Cooking Appliance Temperature Control for Fast Legume Cooking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cooking methods for legumes and cereals, such as soybeans and wheat, are time-consuming and prone to overflow due to foaming, which is undesirable in home cooking settings.
Innovation Solution
A controlled cooking method using a cooking appliance with temperature sensors and heating elements to implement a high-temperature soaking phase, followed by drainage and cooking at optimized temperatures to reduce preparation time and prevent overflow, while maintaining organoleptic qualities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional cold water soaking is used for legumes, then complete rehydration is achieved, but cooking time is excessively long (12 hours soaking plus 1.5-2 hours cooking)
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from cold water soaking to hot water soaking at controlled temperatures (60-80°C for 30-50 minutes, then 85-115°C during cooking). This parameter change dramatically reduces the time required for water penetration and starch gelatinization while maintaining complete rehydration of the legumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary high-temperature soaking treatment before the actual cooking process. This preliminary action of hot soaking for 30-50 minutes pre-gelatinizes the starch and softens the seed coat, so that when cooking begins, the legumes require minimal additional time to become fully edible.
2Productivity
If high temperature is used during cooking, then cooking time is reduced, but overflow occurs due to foaming from legume proteins
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary draining of the soaking water before adding fresh water for cooking. This preliminary action removes the foam-forming proteins and other substances that cause excessive foaming during heating, allowing subsequent high-temperature cooking to proceed without overflow problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking process is segmented into distinct phases: hot soaking phase, draining phase, and cooking phase. This segmentation allows the foam-causing substances to be removed during the draining phase, separating the harmful foaming effect from the beneficial high-temperature cooking effect.
3Loss of time
If rapid cooling is applied after cooking, then time is saved, but seeds burst due to thermal shock
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary natural cooling during the draining phase before the cooking process ends. This preliminary cooling action reduces the temperature gradient in the seeds, so that when rapid cooling is applied at the end, the thermal shock is minimized and seed bursting is prevented.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple manual operations (draining, refilling) are required, then cooking quality is maintained, but user intervention complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the draining and refilling operations into a single automated sequence controlled by the microprocessor. The system automatically drains the soaking water, refills with fresh water, and continues to the cooking phase without requiring manual user intervention, while still maintaining the quality benefits of the draining step.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking appliance performs self-service by automatically managing the draining and refilling operations that were traditionally required to be done manually by the user. The microprocessor-controlled system monitors temperature and timing, automatically executes the draining sequence, and refills the tank, eliminating the need for user intervention while preserving cooking quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method significantly reduces cooking time for legumes and cereals to under 3 hours, decontaminates seeds, and minimizes overflow by managing temperature and water levels, ensuring homogeneous cooking and nutritional quality.
Implementation Method 1
a main heating element... a element heating the upper edge of the tank... a heating element the lid... maintain a set temperature of 100° C. inside the tank
Implementation Method 2
a first temperature sensor located near the bottom of the tank and a second temperature sensor placed in the lid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for controlling a cooking apparatus (1), which comprises: A soaking step comprising a first decontamination phase during which a set temperature of 100°C is maintained inside the pan (11), and a second phase lasting 30 min to 50 min, during which a set temperature of 60°C to 80°C is maintained inside the pan (11); a step of draining the soaking water; a step of filling the pan with a predetermined amount of water; a heating step starting at the end of the predetermined soaking time during which the set temperature inside the pan (11) is between 85°C and 100°C; a cooking step which starts as soon as the set temperature is reached, during which the set temperature inside the pan (11) is maintained for a predetermined time of 45 min to 90 min.