Abstract:
A device to bake farinaceous foods such as cakes, cookies, breads, pies, and pizzas more rapidly and flavorfully, with retention of desire food textures and reduced risk of burning by the use of intermittent application of radiant energy. The preferred embodiment rotates farinaceous ingredients in front of a radiant heat source. The preferred embodiment may control oven temperatures by regulating the amount of outside cool air fan forced into the oven cavity.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 08/889,021. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to devices to bake and cook foods, and more particularly to devices that use: food movement, radiant energy, and heat energy to bake and cook farinaceous and other food products.  
         BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0003]    Baking of farinaceous foods such as cakes, cookies, breads, pies, and pizzas, has changed little in the last several hundred years. Modern ovens still heat air inside a cooking cavity and transfer cooking energy to the farinaceous article being baked using the heated air.  
           [0004]    There are several problems with this method of cooking. First, ovens using this method are inherently slow because they must, in sequence, activate a heater, such as an electrical coil, which then heats air, which then moves to the food being cooked, and transfers its heat to the food being cooked. Each step in this process is time consuming resulting in a long overall process. The process is also very inefficient.  
           [0005]    Current variations on this method include moving the hot air inside the cooking cavity by using a fan, also referred to as convection cooking, and by using microwave energy to help speed the baking process.  
           [0006]    Adding air movement, as in convection cooking, only helps reduce the time it takes to move the hot air from the heater to the food being cooked and to transfer the heat from the hot air to this food. The heater must still be activated to heat the air used to cook the food.  
           [0007]    Adding microwave cooking to conventional ovens reduces baking times, but may unfavorably change the taste and texture of the foods being cooked, as for example, by making bread become rubbery.  
           [0008]    What is needed is a method of cooking cakes, cookies, breads, pies, and pizzas as well as other foods, which reduces cooking times and increases cooking efficiency, while maintaining or enhancing food textures and flavors. A further benefit of the this method should be that it is simple to use and forgiving to an unskilled user. Versatility in offering other modes of cooking would also be desirable.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    A preferred embodiment of the method of cooking of the present invention uses intermittent exposure to a radiant heat source to quickly and flavorfully bake foods and especially farinaceous foods such as cakes, cookies, breads, pies, and pizzas. In the preferred embodiment, foods to be baked are rotated in front of a glowing electric heat coil. By exposing foods to be baked intermittently to radiant heat rather than using other baking methods such as those described above, cooking times may be diminished, risks of foods being burned can be reduced, total energy conveyed to the food may be increased, and flavor and texture can be enhanced.  
           [0010]    A cycle where the food is exposed to radiant heat about 20% to 70% of the cycle is advantageous in achieving the above results. More than 70% results in burning similar to using steady radiant energy, and less than 20% generally significantly increases cooking times.  
           [0011]    Likewise a cycle time between 15 and 60 seconds helps in optimizing the above results. Again, less than 15 seconds tends to burn the food being baked. More than 60 seconds may increase cooking times significantly. More than 60 seconds may also increase the tendency of foods to burn.  
           [0012]    Radiant transfer of heat is among the fastest and most efficient means of transferring cooking energy. It eliminates the baking and cooking steps of heating air and then having the hot air heat the foods being cooked. Instead energy is transferred directly from a radiant source to the food being cooked with no intermediate steps.  
           [0013]    However, generally radiant cooking burns the surface of the food being cooked while leaving food interiors unheated. This can easily be seen when cooking foods over a campfire or under an oven broiler. This is especially true when baking farinaceous foods such as cakes, cookies, breads, pies, and pizzas.  
           [0014]    Cycling radiant energy intermittently on and off gives time for radiant heat energy to be absorbed into foods being cooked while not over-heating their exterior surfaces. As an example, when foods are placed in continuous contact with radiant energy, such as under an oven broiler, their surfaces heat very quickly often forming a crust that may burn. Cycling radiant heat gives a chance for heat to penetrate into the food while not over-heating the food&#39;s surface.  
