Sous vide feature in a microwave oven

Abstract

A microwave oven may include a temperature sensor to sense temperature in a cooking cavity, and a controller that can initiate a sous vide cooking cycle in response to user input after placement of a sous vide container (with a water bath and a food item to be cooked inside) into the cooking cavity, monitor a temperature of the water bath contained by the sous vide container during the cooking cycle using the temperature sensor, and control the microwave cooking element in response to the monitored temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A microwave oven, comprising:
 a housing including a cooking cavity;   a microwave cooking element disposed within the housing to generate cooking energy within the cooking cavity;   a rotating turntable assembly disposed in the cooking cavity of the housing;   a temperature sensor positioned to wirelessly sense temperature within the cooking cavity of the housing; and   a controller disposed in the housing and configured to:
 initiate a cooking cycle in response to user input and after placement of a sous vide container containing a water bath and a food item to be cooked into the cooking cavity; 
 monitor a temperature of the water bath contained by the sous vide container during the cooking cycle using the temperature sensor; and 
 control the microwave cooking element in response to the monitored temperature to maintain a substantially constant temperature for the water bath during at least a portion of the cooking cycle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The microwave oven of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on a side wall of the cooking cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The microwave oven of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on an upper surface of the cooking cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The microwave oven of  claim 1 , wherein the sous vide container further comprises a lid. 
     
     
         5 . The microwave oven of  claim 1 , wherein the food item is disposed within a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate sous vide bag that is submerged in the water bath, and wherein the sous vide container further comprises an adjustable spacer configured to keep the sous vide bag submerged in the water bath. 
     
     
         6 . The microwave oven of  claim 5 , wherein the sous vide container further comprises a lid and the adjustable spacer is attached to the lid. 
     
     
         7 . The microwave oven of  claim 5 , wherein the adjustable spacer includes one or more plastic coil springs. 
     
     
         8 . A container configured for use in sous vide cooking in a microwave oven, the container comprising:
 a body configured to contain a water bath;   a lid configured to couple with an open top side of the body;   an adjustable spacer disposed between the body and the lid, wherein the spacer is configured to retain a buoyant sous vide bag in a submerged position within the water bath contained by the body of the container.   
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the spacer is attached to the lid. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the spacer includes one or more plastic coil springs, wherein each of the one or more springs further comprise a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to abut the buoyant sous vide bag and the second end is coupled with an interior surface of the lid. 
     
     
         11 . A method of sous vide cooking in a microwave oven, wherein the microwave oven includes a housing including a cooking cavity, a microwave cooking element disposed within the housing to generate cooking energy within the cooking cavity, and a controller disposed in the housing, the method comprising:
 initiating, by the controller, a cooking cycle in response to user input and after placement of a sous vide container containing a water bath and a food item in a bag to be cooked into the cooking cavity;   monitoring, by a temperature sensor, a temperature of the water bath contained by the sous vide container during the cooking cycle; and   controlling, by the controller, the microwave cooking element in response to the monitored temperature to maintain a substantially constant temperature for the water bath during at least a portion of the cooking cycle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cooking cycle is a dedicated sous vide cycle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein controlling the microwave cooking element further includes following a predetermined temperature profile during the dedicated sous vide cooking cycle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the microwave cooking element further includes cycling the microwave cooking element. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the microwave cooking element further includes adjusting a power output of the microwave cooking element. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the microwave oven further includes a rotating turntable assembly disposed in the cooking cavity of the housing and the method further comprises controlling, by the controller, a rotation of the rotating turntable in response to user input. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein monitoring the temperature of the water bath further includes wirelessly sensing, by the temperature sensor, the temperature of the water bath.