According to one example, a method includes forming at least a surface layer of a metal substrate from an alloy of copper that has a hardness of at least about 150 Vickers Hardness (HV), and applying by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, one or more layers of a ceramic coating on the outer surface layer.
A47J 36/02 - Selection of specific materials, e.g. heavy bottoms with copper inlay or with insulating inlay
C23C 4/08 - Metallic material containing only metal elements
C23C 14/06 - Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the coating material
C23C 28/00 - Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of main groups , or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses and
A pot or pan lid is configured for stacking with identical or differently sized lids that have an identical handle or knob with a dimple on the upper surface. The side of the lid opposite the handle has a complimentary protrusion configured to stably engage the dimple. The edge of the knob may extend laterally to correspond with the lid curvature to also support a similar lid on the knob perimeter that is distal from the dimple. The engaged central dimple and more distal perimeter of the knob provide for stable stacking of a plurality of lids in a level arrangement that avoids one or more lids tipping over.
According to one example, a cookware vessel includes a bracket attached to an exterior of a vessel, and a detachable handle. The bracket has upper and lower partial geometric surfaces. The handle includes a grip portion, a coupling, an actuator, and a spring. The coupling has a channel configured to surround at least a portion of the upper partial geometric surface. The actuator is rotatingly attached to the coupling, and has one or more hooks that are configured to engage the lower partial geometric surface when the actuator is rotated in a first direction and that are further configured to disengage from the lower partial geometric surface when the actuator is manually rotated in a second direction by the user. The spring is configured to apply a force to the actuator so as to rotate the actuator in the first direction, when the actuator is released by the user.
An article of cookware has an interior cooking surface that with raised linear or curvilinear bands with an outer layer of a first material that is one of ceramic or metallic in nature to provide cut and abrasion resistance. Valleys or grooves between the raised bands have an outer layer of a second material with low surface energy to facilitate food release and cleaning of debris. The bands are arranged to protect the second material from cutting and abrasion that would damage the second material. The bands aid in enhancing distribution of cooking oil to enhance searing and browning of foods.
According to one example, a removable lid for a container of a vessel includes a valve configured to selectively allow air to vent out of a fluid retaining interior region of the container when the lid is positioned on the container. The valve includes an opening that extends entirely through a thickness of a portion of the lid, and a valve plug. The valve plug includes a valve top portion that extends vertically above a top surface of the portion of the lid, a valve bottom portion, and a valve central portion. The valve top portion is configured to be contracted, by a downward pressure, into a more vertically compact shape. The valve top portion is further configured to, absent the downward pressure, expand back upwards out of the more vertically compact shape.
B65D 81/34 - Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs intended to be cooked or heated within the package
According to one example, an article of cookware includes a substantially horizontal bottom having an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface, and a sidewall extending upward from the bottom to terminate at a rim. The bottom, the sidewall, and the rim define an interior volume for one or more food items. The sidewall has an inverted frustoconical shape with an upper portion, and a lower portion positioned below the upper portion. The upper portion has an outward tilt of less than about 10 degrees from a vertical line. The lower portion has an outward tilt that is at least about 15 degrees greater than the outward tilt of the upper portion.
According to one example, a cookware vessel includes a bracket coupled to an exterior of a vessel, and a detachable handle. The handle includes a grip portion, a coupling fixedly attached to the grip portion, an actuator rotatingly coupled to the handle, and a spring. The coupling has a channel that is configured to surround at least a portion of an upper horizontally extending rod of the bracket. The actuator has a top portion configured to engage and disengage an upper edge of the bracket when the actuator is rotated forward and backward. The actuator also has hooks configured to engage and disengage a lower horizontally extending rod of the bracket when the actuator is rotated forward and backward. The spring is configured to apply a force to the actuator so as to rotate the actuator forward, when the actuator is released by a user.
A handle for a cookware device contains a power supply that is operative to energize one or more of a processor, transceiver and accelerometer, as well as a memory device. The processor is also connected to a one or more external leads that extend into the handle at least to the connection to a sidewall of cooking device for further connection to a sensing circuit or power harvesting circuit. The end of the handle holds at least the processor but is in removable engagement from the portion with the power supply with a resilient sealing member to form a water proof seal.
Cookware has both as copper and a stainless steel mesh embedded in the exterior facing surface of the bottom of the base. The embedding process work hardens the bottom of an aluminum cooper vessel. A ferromagnetic stainless steel is embedded into the cooper mesh, forming portion of the exterior bottom surface of the cookware to render the cookware compatible with induction cooking heat sources.
Food stuffs are cooked at precise temperatures, which are optionally below 100° C., in a vessel that is evacuated to exclude air, in which low pressure steam replaces the air. When a sufficient quantity of air is excluded and replaced with water vapor, the temperature of vapor is accurately measured inside the vessel below the lid to control the temperatures within about 1° C. Air is preferably excluded via a controlled heated process for a relatively short period of time at high temperature to generate steam, the temperature is lowered to condense water vapor upon which the lid will sealingly engage the rim of the vessel, forming a partial vacuum in the cooking vessel.
According to one example, a system includes a computing device having a processor that is operable to display a first portion of a cooking recipe. The system further includes a heat source system having a heat source operable to provide an amount of energy to be used to cook a food item in accordance with the cooking recipe, and a processor operable to adjust the amount of energy provided by the heat source based on one or more communications with the computing device. The system further includes an auxiliary button system having an interface operable to receive an instruction to move from a first step of the cooking recipe to a second step, and a processor operable to transmit, via a second communication link with the computing device, an indication of the instruction.
