Counter-top oven

Claim 1

A counter-top oven adapted to effect low-temperature cooking of food having a predetermined cooking temperature at a relatively rapid rate whereby nutrients and other valuable food constituents are preserved, said oven comprising: A. A food-receiving compartment having a perforated bottom wall and a top wall provided with a port, said compartment being supported within a case and being spaced therefrom to create air spaces therebetween; B. means external to said compartment to heat air to a high temperature level well above said cooking temperature and to force the hot air through the perforations in said bottom wall at high pressure to produce a high velocity flow of hot air through the compartment in heat exchange relation with the food therein, the hot air being discharged from the compartment through the port, said means being constituted by a motor-driven fan in one of said air spaces arranged to draw air from said compartment through said top wall port to produce a negative pressure in said compartment and a positive pressure in the air spaces, the resultant pressure differential forcing air through said perforations; and C. means periodically to interrupt the flow of hot air to generate within the compartment hot air pulses having no-flow intervals therebetween in a manner creating a laminar heat transfer pattern wherein heat acquired by the outer layer of the body of food in the compartment is transferred in these intervals to the intermediate layers and core of the body, causing the outer layer to go down in temperature during these intervals to a degree preventing the temperature of the outer layer from ever rising substantially above the cooking temperature despite the much higher temperature of the hot air pulses in heat exchange relation therewith.