Food preparation control system

Abstract

Systems, methods, and articles to provide customized control of a cooking appliance, such as a sous vide cooker. A user provides a selection of one or more ending characteristics for a food product. A processor-based device determines one or more output food preparation parameters based on the user's selection of the one or more ending characteristics. Measurements of temperature, power delivery, or other characteristics may be obtained during cooking process. A cooking program controlling the cooking process may be revised or updated based at least in part on the obtained measurements or analysis of the measurements. Estimations or projections about the cooking process may be presented to a user via a user interface of the cooking appliance or a user interface of one or more computing devices (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer) associated with the user.

1 . A method of operation in a processor-based food preparation guidance system, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a user computing device, a request for preparation guidance for a food product;   responsive to the received request, causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting a respective gradation of at least one first characteristic of the food product, the respective gradations being different from one another;   receiving, via the user computing device, a selection related to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product;   responsive to the received selection, causing, by at least one processor, a cooking program to be generated, the cooking program including at least one of instructions or data usable by a cooking appliance to perform a cooking process for the food product; and   controlling, by the at least one processor, a cooking appliance to perform the cooking process which cooks the food product according to the cooking program.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing a notification to be displayed by the user computing device, the notification instructs a user to at least one of: place the food product in a food receiving portion of the cooking appliance, or remove the food product from a food receiving portion of the cooking appliance.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing at least one food preparation parameter to be displayed by the user computing device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein causing at least one food preparation parameter to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a temperature, a projected cooking time, or a projected cooking completion time to be displayed by the user computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving a selection related to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product comprises receiving a selection of a temperature which relates to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the user computing device, a selection of a desired cooking completion time indicative of a time by which a user desires the food product to be fully cooked; and   causing a first notification to be displayed by the user computing device based at least in part on the received selection of the desired cooking completion time, the first notification instructs a user to turn on the cooking appliance.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 causing a second notification to be displayed by the user computing device based at least in part on the received selection of the desired cooking completion time, the second notification instructs a user to place the food product in a food receiving portion of the cooking appliance.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting respective different textures, consistencies, or doneness for the food product. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting a user interaction with the food product. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting at least one of: cutting the food product, breaking the food product into one or more pieces, stirring the food product, pouring the food product, or manipulating the food product. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein causing a cooking program to be generated comprises causing a cooking program to be generated that includes at least one of instructions or data usable by a cooking appliance to perform a cooking process for the food product, the cooking appliance comprising an immersion circulator. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving a request for preparation of a food product comprises receiving, by the at least one processor, a request for preparation of a food product from a remotely located client computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein causing a cooking program to be generated comprises causing the determination of at least one of a cooking temperature or a cooking time for the food product. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 subsequent to receiving the request for preparation of the food product, causing at least one supplemental prompt to be presented by a user computing device;   receiving, via the user computing device, a response to the at least one supplemental prompt; and   determining at least one food preparation parameter for the cooking program based at least in part on the received response to the supplemental prompt.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein causing at least one supplemental prompt to be presented by the user computing device comprises causing at least one supplemental prompt to be presented by the user computing device, the at least one supplemental prompt relating to at least one of a physical characteristic of the food product, an environmental condition, a food preparation condition, a size of the food product, a shape of the food product, a class of the food product, a temperature of the food product, an altitude, a geographic location, or a cooking method. 
     
     
         17 . A processor-based food preparation guidance system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and which stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data, wherein in use the at least one processor:
 receives a request for preparation guidance for a food product from a user computing device; 
 responsive to the received request, causes at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting a respective gradation of at least one first characteristic of the food product, the respective gradations being different from one another; 
 receives a selection related to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product; 
 responsive to the received selection, causes a cooking program to be generated, the cooking program including at least one of instructions or data usable by a cooking appliance to perform a cooking process for the food product; and 
 controls a cooking appliance to perform the cooking process which cooks the food product according to the cooking program. 
   
     
     
         18 . The food preparation guidance system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one processor:
 causes at least two food product selection prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the at least two food product selection prompts associated with a different food product; and 
 receives a selection of one of the at least two food products selection prompts. 
 
     
     
         19 . The food preparation guidance system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 responsive to receiving the selection of one of the at least two food products selection prompts, causes at least one instructional image or instructional video associated with the selected food product to be displayed by the user computing device. 
 
     
     
         20 . The food preparation guidance system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one processor:
 causes at least one food preparation parameter to be displayed by the user computing device. 
 
     
     
         21 . The food preparation guidance system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one processor:
 causes at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting respective different textures, consistencies, or doneness for the food product. 
 
     
     
         22 . The food preparation guidance system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one processor:
 causes at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device. 
 
     
     
         23 . The food preparation guidance system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one processor:
 causes at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting a user interaction with the food product. 
 
     
     
         24 . The food preparation guidance system of  claim 23  wherein the at least one processor:
 causes at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting at least one of: cutting the food product, breaking the food product into one or more pieces, stirring the food product, pouring the food product, or manipulating the food product.