METHOD AND APPARATUS OF COOKING FOOD IN A LIGHTWAVE OVEN

• Main Author: WESTERBERG, EUGENE, R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 21.03.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES; BLASTING; COFFEE MILLS; CONTROLLING; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FURNITURE; HEATING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; LIGHTING; MEASURING; MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER,MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OTHER DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES; PHYSICS; RANGES; REGULATING; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TESTING; VENTILATING; WEAPONS

A lightwave oven cooking method and apparatus uses pulsed power applied to a plurality of high-power lamps which provides radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum and having wavelengths including the visible and near-visible ranges. Irradiation is applied to the food by applying power to the lamps for a specified period of time without vaporizing all of the surface water on the food, and then applying reduced irradiation to the food to complete the cooking cycle without producing an overly browned surface which inhibits deep penetration of radiation in the near-visible and visible ranges. The reduced power can be at a reduced duty cycle which can be done in a sequence of one or more reducing steps in the duty cycle or a continuous reduction of the duty cycle of the power applied to the lamps. A change in color, in water vapor concentration emitted from the surface, in the food temperatures and/or in the generation of steam to a predetermined degree can be sensed to reduce power.