           [0015]    The preferred embodiment may be used for types of cooking other than baking farinaceous foods. As examples it may be used to rotisserie cook meats, vegetables, and other foods; either vertically or horizontally and it may be used to bake or broil foods on a fixed shelf by steadily or intermittently activating the radiant heater. When intermittent activation is made, best results are achieved by employing the above described duty cycles and cycle times.  
           [0016]    Shifting between horizontal and vertical cooking and rotisserie modes merely involves tipping the cooking device over 90 degrees. Depending on embodiment size, this may be a simple hand operation tipping the device from resting on one face to resting on an adjoining face.  
           [0017]    The preferred embodiment has an air movement system that helps speed cooking by circulating air past foods being cooked. This system allows a greater amount of radiant heat to be used in cooking by introducing cool outside air into the oven cavity to lower dangerously high oven temperatures. This system controls oven temperatures by regulating the amount of cooler outside air introduced into the oven cavity through use of an air valving mechanism. This system also allows operation of the oven below over-counter kitchen cabinets by dissipating hot air through air exits located in the lower portion of the oven away from overhead cabinets.  
           [0018]    Likewise this system reduces exterior wall temperatures by dissipating heat released from the oven cavity over large exterior side wall surfaces rather than just venting very hot stratified hot air from the top of the oven.  
           [0019]    This air movement system is simple in construction, using a motor drive mechanism to propel a guarded radial fan blade with user controlled variable openings to regulate the amount of cool outside air introduced into the oven cavity.  
           [0020]    When combined with moving food, as an example rotating food past a radiant heater, this simple hot air movement system makes baking and cooking in general surprisingly even within the cooking cavity while substantially decreasing cooking times when compared to conventional convection cooking. As an example, an angel food cake which normally takes 29 to 36 minutes to bake can be finished to a tasty golden brown in just 18 minutes. Conventional convection baking takes significantly longer (generally about 21 minutes).  
           [0021]    Convenience is enhanced by a simple cantilever shelf mounting mechanism which has no center pole and only one side-mounted vertical support member which easily swings into place in the oven cavity to mount. Likewise the vertical and horizontal mounting of spits for rotisserie cooking is easily accomplished through a similar rotation into place of the spit rod within the oven cavity.  
           [0022]    The shelf height within the oven cavity is easily adjustable through use of multiple mounting holes on the vertical support member. A removable oven wall allows an extended wall  38  to be mounted to the oven thus increasing the size of its oven cavity to handle larger food items such as a large turkey while limiting the overall size of the embodiment during the majority of its uses.  
           [0023]    Even baking is further enhanced by introduction of a metal skirt around the cooking shelf. This blocks radiant energy from the heater which otherwise might burn the outer edges of food articles. Cleaning the oven is made easier by removable walls and a removable drip tray.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with the front door open and showing the cooking shelf, drip tray and heater inside.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is a partial detail view shown in perspective of the drive arm and cooking shelf showing how the cooking shelf attaches to the drive arm.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the drive arm and cooking shelf of FIG. 2 taken along line  3 - 3 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 is a cross-section view taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 1 showing how the drive arm is mounted into the oven cavity.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 5 is a front view of the oven FIG. 1 showing it being used to bake using its cooking shelf and drip tray.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 is a front view of the oven of FIG. 1 showing it being used for vertically rotisserie cooking a turkey.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 7 is a front view of the oven of FIG. 1 showing it being used for horizontally rotisserie cooking a turkey.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 8 is a front view of the oven of FIG. 1 showing it being used for horizontally rotisserie cooking a large turkey using an extension to the oven cavity.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the motor drive mechanism of the oven of FIG. 1.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 10 is a front view of the oven of FIG. 1 being used with a fixed shelf.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment positioned for horizontal rotisserie cooking.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the oven of FIG. 11 with its door opened and positioned for grilling and convection baking.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a rotisserie holder showing a turkey shown in phantom in being held for rotisserie cooking.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 14 is a partial detail side view of FIG. 13 illustrating how the rods are held in the rotisserie holder.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the drip pan and optional drip pan cover.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 16 is a cross section view through the drip pan and optional drip pan cover taken along line  16 - 16  of FIG. 15 showing the pan position while grilling food on a wire shelf, and in dotted lines, the position of the drip pan and optional drip pan cover while baking cakes, cookies, etc.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 17 is a front view of the oven of FIG. 11 positioned for horizontal rotisserie cooking.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 18 is a front view of the oven of FIG. 11 positioned for vertical rotisserie cooking.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 19 is a front view of the oven of FIG. 11 positioned for grilling and baking.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0043]    Referring to FIGS.  1  to  10 , a preferred embodiment  20  of the present invention comprises a generally rectangular enclosure  64  with a demountably hinged transparent plastic front door  22  (see FIGS. I and  4 ).  
