Apparatus and method for controlling an electric heating assembly

A method of avoiding unacceptably high temperatures of a wall adjacent to a cooking appliance comprising:

• a glass-ceramic plate (12, 112) having an upper surface for receiving a cooking vessel (42 136A, 136B) and a lower surface;
• a radiant electric heater (10, 110) arranged at the lower surface of the glass-ceramic cooking plate (12, 112);
• and electronic control apparatus including:
• a temperature sensor (24, 140) for monitoring temperature at or adjacent to the cooking plate, which sensor provides an electrical output as a function of temperature;
• and control means (30, 142) connected to the temperature sensor and to the heater, for controlling energising of the heater from a power supply, the control means being adapted and arranged to energise the heater at a plurality of user selectable power levels including a full power level, wherein the control means (30, 142) is adapted such that, when the heater (10, 110) is energised at the full power level in order to avoid unacceptably high temperatures of a wall adjacent to the cooking appliance, the heater is energised to heat the cooking plate (12, 112) to a first temperature level for a predetermined initial period of 20 to 50 minutes and is thereafter energised to heat the cooking plate to a second temperature level, lower than the first temperature level.