Counter-top oven

Abstract

A counter-top oven adapted to effect low-temperature cooking of food at a relatively rapid rate whereby food nutrients and other valuable constituents are preserved. The oven includes a food-receiving compartment having a perforated wall and means to heat air to a temperature well above the cooking temperature of the food and to force the heated air through the perforations to cause the air to flow at high velocity through the compartment in heat-exchange relation with the food. This air flow is periodically interrupted to produce hot air pulses having no-flow intervals therebetween to create a laminar heat transfer pattern in which heat from the outer layer of the body of food is transferred to the intermediate layers and the core thereof in these intervals to a degree preventing the temperature of the outer layer from rising substantially above cooking temperature despite the much higher temperature of the air pulses whereby the intermediate layers and the core are caused to reach the cooking temperature in a relatively short period.

I claim: 
     
       1. A counter-top oven adapted to effect low-temperature cooking of food having a predetermined cooking temperature at a relatively rapid rate whereby nutrients and other valuable food constituents are preserved, said oven comprising: A. A food-receiving compartment having a perforated bottom wall and a top wall provided with a port, said compartment being supported within a case and being spaced therefrom to create air spaces therebetween;   B. means external to said compartment to heat air to a high temperature level well above said cooking temperature and to force the hot air through the perforations in said bottom wall at high pressure to produce a high velocity flow of hot air through the compartment in heat exchange relation with the food therein, the hot air being discharged from the compartment through the port, said means being constituted by a motor-driven fan in one of said air spaces arranged to draw air from said compartment through said top wall port to produce a negative pressure in said compartment and a positive pressure in the air spaces, the resultant pressure differential forcing air through said perforations; and   C. means periodically to interrupt the flow of hot air to generate within the compartment hot air pulses having no-flow intervals therebetween in a manner creating a laminar heat transfer pattern wherein heat acquired by the outer layer of the body of food in the compartment is transferred in these intervals to the intermediate layers and core of the body, causing the outer layer to go down in temperature during these intervals to a degree preventing the temperature of the outer layer from ever rising substantially above the cooking temperature despite the much higher temperature of the hot air pulses in heat exchange relation therewith.   
     
     
       2. An oven as set forth in claim 1, wherein the air space containing the motor also has an electrical resistance heater therein to heat the air drawn from the compartment to said high temperature level. 
     
     
       3. An oven as set forth in claim 2, further including means to periodically energize said heater and said motor to provide said interruptions in air flow. 
     
     
       4. An oven as set forth in claim 1, wherein perforated wall is constituted by a slidable shelf on which said food rests. 
     
     
       5. An oven as set forth in claim 4, wherein said shelf is of corrugated construction with holes in the troughs thereof. 
     
     
       6. An oven as set forth in claim 1, wherein said compartment in said case has an open front, and said case has a hinged door which, when shut, closes said open front. 
     
     
       7. An oven as set forth in claim 1, further including a bank of quartz heaters in said compartment disposed above the food therein, and means to sequentially actuate said quartz heaters to cause the radiation thereof to sweep across the surface of the food to brown same. 
     
     
       8. An oven as set forth in claim 7, wherein each quartz heater is formed by a heater element disposed within a reflector. 
     
     
       9. An oven as set forth in claim 1, wherein the walls of said case are thermally-insulated. 
     
     
       10. An oven as set forth in claim 1, further including a filter interposed in the flow path of hot air through said compartment. .Iadd. 
     
     
       11.  An oven adapted to cook a food product having a predetermined cooking temperature at which its nutrients and other valuable constituents are substantially preserved whereby cooking well above this temperature would have an adverse effect on the product, the oven comprising: A. a compartment for receiving the food product to be cooked;   B. means external to said compartment to heat air to a temperature well above said predetermined temperature to produce hot air;   C. means to cause said hot air to flow through said compartment at high velocity in heat exchange relationship with said food product; and   D. means periodically to interrupt said flow of hot air to generate within the compartment hot air pulses having substantially-reduced flow intervals therebetween in a manner creating a pulsatory heat transfer pattern wherein heat acquired from the pulses by the outer layer of the body of the food product is transferred inwardly in the intervals between pulses to the intermediate layers and core of the body to cause the outer layer to go down in temperature during these intervals to a degree preventing the temperature of the outer layer from ever rising substantially above the predetermined cooking temperature despite the higher temperature of the hot air pulses in heat exchange relationship therewith. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. An oven as set forth in claim 11, wherein said means to heat air   
     
     
        is constituted by an electrical heating element. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13.  An oven as set forth in claim 12, wherein said means to cause said hot air to flow through said compartment at high velocity is constituted by a blower which blows air across said heating element. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. An oven as set forth in claim 13, wherein said means periodically to interrupt the flow of hot air is constituted by means to periodically energize said heating element. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. An oven as set forth in claim 13, wherein said means periodically to interrupt the flow of hot air is constituted by means to periodically block the flow of said hot air. .Iaddend.