Microwave steamer and cooking method performed thereby

Abstract

The present application provides a microwave steaming oven and a cooking method by the microwave steaming oven, the microwave steaming oven comprises: a box, a hollow part inside the box forms a cooking cavity; a microwave generating part configured to generate microwaves and conduct the microwaves into the cooking cavity to heat the food to be heated; a heating device and a hot air fan configured to form hot air from the heat generated by the heating device and send the hot air into the cooking cavity; a steam generator configured to generate steam and blow the steam into the cooking cavity; a circulating fan configured to increase the air flow in the cooking cavity so that the hot air and / or the steam are uniformly distributed in the cooking cavity. Through the embodiment of the present application, multi-dimensional air circulation in the microwave steaming oven can be realized, better meeting the requirement for uniformity of hot air and steam in food processing, and improving the taste of food after cooking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates generally to the field of kitchen appliance technology, and more particularly to a microwave steam oven and a cooking method implemented therethrough. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, microwave steam ovens are only available for home use. These home microwave steam ovens have a single air duct. Specifically, heat is generated by a heating element and hot air is blown into the cooking cavity of the microwave steam oven to achieve the baking function. A water tank is placed near the heating element, and water from the tank is poured onto the heating element. The heat generated by the heating element causes the water to quickly vaporize into steam, achieving the steaming function. Therefore, existing microwave steam ovens only achieve baking and steaming functions through a single air duct, lacking a separate hot air preparation cavity. They cannot simultaneously perform steaming and baking, nor can they control the steaming and baking functions separately. Moreover, the switching speed between steaming and baking is slow, which cannot well meet the different heating needs of different types of food, affecting the taste of different types of food after cooking.

[0003] The content of the background section is merely the technology known to the inventor and does not necessarily represent the prior art in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention solve the problems of existing microwave steam ovens with single air ducts being unable to independently control the steaming and baking functions, thus failing to meet the different heating needs of different types of food, by setting up hot air ducts and cooking chambers in the microwave steam oven.

[0005] In view of at least one deficiency of the prior art, the present invention provides a microwave steam oven, comprising:

[0006] The cabinet has a hollow interior portion that forms a cooking cavity;

[0007] A microwave generating unit is configured to generate microwaves and conduct the microwaves into the cooking cavity to heat the food to be heated;

[0008] The heating device and hot air fan are configured to generate hot air from the heating device and deliver it into the cooking cavity.

[0009] A steam generator configured to produce steam and blow the steam into the cooking cavity;

[0010] A circulating fan is configured to increase airflow in the cooking chamber, so that the hot air and / or steam are evenly distributed in the cooking chamber.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, it further includes an air duct located above the cooking cavity, wherein hot air blown by the heating device and the hot air fan enters the cooking cavity through the air duct.

[0012] According to one aspect of the invention, a hot air perforation plate is further included, which is disposed at the junction of the air duct and the cooking cavity, and has a plurality of small holes thereon, through which the hot air is dispersed into the cooking cavity.

[0013] According to one aspect of the invention, a steam perforation plate is further included, which is disposed below the side wall or bottom of the cooking cavity and has a plurality of small holes thereon, through which steam is dispersed into the cooking cavity.

[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, the air duct gradually narrows at the end furthest from the heating device.

[0015] According to one aspect of the invention, the cross section of the air duct perpendicular to the hot air perforated plate is a right trapezoid.

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention, the heating device is a carbon heating device, the circulating fan is a turbine fan, and the steam generator is a steam boiler.

[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, the circulating fan forms a closed structure with the cooking chamber.

[0018] According to one aspect of the invention, a partition wall is provided between the circulating fan and the cooking chamber, the partition wall having a plurality of circulation holes, wherein the circulating fan is configured such that gas in the cooking chamber exits the cooking chamber through a portion of the circulation holes and re-enters the cooking chamber through another portion of the circulation holes.

[0019] According to one aspect of the invention, a temperature sensor is also included, which is disposed within the air duct on a side away from the heating device and the hot air fan, and configured to sense the temperature of the hot air blown out by the heating device and the hot air fan.

