STEAM COOKING APPARATUS
A cooking apparatus is for cooking using steam. A circulation system comprising an extraction vent in a rear wall of the cooking chamber. A delivery vent arrangement for delivering air to the food chamber has a vent at a top region of a rear wall area, and optionally also vents at side wall areas. The rear wall delivery vent may have a set of flow guiding fins. In combination, these features ensure a flow of how air/steam over the entire surface of the underside of the lid.
1 . A steam cooking apparatus, comprising:
a food chamber comprising a base, a rear wall area, first and second opposing side wall areas and a front wall area;
a transparent lid;
a heating arrangement;
a water reservoir;
a circulation system comprising an extraction vent in the rear wall area through which air is drawn from inside the food chamber, and a delivery vent arrangement for delivering air to the food chamber,
wherein the delivery vent arrangement comprises:
a first delivery vent at a top region of the rear wall area above the extraction vent and extending across at least half of the width of the rear wall area and/or at least half a width of the transparent lid.
2 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transparent lid is inclined downwardly from the rear wall area towards the front wall area.
3 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first delivery vent is in series with a set of flow guiding fins, wherein the flow guiding fins are upright.
4 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first delivery vent comprises a slot extending widthwise across the rear wall area, and the flow guiding fins extend from top to bottom of the slot, within or in front of the slot.
5 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first set of flow guiding fins comprises 1 to 10 flow guiding fins.
6 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first delivery vent comprises a lower shelf on which the flow guiding fins are located.
7 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first delivery vent comprises an upper shelf, wherein the flow guiding fins are sandwiched between the lower shelf and the upper shelf.
8 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a second delivery vent at a top region of the first side wall area; and
a third delivery vent at a top region of the second side wall area.
9 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second and third delivery vents each comprise a lower shelf.
10 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the lower shelves of the first, second and third delivery vents form a continuous ridge.
11 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a controller adapted to control the heating arrangement to heat water from the water reservoir to create steam.
12 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a water dosing system for delivering water to the heating arrangement.
13 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a feed arrangement for providing water from the water reservoir into contact with a heated surface of the first heater.
14 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transparent lid is openable.
15 . The steam cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the delivery vent arrangement is adapted to:
create a flow over the full area of an underside of the transparent lid and/or
prevent localized flow rotation within the food chamber.