Method of cooking food products

• US 5,039,535 A
• Filed: 08/31/1989
• Issued: 08/13/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Star Manufacturing International Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lang Manufacturing Co. (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: Lang, Howard A., Sage, George E., Wendorf, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, George
• Application Number:
  US07/401,950
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 426/233, 426/231, 426/523, 426/243, 99/326, 99/328, 99/333, 219/385, 219/388, 219/343, 219/448, 219/449, 219/492, 364/400
• US Class Current: 426/233
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/32 Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat

Abstract

An oven for cooking a food product that is exactly controlled for various cooking parameters, including cooking time, temperature, cooking elements used and cooking element duty cycle. Top and bottom cooking elements are provided in the oven. Temperature sensors are placed between each cooking element and the food product. The oven temperature is sensed when the food product is placed in the oven. The type of food product placed in the oven is indicated by the baker a control panel. Previously stored data indicates the cooking parameters to provide the best possible food product. The microprocessor controls the cooking elements to cook the food product according to the cooking parameters. As the correct cooking temperature is approached, the duty cycle of the cooking elements is lowered to ensure that the proper temperature is not exceeded. Once the correct cooking temperature is reached, the cooking elements operate at a predetermined duty cycle for the remaining cooking time. An indication is provided that the food product is done and the food product is removed from the oven. Openings are provided in the oven to permit heat to escape and to permit the food product to be removed from the front or back of the oven.

Claims

1. A method of cooking a food product comprising:

placing said food product in an oven having a programmable electronic controller;

sensing a beginning top temperature of said oven of said oven above said food product;

sensing a beginning bottom temperature of said oven below said food product;

heating said oven with the top cooking element to a final top temperature;

heating said oven with the bottom cooking element to a final bottom temperature;

measuring the time for said top temperature to reach said final top temperature;

measuring the time for said bottom temperature to reach said final bottom temperature;

calculating the remaining cooking time for said food product by said top and bottom cooking elements for said food product at each of said final temperatures using an equation that contains Ts that has been previously determined and stored according to the formula;

##EQU12## where T1 is the first temperature at which said food product is cooked, t1 is the time for said food product to cook at said first temperature T1, T2 is a second, higher temperature, t2 is the time taken for said product to cook at T2, as previously determined, and * is a multiplication symbol, to determine a fraction of doneness of said food product achieved by cooking said food product during the time that said oven is heating up from said beginning temperatures to said final temperatures; and

leaving said food product in said oven until said remaining cooking time has passed for both of said elements at said final temperatures, and removing said food product from said oven when said remaining time has expired.

2. The method according to claim 1 including the step of turning a top cooking element on and off according to a predetermined duty cycle at said final top cooking temperature.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein an on time within said duty cycle is selected based on the value of said final cooking temperature.

4. A method of cooking a food product comprising:

cooking samples of a plurality of different types of said product to determine a set of optimum cooking parameters for each type of said product;

storing said cooking parameters in a programmable electronic control unit which controls an oven for cooking said different types of said product, at least one of said cooking parameters being Ts which is determined according to the formula;

##EQU13## where T1 is a first temperature at which said product is cooked and t1 is the time for said product to cook at said first temperature T1 and T2 is a second, higher temperature and t2 is the time taken for said product to cook at T2 as determined during said step of cooking samples, and * is a multiplication symbol;

placing one type of said product in said oven;

providing an indication to said oven of the type of food product placed in said oven;

sensing a beginning top temperature of said oven above said food product;

sensing a beginning bottom temperature if said oven below said food product;

heating said oven with a top cooking element to a final temperature above said food product;

heating said oven with a bottom cooking element to a final temperature below said food product;

measuring a time for said top temperature to reach said final temperature;

measuring a time for said bottom temperature to reach said final temperature;

calculating a remaining cooking time for said food product at said respective final top and bottom temperatures based on said sensed beginning top and bottom temperatures, respectively, and the time taken for said oven to reach said final top and bottom temperatures, respectively, by determining a fraction of doneness of said food product achieved by cooking said food product during the time said oven heats from said respective beginning temperatures to said respective final temperatures; and

leaving said food product in said oven for said remaining cooking time at said final top and bottom temperatures to cook said food product until it is properly done.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein storing said cooking parameters includes setting a plurality of potentiometers to a resistance which is propotional to said respective cooking parameters, said resistance value being used to determine a set of oven heating characteristics.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein said heating steps include a duty cycle for said top cooking element and a variable duty cycle for said bottom cooking element.

