Method for operating a cooking device, cooking device and system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (S1 - S5) for operating a cooking appliance (1), in particular an oven, coupled with a screen (8), with a rack accessory (2) inserted into a cooking chamber (3) thereof, the rack accessory having a support surface (10, 11) for placing a food (G) to be cooked, wherein at least one type of food (G) to be cooked on the support surface (10) is selected via the screen (8) (S2), and then selection fields (F2 - F3) for at least one possible selected food type are jointly displayed on the screen (8) with regard to at least a thickness of the food (G) and a desired target cooking state of the food (G) (S3), after selection of respective settings via these selection fields (F2 - F3) a cooking process is carried out (S4), wherein a temperature on the support surface (10) of the inserted rack accessory (2) is set at least in phases on the basis of the selected settings (S4).The invention is particularly advantageous for household ovens.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a cooking appliance equipped with a display screen. The invention also relates to a cooking appliance comprising a cooking chamber with multiple heating elements, a user interface including a display screen, and a data processing device. The invention further relates to a system comprising such a cooking appliance and a plug-in accessory. The invention is particularly advantageous for household ovens.

[0002] DE 102 35 015 A1 discloses a method for timing a household cooking appliance, in which a user enters time data into a controller that defines the duration and time of day of at least one cooking process. The controller generates control signals from the input time data that ensure the start of the cooking process, the connection of a warming process to the cooking process, and the end of the warming process. Furthermore, a corresponding device is disclosed.

[0003] DE 103 55 138 A1 discloses an electrical device comprising a plurality of user-operable operating elements, each of which is associated with a status display device, and a control logic coupled to the operating elements for detecting user operations and configured to set an operating state of the electrical device according to the user operations. Depending on the set operating state, the control logic sets the status display of each operating element from which it is capable of processing a user operation to a first state and sets the status display of each operating element from which it is unable to process a user operation to a second state.

[0004] DE 10 2004 013 553 A1 discloses a cooking appliance in which at least one parameter is preset for at least one predetermined program, such as in the form of a cooking program and / or cleaning program, and / or for at least one predetermined operating mode, such as in the form of a cooking mode or cleaning mode, the preset parameter can be changed via at least one change function element of an operating element of the cooking appliance and the change can be confirmed, accepted and / or saved by the cooking appliance during a certain period of time via at least one confirmation and / or storage function element of the operating element of the cooking appliance and after the expiry of this certain period of time.

[0005] DE 10 2006 047 813 A1 discloses a cooking appliance in which a plurality of programs, in particular cooking programs, can be preselected depending on at least one parameter, wherein at least a first parameter is determined by the time of day, in particular time of day, at the installation location of the cooking appliance and / or at least a second parameter is determined by the day, in particular selected from a working day or holiday, at the installation location of the cooking appliance and / or at least a third parameter is determined by the season, in particular selected by the time of year and / or the weather, at the installation location of the cooking appliance; as well as a method for setting such a cooking appliance.

[0006] DE 10 2008 005 720 A1 discloses a cooking appliance for cooking food in a cooking chamber, comprising at least one food treatment device, a control or regulating device and a display and / or operating device, wherein the cooking chamber has at least one substantially horizontally extending treatment level, via the display and / or operating device at least one first variable characteristic of a food and / or a cooking method for the treatment level can be displayed, set, changed and / or stored, and the control or regulating device guides the food treatment device at least as a function of the first variable, wherein each treatment level comprises at least two treatment zones, at least one first variable is assigned or assignable to each treatment zone and the display and / or operating device has a display field for each treatment zone; and a method for this purpose.

[0007] DE 10 2008 057 319 A1 discloses a method for at least temporarily displaying the progress of a work program in a cooking chamber, wherein the work program has a plurality of steps, at least one display element is assigned to each step of the work program, and during the execution of the work program, the display elements of all steps of the work program are displayed simultaneously on a display device, wherein the step in which the work program is currently located is also displayed; as well as a cooking appliance.

