Oven appliance and methods for high-heat cooking

Abstract

A method may include directing a top heating element according to a first cooking cycle that includes a high heat output of the top heating element. The method may also include detecting an oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold within the cooking chamber and directing, in response to detecting the oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold, the top heating element according to a second cooking cycle for a set time period. The second cooking cycle may include a periodic heat output and a second-cycle predetermined cooking temperature within the cooking chamber. The method may further include determining expiration of the set time period and adjusting heat within the cooking chamber in response to determining expiration of the set time period.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an oven appliance comprising a plurality of chamber walls mounted within a cabinet and defining a cooking chamber, a cooking surface defined in the cooking chamber between a bottom wall and a top wall of the plurality of chamber walls, and a top heating element mounted above the cooking surface to heat the cooking chamber, the method comprising:
 directing the top heating element according to a preheat cycle comprising a predetermined preheat heat output of the top heating element;   determining expiration of the preheat cycle;   directing, in response determining expiration of the preheat cycle, the top heating element according to a standby cycle comprising a predetermined standby temperature within the cooking chamber;   determining expiration of the standby cycle; and   directing, in response to determining expiration of the standby cycle, the top heating element to a predetermined cooking threshold within the cooking chamber according to a first cooking cycle comprising a heat output of the top heating element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 holding a bottom heating element in an inhibited state according to the first cooking cycle during the high heat output of the top heating element.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 detecting an oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold; and   directing, in response to detecting the oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold, the top heating element according to a second cooking cycle comprising a periodic heat output and a predetermined cooking temperature within the cooking chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , the method further comprising:
 directing, following the second cooking cycle, the top heating element to an inhibited state according to a recharge cycle; and   detecting an oven temperature less than a minimum recharge threshold while the top heating element is in the inhibited state according to the recharge cycle.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , the method further comprising:
 directing a bottom heating element according to the recharge cycle, the recharge cycle comprising a high heat output of the bottom heating element in response to detecting the oven temperature less than the minimum recharge threshold.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , the method further comprising:
 maintaining the top heating element in the inhibited state according to the recharge cycle during the high heat output of the bottom heating element.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the standby cycle is a first standby cycle, wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting a bottom temperature greater than or equal to a maximum recharge threshold during the high heat output of the bottom heating element; and   directing, in response to detecting the bottom temperature greater than or equal to the maximum recharge threshold, the bottom heating element to an inhibited state according to a second standby cycle.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , the method further comprising:
 directing, in response to detecting the bottom temperature greater than or equal to the maximum recharge threshold, the top heating element according to the second standby cycle.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 detecting an oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold;   directing, in response to detecting the oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold, the top heating element according to a second cooking cycle for a set time period, the second cooking cycle comprising a periodic heat output and a second-cycle predetermined cooking temperature within the cooking chamber;   determining expiration of the set time period; and   adjusting heat output at the top heating element in response to determining expiration of the set time period.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein adjusting heat output at the top heating element comprises:
 directing, in response to determining expiration of the set time period, the top heating element according to a third cooking cycle comprising a third-cycle predetermined cooking temperature within the cooking chamber, the third-cycle predetermined cooking temperature being different from the second-cycle predetermined cooking temperature.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the third-cycle predetermined cooking temperature is less than the second-cycle predetermined cooking temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein adjusting heat output at the top heating element comprises:
 directing the top heating element to an inhibited state; and   directing a bottom heating element to an inhibited state.   
     
     
         13 . A method of operating an oven appliance comprising a plurality of chamber walls mounted within a cabinet and defining a cooking chamber, a cooking surface defined in the cooking chamber between a bottom wall and a top wall of the plurality of chamber walls, a top heating element mounted above the cooking surface, and a bottom heating element mounted below the cooking surface, the method comprising:
 directing the top heating element to a predetermined cooking threshold within the cooking chamber according to a first cooking cycle comprising a high heat output of the top heating element;   detecting an oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold;   directing, in response to detecting the oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold, the top heating element according to a second cooking cycle comprising a periodic heat output and a predetermined cooking temperature within the cooking chamber;   directing, following the second cooking cycle, the top heating element to an inhibited state according to a recharge cycle;   detecting an oven temperature less than a minimum recharge threshold while the top heating element is in the inhibited state according to the recharge cycle;   directing a bottom heating element according to the recharge cycle, the recharge cycle comprising a high heat output of the bottom heating element in response to detecting the oven temperature less than the minimum recharge threshold; and   directing the bottom heating element to an inhibited state according to a standby cycle following the recharge cycle.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , the method further comprising:
 holding the bottom heating element in an inhibited state according to the first cooking cycle during the high heat output of the top heating element.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , the method further comprising:
 detecting a bottom temperature greater than or equal to a maximum recharge threshold during the high heat output of the bottom heating element in the recharge cycle; and   directing, in response to detecting the bottom temperature greater than or equal to the maximum recharge threshold, the top heating element according to the standby cycle, the standby cycle comprising a predetermined standby temperature within the cooking chamber.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , the method further comprising:
 maintaining the top heating element in the inhibited state according to the recharge cycle during the high heat output of the bottom heating element.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein directing the bottom heating element to the inhibited state according to the standby cycle is in response to detecting the bottom temperature greater than or equal to the maximum recharge threshold. 
     
     
         18 . A method of operating an oven appliance comprising a plurality of chamber walls mounted within a cabinet and defining a cooking chamber, a cooking surface defined in the cooking chamber between a bottom wall and a top wall of the plurality of chamber walls, and a top heating element mounted above the cooking surface, the method comprising:
 directing the top heating element according to a first cooking cycle comprising a high heat output of the top heating element;   detecting an oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold within the cooking chamber;   directing, in response to detecting the oven temperature greater than or equal to the predetermined cooking threshold, the top heating element according to a second cooking cycle for a set time period, the second cooking cycle comprising a periodic heat output and a second-cycle predetermined cooking temperature within the cooking chamber;   determining expiration of the set time period; and   adjusting heat within the cooking chamber in response to determining expiration of the set time period.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein adjusting heat within the cooking chamber comprises:
 directing, in response to determining expiration of the set time period, the top heating element according to a third cooking cycle comprising a third-cycle predetermined cooking temperature within the cooking chamber, the third-cycle predetermined cooking temperature being less than the second-cycle predetermined cooking temperature.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein adjusting heat within the cooking chamber comprises:
 directing the top heating element to an inhibited state; and   directing a bottom heating element to an inhibited state.