         [0044]    Although the embodiment may be constructed at any scale, referring to FIG. 1, a height of about 15 inches, a width of about 14 inches, and a depth of about 12 inches would be advantageous when using the embodiment on a kitchen counter top. Such dimensions leave adequate space to safely clear overhead cabinets without touching or conveying unsafe amounts of heat, while also allowing counter space in front  80  of the embodiment for working, and while maximizing oven cavity space for baking and rotisserie cooking large food items such as a 13 pound turkey in the embodiment&#39;s standard mode or a 20 pound turkey in the embodiment&#39;s extended mode using the embodiment&#39;s extension  38 .  
         [0045]    The enclosure  64  has double walls on all sides except the front  80  which is closed by the plastic front door  22 . Referring to FIG. 1, the outer side walls  65 ,  66 ,  67  are molded integrally with the bottom outer wall  68  and lower portion of the front wall  70 . This integral molding promotes strength while use of ventilated  82  plastic along with the fan  50  drive and ventilated  78  inner walls  76  helps keep outer side walls  65 ,  66 ,  67  cooler to the touch.  
         [0046]    A metal floor  72  is positioned above the bottom outer wall  68  with the motor drive mechanism  40  and a timer  74  mounted in the space between the floor  72  and bottom outer wall  68 .  
         [0047]    A removable metal generally “U” shaped inner skin  76  bends inside of the three outer side walls  65 ,  66 ,  67  and forms the inner of the double side walls of the enclosure  64 . This inner skin  76  is shiny on its surface facing the cooking cavity  32  and has vents  78  (see FIGS. I and  5 ) along portions of its edge which are adjacent to the metal floor  72  and are in the lower portion of the oven cavity  32  both when the embodiment is being used in either its vertical (FIGS. 1, 4,  5  and  6 ) and horizontal (FIGS. 7, 8 and  10 ) operating modes.  
         [0048]    During operation, the embodiment vents hot air out of the oven cavity  32  in response to cool outside air being introduced into the oven cavity  32  by the fan  50 . This exiting hot air passes through the vents  78  in the inner side walls  76  and out through slots  82  in the outer side walls  65 ,  66 ,  67 . This venting along with the fan  50  induced air movement helps control and even out oven and outer wall  65 ,  66 ,  67  temperatures. It also helps reduce humidity within the cooking cavity  32 .  
         [0049]    Referring to FIG. 1, the top of the embodiment is capped by a twin-skinned removable oven wall  58 . The inner skin  84  of this wall  58  is made of metal while the outer skin  86  is made from molded plastic that has extensive venting  88  across its surface.  
         [0050]    As shown in FIG. 8, this removable oven wall  58  may be replaced with an extension  38  to enlarge the oven cavity  32  to cook more food or to cook larger articles of food such as the large turkey  36  illustrated in FIG. 8.  
         [0051]    The removable oven wall  58  is held in place with four finger operated screws  59 . This wall  58  may be removed for dishwasher or other cleaning, or for other purposes.  