[0008] DE 10 2009 006 182 A1 discloses a method for arranging representatives of programs selected from a plurality of programs for cooking appliances via at least one input device on at least one display device which is operatively connected to the input device and a control or regulating device, wherein each program representative, in particular in the form of a virtual receipt, can be arranged in at least one, at least two-dimensional area, in particular in the form of a virtual receipt board, with either a time axis and at least one position axis or at least two position axes, wherein on a first position axis at least one treatment level of a cooking chamber of a cooking appliance, on a second and / or third position axis at least one treatment zone of a treatment level of a cooking chamber of a cooking appliance, and / or on the time axis at least one point in time and / or a period of at least one selected program,functional plan and / or functional sequence is / are visualized; and a cooking appliance for carrying out such a process as well as a kitchen network with a plurality of such cooking appliances.

[0009] DE 10 2009 006 224 A1 discloses a method for visualizing at least one program selected from a plurality of programs for cooking appliances via at least one input device in the form of at least one program representative on at least one display device which is operatively connected to the input device and a control or regulating device, wherein each program representative, in particular in the form of a virtual voucher, can be arranged in at least one area, in particular in the form of a virtual voucher board, wherein, depending on at least one parameter of at least one program representative arranged in the area, at least one other program representative to be arranged in the area is arranged with at least one other parameter, and each parameter is at least characteristic of a cooking appliance, a functional device of the cooking appliance, a treatment level of the cooking appliance,a treatment zone of the treatment level, a time point, a period of time, a prioritization and / or a climate variable of the program corresponding to the respective program representative, and a cooking appliance for carrying out such a process as well as a kitchen network with a plurality of such cooking appliances.

[0010] DE 10 2011 050 509 A1 discloses an operating device for a cooking appliance for setting at least one parameter of at least one operating program of the cooking appliance, comprising at least one touch-sensitive actuator on a touch display, wherein the actuator has a plurality of setting ranges determined via touch coordinates, to which setpoint values ​​of the parameter can be assigned according to a setting curve, wherein n adjacent touch coordinates can be assigned to at least a first setpoint value, and m adjacent touch coordinates can be assigned to each second setpoint value, wherein n > m applies to facilitate setting of the first setpoint value; and a cooking appliance comprising such a device.

[0011] DE 10 2013 017 200 A1 discloses a method for operating a cooking appliance, wherein several recently used operating sequences are displayed by the cooking appliance and offered for selection. A cooking appliance is configured to carry out the method and has a graphical user interface, in particular a touch-sensitive screen, for this purpose.

[0012] EP 2 431 664 A1 discloses an oven and a control method therefor. The oven comprises a body having an interior space, the body defining an external appearance, a cooking surface disposed at an upper end of the main body for heating a food item or a container containing the food item disposed on an upper surface thereof, an oven disposed below the cooking surface for cooking the food accommodated in the interior space, a control panel having a control part for operating operations of the cooking surface and the oven, and a display in which cooking by category is displayed according to a signal from the control panel in an upper menu, a lower menu of the upper menu in which a first input signal input by a user is displayed, and an operation of the lower menu in which a second input signal of the user is displayed.The cooking appliance and its control method offer a user various cooking options.

[0013] EP 3 505 026 A1 discloses a method for displaying at least one operating menu of a cooking appliance on a touchscreen and for controlling the cooking appliance. It provides that, in the first menu level, a first overview field of at least one cooking chamber defined by a flat heating surface onto which food can be placed or poured, with areas of the cooking chamber directly selectable for separate activation in the first menu level, and, in addition, a second overview field with various predefined cooking chamber subdivisions and / or a third overview field with several different cooking applications and / or a fourth overview field with various predefined cooking chamber subdivisions with already assigned cooking applications are displayed.

[0014] US 7,381,930 B2 discloses a cooking appliance, for example, a convection cooker. The appliance comprises a heating element, a display, and a user interface for receiving a plurality of control settings from a user. The control settings include a time setting. The appliance further comprises a controller operatively connected to the user interface for providing a plurality of control settings to the controller. The controller includes a signal point determining section for determining an alarm point based on the time setting, an annunciator control section for controlling the annunciator based on the alarm point, wherein the annunciator generates periodic annunciations, and a repetition period determining section for determining a repetition period for the periodic annunciations.

