Cooking apparatus using steam injection at atmospheric pressure

Claim 1

A cooking apparatus for cooking a foodstuff under atmospheric pressure, comprising: a nonpressurized cooking enclosure provided with at least one access door and with holding means for supporting at least one cooking container in said enclosure in spaced relationship with respect to walls thereof; a closable but nonpressurized cooking container adapted to receive said foodstuff supported on said holding means in said enclosure in said spaced relationship with respect to walls thereof; an intermittently operable boiler affixed to said enclosure and having a heater in contact with a thin layer of water for instantaneous generation of steam upon energization of said heater; means including at least one steam injection nozzle opening into said container for connecting said container in said enclosure with said boiler for intermittently introducing steam into said container to cook the foodstuff therein; and heating means, independent of said heater associated with said boiler, within said enclosure externally of said container and space therefrom for heating air in a space between said walls and said container to a temperature of at least 100° C. wherein the temperature of said walls and said container is raised a level precluding condensation of steam on said walls and said container, condensation occurring onto said food stuff as long as it is at a temperature below 100° C.