Cooking utensil and cooking method
It is an object of the invention to provide a cooking device and a cooking method which can quickly discharge a steam supplied into a heating chamber from the heating chamber and can cook an object to be heated through uniform steam heating by setting the steam in the heating chamber to have a suitable temperature for the cooking. A cooking device ( 100 ) for supplying a steam S to a heating chamber ( 11 ) accommodating an object M to be heated, thereby heating the object M to be heated includes steam supplying means for supplying the steam (S) to the heating chamber ( 11 ), and air discharging means for discharging the steam supplied to the heating chamber ( 11 ) from the heating chamber ( 11 ).
1. A cooking device for supplying a steam into a heating chamber accommodating an object to be heated, thereby heating the object to be heated, comprising:
steam supplying means for supplying the steam to the heating chamber;
air discharging means for discharging the steam supplied to the heating chamber from the heating chamber; and
a dividing plate for vertically dividing a space in the heating chamber into upper and lower spaces,
wherein said discharging means includes:
a ventilating means which sucks an outside air and generates an air flow, a supply ventilating path which serves to lead the air flow from the ventilating means to the heating chamber, a discharge ventilating path which serves to discharge air in the heating chamber, and a control portion which controls an amount of the outside air to be supplied to the heating chamber;
wherein a communication portion is formed between the heating chamber and the dividing plate to communicate the upper and lower spaces, and said steam supplying means supplies the steam to the lower space of the heating chamber;
an air supply port at where the supply ventilating path is connected to the heating chamber is formed in the lower space of the heating chamber; and
an air discharge port at where the discharge ventilating path is connected to the heating chamber is formed in the lower space of the heating chamber and communicates with an outside environment.
2. The cooking device according to claim 1 , further comprising an air supply side shutter for limiting a flow rate of passage on an upstream side of a passageway from a connecting position to the heating chamber in the supply ventilating path.
3. The cooking device according to claim 1 , further comprising an air discharge side shutter for limiting a flow rate of passage on a downstream side of the passageway from a connecting position to the heating chamber in the discharge ventilating path.
4. The cooking device according to claim 2 , wherein the shutter is selectively held in either an opening state or a shielding state of the passageway.
5. The cooking device according to claim 2 , wherein the shutter can optionally set a degree of opening of the passageway.
6. A cooking method for supplying a steam to a heating chamber accommodating an object to be heated, thereby heating the object to be heated, the heating chamber being divided into upper and lower spaces by a dividing plate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the cooking device according to claim 1 ;
supplying a steam and an outside air to the lower space of the heating chamber to generate a mixture air;
supplying the mixture air to the upper space of the heating chamber through a communication formed between the heating chamber and the dividing plate to communicate the upper and lower spaces; and
discharging air in the heating chamber from the lower space of the heating chamber to an outside environment.
7. The cooking device according to claim 3 , wherein the shutter is selectively held in either an opening state or a shielding state of the passageway.
8. The cooking device according to claim 3 , wherein the shutter can optionally set a degree of opening of the passageway.
9. The cooking device according to claim 1 , further comprising an air supply side shutter for limiting a flow rate of passage on an upstream side of a passageway from a connecting position to the heating chamber in the supply ventilating path, and an air discharge side shutter for limiting a flow rate of passage on a downstream side of the passageway from a connecting position to the heating chamber in the discharge ventilating path,
wherein said control portion controls operations of the air supply side shutter and the air discharge side shutter.
10. The cooking device according to claim 9 , wherein said control portion controls operations of the air supply side shutter and the air discharge side shutter so as to generate a mixture air of the steam and the outside air, temperature of which is less than 100° C. in the lower space of the heating chamber.