Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calculating three-dimensional information of food received within a cavity of a food preparation entity, the method comprising the steps of: capturing at least one image of said food received within the cavity by a plenoptic camera, said image comprising information regarding the light intensity and the direction of light rays traveling in space; or capturing at least two images of said food received within the cavity, said images being taken from different positions during movement of a camera; or capturing at least two images of said food received within the cavity using a camera, said images comprising different focus points; and processing the at least one image in order to establish three-dimensional information of said food received within the cavity.

Abstract: The egg handle, egg stands, and drying stands are used in combination to dye and dry the decorated eggs. The egg handle is easily separated from the egg stands which would allow a user to separate an existing dyed egg from the handle while placing a new egg stand on the handle and dye an entirely different egg, while the previous egg is allowed to dry. Two different egg stands examples are provided which allow a user to dye an egg whether in a vertical position or a horizontal position. Additionally, containers are provided that directly fit the egg stand to hold an egg steady and prevent the egg from rubbing the side of the container.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a food product by non-conventional resistive heating using. contact with spaced-apart electrically conductive electrodes connected to a power source that regulates current to the electrodes by pausing heating of the food product to a predetermined temperature. The electrodes are configured into two groups at a first distance from one another. Each electrode group has individual electrodes, similar to a comb-like set of needles, wherein neighboring needles of each group are at a second distance from one another that is greater than or equal to the first distance. Each set of needles penetrates the food product such that points of the needles leave penetration points, wherein the food product is accommodated in a space between two conveyor belts and the individual electrodes extend from at least one of the conveyor belts in the direction of the opposite conveyor belt.

Abstract: A vessel for frying, baking or cooking foodstuffs, includes at least one visible first material and one visible second material, wherein at least the first material reversibly changes color thermochromically when heated. The coloring of the two materials is selected in order for a color difference between the two materials to change visibly when the vessel is heated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for the preparation of at least one food product (2) as well as a method for the same, wherein the system (1, 50) comprises a cooking chamber (3), in which the food product (2) can be prepared.

Abstract: A beverage maker may include a fermentation tank defining a space to make a beverage therein; a display; an input interface configured to receive recipe information of a beverage to be made in the fermentation tank; and a controller configured to set a making environment of the beverage based on the received recipe information, and to control a making function of the beverage based on the set making environment. The controller may be configured to receive a recipe check request through the input interface, and to display the recipe information through the display based on the received recipe check request.

Abstract: A temperature sensing system for a cooking appliance includes a control unit having a receiver. The control unit and the receiver are housed within the cooking appliance. The temperature sensing system further includes a wireless temperature sensing probe having a temperature sensor and a wireless transmitter module. The wireless temperature sensing probe is configured to wirelessly communicate with the control unit housed within the cooking appliance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cooking appliance that includes a cooker body assembly, a lid assembly, a weighing sensor, a first control panel, and a second control panel. The cooker body assembly includes a housing and an inner pot disposed inside the housing. The lid assembly can be opened and closed to cover the inner pot. The first control panel is disposed on the lid assembly, and the second control panel is disposed on the housing. The weighing sensor is electrically connected to the second control panel. According to this disclosure, the second control panel is disposed on the housing, so that the second control panel does not flip to the rear side together with the lid assembly when the lid assembly is opened to add food or water.

Abstract: A material processing system includes an oven that cooks or bakes, with electrical resistance, dough contained within containers. The oven can include a frame defining, devices mounted, in a preselected pattern, on the frame for a reciprocal movement in a vertical direction during use of the system, each device configured to connect voltage to a respective container so as to cook or bake the dough with the electrical resistance, and one or more powered members configured to move the devices in the vertical direction. Conveyors are also provided to convey a plurality of rows of containers with a plurality of containers in each row along a material conveyance path, the conveyors disposed in a series with each other and with the oven along the material conveyance path, one of the conveyors disposed within the oven so as to position a batch of the containers in an alignment with the devices.

Abstract: A cooking system is disclosed. The cooking system is configured to prepare a selected food over a desired time period. The cooking system comprises a controller in communication with a heating apparatus and a user interface. The controller is configured to access a cooking database for the selected food and display a range of available times for the desired time period according to the cooking database. The controller is further operable to receive a selection of the desired time period from the user interface and control the heating apparatus to heat a food load to prepare the selected food to a predetermined quality in the desired time.

Abstract: A multi-function draining basket for kitchen sink: includes a basket body, having a pair of supporting rods oppositely extended from the basket body adapted to be rested on two opposite edge portions of a kitchen sink, and at least a clamping panel pivotally secured on the basket body for clamping or holding a kitchen-waste bag on the clamping panel.

