Automated cooking control via enhanced cooking equipment

A food preparation system comprising:

• an implement having at least one temperature sensor integrated therein to sense temperature information indicative of a temperature of a food item during a cooking episode and having a wireless communication module to transmit the temperature information from the implement;
• a control knob for adjusting a characteristic of a cooking environment in a vicinity of the implement during the cooking episode, the control knob being controllably adjustable via a drive motor contained within the control knob while also remaining manually adjustable by a user, the control knob including a base assembly fixedly secured to a cooking apparatus and further including a cover rotatably supported by the base assembly, the control knob further including a rotatable drive shaft contained within the control knob, the rotatable drive shaft being coupled to each of the drive motor, a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of the cooking apparatus, and the cover;
• and
• a cooking control system configured to receive the temperature information from the implement and to provide cooking adjustment information for adjusting the control knob during the cooking episode based at least in part on the received temperature information, wherein the drive motor and the rotatable drive shaft enable, during operation, selective rotation of the shaft of the heat source adjustment assembly in response to the cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.