Patent ID: 7739947

Claim:
Apparatus ( 10 ) for preparing meals, comprising: a meal preparation unit ( 12 ) which includes: a plurality of receiving devices ( 45 ) for receiving the meals that are to be prepared in the meal preparation unit ( 12 ), a selecting mechanism ( 48 ) for selecting a meal that is to be prepared and is received in a receiving device ( 45 ), and a supplying mechanism ( 42 , 46 , 47 ) which selectively supplies steam to a meal that is to be prepared and has been selected by way of the selecting mechanism ( 48 ), and a supply unit ( 14 ) which includes: a fuel cell system ( 16 ) having a fuel cell ( 18 ), the fuel cell ( 18 ) connected to the supplying mechanism ( 42 , 46 , 47 ) of the meal preparation unit ( 12 ) to supply the supplying mechanism ( 42 , 46 , 47 ) with steam produced by the fuel cell ( 18 ), a steam preparer ( 34 ) for processing steam issuing from the fuel cell ( 18 ), and a heat management arrangement ( 36 ) adapted to control the operating temperature of the fuel cell ( 18 ) and the operating temperature of the steam preparer ( 34 ), the heat management arrangement ( 36 ) cooling the fuel cell ( 18 ) during operation and heating the steam preparer ( 34 ) using waste heat generated by the fuel cell ( 18 ).