[0015] It is the TaskThe present invention aims to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a particularly user-friendly way of setting a cooking process.

[0016] This object is achieved according to the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments can be found in particular in the dependent claims.

[0017] The object is achieved by a method for operating a cooking appliance coupled to a screen with a slide-in accessory inserted into a cooking chamber thereof with a support surface for supporting a food to be cooked, in which a type of food to be cooked (also referred to as "food type" for short) is selected on the screen or is offered for selection and then (i.e., in particular after selecting the food type) selection fields relating to at least a thickness of the food and a desired target cooking state of the food are displayed together on the screen for at least one possible selected food type, after selecting the respective settings via these selection fields, a cooking process is carried out in which a temperature on the support surface is set at least in phases based on the selected settings.

[0018] Displaying the relevant selection fields together increases clarity and simplifies user input, particularly avoiding the need to navigate a complex menu structure. Furthermore, the number of selection fields can be kept to a minimum while remaining highly informative for determining the cooking process's operating parameters, further facilitating selection.

[0019] The fact that the screen is "coupled" to the cooking appliance can, in particular, include the screen being a component of the cooking appliance. Alternatively or additionally, the screen can be a screen external to the cooking appliance. The external screen can, for example, be part of a user terminal, in particular a mobile user terminal, e.g., a smartphone or tablet PC. The user terminal can, for example, be data-linked to the cooking appliance via a corresponding application program or "app" and, for example, form a remote control.

[0020] The screen is, in particular, a component of a user interface. It is a further development that the screen is a touch-sensitive screen or "touchscreen." It is a further development that the user interface additionally has at least one control element, e.g., a button (e.g., a short-stroke or sensor button), a rotary knob, a slider, etc. It is a further development that the additional at least one control element can be used to control a display on the screen, e.g., toggling between different simultaneously displayed fields, selecting them, changing a menu level, etc. The latter development is particularly advantageous if the screen is not a touch-sensitive screen, but can also be used together with a touch-sensitive screen to provide an improved user experience.

[0021] The cooking appliance is, in particular, a household cooking appliance. The cooking appliance has, in particular, a cooking chamber that can be closed by means of a door, in particular at the front. In a further development, the cooking chamber has several horizontal insertion levels for inserting one or more insertion accessories. The cooking appliance can have at least one energy input unit for introducing energy into the cooking chamber for heat-treating the food(s). The at least one energy input unit can, for example, comprise at least one heating element such as a bottom heat element, a top heat element, and / or a hot air element, for example in the form of at least one electric resistance heater and / or IR radiator, a microwave generator, a steam generator, etc.

[0022] The cooking appliance is particularly configured to operate the at least one energy input unit in a specific heating mode from a group of different heating modes. A heating mode corresponds, in particular, to a specific operating mode ("cooking mode") intended for heat-treating the food to be cooked and includes a specific setting of the at least one energy input unit, e.g., whether an energy input unit is switched on or off, its heating output, etc. The heating mode can, for example, be a bottom heat, top heat, convection, steam, microwave, etc. heating mode or operating mode, or any combination thereof, e.g., a combined bottom / top heat mode.

[0023] The cooking appliance is, in particular, an oven, microwave oven, steamer, or any combination thereof, e.g., an oven with microwave and / or steam cooking functionality. A further development is that the cooking appliance is a standalone oven with or without microwave and / or steam cooking functionality. A further development is that the cooking appliance is a combination of an oven with or without microwave and / or steam cooking functionality and a hob, which can then also be referred to as a stove.

[0024] The insert accessory is in particular an accessory that is designed to be inserted into a shelf level of the cooking chamber and has at least one support surface for supporting the food to be cooked.