         [0052]    Removing this capping wall  58  also allows the “U” shaped inner skin  76  to be lifted out of the oven cavity  32  for dishwasher or other cleaning, or for other purposes.  
         [0053]    Located in the metal floor  48  of the oven cavity  32  are: the plug receptacle  90  for the heat coil  28 , the rod drive socket  42 , and the fan  50  covered by the fan cover  54 .  
         [0054]    The heat coil  28  is plugged into the plug receptacle  90  and rises orthogonal to the metal oven floor  48  into the oven cavity and adjacent to one of its  32  sides (see FIG. 1).  
         [0055]    A shelf  24  supporting drive arm  30  or a cooking spit  92  may be inserted into the rod drive socket  42  by first pushing one end of either the arm  30  or the spit  92  into a central hole  94  in the capping wall  58  (see FIG. 4), then swinging the opposite end over the drive socket  42  (see FIG. 4), and then lowering this opposite end into the socket  42 . Annular grooves  45 , one each located near either end of the drive arm  30  or spit  92 , locate the arm  30  or spit  92  into the central hole  94  in the inner skin  84  of the capping wall  58  and prevent lateral movement which would disengage the drive socket  42  from the drive arm  30  or spit  92  when the embodiment is operated in the horizontal mode as  5  illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Gravity prevents the arm  30  or spit  92  from dislodging from the socket  42  when the embodiment is operated in its vertical mode as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4,  5  and  6 .  
         [0056]    The food support shelf  24  conveniently is cantilevered off the crankshaft shaped drive arm  30  (see FIGS. 1 and 2). This makes the entire shelf useable with no central support member, and allows easy access to the shelf  24  (or shelves) around over 350 degrees of its 24 (or their) perimeter(s).  
         [0057]    The drive socket  42  is driven at about three RPM by a gear  46  reduced motor  43  drive.  
         [0058]    A drip tray  26 , which makes cleanup easier, may be mounted to the drive arm  30  in a similar manner to the food support shelf  24 . This tray  26 , like the shelf, may be conveniently removed for dishwasher or other cleaning, or for other purposes.  
         [0059]    Holes  62  in the drive arm  30  engage a pin  96  coupled to the shelf  24  and permit the shelf  24  to be raised or lowered or removed. The shelf  24  is further steadied and supported by a  30  shallow “U” shaped channel  100  attached to the shelf&#39;s  24  outer skirt  98 . Mounting the shelf  24  is illustrated in FIG. 3. The pin  96  is inserted into a hole  62  when the shelf  24  is in a raised position. The shelf  24  is then lowered, engaging the channel  100  around the inside surfaces of the drive arm  30  and securing the shelf  24  in position for cooking.  
         [0060]    The skirt  98  helps even out radiant baking and cooking by controlling exposure to radiant heat foods receive particularly next to the outer perimeter of the shelf  24 . The skirt  98  thus helps make baking and cooking even and consistent across the entire surface of the shelf  24  by blocking some of the harshest radiant heat. The top and/or bottom of this skirt  98  may have holes, slots or other contours to balance the radiant cooking energy received by the foods being cooked.  
         [0061]    A conventional rectangular drip tray may be used in the bottom of the oven cavity  32  to help in cleanup when the embodiment is operated in its horizontal mode as illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 and  10 .  
         [0062]    Oven temperatures may be controlled by the amount of outside cool air introduced into the oven cavity  32  by the fan  50 . Holes  102  located in the oven floor  48  directly below, and midway out, the fan blade  50  permit outside cool air to be pulled into the oven cavity  32  by the fan  50 .  
         [0063]    An air valve plate  52  located just beneath these holes  102  is penetrated by openings  104  which align with the holes  102  in the oven floor  48 . This plate  52  may rotate  106  about a central axis  108  regulating the amount of air which may pass through the holes  102  in the floor  48 . This is as a result of the rotation  106  of the valve plate  52  causing holes  102  in the floor  48  to come into and out of alignment with the openings  104  in the valve plate  52 .  
