A heating cooker includes heating chamber configured to house a food, through-hole formed in a wall surface of heating chamber, an imager configured to capture an image in heating chamber through through-hole, air blower configured to blow air on an outside of heating chamber, and wind guide configured to guide wind generated by air blower. Thus, wind guide is disposed so that the wind from air blower forms an air curtain passing through space between the imager and through-hole.

A food heating device includes a plurality of chambers capable of receiving respective food items. The device further includes a steam generator and a plurality of valves for controlling admittance of steam from said steam generator into said chambers. The device is arranged to operate in at least one mode in which during a first period a first one of said valves is open and at least one of said valves remains closed and wherein said steam generator is operated to produce steam for a time less than said first period.

A food heating device includes a plurality of chambers capable of receiving respective food items. The device further includes a steam generator and a plurality of valves for controlling admittance of steam from said steam generator into said chambers. The device is arranged to operate in at least one mode in which during a first period a first one of said valves is open and at least one of said valves remains closed and wherein said steam generator is operated to produce steam for a time less than said first period.

A kitchen appliance is disclosed for cooking a meat product. The kitchen appliance includes a heating element adapted to heat a medium for transferring heat to the meat product, a sensor for detecting loss of water from a contact surface of the meat product with the medium, and a controller conductively coupled to the sensor. The controller processes a sensor signal produced by the sensor, and generates a control signal indicative of the meat product reaching a defined cooking state in response to the processed sensor signal being indicative of a loss of water associated with the desired cooking state from the contact surface of the meat product.

A kitchen appliance is disclosed for cooking a meat product. The kitchen appliance includes a heating element adapted to heat a medium for transferring heat to the meat product, a sensor for detecting loss of water from a contact surface of the meat product with the medium, and a controller conductively coupled to the sensor. The controller processes a sensor signal produced by the sensor, and generates a control signal indicative of the meat product reaching a defined cooking state in response to the processed sensor signal being indicative of a loss of water associated with the desired cooking state from the contact surface of the meat product.

A heating cooker includes a housing having a heating chamber defined therein, cooking dish support sections respectively provided on mutually opposed inner wall surfaces of the heating chamber to support opposite ends of a cooking dish in one of a plurality of vertically spaced support positions, a steam generating unit, and a steam ejecting portion having a single discharge port formed in an inner wall surface of the heating chamber and a steam passageway provided to guide the steam to the discharge port. The steam ejecting portion ejects the steam into the heating chamber through the discharge port. The single discharge port is provided in the inner wall surface confronting a space between the cooking dish supported in an uppermost support position of the cooking dish support sections and a ceiling surface of the heating chamber.

A heating cooker includes a housing having a heating chamber defined therein, cooking dish support sections respectively provided on mutually opposed inner wall surfaces of the heating chamber to support opposite ends of a cooking dish in one of a plurality of vertically spaced support positions, a steam generating unit, and a steam ejecting portion having a single discharge port formed in an inner wall surface of the heating chamber and a steam passageway provided to guide the steam to the discharge port. The steam ejecting portion ejects the steam into the heating chamber through the discharge port. The single discharge port is provided in the inner wall surface confronting a space between the cooking dish supported in an uppermost support position of the cooking dish support sections and a ceiling surface of the heating chamber.

A steam generator system for a cooking appliance includes an in-line heating element coupled to a heating tube, wherein water from a water reservoir is gravitationally fed into the heating tube for heating by the in-line heating element to produce a hot water and steam mixture. A first supply line is coupled to the heating tube to carry the mixture to a separator without the need for moving or complex pump parts. The separator separates steam and hot water from the mixture of the two. A second supply line is coupled to the separator at a first end and opens into the cooking cavity of the cooking appliance at a second end. The second supply line is configured to supply steam separated at the separator to the cooking cavity via a steam outlet disposed in the cooking cavity.

A steam generator system for a cooking appliance includes an in-line heating element coupled to a heating tube, wherein water from a water reservoir is gravitationally fed into the heating tube for heating by the in-line heating element to produce a hot water and steam mixture. A first supply line is coupled to the heating tube to carry the mixture to a separator without the need for moving or complex pump parts. The separator separates steam and hot water from the mixture of the two. A second supply line is coupled to the separator at a first end and opens into the cooking cavity of the cooking appliance at a second end. The second supply line is configured to supply steam separated at the separator to the cooking cavity via a steam outlet disposed in the cooking cavity.

A steaming system is for steaming food. The steaming system including a base component adapted for receiving fluid therein, the base component being adapted to cooperate with a steam generating apparatus configured to heat up said fluid to produce steam. The steaming system also includes at least one steaming component includes a steaming compartment adapted to contain food to be steamed, the at least one steaming component being operatively mounted on the base component and being in fluid communication therewith. The steaming system is operable in a steaming configuration where the components are stacked onto one another to allow circulation of steam from the base component to the steaming compartment. The steaming system is further operable in a storage configuration where the base component is contained within the steaming compartment.