(appliance tech. idea) "Fly-by-wire" gas cooktop controls - feasible?

[dcSaute]

indeed.
let's count up the number of pans put on a burner per day - and then see how many get ruined by over heating: there's the target market. a solution without a problem. it is however true that some people never learn.

I suggested to do some research on the real need to hold such an exact temperature checking 10x/seconds. with very few exceptions, the need does not exist in real life.

the home chef who is making something different near every day will never learn, and if they do will not remember, and certainly not write down - what "number" to set on the dial for the contents at hand.
the thought of setting/maintaining temperature by measuring the outside bottom of a pan in one spot has been proven not to work. bit more research needed there.

reducing the non-existent work overload on a home cook is another solution without a problem - because setting the wrong number on the dial will produce either a boil over or a non-boil - which is the same issue with a knob.

I've observed that home cooks who have binary burners - the type that only use OFF and HIGH, learn pretty quick.
Or they spend a lot of time at the fast food drive through.

I won't be contributing to the kick-starter, so I'll let you get back to work on the project.

 

[A-Spec_Reviews_YT]

indeed.
let's count up the number of pans put on a burner per day - and then see how many get ruined by over heating: there's the target market. a solution without a problem. it is however true that some people never learn.

I suggested to do some research on the real need to hold such an exact temperature checking 10x/seconds. with very few exceptions, the need does not exist in real life.

the home chef who is making something different near every day will never learn, and if they do will not remember, and certainly not write down - what "number" to set on the dial for the contents at hand.
the thought of setting/maintaining temperature by measuring the outside bottom of a pan in one spot has been proven not to work. bit more research needed there.

reducing the non-existent work overload on a home cook is another solution without a problem - because setting the wrong number on the dial will produce either a boil over or a non-boil - which is the same issue with a knob.

I've observed that home cooks who have binary burners - the type that only use OFF and HIGH, learn pretty quick.
Or they spend a lot of time at the fast food drive through.

I won't be contributing to the kick-starter, so I'll let you get back to work on the project.

Looking at reviews, it seems like people LOVE induction cooktops with temp sensors that work the exact same way as my system would work. It seems like being able to hold a specific temp would make cooking more consistent. When controlling with traditional settings like medium-high, pan temperatures can vary dramatically throughout a single cooking session (varying amounts of liquid, different sizes of food, etc), resulting in less consistent results than setting a specific pan temp.
As for the "anti-cooking-fire" algorithm, it's just idiot-proofing software that'd be easy to integrate if you already had a "flame-by-wire" system.

 

[Cheryl J]

I'm starting to wonder how I managed to cook these past 60 years..

Ross

THIS ^

 

[taxlady]

Looking at reviews, it seems like people LOVE induction cooktops with temp sensors that work the exact same way as my system would work. It seems like being able to hold a specific temp would make cooking more consistent. When controlling with traditional settings like medium-high, pan temperatures can vary dramatically throughout a single cooking session (varying amounts of liquid, different sizes of food, etc), resulting in less consistent results than setting a specific pan temp.
As for the "anti-cooking-fire" algorithm, it's just idiot-proofing software that'd be easy to integrate if you already had a "flame-by-wire" system.

Great, you're idea must be wonderful. Just don't count on us to buy it.

 

[A-Spec_Reviews_YT]

Great, you're idea must be wonderful. Just don't count on us to buy it.

Yeah, I'd think it'd be more for home chefs/amateurs/the assisted-living/dementia community anyways...

 

[A-Spec_Reviews_YT]

Dear A-Spec_Reviews_YT:

You described your idea to us and asked for our opinions. "What do you think? Would an automated system like this be useful to you?"

What you've seen above are our responses to your question. Arguing them with us doesn't help. Sorry they aren't what you wanted to hear.

I'm just clarifying how the system would work because some of you don't seem to understand how one would set it up, that's all...

 

[Cooking Goddess]

A-Spec said: "...how does the idea of fully-digital cooktop controls sound to all you cooks out there?..."
Most of us have said that this isn't something that appeals to/works for us. I'm sorry if that isn't the answer you were looking for, but that's how it turned out.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...Yes, I'm just a techie sharing his idea, not a chef...

So...I'm curious about your personal cooking experiences that might have driven you to design such a system. Is it possible that the most gourmet meal you prepared was weinies-and-beans and you regularly burn water? Asking for a friend...

Yeah, I'd think it'd be more for home chefs/amateurs/the assisted-living/dementia community anyways...

Tsk, tsk. My Mom suffered with short-term memory issues after a surgery mishap. SHE never forgot what was cooking on the stove two rooms away from the living room in spite of that issue.

I'm just clarifying how the system would work because some of you don't seem to understand how one would set it up, that's all...

You must think we're all Luddites. Not likely, considering the number of us who own and enjoy free-standing induction burners, sous vide units, remote thermometers with app-enabled displays on our phones, etc.

 

[A-Spec_Reviews_YT]

free-standing induction burners, sous vide units, remote thermometers with app-enabled displays on our phones, etc.

