A countertop cooking appliance is an apparatus that is used to manufacture food, particularly cheeses, with controlled heating, mixing, drainage, and pressure cycles. The apparatus is also configured to accept various cooking patterns for different foods based on different recipes. A perforated drainer is used to hold ingredients for mixing, completed cheese curds, and the finalized cheese product. A processing receptacle is a container that holds the perforated drainer and temporarily stores whey and process byproducts. A byproduct receptacle is a storage unit for whey and other liquid byproducts produced in the cheese development process. A fluid pump applies pressure to fluids collected in the processing receptacle, transferring them to the byproduct receptacle. A linear actuator provides mechanical power to one of several detachable food-interacting heads, which consequently chops, mixes, or otherwise agitates the contents of the perforated container.