7. A method of automatically cooking a food product in an oven having a programmable electronic controller comprising the steps of:

(a) cooking a sample of a selected food product at a first temperature until said sample of said selected food product is properly done;

(b) measuring the time taken to properly cook said sample of said selected food product at said first temperature;

(c) cooking a sample of said selected food product at a second temperature until said sample of said selected food product is properly done;

(d) measuring the time taken to properly cook said sample of said selected food product at said second temperature;

(e) determining a cooking curve for said selected food product using data obtained from steps a-d, said cooking curve including an indication of the time required to properly cook said selected food product using Ts determined according to the following equation;

##EQU14## wherein T1 is a first temperature used in step a at which said product is cooked and t1 is the time measured in step b for said product to cook at said first temperature T1, T2 is a second, higher temperature used in step c and t2 is the time, measured in step d for said product to cook at T2 and * is a multiplication symbol;

(f) storing said cooking curve for said selected food product in said programmable electronic controller to permit a subsequent user to properly cook said selected product by placing said selected product in said oven and starting the cooking of said selected product; and

(g) placing said selected product in said oven and cooking said selected product until it is properly cooked by automatically controlling the oven heating characteristics according to said cooking curve.

8. The method according to claim 7, further including the steps of:

repeating steps a-g for a plurality of different selected food products; and

inputting to said oven controller which food product of said plurality is placed in said oven.

9. A method of cooking a selected food product comprising:

placing said selected food product in said oven having a programmable controller;

snsing a beginning temperature within said oven;

heating said oven with said food product therein from said beginning temperature to a final temperature;

measuring the time taken for said oven having said food product therein to increase in temperature from said beginning temperature to said final temperature;

calculating a remaining cooking time for said selected food product based on the beginning temperature, the final temperature, and the time taken for said oven temperature to increase from said beginning temperature to said final temperature; and

using an equation that contains Ts having been previously determined and stored according to the formula;

##EQU15## where T1 is the first temperature at which said food product is cooked, t1 is the time for said food product to cook at said first temperature T1, T2 is a second, higher temperature, t2 is the time taken for said product to cook at t2, as previously determined, and * is a multiplication symbol, to determine a fraction of doneness of said food product achieved by cooking said food product during the time that said oven is heating up from said beginning temperatures to said final temperatures; and

removing said food product from said oven when said remaining cooking time has expired.

10. The method according to claim 9, further including the step of:

inputting an indication of the type of food product placed in said oven, said oven having stored therein a cooking curve for a plurality of different food products, said cooking curve being used to calculate a fraction of doneness and a remaining cooking time for respective food product given the beginning temperature, the final temperature and the time taken for said oven temperature to increase from said beginning temperature to said final temperature by determining the amount of cooking performed while said oven heats up from said beginning temperature to said final temperature.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said temperatures are approximately equal to a temperature of said food product.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein said beginning temperature is an arbitrary temperature not selected or controllable by a user or by an electronic controller.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein said oven includes a heating element and said heating element has a first power rate duty cycle at said beginning temperature and a second, lower, power rate duty cycle at said final temperature and the on time within said second, lower power rate duty cycle at said final temperature is selected based on the value of said final temperature.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the second power rate of said duty cycle has a high power rate for a final temperature which is a high value and a low power rate for a final temperature which is a low value.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein said final power rate has a duty cycle of approximately 40% on time, 60% off time within a duty cycle for a given final temperature above 700°

, and said final power rate has a duty cycle of approximately 35% on time and 65% off time within a duty cycle for a given final temperature of between 600° and

700°

.