[0025] The type of food or dish type can include information about the ingredient(s) of the food and / or their preparation method. The ingredient(s) of the food can include, for example, a type of meat (such as beef, veal, pork, poultry, pure or mixed minced meat, etc.), fish, certain types of dough (such as bread dough, croissant dough, etc.), or a food combination such as pizza, etc. The preparation method can be tailored to the ingredient(s) of the food and, for a type of meat, can include, for example, the preparation methods steak, patty / frikadelle, schnitzel, nuggets, half a poultry, poultry breast, etc.

[0026] The fact that for at least one possible selected food type, selection fields relating to at least a thickness of the food and a desired target cooking state of the food are displayed together can include the fact that for at least one selected food type from a group of several selectable food types, at least these selection fields are displayed, while for at least one further selected food type, other subordinate selection fields are offered, if any. Thus, for "beef steak" and "burger patties," selection fields relating to at least a thickness of the food and a desired target cooking state of the food can be displayed together, while for "chicken schnitzel," the selection field for the target cooking state can be omitted, since poultry should always be cooked thoroughly.

[0027] The food type can be selected via a selection field that is displayed simultaneously with the selection fields for the thickness of the food and the desired cooking time. Alternatively, the food type can be selected via a selection field that is offered on the screen before switching or switching to the display of the selection fields for at least the thickness of the food and the desired cooking time.

[0028] The fact that (multiple) selection fields are displayed together on the screen means that several selection fields are displayed together or simultaneously. In a further development, they can be activated by a user in any order to select, e.g., by tapping. The fact that the selection fields relate to at least one thickness of the food and a desired final cooking state of the food means, in particular, that for at least one selected type of food, at least these two selection fields are displayed together and can or must be selected to carry out the cooking process.

[0029] It's a further development that each selection field contains at least two options or selectable settings. At least the temperature of the cooking process is then automatically determined or set based on the settings selected by a user. The selection can be made, for example, via a drop-down bar.

[0030] The thickness settings can be further adapted to the selected food type, for example for steaks in centimeters (e.g. "under 1 cm", "1 cm", "2 cm", "3 cm", etc.), for lasagne in centimeters (e.g. "5 cm", "10 cm", etc.), for pizza according to pizza style ("thin base" or "thick base").

[0031] The settings for the target cooking level can be adapted to the selected type of food in a further development, for example, for meat the cooking level can be specified ("rare", "medium rare", "medium", "well done", etc.), for poultry the degree of crispiness (e.g. "soft" or "crispy", etc.).

[0032] The fact that the temperature on the support surface of the inserted insert accessory is adjusted at least in phases based on the selected settings means that the cooking process can optionally have multiple phases. The phases can differ, for example, at least with regard to the temperature on the support surface. For example, a cooking process can optionally have a preheating phase, at least one cooking phase, and optionally a subsequent keep-warm phase. However, the phases can also differ based on other characteristics, e.g., the heating method, the position of the food, etc.

[0033] The cooking process can, for example, be continued until the target cooking state of the food is reached or likely to be reached. For this purpose, the actual cooking state can be monitored in a further development, for example, using a core temperature sensor or a camera. In a further development, it can be assumed that the target cooking state has been reached when a certain cooking time has elapsed.

[0034] One embodiment provides that a selection field for a number of food pieces of the dish is also displayed for selection at the same time, i.e. in addition to at least the selection fields for thickness and target doneness. The temperature on the support surface of the inserted insert accessory can then be adjusted, at least in phases, using the settings selected using this additional selection field. This has the advantage that the heat input into the dish can be adapted to the number of food pieces. In particular, the heat output can tend to be higher the higher the number of pieces. This selection field can be displayed depending on the previously selected type of dish.

[0035] A further development is that a selection field for the desired (target) degree of browning of the food is displayed simultaneously for selection, i.e., in addition to at least the selection fields for thickness and target doneness. The temperature at the support surface of the inserted insert accessory can then be adjusted, at least in phases, based on the settings selected via this additional selection field. The actual degree of browning can be determined, for example, using a camera.

