Patent Abstract:
An apparatus and method for cooking in heated water any dehydrated powdered food, including West African yams, garri and rice known collectively as fufu flour, beef, poultry, seafood, carrots, fruit, and any combination thereof, forming a product having varying degrees of thickness and hence varying cooking requirements, requiring correspondingly varying schedules for heating, dispensing, rehydrating and cooling. The apparatus is controlled by a microprocessor, either manually programmed or preprogrammed, for cooking various dehydrated powdered products according to a schedule particular to each at a push of a button. The apparatus has a heater for rapid heating, a dispenser which holds and dispenses the product into a cooking container, and a fan for rapid cooling if required by a cooking schedule. The apparatus benefits from a novel rehydration process that rapidly mixes water with the product to facilitate cooking such food almost instantly.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     I. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for rapidly cooking in heated water any dehydrated powdered food, particularly the West African staples yam fufu, garri fufu and rice fufu, each having varying degrees of thickness which require correspondingly varying schedules for heating, dispensing, rehydrating, and cooling.  
         [0003]     II. Background Art  
         [0004]     Fufu pounding machines and mashers have been around for years. The present invention is not a food processor for pounding or mashing cooked yams, cassava or any fufu precursor. The present invention is an automatic cooking machine and method of cooking dehydrated powdered food. Other nonanalogous background art teach several machines that automatically cook various foods as small as unpulverized rice and grains in heated water, but none disclose the cooking of dehydrated powdered foods like Western and Central African fufu, Eastern African Ugali, Southern African Sadza, Japanese mochi, and the like, attendant with the special structure, process and function required of such a machine to hydrate and cook food having such different textures and thicknesses.  
         [0005]     Boiling cereal grains to prepare dumplings or porridges is a process older than baking bread, dating back to Neolithic times before the advent of agriculture. The Greeks made maza and sitos, and the Romans made puls. Even today such foods continue to be prepared throughout the world, such as oatmeal in Scotland, polenta in Italy, tsampa in Tibet and grits in the United States. The African porridge is fufu, and over one billion people throughout the world, or approximately twenty percent of the world&#39;s population including the United States, consume some form of fufu on a daily basis. Fufu and eba (garri) comprise approximately up to fifty percent of the entire Nigerian and West African diet. The United States has approximately up to one million Nigerians and tens of millions from other parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.  
         [0006]     This centuries old necessity of diligently pounding boiled cassava, plantains, yams, cocoyams, rice, and the like from a raw state to a form ready for cooking and mashing, led in 1987 to a breakthrough invention by Edward Ofari, a food science researcher and native of Ghana. The invention is now commonly known as fufu flour, a dehydrated powdered food that is much more easy to prepare. However, even with this advance in food technology, many West Africans, including inhabitants of remote parts of Nigeria and Ghana, continue to employ the traditional manual methods of preparing fufu. In the United States, and in a notable few areas abroad, people use the dehydrated flour, but continue to suffer an elaborate, labor intensive effort to cook the flour on a daily basis.  
                                         Definitions            Term   Definition               banku -   fufu-like staple of Western Africa, popular in Ghana,           made from ground corn (maize). Sometimes combined with           grated cassava tuber.       beef -   Dehydrated powdered products from any food family           including beef, and the like, are each considered to           be a dehydrated powdered product.       cassava -   any of several plants (genus  Manihot ) of the spurge           family grown in the tropics for their fleshy edible           rootstocks which yield a nutritious starch.       carrot -   a biennial herb ( Daucus carota  of the Umbelliferae           family). Dehydrated powdered carrots, and the like,           are considered to be a dehydrated powdered product.       dehydrated   The terms “dehydrated powdered product” and       powdered   “dehydrated powdered food” are equivalent and used       product -   interchangeably herein. The product comprises any food           that is both dehydrated and powdered including spices,           poultry, seafood, and any of the various types of fufu           referred to generically as fufu flour herein, dehydrated           powdered carrots, beef, potatoes, cassava yams, eba           (garri), rice, including any type of fruits, vegetables,           beans, seads, vegetables, meats, and any combination           thereof.       eba -   processed garri       mochi -   Japanese term for powdered or pounded rice       fufu -   processed cassava and used herein as a generic term for           yams, cocoyams, garri, eba, plantains, mochi, and the like.           Fufu flour therefore is a generic term that can be used           for any and all dehydrated powdered foods either now           invented or to be developed in the future including but           not limited to oatmeal from Scotland, polenta from Italy,           tsampa from Tibet and grits from the United States.       garri -   fried powdered cassava flour       kenkey -   fufu-like staple of Western Africa, popular in Ghana,           made from ground corn (maize)       potato -   an erect American herb ( Solanum tuberosum ) of the           nightshade family cultivated as a vegetable crop.           Instant mashed potatoes, and the like, are           considered to be a dehydrated powdered product.       Sadza -   fufu made from ground corn (maize)       Ugali -   fufu made from ground corn (maize)       yam -   the edible starchy tuberous root of various plants           (genus  Dioscorea  of the family Dioscoreaceae used           as a staple food in tropical areas.                  
