System, method and computer program product for programmable counter-top electric oven

• US 7,964,824 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NuWave LLC
• Original Assignee: IBC-Hearthware Incorporated (International Bancshares Corporation)
• Inventors: Moon, Jung S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall; Mark H
• Application Number:
  US11/987,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20090139981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 349/0, 349/4, 349/7, 350/5, 350/6, 344/61, 344/81, 3412-415
• US Class Current: 219/490
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0623 Small-size cooking ovens, i.e. defining an at least partially closed cooking cavity A47J37/0605 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/325 electrically-heated
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A multi-stage cooking method for a counter-top electric oven is provided. The oven may include at least one cooking element and at least one control system coupled to the cooking element, the control system including a processor, a storage device, and an input interface. The multi-stage cooking method may include: receiving the multi-stage cooking recipe for the counter-top electric oven; storing the multi-stage cooking recipe in the storage device of the counter-top electric oven; and executing the multi-stage cooking recipe with the counter-top electric oven.

Claims

1. A multi-stage cooking method for a counter-top electric oven, the counter-top electric oven comprising at least one cooking element and at least one control system coupled to the at least one cooking element, the at least one control system comprising at least one processor, at least one storage device, and at least one input interface, said at least one processor, said at least one storage device, and said at least one input interface, coupled to one another, the method comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, from said at least one input interface at least one multi-stage cooking recipe for the counter-top electric oven wherein the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises

at least one user-selectable, and user-configurable, high temperature sear stage, the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage operable, by the at least one processor, to initially at least one of brown, or sear, for up to a maximum default pre-defined time period, after an initial at least one delay stage;

storing, by the at least one processor, the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe, including the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage, in the at least one storage device of the counter-top electric oven; and

executing, by the at least one processor, the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe, including the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage, with the counter-top electric oven.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receiving the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises receiving at least one of at least one cooking mode, at least one power level, or at least one duration of mode.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said cooking mode comprises at least one of:

at least one delay stage, at least one other sear stage, at least one cooking stage or at least one warming stage.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receiving the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises receiving at least one stage and at least one duration of the stage.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the counter-top electric oven further comprises at least one temperature probe coupled to the control system and wherein said receiving the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe further comprises receiving, by the at least one processor, a duration of mode based on a temperature or doneness as measured by said temperature probe.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receiving the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises recalling, by the at least one processor, at least one of:

at least one previously programmed, at least one predefined, or at least one user-entered of the multi-stage cooking recipe from the at least one storage device.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said recalling, by the at least one processor, said at least one previously programmed, said at least one predefined, or said at least one user-entered of the multi-stage cooking recipe further comprises editing, by said at least one processor said previously programmed, said at least one predefined, or said at least one user-entered multi-stage cooking recipe.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receiving the at east one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises receiving, by said at least one processor, user entered stages from said at least one input interface, wherein said at least one input interface comprises at least one numeric keypad input interface.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said at least one numeric keypad input interface is coupled to at least one cooking control element;

and wherein said receiving by the at least one processor, the user entered stages comprises receiving the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe by the at least one processor, from the at least one cooking control elements.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the counter-top electric oven further comprises at least one display coupled to the at least one control system, and said receiving, by the at least one processor, the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe further comprises displaying data, by the at least one processor, regarding the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe on said at least one display.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said storing, by the at least one processor, of the multi-stage cooking recipe in the at least one storage device comprises storing, by the at least one processor, the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe in at least one of at least one volatile storage device or at least one non-volatile storage device.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said executing the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises sequentially executing, by the at least one processor, stages of a stored of the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said executing the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises cooking, by the at least one processor, with the at least one cooking element wherein the at least one cooking element comprises at least one heating element.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein said at least one cooking element comprises at least one infrared heating element including a ceramic coating;

and wherein said executing, by the at least one processor, the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe further comprises cooking with said at least one infrared heating element.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said executing the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises cooking with the at least one cooking element comprising a plurality of heating elements and cooking with said plurality of heating elements comprises cooking at an individually selectable power level for each heating element.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the counter-top electric oven further comprises at least one temperature probe coupled to said control system, and said executing the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe further comprises altering, by said at least one processor, said execution based on data from said at least one temperature probe.

17. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the counter-top electric oven further comprises a display coupled to the control system, and said executing the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe further comprises displaying information, by said at least one processor, regarding progress of said executing of the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe on said display.

18. The multi-stage cooking method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage operable, by the at least one processor, to initially at least one of brown, or sear, for up to the maximum default pre-defined time period, after the initial at least one delay stage, wherein the maximum default pre-defined time period is 5 seconds.

19. A multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven comprising:

at least one cooking element;

at least one control system coupled to said at least one cooking element, said at least one control system comprising;

at least one processor operable to execute at least one multi-stage cooking recipe with the counter-top electric oven;

at least one input interface, coupled to said at least one processor, said at least one processor operable to receive the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe for the counter-top electric oven wherein said at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises at least one user-selectable, and user-configurable, high temperature sear stage, the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage operable, by the at least one processor, to initially at least one of brown, or sear, for up to a maximum default pre-defined time period, after an initial at least one delay stage; and

at least one storage device, coupled to said at least one processor, said at least one processor operable to store the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe in the at least one storage device of the counter-top electric oven.

20. The multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 19, wherein said at least one heating element is arranged to avoid being dripped upon by the object being cooked.

21. The multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 19, wherein said at least one heating element comprises a plurality of heating elements including at least one of a top, or a bottom heating element.

22. The multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 19, the oven further comprising a cooking enclosure comprising at least one of polycarbonate, glass, or metal.

23. The multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 19, the oven further comprising a cooking enclosure having a least one of a door or a cover which is at least one of:

slideable, removeable, or hinged.

24. The multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 19, the oven further adapted to receive a rotisserie.

25. The multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 19, the oven further comprising at least one of:

at least one pan, at least one cooking rack, or at least one fan.

26. The multi-stage cooking counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 19, wherein the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage operable, by the at least one processor, to initially at least one of brown, or sear, for up to the maximum default pre-defined time period, after the initial at least one delay stage, wherein the maximum default pre-defined time period is 5 seconds.

27. A control system for a counter-top electric oven, comprising

at least one processor operable to execute at least one multi-stage cooking recipe with the counter-top electric oven;

at least one input interface, coupled to said at least one processor, said at least one processor operable to receive the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe for the counter-top electric oven from said at least one input interface, wherein said at least one multi-stage cooking recipe comprises at least one user-selectable, and user-configurable, high temperature sear stage, the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage operable, by the at least one processor, to initially at least one of brown, or sear, for up to a maximum default pre-defined time period, after an initial at least one delay stage; and

at least one storage device, coupled to said at least one processor, said at least one processor operable to store the at least one multi-stage cooking recipe including said at least one sear stage in said at least one storage device of the counter-top electric oven.

28. The control system for the counter-top electric oven in accordance with claim 27, wherein the at least one user-selectable, and the user-configurable, high temperature sear stage operable, by the at least one processor, to initially at least one of brown, or sear, for up to the maximum default pre-defined time period, after the initial at least one delay stage, wherein the maximum default pre-defined time period is 5 seconds.