[0036] It is an improvement that a selection field for a desired heating type is also displayed simultaneously for selection, e.g., with the possible settings grill, top / bottom heat, hot air, etc. The temperature on the support surface of the inserted accessory can then, at least in phases, also be adjusted based on the settings selected using this additional selection field. For example, it can be lower for hot air than for top / bottom heat. Alternatively, the heating type can be selected before the jointly displayed selection fields are displayed. The number and / or type of jointly displayed selection fields can then, in an improvement, depend on the previously selected heating type or cooking mode. Alternatively, the heating type can be selected automatically by the cooking appliance. For example, if "Steak" or "Burger Patty" is selected, the "Grill" heating type can be automatically selected, as this is the typical heating type for these.

[0037] A further development is that a selection field for the slide-in accessory used is also displayed for selection, e.g. with the possible settings "wire rack", "baking tray", "grill plate", etc. Alternatively, the slide-in accessory used can be selected before the jointly displayed selection fields are displayed. The number and / or type of jointly displayed selection fields can then, in a further development, depend on the previously selected slide-in accessory. Alternatively, the inserted or pushed-in accessory can be automatically detected by the cooking appliance, including its shelf level if applicable. The slide-in accessory and, if applicable, the shelf level can be detected, for example, by means of a camera, by actuating electrical and / or mechanical contacts, Hall sensors, capacitive sensors, etc.

[0038] One embodiment involves the cooking process having multiple phases, with the durations of the phases being determined based on the selected settings. This advantageously improves the cooking ratio. Possible phases could include, for example: Heating phase; Grilling phase for the first side of a dish to be grilled; Grilling phase for the first side of a dish to be grilled; Keeping warm phase etc. The phases may differ in their operating settings, including heating type and / or temperature, or they may have the same operating settings. For example, a grilling phase for one side of a food may take longer the thicker the food being grilled and / or the more advanced the food's target cooking stage is.

[0039] One embodiment provides user instructions relating to the cooking process, in particular instructions for handling the food, particularly for a transition between two phases. The user instructions can include instructions or tips relating to preparatory actions, actions to be carried out during the cooking process and / or actions to be carried out upon completion of the cooking process. Actions to be carried out during the cooking process can, for example, relate to stirring or turning. Actions to be carried out upon completion of the cooking process can, for example, relate to removing the food. One embodiment provides for the output of user instructions to be switchable on and off by the user and / or to be actively queried by the user.

[0040] This can be implemented, for example, in such a way that a selection field for outputting user instructions is displayed at the same time for selection, i.e. in addition to at least the selection fields for thickness and target cooking state.

[0041] One embodiment allows the thickness of the food to encompass a maximum thickness of the food. This advantageously prevents the cooking process from ending before the food has reached the desired degree of doneness at its thickest point or before the thickest piece of food has reached its desired degree of doneness. A further development allows the "thickness of the food" to correspond to the thickness of the thickest piece when there are multiple pieces of food, e.g., multiple steaks. However, if the food is at least approximately uniformly thick, e.g., lasagna or pizza, the thickness of the food refers in particular to a uniform or medium thickness.

[0042] In one embodiment, the temperature on the support surface corresponds to a temperature measured on the insert accessory. This advantageously enables particularly precise temperature determination of the food, in particular on the contact surface with the insert accessory. The temperature can be measured contactlessly, for example, using a temperature sensor such as an IR sensor. In a further development, the temperature is measured using a temperature sensor in the form of a contact temperature probe. This can have one or more temperature measuring points, for example one or more thermocouples such as PtRh thermocouples and / or one or more temperature-dependent electrical resistors such as PTC thermistors or thermistors. The contact temperature probe can, for example, be connected to the cooking appliance via a cable or can be remotely interrogated.

[0043] A further development is that the temperature at the support surface is indirectly derived from a temperature measurement taken at another location (e.g., near a cooking chamber wall or in the center of the cooking chamber), for example, using appropriate tables or characteristic curves, especially if the shelf level at which the accessory is located is known. The shelf level used can be entered by a user or automatically determined by the cooking appliance.

[0044] One embodiment allows the insert accessory to be a passive or passively heatable insert accessory, i.e., a insert accessory that does not have its own electrically operated heating element. Rather, the passive insert accessory is heated by its surroundings, in particular by the cooking chamber atmosphere. This is particularly simple and inexpensive to implement. The passive insert accessory can be, for example, a baking tray or a wire rack.