 
         [0007]     Fufu, otherwise spelled fu fu, foo-foo, foofoo, foufou, foutou or foo foo, is usually cooked by dissolving the raw fufu flour in heated water in a pot over an open fire. Then the mixture is stirred continuously for an extended period of time, varying anywhere from ten minutes to an hour depending on serving size. For best results, two people are required to cook fufu flour, one to hold the pot while the other vigorously stirs with a strong implement such as a thick wooden spoon. The sticky, paste mixture becomes very thick and increasingly difficult to stir. The time, energy and work required to stir out all the lumps in the boiled fufu is noteworthy. Afterward the uniform mixture is sometimes dumped into a wet container and shaken for an extended period of time until it forms itself into a smooth ball. Garri is made by the same process as yam fufu and is indeed also referred to generically as “garri fufu”, but instead of immediate stirring in boiled water, it soaks for ten to thirty minutes in hot water depending on serving size.  
         [0008]     Other Western African versions of fufu like banku and kenkey involve letting corn, or a cassava and corn mixture, ferment before cooking. The resulting liquid is placed in a pot and heated while stirring continuously with a large wooden spoon to keep lumps from forming as the liquid thickens. When the fufu is finally cooked, it becomes a sticky semi-solid, which is shaped into balls before serving as a starchy accompaniment for stews, soups or sauces.  
         [0009]     There has been a long, deeply felt and unmet need, ever since the invention of fufu flour eighteen years ago, for an apparatus and method dedicated to the special cooking requirements of the various kinds of dehydrated powdered foods, particularly for yam, garri and rice fufu. Unlike dehydrated or instant mashed potato flakes, dehydrated powdered foods like fufu have thicker compositions and require longer and varying schedules for boiling, heating, hydrating and cooling.  
         [0010]     The present invention resides in a new, useful and nonobvious combination of features combined to increase the efficiency of cooking all kinds of dehydrated powdered foods. Modern times call for improved food productivity, especially in parts of the world that desperately combat famine. With automation, the present invention can serve to increase the gross national product and therefore the productivity in countries that have large quantities of raw cassava and the like growing domestically, and whose populations rely on such foods for a large percentage of their diet. Because the time and energy usually spent preparing daily meals could be spent doing something more productive, the present invention can lead to higher living standards. Saving time and energy in basic necessities like the preparation of daily meals, even in the United States, can improve the lives of many.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0011]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to reduce the amount of labor required for cooking dehydrated powdered food.  
         [0012]     It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to reduce the amount of time it takes to cook dehydrated powdered food.  
         [0013]     It is yet another object of the present invention to satisfy the long, deeply felt need for a consistent and reliable apparatus and method for cooking fufu flour which can improve the standard of living for millions of people in the United States and abroad.  
