Patent ID: 8878105

Claim:
A steam cooker, comprising: a steam generator for generating steam by heating water by a steam generating heater; a heating chamber for heating an object to be heated by steam supplied from the steam generator; a temperature-raising device for raising an inner temperature of the heating chamber by a temperature-raising heater; and a control unit for controlling the steam generating heater and the temperature-raising heater, wherein: the control unit firstly operates the temperature-raising heater without operating of the steam generating heater in a preheating operation mode to raise the inner temperature of the heating chamber to a target preheating temperature and maintains the inner temperature of the heating chamber at the target preheating temperature, the control unit then supplies a first power to the steam generating heater to heat the water in the steam generator when determining that a steam generation start condition has been satisfied after starting of the operating of the temperature-raising heater during the preheating operation mode, the control unit then repeatedly turns on and off the temperature-raising heater while supplying to the steam generating heater a second power smaller than the first power so as to maintain the inner temperature of the heating chamber at the target preheating temperature when determining that a steam generation reduction condition has been satisfied after supplying the first power during the preheating operation mode, the control unit performs a cooking operation in a cooking operation mode to raise, by the temperature-raising heater, a temperature of the steam obtained by the heating of the water by the steam generating heater to provide heated steam and then supply the heated steam to the heating chamber, where the cooking operation mode is performed after the preheating operation mode, and the second power is an amount of power greater than zero.