According to one example, a vessel for one of cooking and storing one or more food items includes a container and a removable lid. The container has a bottom and an upward extending sidewall that terminates in a rim. The lid includes a central portion, and an annular gasket positioned to surround a perimeter of the central portion. The annular gasket includes an upper portion coupling the gasket to the central portion; a vertical portion descending downward from the upper portion; and a flexible skirt extending horizontally outward from an outer side of the vertical portion. The lid further includes an annular lid rim positioned to surround a perimeter of the upper portion of the gasket.
B65D 81/34 - Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs intended to be cooked or heated within the package
A cookware handle includes a plastic grip portion molded over a portion of an insert. The insert inserts into a bore of a flange. The grip portion is externally flush with the flange interface and the insert internally connects the grip portion to the flange. This allows the grip portion to be over molded on a first part of the insert so the other portion can be welded or otherwise attached to the flange after external surface finishing of the flange. The insert and flange may be welded together along a portion of the insert that contacts the flange within the bore and that is not visible when the flange is attached to a cookware vessel sidewall to provide the grip molded as a handle for the cookware vessel.
A device and method for steaming and presenting of food deploys a spacer that rests on top of a cookware vessel. The spacer has a lower inner flange to support a steaming rack. A leg supported serving or presentation rack is adapted for lifting, supporting and presenting the steamed food when the spacer and steaming rack are lowered over it. The spacer has a larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of the presentation rack so that the spacer may be lowered around the presentation rack to engage the steaming rack along the presentation rack. The presentation rack has a sufficient height relative to the spacer height to dispose the food proximal to or above the rim of the spacer.
A stackable cookware article system may include a stackable handle having a grip portion including a projection and a hole configured for stacking with similarly configured handles. The hole may be adapted to receive in at least an upper inner surrounding portion a complimentary downward extending projection that extends from a substantially similar grip portion. When stacked, cookware articles, such as a series of vessels having progressively decreasing diameters, deploying the handle may stably stack in nested arrangements external portions of an inner nested vessel contacting the internal portion of an outer surrounding vessel in which it nests.
B65D 21/032 - Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together for stacking containers one upon another in the upright or upside down position, e.g. with vertically projecting elements or recesses
A47J 43/28 - Other culinary hand implements, e.g. spatulas, pincers, forks or like food holders, ladles, skimming ladles, cooking spoonsSpoon-holders attached to cooking pots
A47J 45/00 - Devices for fastening or gripping kitchen utensils
B65D 21/02 - Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
A device and method for steaming and presenting of food deploys a spacer that rests on top of a cookware vessel. The spacer has a lower inner flange to support a steaming rack. A leg supported serving or presentation rack is adapted for lifting, supporting and presenting the steamed food when the spacer and steaming rack are lowered over it. The spacer has a larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of the presentation rack so that the spacer may be lowered around the presentation rack to engage the steaming rack along the presentation rack. The presentation rack has a sufficient height relative to the spacer height to dispose the food proximal to or above the rim of the spacer.
According to one example, a system includes a heat source operable to provide an amount of energy to be used to cook a food item, and further includes one or more processors. The processors are operable to receive an indication of a requested cooking temperature, and to receive a plurality of indications of measured temperature associated with the food item at different times. The processors are further operable to determine an integral term based on differences between the requested cooking temperature and the measured temperatures, to determine a heat loss term based on the integral term, and to determine an energy adjustment based on the heat loss term. The heat source is further operable to modify the amount of energy provided by the heat source in accordance with the determined energy adjustment.
According to one example, a system includes a computing device having a processor that is operable to display a first portion of a cooking recipe. The system further includes a heat source system having a heat source operable to provide an amount of energy to be used to cook a food item in accordance with the cooking recipe, and a processor operable to adjust the amount of energy provided by the heat source based on one or more communications with the computing device. The system further includes an auxiliary button system having an interface operable to receive an instruction to move from a first step of the cooking recipe to a second step, and a processor operable to transmit, via a second communication link with the computing device, an indication of the instruction.
A cookware handle includes a plastic grip portion molded over a portion of an insert. The insert inserts into a bore of a flange. The grip portion is externally flush with the flange interface and the insert internally connects the grip portion to the flange. This allows the grip portion to be over molded on a first part of the insert so the other portion can be welded or otherwise attached to the flange after external surface finishing of the flange. The insert and flange may be welded together along a portion of the insert that contacts the flange within the bore and that is not visible when the flange is attached to a cookware vessel sidewall to provide the grip molded as a handle for the cookware vessel.
According to one example, a cookware apparatus includes a vessel. The vessel includes a bottom, and a sidewall surrounding the bottom and extending upward from the bottom so as to form a fluid retaining interior region. The sidewall terminates at a rim. The vessel also includes a channel extending through a portion of the bottom and further extending upward into and through a portion of the sidewall. The channel has an opening positioned in an external surface of the sidewall. The cookware apparatus further includes a thermal sensor positioned within the channel. The thermal sensor extends through the portion of the bottom and further extends upward into and through the portion of the sidewall.
Techniques are described for automated control of portions of a cooking process, such as to control activation and heating for a cooking location having a piece of cooking equipment. Such automated control may include executing an automated control recipe having defined instructions used to automatically control at least some aspects (e.g., surface temperature) of the cooking equipment piece (e.g., a pan on a stove cooking surface) as part of a cooking episode to prepare one or more dishes, and may further include coordinating actions of a human user who is participating in the cooking episode by providing instructions or other information to the user. Related food preparation systems and cookware devices and components are also provided in connection with which the described automated cooking control techniques and methods may be used.
A47J 27/62 - Preventing boiling over, e.g. of milk by devices for automatically controlling the heat supply by switching off heaters or for automatically lifting the cooking-vessels
F24C 3/12 - Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
F24C 7/08 - Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
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