[0020] According to one aspect of the invention, a controller is further included, the controller being coupled to the heating device and the temperature sensor, and configured to control the heating temperature of the heating device based on the temperature of the hot air sensed by the temperature sensor.

[0021] According to one aspect of the invention, a controller is further included, the controller being coupled to the steam generator and configured to monitor the humidity within the cooking cavity and control the steam generator based on the humidity.

[0022] According to one aspect of the invention, the controller is configured to control the microwave generator, the heating device, the steam generator, and the circulating fan respectively, based on the type of food to be heated and / or the heating requirements.

[0023] The present invention also relates to a cooking method for a microwave steam oven, the cooking method being carried out using a microwave steam oven as described in any of the preceding claims, the cooking method comprising:

[0024] Place the food to be heated into the cooking cavity of the microwave steam oven;

[0025] Turn on the microwave to heat the food, and during the microwave heating process, hot air and / or steam are introduced to act on the food to be heated;

[0026] During two heating processes that handle different types of food to be heated and / or different heating requirements, hot air is continuously or intermittently supplied to the cooking cavity to maintain a constant temperature in the cooking cavity.

[0027] According to one aspect of the invention, the hot air is controlled to act continuously or intermittently on the food, depending on the type of food and / or the heating requirements, while the steam is turned off;

[0028] Alternatively, the hot air can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently, while the steam can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently.

[0029] Alternatively, the hot air can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently, while the steam can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently for a period of time before the steam is turned off;

[0030] Alternatively, the hot air can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently, and after the steam is turned off for a period of time, the steam can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently for a period of time.

[0031] According to one aspect of the present invention, when cooking fried food, the hot air is controlled to act on the fried food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is turned off; after the fried food is cooked, steamed food is cooked, and when cooking steamed food, the hot air is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, and the cooking chamber temperature is the same in the two cooking processes.

[0032] According to one aspect of the present invention, when cooking steamed food, the hot air is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, and the steam is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently; after the steamed food is cooked, fried food is cooked, and when cooking fried food, the hot air is controlled to act on the fried food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is turned off, and the cooking chamber temperature is the same in the above two cooking processes.

[0033] According to one aspect of the invention, the food to be heated includes steamed food, fried food, pastry, hot meal or porridge, and the temperature of the hot air is 140°C-160°C.

[0034] According to one aspect of the invention, the temperature of the hot air is approximately 150°C.

[0035] According to one aspect of the invention, the food to be heated includes steamed food, fried food, pastry, hot meal or porridge, and the temperature of the steam is 100-120°C.

[0036] According to one aspect of the invention, the temperature of the steam is approximately 115°C.

[0037] According to one aspect of the invention, when processing different types of food to be heated and / or different heating requirements, the on-off time and / or the supply amount of hot air and steam are adjusted respectively.

[0038] The embodiments of the present invention, by setting a heating device and a hot air fan in the air duct above the cooking cavity of the microwave steam oven, and setting a steam generator and a circulating fan in the cooking cavity, realize multi-dimensional air circulation in the microwave steam oven, better meet the requirements of different types of food for uniformity of hot air and steam during processing, and improve the taste of food after cooking. Attached Figure Description

[0039] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0040] Figure 1 A side view of the internal structure of a microwave steam oven according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0041] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of gas flow inside a microwave steam oven according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; and

[0042] Figure 3 A flowchart of a cooking method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0043] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0044] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0045] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows for communication; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0046] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0047] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0048] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0049] Figure 1 A side view of the internal structure of a microwave steam oven according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the microwave steam oven 100 includes: a housing 110, a microwave generating unit 120, a heating device 130, a hot air fan 140, a steam generator 150, and a circulating fan 160. The hollow portion inside the housing 110 forms a cooking cavity 101, in which food is placed and heated. The microwave generating unit 120 is optionally located at the top of the cooking cavity 101, configured to generate microwaves and conduct them into the cooking cavity 101 to heat the food. The heating device 130 and the hot air fan 140 are optionally located at the rear of the cooking cavity 101, configured to generate hot air from the heating device 130 and deliver it into the cooking cavity 101. The steam generator 150 is optionally located at the rear of the cooking cavity 101, configured to blow steam generated and released by the steam generator 150 into the cooking cavity 101. The circulating fan 160 is optionally located at the rear of the cooking cavity 101 and in front of the steam generator 150, configured to increase airflow within the cooking cavity, thereby ensuring uniform distribution of the hot air and / or steam within the cooking cavity 101. The circulating fan 160 is speed-adjustable, used to control the airflow speed within the cooking cavity 101. During microwave baking, the fan speed indirectly controls the removal of surface moisture from the food being processed and the baking effect. During microwave steaming, the fan speed accelerates the circulation of moisture within the cooking cavity, making it easier for steam to condense on the surface of cooler foods such as buns, thus improving microwave absorption efficiency and defrosting or heating efficiency.