         [0014]     The aforementioned objects of the present invention are achieved according to a preferred embodiment by providing a housing formed as a base and rigid support for housing a heater, a water boiler, a fan, a motor, and a drive system projecting upwards vertically to make connection with and to drive rehydration means. One such contemplated rehydration means is a rapid rehydration means which uses a removable paddle extending upward into a circular cooking container oriented for stirring in a generally circular manner about a vertical axis in the container within the housing. The paddle is structured and arranged such that it has at least one scraping edge portion for scraping the water and dehydrated powdered product vertically off the side wall of the container and horizontally off the floor of the container simultaneously, and at least one blade structured and arranged for folding and blending the water and product. One of many conceivable means for rotating the paddle is to employ a motor with a cam and drive which drives the paddle in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. The container is removably attached on and maintained in heat transfer relation to the heater. The housing provides rigid vertical support for supporting a generally circular dispenser that holds and dispenses the product by rotating a bin over an open portion in its bottom to a point of alignment with an aperture in a lid of the container below it. One of many conceivable means for rotating the bin is to employ the same motor as that used by the paddle. Thus in the preferred embodiment, the means for rotating the bin and the means for rotating the paddle are one and the same. For efficient dispensing of the product, the closed portion of the bin has one or more ramps allowing gravity to force out substantially all of the product contents through the aperture. A closed container lid forms at the point of rotation of the bin when the closed portion of the dispenser bottom completely covers the aperture on the container lid. For efficient hydration, the container is shaped like a circular bowl and the paddle provides functionality and structure to scrape the sides and bottom of the container while stirring, blending and folding the mixture of the water and product. The housing contains a microprocessor, described herein as a controller, and a memory for executing and storing control programs for regulating the initiation and timing schedules for boiling water, dispensing the product, heating, cooling if needed, stirring and preparing the food according to options in the form of manual button entry means. One of many conceivable manual button entry means consists of at least one button switch on a control panel attached to the housing and electrically and physically connected to the controller and the memory. Product selection buttons for various foods like yam fufu, garri fufu, rice fufu, carrots, and other dehydrated powdered foods, will form the control panel options among other programmable functions that a particular food requires. The controller has temperature detection means comprising a temperature sensor which makes contact to pass thermal conduction of heat from the container. The controller employs a system clock to detect the passage of time and passes the time and temperature to the memory for use when the controller executes control programs preprogrammed or manually programmed by the user of the apparatus, allowing the controller to control and maintain the temperature of the container. The controller also controls cooling means for the apparatus. One such cooling means is a rapid cooling means comprising a fan structured and arranged to cool the container in conjunction with the controller&#39;s temperature detection means and memory to cool the container and to maintain a certain temperature of the container. One rapid water boiling means includes a water boiler used in conjunction with the heater while stirring, to reduce the amount of time it takes to initially get the water to a temperature approximating the boiling point of water. One conceivable water input means consists of manually pouring tap water into a reservoir contained in the housing for passing water through to be rapidly heated by contact with a heating element or a cartridge heater to accelerate the amount of time to bring water to a boil in conjunction with the heater heating the container. A learning mode is provided for manual cooking, which enables the user to program the machine for special requirements encountered for any food or under any cooking conditions such as for varying altitudes, air pressure and humidity at the location of cooking.  
         [0015]     Examples of the special cooking requirements and processes for two types of dehydrated powdered foods are described below:  
       Yam Fufu  
       [0000]    
       
         
           
              For four servings, 1 liter of water at room temperature in a container is brought to a temperature approximately in the range from 90° C. to 100° C., and preferably about 91° C.  
              About one half liter of Yam Fufu flour is dispensed into the container.  
              Paddle in container rotates several rotations first clockwise and then counter-clockwise during dispensing for uniform distribution of flour in the water and then continues in like manner for approximately five minutes as follows: thirty seconds clockwise; thirty seconds counter-clockwise; thirty seconds no rotation; thirty seconds clockwise; thirty seconds counter-clockwise; thirty seconds no rotation, and continues in this fashion.  
              Fan is activated to reduce temperature of container to a temperature appropriate for human consumption, approximately in the range from 60° C. to 80° C., and preferably about 73° C., when fan is deactivated.  
              Warming light and buzzer sounds indicating completion.  
           
         
       
     
       Garri Fufu  
       [0000]    
       
         
           
              For four servings, 1 liter of water at room temperature in a container is brought to temperature approximately in the range from 70° C. to 100° C., and preferably about 77° C.  
