Method of regulating temperature for sous vide cooking and apparatus therefor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sous vide cooking methods require dedicated appliances and lack precise control over cooking liquid temperature, especially when using cooktops, as they often rely on measuring the vessel's temperature rather than the liquid's temperature, limiting flexibility and precision in cooking programs.
Innovation Solution
A cooking vessel with a temperature sensor affixed to its interior surface, connected to a controller that adjusts the cooktop burner's energy output based on the liquid's temperature, allowing for precise temperature regulation and pre-programmed cooking profiles, enabling sous vide cooking on a conventional cooktop with a dedicated cooking vessel and system that includes a user interface for setting cooking parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a temperature sensor is placed inside the cooking liquid, then temperature measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the cooking vessel wall as an intermediary medium to transmit temperature information from the cooking liquid to the sensor. The temperature sensor is affixed to the interior surface of the vessel wall, which conducts thermal energy from the liquid through the wall material to the sensor, enabling indirect temperature measurement without direct sensor immersion in the liquid.
2Adaptability or versatility
If temperature control is implemented on a conventional cooktop, then adaptability is improved, but temperature control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the temperature sensor continuously monitors the cooking liquid temperature through the vessel wall, and this temperature information is fed back to the cooktop controller. The controller adjusts the burner power output based on the temperature feedback signal, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains precise temperature control despite the use of a conventional cooktop.
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
This solution allows for precise temperature control of the cooking liquid, enabling slow and even cooking on a cooktop, with the ability to maintain low temperatures and implement varying temperature profiles over time, enhancing cooking flexibility and precision compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a first temperature sensor affixed to the interior surface of the at least one wall... a sensor to detect a temperature of a cooking liquid
Implementation Method 2
a burner of a cooktop... a power supply for the burner
Data Source
AI summary
A method of regulating the temperature of a cooking liquid during sous vide cooking in a cooking vessel on a burner of a cooktop includes setting a desired cooking temperature and measuring the temperature of the cooking liquid inside the sous vide cooking vessel at a plurality of predetermined time intervals with a first temperature sensor mounted on an interior surface of a wall of the sous vide cooking vessel. The temperature of the cooking liquid is compared to the desired cooking temperature at each of the predetermined time intervals. The energy output of the burner is controlled based on the difference between the temperature of the cooking liquid and the desired cooking temperature. A cooking vessel and system for sous vide cooking using this method are also disclosed.