Cooking apparatus having internal pressurizing source and _integral heat

Abstract

A self-standing cooking apparatus is disclosed which consists of a pressurizable vessel having a door which can be latched and sealed, an integral steam-pressure source and integral upper and lower heating rod elements which serve as broil elements and bake elements, respectively, and a water-filled tray which can be disposed above the upper heating rod. An electrical control circuit enables selective energization of the bake and broil heat elements by continuous or controlled duration pulses of current which control the proportion of infrared energy that will be produced by the heating rods. The oven can be operated under pressure with the heating rods applying infrared radiation to the foodstuff being cooked in order to obtain browning or crisping of the foodstuff which is cooked at elevated pressure. The oven can also be operated in a conventional bake mode, a conventional broil mode, a steam cooking mode, a sealed cooking and warming mode and a toasting mode. Reinforcing fins lying in parallel planes are secured to and encircle the exterior of the container to provide necessary additional strength for the pressurizable vessel walls to withstand a maximum design pressure.