              About one half liter of Garri Fufu flour is dispensed into the container.  
              Paddle in container rotates several rotations first clockwise and then counter-clockwise during dispensing for uniform distribution of flour in the water. No paddle rotation for approximately three minutes while soaking. Then paddle rotation continues for thirty seconds clockwise; thirty seconds counter-clockwise; thirty seconds clockwise; thirty seconds counter-clockwise, and continues in this fashion for approximately two minutes.  
              Fan is activated to reduce temperature of container to a level appropriate for human consumption, approximately in the range from 60° C. to 80° C., and preferably about 73° C., when fan is deactivated.  
              Warming light and buzzer sounds indicating completion. 
           
         
       
     
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]     The details of the present invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an assembled housing according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is an exploded cross-sectional side view showing how a paddle and a container fit into the housing according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional side view showing the paddle fitted to the container filled with water W;  
         [0030]      FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view taken on line  2 B- 2 B in section  2 A showing the folding action of the blade;  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is an exploded cross-sectional side view showing how a lid, a bin, and a cap fit onto the housing according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view showing water in the container and a dehydrated powdered product in the bin at a closed position according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view showing the bin rotated to an open position whereby the dehydrated powdered product is dispensed into the water in the container according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0034]      FIG. 6A  is a partial top view of the unit with the cap removed, showing the bin in the closed or starting position according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0035]      FIG. 6B  is a partial top view of the unit with the cap removed, showing the bin in the open or dispensing position according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is a partial enlarged cross-sectional side view showing a temperature sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0037]      FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a means for cooling according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0038]      FIG. 9  is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an alternate embodiment having a heater comprising a microwave generator;  
         [0039]      FIG. 10  is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an alternate embodiment having a heater comprising a radio frequency generator;  
         [0040]      FIG. 11  is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an alternate embodiment having a heater and a boiler comprising a reservoir, a heating element, a pump and a spout;  
         [0041]      FIG. 12  is a partial cross-sectional side view showing another embodiment having a heater and a boiler comprising a reservoir, a heater cartridge, and a spout.  
         [0042]      FIGS. 13A and 13B  depict a flow diagram showing flow of control in a preprogrammed embodiment for cooking yam fufu using an automatic apparatus.  
         [0043]      FIGS. 14A and 14B  depict a flow diagram showing flow of control in a preprogrammed embodiment for cooking garri fufu using an automatic apparatus. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0044]      FIG. 1  shows the present invention having a housing  90 , a lid  50 , a bin  60  and a cap  67 .  FIG. 2  shows a container  10 , which is removable from the housing  90 . The container  10  has a rim  11 , a side wall  12 , and a floor  13 . The floor  13  of the container  10  is fitted to receive a rotatable first shaft  14  having a first flat  15 . The first shaft  14  is sealed against leakage by a seal  16 . The bottom of the first shaft  14  has the shape of a bar  17 .  
         [0045]     Rehydration of the powdered food product is accomplished in the present invention by stirring the product in heated water with an implement. All embodiments of the present invention involve some form of rehydration means which can comprise a removable paddle  20  used to agitate the food being cooked in the container  10 . The paddle  20  has a handle  25  attached at an elevation higher than the anticipated food level. In one embodiment of the present invention, the handle  25  enables manual installation of the paddle  20  onto the shaft  14 , and for removal of the paddle  20  after the food is automatically cooked using the apparatus.  
         [0046]     The paddle  20  has at least one scraping edge portion  21 , which simultaneously scrapes near the side wall  12  and floor  13  of the container  10 . The term “scraping” should be understood to define possible sliding contact with the side wall  12 , but it is also considered “scraping” where the scraping edge portion  21  passes nearby side wall  12  without touching. Up to about one quarter inch away is sufficient to prevent food build-up. The paddle  20  has at least one blade  22 , which by its movements fold and blend the central portions of food. There is a d hole  23  in the bottom of the paddle  20  of a size suitable to fit around the first shaft  14 . The d hole has a second flat  24  of a size suitable for mating with first flat  15  for preventing relative rotation between the first shaft and paddle  20 , thus torque and rotation of the first shaft can be imparted to the paddle  20 .  