         [0064]    The more cool outside air which passes into the oven cavity  32  through the holes  102  in the oven floor  48 , the cooler the oven cavity  32  becomes Valve plate  52  rotation is controlled by a lever  110  which passes through the lower front wall  70  of the embodiment (see FIG. 1) . Movement of this lever  110  thus regulates oven temperature.  
         [0065]    Rotisserie cooking on a horizontal spit has long been recognized for superior flavor and its health benefits. Rotisserie cooking on a vertical axis is less popular but is used in several Middle Eastern dishes. It too generally has outstanding flavor and many health benefits. Both forms of rotisserie, horizontal and vertical, have unique character and advantages touted by their chef users. As an example, horizontal rotisserie generally self baste, where vertical rotisserie baste far less.  
         [0066]    The preferred embodiment offers both vertical and horizontal rotisserie cooking thus offering the unique advantage of both.  
         [0067]    A timer  74  also is located adjacent to the temperature control lever  110  in the lower front wall  70 . This timer may be set for a predetermined period and automatically turns the embodiment off when the period expires. This timer also has a feature allowing the oven to be left on for an undetermined time span.  
         [0068]    Embodiment operation is simple. The door  22  is opened and food to be baked or cooked is placed on a shelf  24  or on a spit  92  inside the oven cavity. The door  22  is then closed and the oven temperature is set using the lever  110  located on the front  70  of the embodiment. The timer is set and the user is then free to walk away. When the cook time is completed, the timer sounds and automatically turns the embodiment off. The food is then removed and eaten.  
         [0069]    Cleanup, when necessary, is accomplished by removing the shelf  24  and drive arm  30  or spit  92 , demounting the removable oven wall  58 , and lifting out the “U” shaped removable inner skin  76 . These can then be cleaned and reassembled.  
         [0070]    An alternative preferred embodiment  120  is illustrated in FIGS.  11  to  19 . As shown in FIGS. 17, 18 and  19 , this embodiment  120  may be operated in at least three positions simply by resting the unit on different sides.  
         [0071]    The first (FIG. 17), locates the heat rods  140  on the roof of the cooking chamber  142  and is suitable for horizontal rotisserie cooking and broiling As examples, in this position, the rotisserie support apparatus  124  shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 could be used in the cooking chamber  142  to horizontal rotisserie cook shish Kabobs, a roast, a turkey or other food. Also in this position a wire shelf could be positioned below the heat rods  140  to broil a steak or other foods.  
         [0072]    The second cooking position is depicted in FIG. 18. Here foods may be cooked on a vertical rotisserie spit.. As examples, again using the apparatus  124  shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a leg of lamb, a roast, a turkey or shish Kabobs might be vertical rotisserie cooked  
         [0073]    Also in this position (FIG. 18) foods such as cookies, cakes, pizzas, etc. may be radiantly baked, as examples, using round wire shelves resting on legs above the drip pan  144  portion of the apparatus  124 . Radiant baking is accomplished in this mode by rotating the food in front of the heat rods  140 . Intermittent exposure to radiant heat from the heat rods  140  caused by the food rotation minimizes the chance of burning and may significantly reduce cooking times.  
         [0074]    [0074]FIG. 19 shows a third cooking position for the embodiment  120 . Here the heating rods  140  are positioned just above the floor  144  or the cooking cavity  142  (see FIG. 16).  
         [0075]    In this position (FIG. 19) foods may be grilled or baked. As an example, hot dogs or hamburgers or buns  134  might be grilled or cooked on a wire shelf  136  positioned over the heat rods  140  as shown in FIG. 16 either with the door  122  opened (FIG. 12), removed, or closed.  
         [0076]    As another example, as shown in FIG. 16 in dotted lines, the drip tray  130  may be positioned over the heat rods  140  to help make baking in this position (FIG. 19) on wire shelves above the drip tray  130 , such as baking of cake and cookies, more even.  
