Patent ID: 8431872

Claim:
A countertop cooking apparatus, comprising: a housing having a heating element; a cooking cavity receiving heat from said heating element; said heating element having a high temperature cycle to communicate heat to said cooking cavity sufficient to saute or sear food therein; said heating element having a low temperature cycle to communicate heat to said cooking cavity at a temperature sufficient only to simmer said food therein; a controller operatively engaged with said heating element to switch said heating element between said high temperature cycle to said low temperature cycle; heat-sensitive means for generating a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of said cooking cavity to said controller; said controller operative to control said heating element to maintain it in said high temperature cycle for an indeterminate amount of time; said controller operative to substantially immediately switch said heating element from said high temperature cycle to said low temperature cycle, upon receipt of a said temperature signal, indicating a sudden drop in temperature in a short time duration, in said cooking cavity; and said controller thereafter operative to control said heating element to maintain it in said low temperature cycle, whereby said food in said cooking cavity can be seared or sauteed during said high temperature cycle for an user subjectively ended time period, and said food is thereafter automatically simmered during said low temperature cycle.