         [0047]     The paddle  20  has a central member  1 , a pair of lower blades  3  and  5 , and upper blades  7  and  9 . Connecting members  31  and  33  connect the outer ends of respective blades.  
         [0048]     While the paddle  20  has been shown keying to first shaft  14  by means of two mating flats for purposes of illustration, the present invention would work equally well using other keying means such as splines, keyways, square shapes or the like, so long as the paddle  20  can be slidably removed. The container  10  and paddle  20  are preferably made of metal for strength and durability. They may be coated with an anti-stick material for easy cleaning. The container material should be especially selected for high heat conductance to promote rapid heat-up. However, material conducive for use with a microwave oven would be preferable in such an alternative embodiment.  
         [0049]     Also shown in  FIG. 2  is a first embodiment of heater  30  comprising a heater having a ring shape. The heater  30  is positioned at the bottom of a recess  91  in the housing  90 . The heater  30  has a high electrical resistance for generating heat when an electrical current is applied by first cable  75 . At the center of the bottom of the recess  91  there is a fork  40  at the top end of a second shaft  41 . There is a large pulley  42  at the bottom end of the second shaft. The second shaft is fitted to rotate in the housing. The fork has a shape suited to interlock with the bar  17  when the container  10  is fitted into the recess  91 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 2A  shows the paddle  20  placed in the container  10  and full of fresh water W at room temperature, which can come from any source (natural, bottled or common tap water) but is preferably filtered. A cross section taken along line  2 B- 2 B is shown in  FIG. 2B  where the lower and upper blade  5  and  9  are shown with opposing angles with respect to a vertical plane. If the paddle  20  is rotated so that the blades have a motion in the direction shown by the arrow denoted by reference numeral  26 , then the water is agitated and also deflected downward in a direction shown by the arrow denoted by reference numeral  27  and deflected upward in a direction shown by the arrow denoted by reference numeral  29 . If the paddle rotation is reversed, then the water will be deflected in the opposite directions shown. The amount of angle each blade  5  and  9  makes with a vertical plane is preferably complementary to each other such that the upward and downward forces provided by the deflected water and product (after dispensing) are substantially equal to prevent lifting of the paddle  20  from the shaft  14 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 3  shows the paddle  20  fitted into the container  10 , and the container  10  fitted into the recess  91 . The recess  91  has a size and shape suitable to receive the container  10  such that the floor  13  of the container  10  makes surface contact with the top of the ring  30  for maintaining a heat transfer relation. The floor  13  could alternatively be flat or concave. Other shapes are possible. Now the bar  17  can be seen interlocking with fork  40 , so that torque and rotation of the second shaft  41  can be imparted to first shaft  14 . While these particular parts have been shown for purposes of illustration; the present invention would work equally well using other interlocking means such as fingers, splines, cams or the like, so long as the container  10  can be vertically removed. The container  10  has a tab (not shown) which fits into a pocket (not shown) in the recess  91 , which can be readily understood to prevent the container  10  from turning in reaction to the torque from second shaft  41 .  
         [0052]      FIG. 3  also shows the lid  50 , which has a lip  51  of a size to fit over the rim  11  of the container  11 . The lid has a circular fence  52  and a socket  54  at the center of the fence. At a certain position over container  10  there is an aperture  53  in the lid. The bin  60  has a generally cylindrical wall  61  having a size suitable for fitting inside the fence. There is a sloping ramp  64  attached to a portion of the inside of the cylindrical wall. There is an open portion  63  at the bottom of the bin  60 , not covered by the ramp  64 . There is a pin  62  attached under the ramp  64  and located at the center of the cylindrical wall. The pin is of a size suited to fit inside the socket. There is a sector gear  65  attached to a portion of the cylindrical wall. There is a circular opening  66  in the top of the bin  60 . The cap  67  is sized to fit over the circular opening  66  for protecting the contents of the bin  60 . All parts of the lid, bin  60 , and cap are preferably molded of a clear plastic of a type having high impact resistance and good resistance to high temperature water exposure.  
