US Patent 11609121 Sensor and control systems for food preparation

A temperature-regulating unit includes a base, a thermal element, a contactless sensing assembly, and a controller. The base is configured to support at least one of a pan or a food product. The thermal element is positioned to thermally regulate the at least one of the pan or the food product. The contactless sensing assembly is positioned to acquire sensor data regarding the at least one of the pan or the food product. The controller is configured to receive the sensor data from the contactless sensing assembly and adaptively control the thermal element based on the sensor data.