Vending machine including multiple heat sources with programmable cook cycles

A method for cooking a food product selected by a user, said method comprising:

• storing in memory of a computer a default cook cycle parameter, said default cook cycle parameter being included in a cook cycle, said cook cycle being representative of the process for cooking a food product by a heat source;
• receiving a modified cook cycle parameter from a keypad and overwriting said default cook cycle parameter with said modified cook cycle parameter in said memory;
• receiving a food product selection signal;
• retrieving from said memory said cook cycle on receipt of said food product selection signal;
• selecting a first heat source from a plurality of heat sources;
• and
• operating said first heat source to cook said selected food product using said cook cycle parameter from said modified cook cycle to control operation of said first heat source.

A cooking apparatus comprising:

• a heat source having an input lead;
• means for computing having an output terminal coupled to said heat source input lead;
• means for or storage operatively coupled to said means for computing, said means for storage being encoded with a plurality of data structures, each data structure comprising a cook cycle, each cook cycle comprising cook cycle parameter representative of cooking of a food product by said heat source;
• means for modifying cook cycles encoded in said means for storage, said means for modifying being coupled to said means for computing;
• and
• means for receiving a selection signal, said selection signal representing a food product selected by a user, said means for receiving a selection signal being operatively coupled to said means for computing;
• wherein said means for computing reads from said means for storage a cook cycle corresponding to said selected food product and said means for computing turns on said heat source for the duration of a cook time retrieved from said corresponding cook cycle.