Measuring system for foodstuffs

A measuring system for automatically determining and/or monitoring a quality of a liquid or viscous foodstuff, comprising:

• a housing with an interior space for at least one product container for the foodstuff,
• the product container having a product space for the foodstuff, and a lid with a probe having a thermometer which projects into the product space,
• a heating system for heating the interior space and a cooling system for cooling the interior space,
• a sensor device for determining a non-temperature quality-related parameter value of the foodstuff and
• a control unit which is operatively connected to the heating system and cooling system, the thermometer, and the sensor device, and is configured to:
• control the measuring system,
• repeatedly measure the quality-related parameter value by means of the sensor device,
• store, process and/or export the measured quality-related parameter values, and
• control the heating system and/or the cooling system according to a desired time-temperature program for the interior space,
• wherein the cooling system comprises a cold buffer, a cooler for the cold buffer, and a separate refrigerant circuit,
• wherein the cold buffer comprises a buffer holder with a phase-transition material,
• wherein the refrigerant circuit comprises a closed-circuit line which is filled with a liquid refrigerant and is in heat-exchanging contact with the interior space and with the cold buffer, as well as a pump for pumping the refrigerant around, and
• wherein the control unit is configured to control the pump to make the refrigerant flow past and alongside the buffer holder and subsequently past the interior space with the product container,
• wherein the desired time-temperature program comprises inputted desired (1) one or more temperatures and (2) associated time periods and/or a number of repetitions in the control unit.