         [0053]     Now it can be appreciated that the five parts: the container  10 , paddle  20 , lid  50 , bin  60 , and cap  67  have been designed for easy removal. Thus, they can be cleaned or placed in a dishwasher, making the apparatus convenient for reuse.  
         [0054]      FIG. 4  shows a cross sectional side view of the present invention with all of the previously described parts in place, ready for cooking. The large pulley  42  is powered by a belt  43 , driven by a small pulley  44  which is connected to a lower motor shaft  45   a  driven by motor  46  powered by second cable  76  connected to a controller  70 . In this way, rotary motion and torque from the motor  46  can be imparted to the paddle  20  for stirring.  
         [0055]     The rotary position of the bin  60  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 A at a closed position wherein the ramp  64  covers the aperture  53  in the lid  50 . In this way, the dehydrated powdered product P can be stored inside the bin  60  and not fall through into container  10 .  
         [0056]     There is a one way clutch  47  in slipping contact with an upper motor shaft  45   b  when the upper motor shaft is turning clockwise (as viewed from above) as indicated by the arrow noted by reference numeral  85 . There is a holder  48  for the one way clutch at the bottom end of a fifth shaft  49  which is rotatably fitted in the housing  90 . There is a gear  68  at the top end of the fifth shaft having a tooth meshing fit with the sector gear  65  on the bin  60 . A protective cover  96  protects against outside material getting caught in between the gear  68  and the sector gear  65 . By powering the motor  46  to turn clockwise  85 , the water W in the container  10  may be stirred while heated as indicated by the arrow noted by reference numeral  86 , but there will be no rotation of fifth shaft  49  and consequently no rotation of bin  60 . Stirring and heating without dispensing can be advantageous since it serves to reduce the time it takes to initially heat the water to desired levels.  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  shows how the dehydrated powdered product P can be dispensed from the bin  60  into the container  10  by powering the motor  46  to rotate counter-clockwise (as viewed from above) as indicated by the arrow noted by reference numeral  87  so that the paddle  20  rotates counterclockwise (as viewed from above) as indicated by the arrow noted by reference numeral  88 . Since the one way clutch  47  locks in turning unison with the upper motor shaft  45   b , then fifth shaft  49  and gear  68  both rotate in unison with the upper motor shaft  45   b . Then the bin  60  is powered to rotate in a clockwise direction (as viewed from above) as indicated by the arrow noted by reference numeral  89 . When the bin  60  rotates, the bin open portion  63  passes over the lid aperture  53  and, influenced by gravity, the dehydrated powdered product P drops into the container  10 . The angle of the surface of the ramp  64  is sufficient to assure that the powdered product does not adhere. The rate at which the powdered product dispenses can be controlled by the rate of bin rotation. A gradual dispensing action may be desirable to prevent lumpiness in the final food product. When the bin  60  rotates to the open or dispensing position, all bin rotation stops because the sector gear  65  becomes disengaged from gear  68 . Even if gear  68  continues to turn, no further bin turning is possible. Now as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 B the bin  60  has been rotated to an position.  
         [0058]     The disengagement of the sector gear is a safety feature. Furthermore, if the bin  60  were somehow rotated so the gears meshed again, the one way clutch would assure that the bin  60  could only turn so the passage opens and could never turn to cause closing.  
         [0059]     After the bin  60  reaches the open or dispensing position, the motor  46  can be reversed as desired without causing further bin movement. Reversing the paddle direction, and hence the folding and blending action, accelerates stirring and mixing.  
         [0060]     While the bin  60  has been shown as powered by a one way clutch, the inventor envisions another embodiment of the present invention wherein an electric clutch is substituted for the one way clutch wherein the electric clutch is powered selectably by the controller  70 .  
         [0061]     While the bin  60  has been shown as powered by a one way clutch, the inventor envisions yet another embodiment of the present invention wherein a second electric motor is substituted for the one way clutch wherein the electric motor is powered selectably by the controller  70 .  
         [0062]     While a rotary bin  60  has been shown byway of illustration as a dispenser, the inventor envisions another embodiment of the present invention wherein the dispenser  60  comprises a translating rather than rotary bin, wherein the bin  60  has an open portion for sliding linearly over an aperture in the lid.  