Abstract: A vessel for frying, baking or cooking foodstuffs, includes at least one visible first material and one visible second material, wherein at least the first material reversibly changes color thermochromically when heated. The coloring of the two materials is selected in order for a color difference between the two materials to change visibly when the vessel is heated.

Abstract: Disclosed are a cooking apparatus and a method of controlling the same. The cooking apparatus includes a plurality of light sources configured to emit light toward a cooking container and grouped into a plurality of groups and a light emission driving controller configured to perform control in a manner that flame images are displayed by performing group controlling on the basis of at least one of a control command input by a user, a grouping form of the plurality of groups and a preset operation pattern.

Abstract: Systems and methods for depositing a film in a PECVD chamber while reducing residue buildup in the chamber. In some embodiments disclosed herein, a processing chamber includes a chamber body, a substrate support, a showerhead, and one or more heaters configured to heat the showerhead. In some embodiments, the processing chamber includes a controller.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for depositing a film in a PECVD chamber while simultaneously flowing a purge gas from beneath a substrate support are provided herein. In embodiments disclosed herein, a combined gas exhaust volume circumferentially disposed about the substrate support, below a first volume and above a second volume, draws processing gases from the first volume down over an edge of a first surface of the substrate support and simultaneously draws purge gases from the second volume upward over an edge of a second surface of the substrate support. The gases are than evacuated from the combined exhaust volume through an exhaust port fluidly coupled to a vacuum source.

Abstract: A technique capable of forming a film at the bottom of a deep hole having a high aspect ratio. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: (a) loading a substrate having a hole into a transfer space via a substrate loading/unloading port; (b) moving the substrate to a processing space; (c) forming a precursor in the hole by simultaneously supplying a first process gas to the substrate in the processing space and an inert gas into the transfer space with the processing space spatially connected to the transfer space and maintaining a difference between a first inner pressure of the processing space and a first inner pressure of the transfer space within a predetermined range; and (d) forming a thin film in the hole after performing (b).

Abstract: A calorie balance system is designed for consumers who are interested in having a proper and adequate diet while monitoring daily activities. Disclosed embodiments enable consumers to be continuously aware of their caloric intake and to compare their caloric intake with current calories expended. Calories burned or expended may be measured by fitness tracking devices. Enabled utensils such as cups, spoons and forks are equipped with means of wireless communication, an accelerometer, a three axis slope meter sensor, a microcontroller, a scale, an analog to digital converter and a microcontroller. Enabled utensils measure the weight of food consumed are report to the consumer's personal electronic device. The system is further enabled by consumers talking to an enabled utensil to report the type of food being consumed. The reported food weight is mapped to the type of food consumed and relevant food data is displayed.

Abstract: Method of collecting used cooking oil includes extracting used cooking oil from at least one deep fryer to a container, storing and separating said used cooking oil within the container which is located within the cooking area. The oil from the deep fat fryer is periodically pumped to the container and allowed to settle. The unwanted sludge is then tapped off into a portable container and the wanted oil is pumped to an exterior transportation container. The container is triangular shaped with rear walls converging into a corner of the cooking area and a diagonal front face with side flanges and a bottom flap such that it is located in the corner of an interior wall of a building and contains the pipes and plumbing.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products to improve food safety in a food and beverage supply chain. Embodiments disclosed herein utilize prepared product tags to continuously monitor food and beverage temperatures. The temperatures and other associated data may be wirelessly transmitted to centralized locations for aggregation and storage. Mobile devices may directly communicate with the product tags to receive the temperature data. A host of management applications may utilize the data in order to ensure that safety rules and guidelines are met, while also providing valuable business insight.

Abstract: A cooking environment is described for allocating power between multiple cooking systems and providing a calculated amount of energy to a cooking system. The cooking systems can each include a receptacle and a heating/cooling element to heat a product within the receptacle. A controller can receive requests for power from the cooking systems. Based on the requests for power, the controller allocates an amount of time within a time period in which the heating/cooling elements of each cooking system receive electrical energy. The controller can also allocate specific intervals within the time period in which the heating/cooling elements receive electrical energy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooking control method performed by a cooking apparatus for a food item. The method comprises obtaining a unique identifier and cooking data for the food item, and checking for a record of the unique identifier in a memory of the cooking apparatus. If a record of the unique identifier is located in the memory, then the cooking apparatus will not cook the food item. Otherwise a cooking process based on the cooking data to cook the food item is performed. Accordingly, cooking data for a given instance of a food item can only be used once in order to activate a cooking process performed by the cooking apparatus. The present invention also features product recall as well as the ability to track food item sales via a cooking data communications system.

