Patent ID: 7342205

Claim:
A method of avoiding unacceptably high temperatures of a wall adjacent to a cooking appliance comprising: a glass-ceramic plate ( 12 , 112 ) having an upper surface for receiving a cooking vessel ( 42 136 A, 136 B) and a lower surface; a radiant electric heater ( 10 , 110 ) arranged at the lower surface of the glass-ceramic cooking plate ( 12 , 112 ); and electronic control apparatus including: a temperature sensor ( 24 , 140 ) for monitoring temperature at or adjacent to the cooking plate, which sensor provides an electrical output as a function of temperature; and control means ( 30 , 142 ) connected to the temperature sensor and to the heater, for controlling energising of the heater from a power supply, the control means being adapted and arranged to energise the heater at a plurality of user selectable power levels including a full power level, wherein the control means ( 30 , 142 ) is adapted such that, when the heater ( 10 , 110 ) is energised at the full power level in order to avoid unacceptably high temperatures of a wall adjacent to the cooking appliance, the heater is energised to heat the cooking plate ( 12 , 112 ) to a first temperature level for a predetermined initial period of 20 to 50 minutes and is thereafter energised automatically to heat the cooking plate to a second temperature level, lower than the first temperature level.