I'm trying to create a system that'll bring sous-vide or portable induction burner-like tech (plus idiot-proof safety features) to gas cooktops. I just think that this tech should be more widespread by now, but it isn't for some reason. The tech is proven, I have a way to adapt it for gas (because it's more precise than electric), and I'll talk with appliance manufacturers about integrating it if people would use it.

 

[A-Spec_Reviews_YT]

So...I'm curious about your personal cooking experiences that might have driven you to design such a system.

My personal experience is that traditional burners are pretty arbitrary as far as control goes. If a user sets a specific level of burner output, they aren't setting a specific temp. They're only setting a specific level of heat output.
Consider simmering. As liquid level goes down in the food, pan temp tends to go up, unless someone is there to turn down the heat. That can result in something that was happily simmering just a few minutes ago begin to boil over. Having this "auto temp" feature allows a cook to set a simmer manually, and then push a button to keep it there. If the telephone rings or the cook otherwise is distracted (which happens in the real world) the flame-by-wire system will prevent what might have been a boilover with conventional controls.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

So...I guess that you don't cook. Like tennis, or poker, cooking is a learned skill. You cook, you learn. And by learning on any old range rather than a high-end, automatic model like yours, I can take those cooking skills to any kitchen with a regular, old-fashioned stove and still perform skillfully. Woe is the modern new cook who has to have a stove micromanage burner temps, etc, when faced with an ordinary appliance.

...Consider simmering. As lliquid level goes down in the food, pan temp tends to go up, unless someone is there to turn down the heat. That can result in something that was happily simmering just a few minutes ago begin to boil over.....

Ah, so you don't cook. Otherwise you would realize that with less liquid, rather than boiling over, the foods in the pan would begin to stick and burn. And if that happens once, you learn to not have it happen again. Learning stuff is good.

 

[GotGarlic]

You must think we're all Luddites. Not likely, considering the number of us who own and enjoy free-standing induction burners, sous vide units, remote thermometers with app-enabled displays on our phones, etc.

I just think that this tech should be more widespread by now, but it isn't for some reason.

[emoji445] Money money money money, MONEY [emoji385]! [emoji38]

Not everyone has the extra cash or space for the latest and greatest.

I agree with CG in that cooking is a skill that is learned over time with practice. Your theoretical ideas about how to make it "idiot-proof" don't seem rooted in practicality. As dcSaute said, the temperature of the bottom of the pot can't predict the temperature of the food inside, since there are so many variables. Simmering isn't just for liquids - it's for rice, soup, stew, braised roasts, etc.

 

[Rocklobster]

When you make something idiot proof, they hire a better idiot...people who like to cook have plenty of ways to master it...cooking equipment and implements are merely tools..it is the carpenter that makes the masterpiece..

 

[pepperhead212]

Well put, CG! When I went out a while back, to replace my microwave, I found that it was more or less impossible to find a "simple" microwave - they all had those "smart" panels with countless options for cooking things! The more things like this that they put in things, the more things to go wrong.

 

[jennyema]

I'm sure similar discussion went around - about "solving a problem that doesn't exist - pilots are already skilled enough" with the introduction of fly-by-wire airliners.
The thing is - no human is capable of doing what this system can do - a human chef can't monitor pan temp 10x/sec and make minuscule adjustments to hold that temp exactly to prevent what might be a boilover or scorched sauce.

You are solving a problem that doesn't exist.

Virtually nothing cooked on a stove needs to be held at a set temperature. No recipes call for a pot temp.

Human chefs are very capable of holding the correct temp to ensure there is no boil over or scorching. Checking a pot or pan every few seconds isn't a bother. You usually need to stir anyway.

Possibly do some research on some real problems cooks have with their appliances or cookware and put your knowledge to work solving them!

 

[Just Cooking]

I've been, frantically, searching online for old Jetsons episodes to see what kind of stove Jane and George used...

Ross

 

[GotGarlic]

I've been, frantically, searching online for old Jetsons episodes to see what kind of stove Jane and George used...

Ross

Didn't they have some sort of replicator, like on Star Trek? Now THAT would be handy [emoji38]

 

[A-Spec_Reviews_YT]

You are solving a problem that doesn't exist.

Virtually nothing cooked on a stove needs to be held at a set temperature. No recipes call for a pot temp.

Human chefs are very capable of holding the correct temp to ensure there is no boil over or scorching. Checking a pot or pan every few seconds isn't a bother. You usually need to stir anyway.

Possibly do some research on some real problems cooks have with their appliances or cookware and put your knowledge to work solving them!

Real Problem: about 75% of house fires start IN THE KITCHEN! A system that's sensitive to pan temp (and that would squawk at you and resist turning the flame up if you were running a pan too hot) could reduce the frequency of kitchen fires, and thus house fires DRAMATICALLY.

Just yesterday, my grandma ran a pan of rice dry and burnt the rice to the pan. We all make mistakes. If my grandma would have had my technology, she would have set the temp hold once the rice was boiling. The moment the pan ran dry, the computer would noticed the temp skyrocketing have shut off the heat.