Abstract: In a method for controlling a cooking process of a cooking item contained in a cooking container, the sound of the cooking process is detected by means of at least one acoustic sensor and the course of the sound is directly analyzed for determining of a temperature and in particular the boiling point of the cooking item.

Abstract: The invention relates to a domestic cooking pot (1) comprising means of controlling (7) at least part of its operation, wherein said control means (7) have a mobile mounting between a plurality of positions, wherein said pot (1) is characterized in that it is further fitted with an information window (8) and at least an indicator (10) that is representative of one of the positions of the control means (7), and in that the window (8), the indicator (10) and the control means (7) work together so that said indicator (10) appears in the window (8) when the control means (7) are in the corresponding position.

Abstract: Provided is a cooking appliance comprising a first structure having a hot plate for cooking food, and a measuring device for measuring the thickness of the food arranged thereon and comprising a pivoting rocker connected to a pivotable shaft by a first end thereof, and a means for measuring the pivoting angle of the rocker in order to estimate the thickness of the food. The appliance comprises a second mobile structure which, when moved away from the first structure, generates a pivoting of said shaft in relation to the first structure, causing the pivoting of the rocker, and the measuring means interacts with the rocker towards a second end thereof.

Abstract: A control device for gas appliances (1) comprises: a manual-control element (12, 22); a circuit arrangement (25a) that includes control elements, electrical-interconnection elements, detection elements for detecting actuation of the manual-control element (12, 22) and supplying corresponding signals to the control elements; and a supporting structure (21), which can be associated in a stationary way with respect to a gas tap, wherein the supporting structure (21) includes at least one first part of stationary structure (40, 41) that defines a housing for at least part of the circuit arrangement (25a), the first part of structure (40, 41) being in particular designed for being housed within a body of a gas appliance. The control elements are designed for counting the time, and the device includes optical warning elements (43?, LG).

Abstract: A domestic cooking appliance includes a plurality of bays adapted to receive a plurality of different types of modules; a module connected to a bay of the plurality of bays; and a controller, wherein the controller is adapted to determine the bay in which the module is connected and a type of the module of the plurality of different types of modules. A method of controlling a domestic cooking appliance includes connecting a module of a plurality of different types of modules to the domestic cooking appliance; determining a type of the module; determining a position where the module is connected out of a plurality of possible positions; and displaying the type and the location of the module on a display of the domestic cooking appliance.

Abstract: A lid for a pressure cooker with a removable lid handle, particularly a lid stem handle, with a technology module that has movable operational elements necessary for the function of the pressure cooker and with a masking module that masks the technology module.

Abstract: A sous-vide circulator cooker for home or small restaurant sous-vide cooking. The sous-vide circulator cooker is particularly suited for use in home kitchens and on small countertops. The sous-vide circulator cooker can be fully submersed into water and not be adversely affected. The sous-vide circulator cooker includes a detachable skirt which allows for cleaning the skirt itself and cleaning of a heater and ring clamp that can adjust the optimum output location of the pump and account for shallow pots. In at least one embodiment, the sous-vide circulator also contains electrodes that can detect water level.

Abstract: A control method causes a computer of an information terminal apparatus to perform a process including: receiving, from a first server, first display data causing a user of the information terminal apparatus to confirm the purpose of use of recipe information and asking for the permission to collect the recipe information; accessing a second server and receiving selected recipe information and control data for a cooker for preparation based on the selected recipe information; and when it is selected to permit collecting the recipe information for a purpose of use related to health care, and it is determined that selected recipe information corresponding to the set control data has an identifier indicating that the recipe is for food related to a specific constitution, disorder, disease, or allergy, transmitting the selected recipe information with the identifier, in association with a user ID of the information terminal apparatus, to the first server.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for cooking a food cooked by contact, characterized in that the apparatus is made to transmit information to a user after a period of time during which the food is heated by the resistor(s) has elapsed, said period of time depending on at least one value of the internal cooking temperature of the food, which is pre-stored in a memory of the apparatus at the factory prior to the first operational use thereof.

Abstract: A steam cooking apparatus having a water retaining member and a reversible steamer insert member, the steamer insert member having a perforated main body defining two steaming surfaces, the first surface provided with upstanding annular forming walls for forming patties, the second surface being flat and unobstructed.

Abstract: A temperature sensing system for a cooking appliance having an upper housing having a first heating surface and a lower housing having a second heating surface includes a temperature sensing probe, a control panel and a control unit in electrical communication with the temperature sensing probe and the control panel. The temperature sensing probe is removably received by the upper housing and extends through said first heating surface. The control panel has one or more input buttons for allowing a user to select at least one input parameter including a desired internal temperature of a food item.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes an upper housing having a first heating plate, a lower housing having a second heating plate, and a temperature probe extending through one of the first heating plate and the second heating plate for detecting an internal temperature of a food item.

