Applica Consumer Products, Inc.

Luis Cavada

Charles Z Krasznai

Alvaro Vallejo Noriega

Alvaro Vallejo

Victoria Vilbrandt

A method and device for controlling the temperature of a soleplate of an iron, the method having the following steps: energizing a heater element associated with the soleplate, wherein heat energy is transferred from the heater element to the soleplate; and heating the soleplate from 60&#xb0; C. to a temperature of greater than 100&#xb0; C. in less than 45 seconds. A method and device for controlling an iron, the method having the following steps: setting a soleplate of the iron to a first temperature; and setting a steam boiler of the iron to a second temperature, wherein the first and second temperatures are different.

Fast heat/fast cool iron with steam boiler

A toaster uses radiant heat at infrared wavelengths optimized for producing rapid and uniform toasting of a food product. The infrared wavelengths of the radiated heat are selected for optimum speed and quality (browning and moisture content) of the food product. The selected infrared wavelengths of the radiated heat may also effectively defrost a food product. Defrosting of the food product by the infrared radiated heat adds very little time in obtaining a desired toast color to the food product. A plurality of infrared wavelengths of radiated heat may also be used, wherein the plurality of infrared wavelengths are selected for optimal heat penetration and surface browning of the food product. Shorter wavelengths for browning and slightly longer wavelengths to penetrate the food product for evaporating the moisture therein to allow surface browning by the shorter wavelengths. In addition, the heating energy within the toaster may be further elongated (longer wavelengths) once the infrared radiation is re-radiated off of reflectors within the toaster. The wavelengths of infrared radiated heat may be from about 1 to about 3 microns, and preferably from about 1.96 to about 2.5 microns, and most preferably at about 2.11 microns.

Method for toasting a food product with infrared radiant heat

An oven using radiant heat at infrared wavelengths optimized for producing rapid and uniform cooking of a wide variety of foods. The infrared oven toasts, bakes, broils, and reheats food at a much faster speed while maintaining high quality in taste and appearance of the cooked food. Optimal infrared wavelengths of the radiant heat sources are used for the best balance of cooking performance, while also reducing the time required to cook the food. Typically short to medium wavelength infrared radiant energy will result in good performance for toasting and browning of food. Medium to long wavelength infrared radiant energy is well suited for delivering more deeply penetrating radiant energy into the food. This deep penetration of radiant infrared heat energy results in a more thorough internal cooking of the food than with conventional methods of conduction and convection cooking.

Method for cooking a food with infrared radiant heat

An intelligent user interface for the selection of predefined cooking profiles for a number of different foods to be cooked in a multi-purpose oven using infrared heating. When a food has not been predefined for cooking in the infrared multi-purpose oven, procedures used for conventional cooking technologies may converted to for use by the multi-purpose oven so as to obtain substantially the same cooking results for the desired food. The intelligent user interface may have menus of different foods for programming cooking profiles for the infrared multi-purpose oven. Predefined 'hot buttons' may be used for quick selection of a cooking profile for a desired food (e.g., common foods such as popcorn, pizza rolls, chicken wings, oven fries, and other prepared and frozen foods), and/or a menu screen may be scrolled through to select a cooking profile for the desired food.

Intelligent user interface for multi-purpose oven using infrared heating for reduced cooking time

Methods and systems for cooling a soleplate of an iron are disclosed. A method may include flowing a cooling fluid adjacent at least a portion of the soleplate and transferring heat energy from the soleplate to the cooling fluid.

Iron with actively cooled soleplate

Toaster using infrared heating for reduced toasting time

An oven using radiant heat at infrared wavelengths optimized for producing rapid and uniform cooking of a wide variety of foods. The infrared oven toasts, bakes, broils, and re-heats food at a much faster speed while maintaining high quality in taste and appearance of the cooked food. Optimal infrared wavelengths of the radiant heat sources are used for the best balance of cooking performance, while also reducing the time required to cook the food. Typically short to medium wavelength infrared radiant energy will result in good performance for toasting and browning of food. Medium to long wavelength infrared radiant energy is well suited for delivering more deeply penetrating radiant energy into the food. This deep penetration of radiant infrared heat energy results in a more thorough internal cooking of the food than with conventional methods of conduction and convection cooking.

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Miami, FL, United States of America

Luis Cavada