Patent ID: 8276505

Claim:
A food preparation system comprising: a housing comprising a wall having a surface; a control subsystem configured to control a plurality of food preparation processes capable of preparing a meal comprising a variety of foods based on user selection of the foods; a plurality of ingredient storage containers comprising dry ingredient storage containers and liquid ingredient storage containers; a storage module configured to store the ingredient storage containers and a variety of ingredients contained within the ingredient storage containers for an extended period; an ingredient manipulator configured to access and remove a plurality of ingredients from the ingredient storage containers, as commanded by the control subsystem; a cooking receptacle disposed within the housing, the cooking receptacle being configured to cook ingredients placed therein by the ingredient manipulator; a dish and food transfer area that comprises an internal access door, an external access door, and shelves for trays; and a cleaning subsystem configured to clean the cooking receptacle and the surface of the wall of the housing.