Abstract: A sous-vide cooker for sous-vide cooking applications is disclosed. The sous-vide cooker is particularly suited for use in home kitchens and on small countertops. The sous-vide cooker includes a removable inner tank cooking chamber. The sous-vide cooker has a magnetic stirrer that agitates the water for better temperature homogeneity. In at least one embodiment, the sous-vide cooker can also accept multiple tank cooking chambers that each heat at different temperatures. In at least one embodiment, a temperature controller is present on the outer surface of the outer enclosure. The temperature controller may be used to control the temperature, the period of time cooking is to occur, and the degree of agitation exerted by the agitation device. In at least one embodiment, the temperature controller can be further configurable to store a number of pre-defined user settings or user-input specifications.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a smoker with multiple separate drawers for smoking meat, fish, sausage, etc. In an example embodiment, one drawer may contain water and another drawer may contain smoking material such as wood chips. The sliding drawers enable the maintenance of a stable smoking temperature and offer a safer means to replenish water and/or wood during the actual smoking operation. The multiple drawers allow a user to add wood and/or water without opening the smoking chamber.

Abstract: A heating cooker includes an inner pot (7) for accommodating therein a heating object to be heated, a heating cooker body (1) for accommodating the inner pot (7) therein, a heating part (10) attached to the heating cooker body (1) and serving for heating the heating object, a lid (2) which is openably/closably attached on top of the heating cooker body (1) and which can be closed so as to cover the inner pot (7), a rotator (11) rotatably placed between the heating cooker body (1) and the lid (2), stirrers (12A, 12B) which are attached to the rotator (11) and which are switchable between a stirring state of being in contact with the heating object set in the inner pot (7) and a non-stirring state of being apart from the heating object set in the inner pot (7), and a notification part (5) for notifying which the stirrers (12A, 12B) are in the stirring state or in the non-stirring state while the lid (2) is closed.

Abstract: A remote temperature monitoring system includes a first unit operatively connected to one or more temperature sensors for sensing the temperature of one or more materials or food items being cooked or heated. The first unit transmits the sensed temperature to a second unit that is located remotely from the first unit during heating. The second unit is programmable with the desired temperature and/or heating parameters of the item. By monitoring the temperature status of the item over time, the system determines when the food has reached the desired temperature or degree of cooking, and notifies the user.

Abstract: The system includes at least one cooking appliance controlled from remote control means through a bidirectional communications network comprising an intermediate server with the capacity to process and transmit at least control instructions from said remote control means to a microprocessor of local control means, or vice versa. The proposed method is adapted to be carried out using the system proposed by the invention. The computer programme embodies one part of the proposed method.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for manufacturing food products. In a general embodiment, systems for manufacturing a food product include at least one heat exchanger, at least one food product tank, at least one conduit downstream of the food product tank for flow of the food product, and a flow detection device coupled to an exterior of the conduit. The flow detection device includes a processor and a computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform a spread spectrum analysis of the flow of the food product through the conduit. Methods for manufacturing food products are also provided.

Abstract: An automatic toaster apparatus comprising: a body having one or more toasting slots leading to a respective toasting cavity; one or more internal carriage for carrying bread, a carriage being associated with each toasting slots and respective toasting cavity; a plurality of toasting elements, wherein a toasting element is located at each side of each carriage. The toaster having, a supplemental toasting function, a keep warm function, a pre-warm function. The toaster enabling separate user selection of toast colour and moisture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a timing device for cooking, namely grilling, baking, convection, and other methods known to one skill in the art. Specifically, the present invention relates to a timing device that, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, provides the amount of time food has been cooking and the amount of time since the last time the food was checked. Specifically, the present invention preferably resets a timer when a cooking device, such as a grill or an oven, is opened and/or closed. More specifically, the present invention provides one timer that resets when a cooking device is opened and/or closed and optionally at least one other timer that remains running. The timers can be stopped, started, turned on and off, and reset manually.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvements for water-bath cooking and heating food. In particular, the present invention provides a new apparatus and method of heating a water-bath oven 1 that is both environmentally friendly and economical. The present invention includes a liquid water circulation system for conveying liquid water from a separate heat source to a heat transfer element 7 comprising a helically coiled pipe 7 in contact with an exterior surface of a cooking vessel 3, to transfer heat from the liquid water within the helically coiled pipe 7 to water and food within the cooking vessel 3.