[0050] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of gas flow inside a microwave steam oven according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the microwave steam oven 100 also includes an air duct 170 located above the cooking cavity 101, wherein the air duct 170 gradually narrows at the end away from the heating device 130. Optionally, the air duct 170 may narrow from the end near the heating device 130, or from any part in the middle of the air duct 170 in a direction away from the heating device 130, so that the hot air is dispersed along the air duct 170 into the cooking cavity 101. The hot air fan 140 is disposed at the rear of the heating device 130, and when the heating device 130 generates heat, the hot air fan 140 transfers the heat along the air duct 170 from the rear of the microwave steam oven 100 forward and downward to fill the entire air duct 170 and the cooking cavity 101.

[0051] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the microwave steam oven 100 also includes a hot air perforated plate 172. The hot air perforated plate 172 is disposed at the junction of the air duct 170 and the cooking cavity 101, and has a plurality of small holes thereon. The hot air is dispersed into the cooking cavity 101 through the hot air perforated plate 172, so that the hot air evenly fills the cooking cavity 101.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the microwave steam oven 100 further includes a steam perforation plate 151 disposed at the bottom of the cooking cavity 101 or a plurality of steam vents 152 disposed on the lower rear part or side wall of the cooking cavity 101. The steam perforation plate 151 has a plurality of small holes, through which steam is dispersed into the cooking cavity 101. Alternatively, the steam is dispersed into the cooking cavity 101 through the plurality of steam vents 152. Through the steam perforation plate 151 or the plurality of steam vents 152, the steam generated by the steam generator 150 can more evenly fill the cooking cavity 101, and better moisten the bottom of the food, preserving its fresh taste.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cross-section of the air duct 170 perpendicular to the hot air perforated plate 172 is a right trapezoid. When the hot air is transmitted forward from the rear of the microwave oven 100 along the air duct 170, it is forced to change its original horizontal flow direction and flow towards the lower part of the microwave oven 100, i.e., the cooking cavity 101, and gradually fill the entire cooking cavity 101.

[0054] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the heating device 130 is a carbon heating tube, the circulating fan 160 is a turbine fan, and the steam generator 150 is a steam boiler. Specifically, the turbine fan is configured such that when it rotates, its central area draws air from inside the cooking chamber 101, air from the middle area of ​​the cooking chamber 101 is drawn into the turbine fan, and then blown out from the surrounding area of ​​the turbine fan. This process is repeated alternately to achieve air circulation inside the cooking chamber 101, ultimately ensuring that the steam evenly fills the entire cooking chamber 101.

[0055] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the circulating fan 160 and the cooking chamber 101 form a closed structure. In this way, hot air circulates inside the cooking chamber, preventing interaction between the gas inside and the outside air, thus ensuring the hygiene of the food inside the cooking chamber and improving energy efficiency.

