Importance

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Abstract

A cooking apparatus receives a sealed container of food inside a cooking chamber. A controller operates a motor to drive a rack and pinion gear set to lower a nozzle to puncture the cover of the container. Limit switches position the nozzle at a predetermined location within the container. The controller activates solenoids which open steam and/or water valves to permit steam and/or water from a boiler to be introduced inside the food container through the nozzle to mix and complete cooking of the food contents of the container. The controller operates the motor to withdraw the nozzle from within the container and activates a solenoid of a steam valve to provide steam through a confinement cylinder that subjects the nozzle to a steam bath after the nozzle has been retracted from within the food container. A limit switch cooperates with the controller to prevent the nozzle from being withdrawn from the cooking chamber. Capacitive proximity level sensors permit the controller to identify the type of food product in the container disposed inside the cooking chamber. The controller selects a cooking procedure using the desired combination of steam and/or hot water according to the contents of the container. The controller can cause the steam to be pulsed intermittently into the container in bursts of steam of predetermined length. The controller can cause hot water to flow through the nozzle to wash down the inside of the cooking chamber at predetermined times.

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First Claim