         [0077]    The door  122  on this as well as the earlier embodiment  22  is clear and a light  146  mounted in one of the side walls of the oven cavity  142  illuminates the oven cavity  142  and the food cooking within it. This results in the cooking process being a visually stimulating show exhibiting the chefs prowess and enhancing appetites. The movement of rotisserie and radiant cooking may further enhance this show.  
         [0078]    The embodiment  120  may use a rotisserie drive mechanism similar to that illustrated in FIG. 9 which provides: fan  50  forced convection cooking, controllable outside air introduction  102   104   110 , and rotisseries rotary drive  42  from a in a simple compact package having only a single motor  43 .  
         [0079]    The embodiment  120  may also use the rotisserie holder  124  shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. This holder  124  provides several features. First, as shown in FIG. 18, it allows the rotisserie drive mechanism, such as an example illustrated in FIG. 9, to be mounted above foods being vertically rotisserie cooked.  
         [0080]    Mounting the rotisserie drive mechanism above food being vertically rotisserie cooked helps prevent water and grease from dripping into and damaging the drive mechanism. It also allows controls, such as thermostats  154  and timers  156 , to be mounted in a single, simple, inexpensive module  148  with the drive mechanism, where, when vertical rotisserie cooking is being performed, the controls can be easily viewed and manipulated on the top of the embodiment  120  (see FIG. 18).  
         [0081]    The end plates  170   172  of the rotisserie holder  124  may have many rod  128  mounting holes  158   160 . Having many holes  158   160  to mount support rods  128  means the rotisserie holder  124  may hold a broad variety of foods either while rotating about a vertical or a horizontal axis. FIG. 13 shows in dotted lines a turkey  126  being supported. By moving the rods  128  a smaller bird such as a chicken, or a steak, or a fish, as examples, might be supported.  
         [0082]    Using the rods  128  to cage the foods being rotisserie cooked provides additional advantages of tending to center the foods about the rotisserie axis. Mounting foods on traditional rotisserie spits usually results in the foods being off this center. This causes uneven cooking, and, particularly in horizontal rotisserie cooking, puts strain on motor and drive mechanisms from foods straining to be lifted to the top of the rotisserie arch and then flopping over the top.  
         [0083]    Caging rotisserie-cooked foods may hold them firmly, by compressing the foods or by the rods  128  bending like springs around the foods. It may also hold the foods loosely like contents inside a partly full glass cylindrical jar. Where contents are held loosely, they may rotate and roll within the cage created by the rods  128  as the rotisserie rotates, particularly if the rotisserie rotates about a horizontal axis. This may help cook some foods, as examples nuts and vegetables, more evenly.  
         [0084]    Using this caging rotisserie support is easy. The user inserts rods  128  between the two end plates  170   172  so that the rods  128  form the bottom half or three-fourths of the food support cage. The food is then dropped into this basket-like cradle and the remainder of the rods  128  are inserted.  
         [0085]    The rotisserie holder  124 , in vertical rotisserie cooking, can integrally provide a horizontal drip pan  150  (see FIGS. 13 and 18) which can also act as a stable horizontal support surface for food and food support shelves. This eliminates the need for additional parts which provide similar functions.  
         [0086]    The rods  128  may also be used as shish kabob sticks. The holder  124  may support many such shish kabob sticks providing capacity exceeding traditional kabob holders. As an example, rods  128  used as kabob holder may be mounted around the perimeter as well as in the interior of the holder  124 .  
         [0087]    [0087]FIG. 15 shows a drip pan  130  with a corrugated floor  162 . The raised portions  164  of this floor  162  are designed to align with the heat rods  140  when the pan  130  is placed in the oven cavity  142  to catch dropping grease, oil and debris. When the pan  130  rests below the heat rods as shown in FIG. 16, these raised portions  164  of the pan floor  162  tend to shed grease, debris, and drippings away from being directly beneath the heat rods  140  where they have the greatest tendency to burn and smell.  