[0045] It is a further development that the insert accessory has or is a grill plate.

[0046] This is particularly advantageous for preparing typically or frequently grilled foods in a particularly similar manner in an oven. The grill plate can, in particular, have a support surface with several raised areas (e.g., as a ribbed structure or fluting). In a further development, the grill plate is a two-sided grill plate, with a smooth support surface on one side, e.g., for pasta or pizza, and a ribbed or fluted support surface on the other side, e.g., for meat.

[0047] In a further development, the insert accessory is an active or electrically heatable insert accessory, in particular in the form of an electrically heatable grill plate. An electrically heatable insert accessory is understood in particular to mean a insert accessory that has at least one electrically operated heating element, e.g., at least one resistance heating element. The electrically operated insert accessory can be supplied with electrical energy, for example, via a power supply connection of the cooking appliance. The power supply connection can, for example, comprise open power contacts or a plug-in connection element, which, when fully inserted, are brought into contact with corresponding mating contacts or a plug-in connection counter element of the insert accessory.

[0048] One embodiment includes a grill mode. This is particularly advantageous for grilling or frying steaks. The grill mode can be selected automatically, for example, if the meat type has been selected as "steak" or "burger." Possible phases can then include, for example, at least the grill phase for a first side of a dish to be grilled and a grill phase for a second side of the dish to be grilled. Possible user instructions can, for example, include a tip to turn the dish towards the end of the grill phase for a first side.

[0049] The object is also achieved by a cooking appliance comprising a cooking chamber with several shelf levels for accommodating shelf accessories, a user interface including a screen and a data processing device which is designed to to offer a type of food to be cooked for selection on the screen; to display selection fields on the screen for at least one possible selected type of food, at least relating to a thickness of the food and a desired target cooking state of the food; to set a temperature on a support surface of a slide-in accessory inserted or pushed into the cooking chamber, at least in phases, based on the selected settings; and to carry out this cooking process.

[0050] The cooking appliance can be designed analogously to the process, and vice versa, and has the same advantages.

[0051] For example, one embodiment of the cooking appliance is an oven or includes an oven. The cooking chamber may also have multiple shelf levels. The user interface may also be a component of the cooking appliance and / or be located on a unit external to the cooking appliance, e.g., a mobile user device.

[0052] The object is further achieved by a system having a cooking appliance as described above and at least one insertable accessory, in particular inserted into the cooking chamber, wherein the data processing device is configured to determine or carry out the cooking process taking the insertable accessory into account. The object is consequently also achieved by a system having a cooking appliance and at least one insertable accessory, in particular inserted into the cooking chamber, wherein the system is configured to carry out the method as described above. The system can be designed analogously to the cooking appliance and / or the method, and vice versa, and has the same advantages.

[0053] One embodiment is that the insert accessory is a passive insert accessory, in particular in the form of a grill plate, and has at least one temperature sensor that can be coupled to the cooking appliance wirelessly or via a cable.

[0054] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention, as well as the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more clearly understood in connection with the following schematic description of an embodiment, which is explained in more detail in connection with the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a sectional side view of a system comprising an oven with a slide-in accessory inserted therein; Fig. 2 shows a possible sequence for operating the system; and Fig. 3 shows a possible simultaneous display of selection fields on an oven screen.

[0055] Fig.1shows a sectional side view of a system comprising a cooking appliance in the form of an oven 1 with a slide-in accessory in the form of a passive or non-self-heating grill plate 2. The oven 1 has a cooking chamber 3, the front loading opening of which can be closed by means of a door 4. The cooking chamber 3 has several shelf levels E1, E2, E3, into which the grill plate 2 can be inserted horizontally. The cooking chamber 3 can be heated by one or more electrical resistance heating elements, here e.g. by a bottom heat element 5, a dual-circuit top heat element 6 and a ring heater associated with a circulating air fan (not shown). The heating output of the resistance heating elements 5, 6 can be set or regulated by means of a data processing device in the form of a control device 7.The control device 7 is also coupled to a touchscreen 8 of a user interface 9 of the oven 1 and, in a further development, can be data-technically coupled to an external user interface, e.g. a mobile user terminal (not shown), for example via a communication module of the oven (not shown) such as an Ethernet, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc. module.

