Prepared meal system with lower hotplate having a plurality of heating zones and an upper radiant heating element and operated in accordance with pre-programmed cooking programs selected by a user

A prepared meals system comprising:

• a plurality of heat-conductive food containers each of said containers being substantially identical form and each comprising at least first and second food-containing compartments for containing different foods having differing cooking requirements in accordance with a different one of a plurality of predetermined cooking procedures;
• and
• a cooker unit for use with said food containers, said cooker unit comprising:
• at least one cooking station configured to removably receive one of said food containers, said cooking station comprising:
• a lower hotplate on which said one of said food containers rests, said hotplate having a plurality of heating zones, each of said heating zones lying beneath a respective one of said first and second food compartments of said one food container in use within said cooker unit, and each of said heating zones being individually actuable to facilitate differential conductive heating from below said first and second compartments of said one food container;
• and
• a radiant heating element positioned above said hotplate, said radiant heating element being positioned to lie above one of said first and second compartments of said one of said food containers in use within said cooker unit whereby to grill from above the food in said one compartment without grilling the food in the other of said first and second compartments;
• a controller capable of operating said heating zones and radiant heating element in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of predetermined programs which provide different heating and cooking actions for the food within the respective compartments;
• and
• a program selector operable by a user to select the program required for the particular food container in use within said cooking station.