Abstract: A stackable cooking apparatus is disclosed for cooking a food item. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the stackable cooking apparatus. The apparatus includes a lower vessel and an upper vessel mounted atop the lower vessel. The lower vessel, which can be disposed on the heated surface of a stove, includes a first top wall having apertures therethrough, and defines a first volume in the lower vessel. The upper vessel includes a second top wall free of apertures, and defines a second volume in the upper vessel. Food items to be cooked are placed on the first top wall so that the food item resides in the second volume. Heat from the heated surface rises into the first volume, through the apertures and into the second volume, to cook the food item therein. Means are provided for maintaining the vertical stability of the vessels when the vessels are stacked.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooking control method performed by a cooking apparatus for a food item. The method comprises obtaining a unique identifier and cooking data for the food item, and checking for a record of the unique identifier in a memory of the cooking apparatus. If a record of the unique identifier is located in the memory, then the cooking apparatus will not cook the food item. Otherwise a cooking process based on the cooking data to cook the food item is performed. Accordingly, cooking data for a given instance of a food item can only be used once in order to activate a cooking process performed by the cooking apparatus. The present invention also features product recall as well as the ability to track food item sales via a cooking data communications system.

Abstract: An automatic cooking system includes a computer system that stores recipes, cooking stations each comprising a cooking container that can cook food ingredients therein to produce a first cooked food, wherein the computer system can assign and schedule a plurality of dishes to be cooked at the cooking stations, storage containers configured to hold food ingredients, mini vehicles each carrying transport containers configured to hold the food ingredients, wherein the computer system can control at least some of movements of the mini vehicles in accordance to the recipes, a loading apparatus configured to load food ingredients from the storage stations to the transport containers on the mini vehicles, and an unloading apparatus that can transfer food ingredients from the transport containers on the mini vehicles to the cooking container at one of the cooking stations.

Abstract: A microwave oven of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal touch panel configured to display display screen images each including operation buttons, each of which accepts input from a user; a proximity detector portion configured to detect, as proximity input from the user, proximity of the user to the operation button included in the display screen image; a heating control portion and a display control portion configured to execute functions in accordance with the input to the operation buttons, the functions being respectively associated with the operation buttons; a standard button image storage portion configured to store proximity input enable/disable information pieces such that each of the proximity input enable/disable information pieces is associated with at least a part of the display screen image, the proximity input enable/disable information pieces each indicating whether to permit the proximity detector portion to detect the proximity input; and an enable/disable determining portion co

Abstract: A control system and method that controls the processing, logging, visual display, and product tracking functions for thermal processing equipment includes one or more wireless temperature probes. The wireless temperature probes allow the system to obtain and process real time data information and provide real time control, logging, display and validation for thermal processing. The wireless temperature probes transmit a signal to a receiver through an antenna configured in the thermal processing equipment, and the receiver sends that information to a control panel. The control panel utilizes a graphical user interface with touch screen capabilities, an input/output device, a process and storage media to log and control the process implemented for the food product.

Abstract: A food cooking container provided with an electronic temperature monitoring device, the electronic temperature monitoring device being powered by converting thermal energy into electrical energy by the parasitic exploitation of temperature differences generated between the hot container and a heat dissipating metal mass, and activates a device in the form of a piezoelectric buzzer or LEDs, to indicate pre-set safety temperature limits. The electronic temperature monitoring device includes an electronic thermoelectric harvesting sensor for converting thermal energy into electrical energy via its electronic thermoelectric harvesting system.

Abstract: A temperature controlled heatable object is provided in which a temperature sensor is connected to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag is located within the handle of the object, and the temperature sensor is placed in contact with the object. In a first embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor is partially imbedded within the object via a notch located in the side of the object. In a second embodiment of the invention, a temperature sensor is imbedded within a tunnel drilled within the base of the object. In a third embodiment, a temperature sensor is imbedded between the bottom of the object and a slab attached to the bottom of the object. The sensor can be located in a slot formed in either the slab or the bottom or the object. Handles and receivers for mounting the handles to the temperature controllable objects are also provided.

Abstract: A tortilla warmer control system is disclosed for controlling preparation and dispensing of tortillas. The control system includes a control unit capable of receiving inputs from a user, and providing outputs. The control unit receives user inputs including: a frequency of heating sessions, a number of tortillas to be heated and dispensed during each heating session; and tortilla texture. The control unit provides outputs including: a speed at which tortillas are to be conveyed through a heating sub-system of the tortilla warmer, and/or a temperature to be provided during each heating session; and a heating session initiation signal. The user inputs received by the control unit can also include a selected rate at which the tortillas are to be dispensed during the heating session. The outputs provided by the control unit can also include a rate at which tortillas are introduced into the heating sub-system.