[0056] The grill plate 2 can be a two-sided insert accessory with different support surfaces 10, 11 on both sides, whereby only the support surface 10 currently facing upwards can then be used to support food G. The grill plate 2 has a temperature sensor 12 with one or more measuring points or measuring elements, which can be coupled to the oven 1, in particular its control device 7, for example, via a plug-in cable 13.

[0057] Fig.2shows a possible sequence for operating the system. In step S1, oven 1 is switched on or woken up from standby mode if it was not already switched on or woken up.

[0058] In a step S2, a user can select a heating type via the touchscreen 8 (here: grilling with grill plate 2). Alternatively or additionally, grilling can be automatically set as the heating type by specifying or automatically detecting the grill plate 2 in the cooking chamber 3. Oven 1 can provide a user prompt, e.g., regarding a preferred shelf level E1, E2, E3. Furthermore, the user can specify or select a type of food G, hereinafter "beef steak" purely as an example.

[0059] In a step S3, for the type of food "beef steak" on the touchscreen 8, four selection fields F1 to F4 designed as touch or sensor fields are provided simultaneously (here: next to each other with the same size), as shown in Fig.3 shown. The selection fields F1 to F4 include, for example, a first selection field F1 for selecting a number of food pieces, a second selection field F2 for selecting the thickness of the thickest piece, a third selection field F3 for selecting the desired target cooking level, and a fourth selection field F4 for selecting user instructions.

[0060] The settings of the first selection field F1 for the number of food items, which can be selected via a drop-down list that opens when tapped, include integers n where n ≥ 1. The current or selected number is preferably displayed in the selection field F1, if necessary with a description of the selection, e.g., "Number." It is possible to specify one of the numbers as the standard or default value, preferably n = 1. In this case, a "selection" is achieved in particular by not changing the default value.

[0061] The settings of the second selection field F2 for selecting the thickness of the thickest piece, which can be selected via a drop-down list that opens when tapped, include, for example, values ​​in centimeters, e.g., "< 1 cm," "1 cm," "2 cm," "3 cm," etc. The current or selected thickness is advantageously displayed in the selection field F1, if necessary with a description of the selection, e.g., "Thickness." It is possible to specify one of the numbers as the default value, e.g., "1 cm." In this case, a "selection" is made in particular because the default value is not changed.

[0062] The settings of the third selection field F3 for selecting the desired cooking level, which can be selected via a drop-down list that opens when tapped, include descriptions of known cooking levels for steaks, such as "rare," "medium rare," "medium," "well done," or similar. The current or selected cooking level is advantageously displayed in the selection field F3, if necessary with a description of the selection, e.g., "cooking level." It is possible to specify one of the descriptions as the default value, for example, "medium." In this case, a "selection" is made in particular because the default value is not changed.

[0063] The settings of the fourth selection field F4, "Selecting user information," which can be selected via a drop-down list that opens when tapped, include, for example, possible states or modes of oven 1 regarding user information, such as "on" or "off." The current or selected status is advantageously displayed in the selection field F3, if necessary with a description of the selection, such as "Info." It is possible to specify one of the states as the default value, such as "off." In this case, a "selection" is made in particular because the default value is not changed.

[0064] As in Fig.3 As shown, the touchscreen 8 also includes a display field F5 for displaying the selected type of food, an operating field F6 for starting the cooking process and a field F7 for displaying various information such as a time, a timer time, etc.