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the microwave steam oven 100 also includes a partition wall 161 disposed between the circulating fan 160 and the cooking cavity 101. The partition wall 161 has a plurality of circulation holes 162. The circulating fan 160 is configured such that gas in the cooking cavity 101 exits the cooking cavity 101 through a portion of the circulation holes and re-enters the cooking cavity 101 through another portion of the circulation holes. Specifically, gas inside the cooking cavity 101 is drawn into the circulating fan 160 through a portion of the circulation holes distributed in the central region of the circulating fan 160, and the gas is released back into the cooking cavity 101 through another portion of the circulation holes distributed in the peripheral region of the circulating fan 160. This achieves alternating circulation of the gas inside the cooking cavity 101, ensuring thorough mixing and uniform distribution of the gas within the cooking cavity 101. Figure 1 In one embodiment, the steam generator 150 is located behind the circulating fan 160. However, the invention is not limited to this. The steam generator 150 may also be located below the circulating fan 160. Steam is delivered into the cooking chamber through a separate pipe via a steam perforation plate 151 or a steam port 152.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the microwave steam oven 100 also includes a temperature sensor 180, which is disposed in the air duct 170 on the side away from the heating device 130 and the hot air fan 140, and is configured to sense the temperature of the hot air blown out by the heating device 130 and the hot air fan 140.

[0058] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave steam oven 100 further includes a controller (not shown in the figure), the controller being coupled to the heating device 130 and the temperature sensor 180, and configured to control the heating temperature of the heating device 130 according to the temperature of the hot air sensed by the temperature sensor 180.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave steam oven 100 further includes a controller (not shown) coupled to the steam generator 150 and configured to monitor the humidity inside the cooking cavity 101 and control the steam generator 150 to generate steam according to the humidity.

[0060] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to control the microwave generator 120, the heating device 130, the steam generator 150, and the circulating fan 160 respectively according to the type of food to be heated and / or the heating requirements. The heating requirements can be determined according to the type of food to be heated; for example, for fried foods, a crispy crust is usually required, so the controller controls the heating device 130 to heat the food and shuts off the steam generator 150.

[0061] In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, the heating device 130 and the hot air fan 140 are used to generate hot air, and the steam generator 150 is used to generate steam and supply steam to the cooking chamber. The two are separate devices and can be controlled separately, that is, they can be turned on or off independently, thus making them flexible for heating various types of food.

[0062] Figure 3 A flowchart of a cooking method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The cooking method can be implemented using the microwave oven 200, and the cooking method 200 includes:

[0063] In step S201: Place the food to be heated into the cooking cavity of the microwave steam oven.

[0064] In step S202: The microwave oven is turned on to heat the food. During the microwave heating process, hot air and / or steam are introduced to act on the food to be heated. The microwave generating unit 120 in the microwave oven 100 generates microwaves and transmits them downwards to the food to be heated in the cooking cavity 101. The controller controls the heating temperature of the heating device 130 based on the temperature of the hot air sensed by the temperature sensor 180. The controller controls the steam generator 150 to generate steam and delivers steam into the cooking cavity 101 through the steam perforation plate 151 and multiple steam ports 152 to increase the moisture content of the food to be heated.

[0065] In step S203: During the two heating processes for different types of food to be heated and / or different heating requirements, hot air is continuously or intermittently supplied to the cooking cavity to maintain a constant temperature within the cooking cavity. That is, the temperature inside the cooking cavity remains constant during the two heating processes.

[0066] Typically, when cooking different types of food in a microwave oven, after cooking one type of food, it's necessary to wait for the oven to heat up or cool down to reach the required cooking temperature for the next type of food before placing it in the oven for further cooking. This time spent waiting for the oven to heat up or cool down due to the change in food type is called the warm-up time. This warm-up time increases processing time during food sales and customer waiting time, leading to a decreased customer experience and lower purchase rates. The cooking method 200 of this invention maintains a constant temperature in the cooking cavity for different types and / or foods with different heating requirements, ensuring consistent cooking temperatures and maintaining good taste while eliminating or shortening the warm-up time, reducing customer waiting time, and improving the customer's purchasing experience.

[0067] In microwave ovens, the temperature of the hot air typically determines the temperature inside the cooking cavity during food heating. This invention addresses this by continuously or intermittently supplying hot air of the same temperature into the cooking cavity during the heating of different batches of food. This maintains a constant temperature within the cooking cavity, thereby eliminating or shortening the reheating time required between heating processes.

