Machine and method for cooking food

1 . A machine for cooking food, the machine comprising:

a dispenser configured to be arranged over a container containing food and to close the container and comprising at least one first opening to dispense steam into the container and at least one second opening to dispense hot water into the container;

at least one first boiler and one first duct to supply steam to the first opening;

at least one second boiler and one second duct to supply hot water to the second opening and one third duct to supply hot water to the first boiler from the second boiler;

a first solenoid valve to control the supply of steam along the first duct;

a second solenoid valve to control the supply of hot water along the second duct, and a third solenoid valve to control the supply of hot water along the third duct; and

a control unit configured to control the first, the second and the third solenoid valves;

wherein the control unit is configured to control the third solenoid valve depending on the state of the first solenoid valve.

2 . The machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a user interface configured to select a cooking process of the food from a plurality of cooking processes of the food; the control unit being configured to control the first, the second and the third solenoid valves depending on the selected cooking process of the food.

3 . The machine as claimed in claim 1 , and comprising a level probe associated with the first boiler and configured to emit a level signal related to the level of water in the first boiler; the control unit being configured to control the third solenoid valve depending on said level signal.

4 . The machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the third solenoid valve intermittently with opening and closing cycles of duration equal to tenths of a second.

5 . The machine as claimed in claim 1 , and comprising a fourth duct configured to evacuate steam from the container of food.

6 . The machine as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the fourth duct is connected to a steam discharge.

7 . A method for cooking food, the method comprising:

dispensing steam into a container containing food through at least one first opening of a dispenser arranged over the container;

dispensing hot water into the container containing food through at least one second opening of the dispenser;

supplying steam to the first opening from at least one first boiler and through a first duct;

supplying hot water to the second opening from at least one second boiler and through a second duct;

supplying hot water to the first boiler from the second boiler through a third duct;

controlling the supply of steam along the first duct by means of a first solenoid valve; controlling the supply of hot water along the second duct by means of a second solenoid valve; and controlling the supply of hot water along the third duct by means of a third solenoid valve; and

controlling the third solenoid valve depending on the state of the first solenoid valve.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , and comprising selecting a cooking process of the food from a plurality of cooking processes of the food; and controlling the first, the second and the third solenoid valves depending on the selected cooking process of the food.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , and comprising emitting a level signal related to the level of water in the first boiler; and controlling the third solenoid valve depending on said level signal.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , and comprising evacuating steam from the container of food through a fourth duct connected to a steam discharge.