Cook top assembly having a monitoring system and method of monitoring a cooking process
A cook top assembly includes a cooking surface. A monitoring system is configured to monitor and control a cooking process on the cooking surface. The monitoring system includes at least one temperature sensor configured to sense a first temperature change at the cooking surface. A controller operatively coupled to the temperature sensor is configured to receive from the temperature sensor a signal indicating the first temperature change and activate a timing module operatively coupled to the controller for a first predetermined time period based at least in part on the first temperature change sensed by the temperature sensor.
1 . A cook top assembly, comprising:
a cooking surface;
a monitoring system configured to monitor and control a cooking process on the cooking surface, the monitoring system comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to sense a first temperature change at the cooking surface; and
a controller operatively coupled to the temperature sensor, the controller configured to:
receive from the temperature sensor a first signal indicating the first temperature change; and
activate a timing module operatively coupled to the controller for a first predetermined time period based at least in part on the first temperature change sensed by the temperature sensor;
a notification module operatively coupled to the controller, the notification module configured to generate a second signal that the first predetermined time period has elapsed; and
an indicator module operatively coupled to the notification module, the indicator module configured to receive the second signal from the notification module and output a first instructional signal for instructing an operator of the cook top assembly to perform a first action associated with cooking a food item present on the cooking surface, wherein the first instructional signal is light that is directed towards and illuminates the cooking surface with a textual message that explicitly directs the operator to perform the first action associated with cooking the food item present on the cooking surface;
wherein the controller determines a category of foods to which a food item present on the cooking surface belongs based on a characteristic of the food item, wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of mass, minimum temperatures, and magnitude and slope or rate of an initial decrease in temperature associated with the food item.
2 . The cook top assembly of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is a magnitude and slope or rate of an initial decrease in temperature associated with the food item.