High performance cooking oven with steam chamber

Abstract

The method and apparatus of the invention describes an oven having a housing formed by an enclosure, the enclosure having a cooking chamber in a portion thereof. The oven housing may also include an inlet and outlet positioned in predetermined relationship to the cooking chamber and a conveyor belt on which food products to be cooked are positioned. The conveyor belt travels through the oven housing from the inlet to the outlet and defines over a separate portion thereof a conveyance path through the cooking chamber. The oven further includes at least a source of steam for creating a cooking atmosphere in the cooking chamber. The cooking chamber of the oven is defined at its lower limit by the level of steam within the housing and the inlet and outlet are positioned below this lower limit to maintain the steam within the cooking chamber. In this manner, the escape of steam from the cooking chamber is substantially prevented or controlled. There may also be provided a temperature or steam sensing or measuring system, which can be used to maintain the desired steam atmosphere within the cooking chamber. Such an arrangement allows precise control of the flow rate of steam into the cooking chamber to thereby control the level of the steam cloud within the oven using a minimum amount of steam. Maintaining the desired steam level includes maintaining the steam density constant within the cooking chamber regardless of product flow into the oven. The oven may also include a steam recovery or containment system to minimize any loss of steam from the oven.