[0068] According to one embodiment of the present invention, depending on the type of food and / or the heating requirements, the hot air or steam can be controlled by the controller to continuously or intermittently act on the food to be heated. Optionally, for fried foods requiring a high degree of crispness, such as fried chicken, fried dough sticks, and French fries, the hot air is controlled to continuously or intermittently act on the food while the steam is turned off. For steamed foods requiring a high degree of moisture, such as steamed buns, steamed bread, shumai, and steamed dumplings, the hot air is controlled to continuously or intermittently act on the food while the steam is controlled to continuously or intermittently act on the food. For foods requiring a crispy crust, such as pastries, the hot air is controlled to continuously or intermittently act on the food while the steam is controlled to continuously or intermittently act on the food for a period of time before the steam is turned off.

[0069] According to one aspect of the present invention, when cooking fried food, the hot air is controlled to act on the fried food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is turned off; after the fried food is cooked, steamed food is cooked, and when cooking steamed food, the hot air is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, and the cooking chamber temperature is the same in the two cooking processes.

[0070] According to one aspect of the present invention, when cooking steamed food, the hot air is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, and the steam is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently; after the steamed food is cooked, fried food is cooked, and when cooking fried food, the hot air is controlled to act on the fried food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is turned off, and the cooking chamber temperature is the same in the above two cooking processes.

[0071] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the food to be heated includes steamed foods, fried foods, pastries, hot meals, or porridge, as described above. Optionally, the temperature of the hot air is set to 140°C-160°C, preferably about 150°C. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the steam is set to 100-120°C, preferably about 115°C. The inventors of this application have discovered that setting the hot air temperature to about 150°C and the steam temperature to about 115°C is applicable to various types of food to be heated, significantly shortening the warm-up time.

[0072] When using Figure 1 When the microwave steam oven 100 shown is used to perform the above cooking method 200, the temperature detected by the sensor 180 is the temperature of the hot air.

[0073] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the cooking method 200, the on / off times of the hot air and steam are adjusted separately when handling different types of food to be heated and / or different heating requirements. For example, when heating fried food, only the hot air is controlled to heat continuously or intermittently, while the steam is turned off. When heating steamed food, the hot air is controlled to heat continuously or intermittently, and the steam is also controlled to heat continuously or intermittently. During the heating process, the duration of the hot air and steam action can be controlled separately.

[0074] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the cooking method 200, the supply of hot air and steam is adjusted separately when processing different types of food to be heated and / or different heating requirements. For example, when processing the above-mentioned types of food to be heated, when controlling the hot air and / or steam to heat continuously or intermittently, the supply of hot air and steam can also be adjusted separately as needed to ensure that different types of food achieve better taste after heating.

[0075] The embodiments of the present invention generate hot air by setting a heating device and a hot air fan in the air duct above the cooking cavity of the microwave steam oven, and generate steam by setting a steam generator and a circulating fan in the cooking cavity. This realizes the operation of hot air and steam dual air ducts and multi-dimensional air circulation in the microwave steam oven, which better meets the requirements of hot air and steam uniformity during the processing of different types of food, and improves the taste of food after cooking.

[0076] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microwave steam oven, comprising: The cabinet has a hollow interior portion that forms a cooking cavity; A microwave generating unit is configured to generate microwaves and conduct the microwaves into the cooking cavity to heat the food to be heated; The heating device and hot air fan are configured to generate hot air from the heating device and deliver it into the cooking cavity. A steam generator is configured to generate steam and blow the steam into the cooking chamber, the steam being introduced into the cooking chamber via a separate conduit through a steam perforation plate or a steam inlet; the steam perforation plate is located at the bottom of the cooking chamber; or the steam inlet is located at the lower rear or on the side wall of the cooking chamber. A circulating fan is configured to increase airflow in the cooking cavity, so that the hot air and / or the steam are evenly distributed in the cooking cavity. The circulating fan is located at the rear of the cooking cavity and in front of the steam generator, and the circulating fan is speed-adjustable to control the airflow speed in the cooking cavity. The central area of ​​the circulating fan draws air from the inside of the cooking cavity. An air duct is located above the cooking cavity, through which hot air from the heating device and the hot air fan enters the cooking cavity. A hot air perforated plate is provided at the junction of the air duct and the cooking cavity, and a plurality of small holes are provided thereon. The hot air is dispersed into the cooking cavity through the hot air perforated plate. The heating device and hot air fan are controlled separately from the steam generator; The circulating fan and the cooking cavity form a closed structure.