         [0063]     While a rotary bin  60  has been shown byway of illustration as a dispenser, the inventor envisions another embodiment of the present invention wherein the dispenser comprises a bin  60  fitted with an auger feeder driven by a second electric motor powered selectably by the controller  70 .  
         [0064]     While a rotary bin  60  has been shown by way of illustration as a dispenser, the inventor envisions another embodiment of the present invention wherein the dispenser comprises a bin  60  fitted with a trap door held in place at times by a solenoid latch, whose release is powered selectably by the controller  70 .  
         [0065]     There is a first embodiment of a controller  70  having electrical components for switching input power from a power cordset (not shown) to the heater  30  and the motor  46  according to a predetermined time schedule which is stored in a memory  71 . Although the memory is shown as being physically separate from the controller  70  and connected by a third cable  74 , it may also be configured as a component residing in the controller  70 . The operator can choose to activate the controller  70  or store the time schedule in the memory by utilizing a manual button entry means comprising one or more button switches  72 , located generally at the front of the housing  90 . While one button switch is shown for clarity connected to the circuit board by fourth cable  73 , other button switches may be used, each with a corresponding cable, to perform needed actions and settings. While a button switch  72  is shown, other types of switches, such as membrane, toggle, rocker, slide, or rotary, may be used.  
         [0066]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a learning mode for manual cooking which enables the user to program the machine for special requirements encountered for any dehydrated powdered food or under any cooking conditions such as for varying altitudes, air pressure and humidity at the location of cooking. Starting a manual mode cooking process places the apparatus in learning mode. It will place each manual operation and the time durations between each event in the memory  71 , creating a stored program schedule for each special product situation. It will also place in memory  71  the temperature used to cook the food and any temperature changes during different steps. After completion of the manual cooking process, the sequence will be remembered in memory  71  until the start of the next manual cooking session. At any time while the process is in memory  71 , the user has the opportunity to save the process in the apparatus memory  71  for future use by pressing an appropriate button switch  72 .  
         [0067]      FIG. 6A  is a partial top view of the present invention corresponding to the position of parts previously shown in  FIG. 4 . The cap  67  has been removed, showing more clearly how the bin  60  acts as a dispenser. The bin is put in place on the lid  50  with a rotary orientation where the chute  64  covers the aperture  53  seen in  FIG. 4 . Sector gear  65  meshes with gear  68 . Powdered product P in the desired amount is placed in the bin. In order to dispense the powdered product, the gear  68  will turn in the direction shown by the arrow denoted by reference numeral  83 , driving the sector gear and bin  60  to turn in the direction shown by the arrow denoted by reference numeral  85 .  
         [0068]      FIG. 6B  is a partial top view of the present embodiment corresponding to the position of parts previously shown in  FIG. 5 . The position and length of the sector gear  65  was selected to cause the bin  60  to stop rotating at a position where the open portion  63  in the bin has aligned with the aperture  53  in the lid  50 . No further bin rotation is possible, even if the gear  68  continues to rotate, or reverses direction, because the sector gear has become disengaged.  
         [0069]     For clarity,  FIG. 7  shows an enlarged view of another feature of a preferred embodiment which is a temperature detection means comprising a temperature sensor  80  making contact for thermal conduction with the container  10 . The temperature sensor  80  could be a thermistor or thermocouple or the like, whose electrical characteristics change in a prescribed manner in proportion to temperature. The controller  70  is in communication with the temperature sensor  80  by a fifth cable  77 . It is important for the sensor  80  to make contact with the container  10  in spite of tolerances in the manufacturing of the various parts. Therefore, the temperature sensor  80  is mounted on an arm  81  movable by a hinge  82  and urged against the container  10  by a spring  83 . Besides rotating as shown by way of illustration, the inventor envisions others ways of biasing the temperature sensor  80  against the container  10  such as a spring loaded plunger for translating movement, and the like. The controller  70  uses the temperature signal input to make decisions about modulating the output power to the heater  30 .  
