METHODS FOR POPPING KERNELS WITH FOCUSED MICROWAVES

1 . A method of popping kernels, comprising:

moving kernels within a heating chamber with airflow; and

subjecting the kernels to focused microwave energy sufficient to cause the kernels to pop, resulting in popped flakes.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airflow passes through the heating chamber.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airflow comprises a horizontal component.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the airflow moves the kernels horizontally in an approximately circular path.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating chamber is approximately circular in shape and the airflow moves the kernels horizontally within the heating chamber in an approximately circular path.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal component of airflow comprises airflow input into the heating chamber from the side of the heating chamber at an angle generally tangential to the heating chamber.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airflow comprises a vertical component.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the vertical component of airflow comprises passing airflow from a lower portion of the heating chamber upwardly to an upper portion of the heating chamber.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the vertical component of airflow selectively moves the popped flakes out of the heating chamber when popped.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airflow comprises a vertical component and a horizontal component.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the vertical component and horizontal component of airflow creates an upwardly spiral airflow.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airflow is heated.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the heating element is configured to heat the airflow to a temperature between about 50° C. to about 150° C.

14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the heating element is configured to heat the airflow to a temperature between about 80° C. to about 95° C.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising preheating the one or more kernels with a heat source selected from one or more of infrared and convection heat.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy comprises a standing microwave field pattern comprising an array of one or more high intensity microwave region.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the standing microwave pattern comprises as electric field distribution of n half-wavelengths, where n is an integer.

18 . The method of claim 17 , where n is greater than 1.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the one or more high intensity microwave region is located within the heating chamber.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the heating chamber encompasses a single high intensity microwave region.

21 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the heating chamber encompasses a plurality of high intensity microwave region.

22 . The method of claim 16 , comprising a plurality of high intensity microwave region.

23 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of heating chambers, wherein substantially all of each of the one or more high intensity microwave region is located within one of the plurality of heating chambers.

24 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the microwave energy is about 2.54 GHz.

25 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the kernels are subjected to microwave energy sufficient to pop one or more of the kernels within approximately 10 seconds.

26 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the microwave energy is generated from two or more microwave energy sources such that the two or more microwave energy sources constructively interfere at approximately the same location within the heating chamber.

27 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising continuously feeding kernels into the heating chamber.

28 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy is focused within the heating chamber.