Modular appliance

An appliance, comprising:

• a plurality of heated units that are capable of being electrically coupled to each other, with one of the heated units being a base heated unit and each additional unit being a slave heated unit, a first of the slave heated units being placed adjacent to the base heated unit, and the remaining slave heated units being placed adjacent to the first slave heated unit and adjacent to one another in succession thereafter, wherein each of the heated units are electrically coupled to the adjacent heated unit such that the slave heated units are electrically coupled directly or indirectly to the base heated unit, each heated unit comprising:
• a housing having at least one recess;
• a vessel removably mounted in each recess for holding food during heating, the vessel formed from a material from the group consisting of stoneware, glazed ceramic, porcelain and metal;
• and
• a heating element generating heat provided to the vessel to heat the food in die vessel when the vessel is mounted In the recess;
• a plug connector connected to the base heated unit and to the slave heated units, said plug connector configured to electrically couple said base heated unit to an electrical receptacle and to electrically couple each slave heated unit to a socket connector on the base heated unit or another slave heated unit;
• a channel formed on or in a sidewall of each heated unit in which the plug connector is disposed when in an engaged position;
• and
• a lever defining a channel wall of said channel and being configured to facilitate a transition of the plug connector between the engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the lever engages the plug connector when in the engaged position and does not engage the plug connector when in the disengaged position.

A cooking appliance, comprising:

• two or more cooking modules that electrically interconnect to each other, with one of the cooking modules being a base cooking module and each additional cooking module being a slave cooking module placed adjacent to the base cooking module and adjacent to one another in succession thereafter, wherein each of the cooking modules are capable of being electrically interconnected to each adjacent cooking module such that all of the cooking modules are electrically interconnected directly or indirectly to the base cooking module, each, cooking module comprising:
• a housing having at least one recess;
• a cooking vessel removably mounted in each recess for holding food during cooking, the cooking vessel formed from a material from the group consisting of stoneware, glazed ceramic, porcelain and metal;
• and
• a heating element generating heat provided to the cooking vessel to cook the food in the cooking vessel when the cooking vessel Is mounted In the recess;
• a plug connected to the base cooking module and to each of the slave cooking modules, the plug configured to electrically couple the base cooking module to an electrical receptacle and to electrically couple each slave cooking module to a socket on the base cooking module or another slave cooking module;
• a channel formed on or in a first sidewall of the base cooking module in which the plug is disposed when in an engaged position;
• and
• a lever defining a channel wall of the channel and being configured to facilitate a transition of the plug between the engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the lever engages the plug when in the engaged position and does not engage the plug when in the disengaged position.