         [0088]    The optional drip pan cover  132  helps reduce splattering which occurs, as an example, when water drips into hot oil contained in the drip pan  130 . This cover also has a corrugated surface  166  that aligns with the heat rods  140  to shed grease, oil and debris away from being near the heat rods  140 . This again helps minimize smoke and smell.  
         [0089]    Holes  168  in the troughs of the corrugated drip pan cover allow liquid to drain into the drip pan  130  while minimizing the space splattering can spray out of.  
         [0090]    As shown in dotted lines in FIG. 16, the drip pan  130  and optional drip pan cover  132  may be mounted above the heat rods  140 . This may be used to help even cooking heat distribution and minimize burning from food being directly exposed to radiant energy from the heat rods  140 .  
         [0091]    When above the heat rods  140 , the raised portions  164  of the drip pan  130  perform a similar function to when they are below the rods  140 , that is they shed debris away from being close to the heat rods  140  where debris can cause smoke and smell.  
         [0092]    The embodiment  120  has both a timer  156  and a thermostat  154  (FIG. 11). The timer has a steady “on” position as well as time increments up to 120 minutes marked. At the end of any set time increment, the timer sounds a tone and turns off the embodiment.  
         [0093]    The thermostat  154  has settings ranging from 100 to 450 degrees F. When oven temperatures exceed the thermostat  154  setting, the thermostat  154  turns off power to the heat rods  140 .  
         [0094]    The lower temperatures may be suitable for dehydrating foods such as making banana chips, dried apricots, spices, beef and other jerkies, etc. It could also be used for making cultured products such as yogurt and cheeses as well as for heating baby bottles etc. The higher temperatures are needed for baking pizzas, cookies etc.  
         [0095]    Alternatively, when the thermostat  154  setting is exceeded, a solenoid could activate  106  the valve plate  52  shown in FIG. 9 so cool outside air is introduced into the oven cavity  142 . This would lower oven temperatures while leaving the heat rods  140  activated and thus still cooking through use of radiant energy.  
         [0096]    Using the second embodiment  120  is easy. The user places the food to be cooked into the oven cavity  142  on either a rotating  124  or fixed  136  food support. The oven door  122  is closed and the thermostat  154  set. Setting the timer  156  turns on the embodiment  120 . At the end of the cooking time the timer sounds and the embodiment  120  turns itself off. The door  122  is opened and the food is removed. Cleanup is easy as the interior walls are coated with a nonstick heat resistant coating.  
         [0097]    Different materials may be used to construct the embodiment  120 . As examples, 26 gauge painted aluminized steel might be used for embodiment inner and outer oven walls, with non-stick coating used on the inside oven walls. The housing covering the motor drive (FIG. 9), thermostat  154  and timer  156  might be molded from polycarbonate which is capable of withstanding the 225 degree F. heat at that location.  
         [0098]    The transparent door  122  might be constructed from tempered glass framed with a silicone glued polysolphone plastic frame. This frame has hinges that can be detached from the rest of the embodiment. The door  122  may thus be removed for cleaning or while grilling (FIG. 19) or for other purposes.  
         [0099]    Other materials might also be suitable for the applications described.  
         [0100]    What has been herein described is one preferred embodiment of the present invention. Many changes, alterations or modifications to this preferred embodiment will be apparent to one skilled in the art. As examples: dimensions may be greater or lesser than those indicated, such as a wall mounted unit the size of a standard wall mounted home oven or a standard sized toaster with elements which only intermittently radiate heat which more evenly cooks toast with less chance of burning; materials may be altered such as use of glass in the front door or steel or stainless steel (which is generally cooler because of it poor ability to conduct heat) for the outer wall of the enclosure  64 ; etc.  
         [0101]    These and many other changes and alterations are obvious and thus should be considered as part of the description herein which shall be limited in scope and coverage only by accepted claims and their equivalents.