Cooking apparatus with cooking characteristic monitoring system

• US 20060254432A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masterbuilt Manufacturing, LLC (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: John D. Mclemore
• Inventors: McLemore, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/448
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/1209 electrically heated

Abstract

A cooking apparatus with an information exchange system that involves an assembly featuring a cooking apparatus such as a smoker or an electric turkey fryer and an information exchange system that provides for local and/or remote monitoring of cooking characteristic that preferably includes food item temperature probing that is displayed externally on the cooking appliance as in a local remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device that are preferably either in unidirectional of bi-directional.

Claims

1. A cooking apparatus, comprising:

a heater;

a food item container that, in use, receives a food item to be heated by said heater;

a temperature probe assembly having a food item probe; and

a cooking characteristic monitoring system which includes,

a) a local cooking characteristic information conveyance visibly mounted externally on said food item container and having a first probe temperature display device; and

b) a remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device which is remote to said foot item container and is in remote data communication with said local temperature probe information conveyance device, and which has a second probe temperature display device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cooking apparatus is a smoker and said foot item container is a smoker chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said local information conveyance device comprises a control unit with a smoker chamber temperature setting adjustment device and an adjusted temperature display device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said local information conveyance device comprises a probe temperature goal setting adjustment device which provides for adjustments in a predetermined value for food item cooking completion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 for the comprising means for signaling when the probe temperature reaches said predetermined value.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said remote cooking characteristics information conveyance device includes a receiver that receives data corresponding to that of said local cooking characteristics information conveyance device as to food item probe temperature determined by said temperature probe assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said receiver includes means for receiving cooking fluid temperature data and a cooking fluid temperature data display unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for receiving cooking fluid temperature data receives air temperature of the food item container.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said food item container is a smoker.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for receiving cooking fluid temperature receives liquid cooking fluid temperature data.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said food item container is a cooking pot of an electric turkey fryer and said means for receiving cooking fluid temperature receives oil temperature data for an electric turkey fryer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device includes a receiver for receiving probe temperature data and a transmitter for adjustment of a cooking characteristic setting.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said transmitter transmits a temperature adjustment command to effect an adjustment in a desired probed food item temperature setting of said probe assembly.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said cooking characteristic monitoring system conveys a signal when an actual food item temperature level reaches the desired probed food item temperature setting.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said transmitter provides a temperature adjustment command which effects a cooking fluid temperature adjustment in the cooking apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said food item container is a smoker chamber and a said cooking fluid adjustment command issued by said transmitter effects an adjustment in said heater that alters air temperature in said smoker chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said food item container is a cooking pot of an electric turkey fryer and said heater is a heating unit in a heating relationship with cooking oil in said cooking pot.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device communicates in wireless fashion with the local cooking characteristics information conveyance device.

28. A method of monitoring food item characteristics using the apparatus of claim 1 including inserting the food item in said food item container, inserting the food item probe in the food item;

displaying in real time fashion at both the local and remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device is a read out of probe temperature.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said food item is a turkey and the cooking apparatus is an electric turkey fryer.

30. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 wherein said food item container is one from the following grouping a) and b):

a) a smoker chamber

b) an electric turkey fryer cooker.

19. A cooking apparatus, comprising:

a smoker chamber;

a heater which heats said smoker chamber;

a local cooking characteristic information conveyance device supported by said smoker chamber; and

a remote cooking characteristics information conveyance device with a cooking characteristic display.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said remote includes means for bidirectional information exchange and which includes means for receiving cooking characteristic information from said local cooking characteristic information conveyance device and for transmitting cooking characteristic information to a local receiver supported by said smoker chamber.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a food item temperature probe assembly wherein said remote cooking characteristic conveyance device receives food item probe temperature information derived from said probe assembly.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device further receives smoker chamber temperature information.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device includes means for transmitting a desired food item probe temperature adjustment command for receipt by said probe assembly.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device includes means for transmitting an altered heater temperature to effect a change in heater temperature.

25. A cooking apparatus comprising:

an electric heater unit;

a control unit in communication with said heater unit;

a cooking pot which, in use, receives cooking fluid that is heated by said heater unit;

a food item temperature probe assembly; and

a local cooking characteristic information conveyance device that receives food item temperature data from said probe assembly and displays received food item temperature data on a display supported by said control unit.

26. The cooking apparatus of claim 25 further comprising a remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device which includes a display that displays food item temperature data determined by said probe assembly.

27. The cooking apparatus of claim 26 wherein said remote cooking characteristic information conveyance device includes a transmitter for adjusting a temperature setting associated with one or both of said heater unit and probe assembly.