[0065] Returning to Fig.2In step S4, after selecting the settings from the selection fields F1 to F4, the cooking process can be started by pressing the start field F6. The heating elements 4, 5 are set or regulated by the control device 7 so that, at the end of cooking, the food G has been grilled to the desired degree of doneness. For this purpose, if necessary after a preheating phase, the temperature on the support surface 10 of the grill plate 2 is set or regulated based on the selected settings. In grill mode, for example, the top heat heating element 5 can be operated with both heating circuits, one of which can also be referred to as the "grill heating element." The length of cooking phases can also be set based on the settings selected by the user. If user instructions are enabled, step S4 can include the output of user instructions during the cooking process, particularly as text on the touchscreen 8, e.g."please turn pieces of meat" etc.

[0066] In step S5, the cooking process is terminated after at least one termination criterion has been met, e.g., the target cooking level has been reached, or the cooking process is switched to a keep-warm phase.

[0067] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown.

[0068] In general, "a", "an", etc., can be understood as a singular or a plural, in particular in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more", etc., unless this is explicitly excluded, e.g. by the expression "exactly one", etc.

[0069] A numerical value may also include the exact number stated as well as a usual tolerance range, as long as this is not explicitly excluded. List of reference symbols

[0070] 1 Oven 2 Grill plate 3 Cooking chamber 4 Door 5 Bottom heat element 6 Top heat element 7 Control unit 8 Touch screen 9 User interface 10 Support surface 11 Support surface 12 Temperature sensor 13 Plug-in cables E1-E3 Shelf levels F1-F4 Selection fields F5-F7 Other fields S1-S5 Process steps

Claims

1. Method (S1 - S5) for operating a cooking appliance (1), in particular an oven, coupled to a screen (8), with a slide-in accessory (2) inserted into a cooking chamber (3) thereof, said accessory having a support surface (10, 11) for supporting a food (G) to be cooked, in which - at least one type of food (G) to be cooked on the support surface (10) is selected via the screen (8) (S2) and then - selection fields (F2 - F3) relating to at least a thickness of the food (G) and a desired target cooking state of the food (G) are displayed together on the screen (8) for at least one possible selected type of food (S3), - after selecting respective settings via these selection fields (F2 - F3), a cooking process is carried out (S4), in which a temperature on the support surface (10) of the inserted slide-in accessory (2) is set at least in phases based on the selected settings (S4).

2. Method (S1 - S5) according to claim 1, wherein a selection field (F1) for a number of pieces of the food (G) is also displayed together therewith for selection (S3).

3. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooking process comprises several phases and the durations of the phases are determined based on the selected settings (S4).

4. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, in which, during the cooking process, user instructions relating to the cooking process are output (S4), in particular user instructions for handling the food (G), in particular for a transition between two phases.

5. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of the food (G) comprises a maximum thickness of the food (G).

6. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature on the support surface (10) corresponds to a temperature measured on the plug-in accessory (2).

7. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the plug-in accessory (2) is a passive plug-in accessory (2).

8. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the insert accessory (2) comprises or is a grill plate.

9. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating mode comprises a grill mode.

10. Method (S1 - S5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the food (G) comprises one or more pieces, the type of food (G) to be cooked comprises a type of meat and the desired target cooking state comprises a desired cooking level.

11. Cooking appliance (1), in particular an oven, comprising a cooking chamber (3) with a plurality of shelf levels (E1 - E3) for accommodating shelf accessories (2), a user interface (9) including a screen (8), and a data processing device (7) which is configured to - offer a type of food (8) to be cooked for selection via the screen (8) (S2); - jointly display on the screen (8) selection fields (F1 - F4) for at least one possible selected type of food, at least relating to a thickness of the food (G) and a desired target cooking state of the food (G), - set a temperature on a support surface (10) of a shelf accessory (2) inserted or pushed into the cooking chamber (3), at least in phases, based on the selected settings (S4); and - carry out this cooking process (S4).

12. System (1, 2) with a cooking appliance (1) according to claim 11 and a plug-in accessory (2), wherein the data processing device (7) is configured to carry out the cooking process taking into account the plug-in accessory (2).

13. System (1, 2) according to claim 12, wherein the plug-in accessory (2) is a passive plug-in accessory (2), in particular in the form of a grill plate (2), and the data processing device (7) is configured to set a grill operating mode as the heating type for carrying out the cooking process.

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