Variable Temperature Cooking Method and Apparatus

Abstract

The present invention deals with a variable temperature cooking method that uses a predetermined variable temperature reference profile and adapts it by mapping its datapoints to actual cooking conditions entered by the user or modified based on the readings from an internal food temperature probe. It is shown that, in order to achieve more uniform through-the-thickness doneness of foods, a continuously decreasing temperature setting from a higher initial temperature to a lower final temperature consistently performs better than applying a constant temperature or a two-step temperature profile. Use of a probe for monitoring internal food temperature enables a predictive estimate of cooking duration based on cooking score or temperature which is used to modify an initially inaccurate cooking duration.

1 . An apparatus for cooking, which comprises
 a) a cooking area for receiving a food item to be cooked;   b) a processor and digital memory, said processor capable of reading data pertaining to a variable temperature reference profile, said variable temperature reference profile comprising a table of setpoint target temperatures over a cooking duration, and supplying setpoint target temperatures to a temperature controller during said cooking duration according to said variable temperature reference profile, said setpoint target temperatures defining an applied variable temperature profile;   c) wherein said temperature controller is linked to said processor, said temperature controller for sensing a temperature within said cooking area and for controlling a heating member operative on said cooking area so that said temperature is driven according to said temperature setpoints of said applied variable temperature profile.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface, wherein said user interface is enabled for user-mediated modification of a existing variable temperature reference profile including a user-adjusted cooking duration, user-adjusted start temperature, and user-adjusted end temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface, wherein said control surface is enabled for user-mediated input of a variable temperature reference profile. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said processor is programmed for mapping time-temperature datapairs (t, T) of said variable temperature reference profile to time-temperature datapairs (t*, T*) of said applied variable temperature profile as defined by said user-adjusted cooking duration, said user-adjusted start temperature, and said end user-adjusted temperature as modified by said user. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said variable temperature reference profile comprises time and temperature datapairs defining a variable temperature function characterized by a smoothly decreasing temperature between a higher temperature setpoint and a lower temperature setpoint. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said curve is selected from a descending sigmoid curve, a descending parabolic curve, a descending median curve, or a descending linear ramp. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said user interface is configured for selecting a maximum cooking temperature, a minimum cooking temperature, an average cooking temperature, a food type, a food weight, a food thickness, a doneness target; or a machine default condition. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , where the variable temperature reference profile can be selected by the user from a library of variable temperature reference profiles. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an insertable probe or sensor and probe temperature control circuit configured for continuously monitoring and relaying internal food temperature data to said processor in real time. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a user interface configured for actuating said probe temperature control circuit, for selecting a monitoring parameter, and for entering a monitoring parameter target indicative of completion of cooking. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said processor comprises instructions for mapping time-temperature datapairs (t, T) of said variable temperature reference profile onto time-temperature datapairs (t*, T*) of an applied variable temperature profile according to input temperature data received from said probe during said cooking session. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said instructions comprise steps for calculating a rate of change of said monitoring parameter over a time interval and extrapolating from the derivative an estimated probe-adjusted cooking duration required to obtain said monitoring parameter target, wherein said monitoring parameter target is indicative of completion of cooking. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said monitoring parameter target is a cooking score indicative of doneness. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a display for displaying a countdown based on estimated time to completion of cooking, wherein said countdown is periodically updated. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said processor has instructions for turning down said heating member when time to completion of cooking is zero. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said processor has instructions for turning down said heating member when said cooking score is reached.