2. The microwave steam oven as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steam is delivered into the cooking cavity through a separate pipe via a steam perforation plate; the steam perforation plate is provided with a plurality of small holes, and the steam is dispersed into the cooking cavity through the steam perforation plate.

3. The microwave steam oven as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the air duct gradually narrows at the end away from the heating device.

4. The microwave steam oven as described in claim 3, wherein the cross-section of the air duct perpendicular to the hot air perforated plate is a right trapezoid.

5. The microwave steam oven as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating device is a carbon heating device, the circulating fan is a turbine fan, and the steam generator is a steam boiler.

6. The microwave steam oven of claim 5 further includes a partition wall disposed between the circulating fan and the cooking cavity, the partition wall having a plurality of circulation holes, wherein the circulating fan is configured such that gas in the cooking cavity exits the cooking cavity through a portion of the circulation holes and re-enters the cooking cavity through another portion of the circulation holes.

7. The microwave steam oven as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 or 4-6, further comprising a temperature sensor disposed within the air duct on a side away from the heating device and the hot air fan, configured to sense the temperature of the hot air blown out by the heating device and the hot air fan.

8. The microwave steam oven of claim 7 further includes a controller, the controller being coupled to the heating device and a temperature sensor, and configured to control the heating temperature of the heating device based on the temperature of the hot air sensed by the temperature sensor.

9. The microwave steam oven of claim 7 further includes a controller coupled to the steam generator and configured to monitor the humidity inside the cooking cavity and control the steam generator according to the humidity.

10. The microwave steam oven as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the microwave generating unit, the heating device, the steam generator, and the circulating fan respectively according to the type of food to be heated and / or the heating requirements.

11. A cooking method for a microwave steam oven, said cooking method being implemented using a microwave steam oven as described in any one of claims 1-10, said cooking method comprising: Place the food to be heated into the cooking cavity of the microwave steam oven; Turn on the microwave to heat the food, and during the microwave heating process, hot air and / or steam are introduced to act on the food to be heated; During two heating processes that handle different types of food to be heated and / or different heating requirements, hot air is continuously or intermittently supplied to the cooking cavity to maintain a constant temperature in the cooking cavity.

12. The cooking method as described in claim 11, wherein the hot air is controlled to act continuously or intermittently on the food according to the different types of food and / or different heating requirements, while the steam is turned off; Alternatively, the hot air can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently, while the steam can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently. Alternatively, the hot air can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently, while the steam can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently for a period of time before the steam is turned off; Alternatively, the hot air can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently, and after the steam is turned off for a period of time, the steam can be controlled to act on the food continuously or intermittently for a period of time.

13. The cooking method according to claim 11, wherein when cooking fried food, the hot air is controlled to act on the fried food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is turned off; and when cooking steamed food after the fried food is cooked, the hot air is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, while the steam is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, and the cooking chamber temperature is the same in the two cooking processes.

14. The cooking method according to claim 11, wherein when cooking steamed food, the hot air is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently, and the steam is controlled to act on the steamed food continuously or intermittently; when cooking fried food after the steamed food is cooked, the hot air is controlled to act on the fried food continuously or intermittently, and the steam is turned off, and the cooking chamber temperature is the same in the above two cooking processes.

15. The cooking method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the food to be heated includes steamed food, fried food, pastry, hot meal or porridge, and the temperature of the hot air is 140°C-160°C.

16. The cooking method according to claim 15, wherein the temperature of the hot air is 150°C.

17. The cooking method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the food to be heated includes steamed food, fried food, pastry, hot meal or porridge, and the temperature of the steam is 100-120°C.

18. The cooking method according to claim 17, wherein the temperature of the steam is 115°C.

19. The cooking method according to claim 11, when handling different types of food to be heated and / or different heating requirements, the on-off time and / or the amount of hot air and steam supplied are adjusted respectively.

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