to interrupt the supply of power to the toasting element within a predetermined period to prevent combustion or ignition of the food product. The latter period is longer than the normal toasting interval. The timer means may include first and second timing devices for respectively timing the toasting interval and the predetermined cut-out period. Alternatively the timer means provides respective outputs for controlling the toasting interval and the cut-out period.