         [0070]      FIG. 8  shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention comprising many of the elements of a preferred embodiment, and further comprising a cooling means for cooling the cooked food product comprising a forced air ventilation system having an intake  92  directing airflow to and around the container  10  as denoted by reference numerals  84  and pulled along a duct  93  by a motorized fan  94  to exit at an exhaust  95 . Thus, certain food products, notably garri, can be rapidly cooled for improved consistency according to another embodiment of controller  70  which comprises the same functions as before and further comprises power means for driving the motorized fan  94  by sixth cable  78 . Other cooling means contemplated comprise circulating a refrigerant through a coil and compressor as in an air conditioner around the container  10 , or circulating cool water, or water at room temperature, around the container  10 .  
         [0071]      FIG. 9  is an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a second embodiment of heater, which provides rapid water boiling means, comprises a microwave generator  130  positioned for focusing microwave energy toward a nonmetallic container  10 . The microwave energy causes the molecules of the water or food product in the container  10  to become energized and heat up. There is a shielded enclosure  131  surrounding the container  10  and microwave generator  130  along with a shielded lid  32  to prevent the escape of potentially harmful microwave energy. Another embodiment of controller  70  comprises the same functions as other embodiments and further comprises power means for driving the microwave generator  130  by first cable  75 .  
         [0072]      FIG. 10  is an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a third embodiment heater comprises a radio frequency generator  230  which creates a changing magnetic field in a coil  231  for induction heating of a container  10  which is made of a magnetic material. Induction heating causes the container  10  to heat, which in turn conducts heat to the water or food product. Another embodiment of controller  70  further comprises power means for driving the radio frequency generator  230  by first cable  75 .  
         [0073]      FIG. 11  shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a heater  30  is used in addition to a first embodiment of a boiler  300  for heating water W before its introduction into the container  10 . There is a reservoir  307  comprised of a heating element  301  which is enclosed in the reservoir  307  by means of an electrically insulated connector to a seventh cable  306 . After heating, the water is moved from the reservoir  307  into the container  10  by an electric pump  302  by way of a tube  303  and a spout  304 . Another embodiment of controller  70  comprises the same functions as prior embodiments and further comprises driving the heating element  301  by seventh cable  306  and driving the pump by eighth cable  305 . This embodiment of the present invention would work equally well having instead a heater attached inside or outside of the reservoir  307 . This embodiment of the present invention would work equally well if the reservoir  307  were positioned higher than the container  10  for gravity draining into the container  10 , selectable through a valve, which would take the place of the pump.  
         [0074]      FIG. 12  shows yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a heater is used in addition to the boiler  300  for holding a supply of tap water W. There is a heater cartridge  410 , which heats and pumps the water toward and into the container  10  by way of tube  303  and spout  304 . The heater cartridge  410  comprises a first check valve  411 , a heating coil  412 , and a second check valve  413 . The water local to the heating coil  412  boils making expanding water vapor bubbles. This extra volume cannot move back into the reservoir  307  because it is blocked by the first check valve  411 . Therefore, pressure caused by the extra volume moves the fluid through the second check valve  413 . The inertia of moving the new cool water causes a partial pressure reduction, which draws new cool water to enter the cartridge through the first check valve  411 . Thus the water is moved in successive pulses toward the container  10 . Another embodiment of controller  70 , comprises the same functions as prior embodiments and further comprises power means for driving the heater cartridge  410  by seventh cable  306 . This embodiment of the present invention would work equally well if the heater cartridge  410  were combined with any of the previously described embodiments of heater  30 .  
         [0075]     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments and preferred embodiments thereof, other alternative embodiments are possible. For example, the novel rehydration process applies to any compound, organic substance, or material amenable to rehydration at temperatures at about 100° C., the boiling point of water. Another possible application is a family size embodiment cooking apparatus the size of a conventional washing machine capable of feeding a family of ten to twenty people is contemplated. Another industrial size mobile cooking apparatus is contemplated of unlimited size and capacity that may use a gas heat furnace as a boiler, or equivalently, a fire fueled by wood or other materials. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the claims should not be limited to the description of any preferred embodiments, nor alternative embodiments, contained herein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0