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A natural convection steam cooking device with a cooking cavity having a floor defining a lower boundary thereof and a sidewall defining a side boundary thereof, the floor having a plurality of first holes therein, the sidewall having a plurality of second holes therein; a steam chamber disposed bel

A natural convection steam cooking device with a cooking cavity having a floor defining a lower boundary thereof and a sidewall defining a side boundary thereof, the floor having a plurality of first holes therein, the sidewall having a plurality of second holes therein; a steam chamber disposed below the cooking cavity and along the sidewall, the steam chamber having a pool disposed below the floor; wherein the steam enters the cooking cavity from the steam chamber via both the first holes and the second holes; and wherein the steam circulates within the device in an unforced manner by natural convection. The first holes and the second holes may have a ratio of cross-sectional areas of approximately 2:3. And method(s) of providing steam to, and design of steam flow for, a cooking cavity of a commercial steam cooking device.

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What is claimed is: 1. A natural convection steam cooking device, comprising: a cooking cavity having a floor defining a lower boundary thereof and a sidewall defining a side boundary thereof, said floor having a plurality of first holes therein, said sidewall having a plurality of second holes the

What is claimed is: 1. A natural convection steam cooking device, comprising: a cooking cavity having a floor defining a lower boundary thereof and a sidewall defining a side boundary thereof, said floor having a plurality of first holes therein, said sidewall having a plurality of second holes therein; a steam chamber disposed below said cooking cavity and along said sidewall, said steam chamber operatively connecting to said cooking cavity via said first and second holes for the passage of steam from said steam chamber into said cooking cavity, said steam chamber having a pool disposed below said floor; a heat source for heating water in said pool so as to generate steam in said steam chamber; wherein said steam enters said cooking cavity from said steam chamber via both said first holes and said second holes; and wherein said steam circulates within said device in an unforced manner by natural convection. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said floor generally defines a boundary of said steam chamber. 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said steam chamber includes a first generally horizontal section disposed between said pool and said floor and a second generally vertical section disposed proximate said sidewall. 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said second section is bounded by said sidewall. 5. The device of claim 3 wherein said pool extends directly beneath said first and second compartments. 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said first holes and said second holes have a ratio of cross-sectional areas of approximately 2:3. 7. The device of claim 1 wherein said second holes are disposed in a lower ⅔ of said sidewall. 8. The device of claim 1 further comprising an exhaust connecting said cooking cavity to atmosphere, said exhaust comprising an exhaust duct and a cap moveably engaging said exhaust duct, wherein said cap is operative to limit pressures in said cooking chamber to not more than slightly above atmosphere. 9. The device of claim 1 wherein said steam circulates within said cooking device in an unforced manner by natural convection along two paths: a first path from said steam chamber out through said first holes to said cooking cavity and then back to said steam chamber; and a second path from said pool, generally vertically proximate said sidewall, then out through said second holes into said cooking cavity, and then back to said steam chamber. 10. The device of claim 1 wherein said heat source comprises one or more electrical heating elements. 11. The device of claim 1 wherein a bottom of said pool is disposed at an angle to horizontal, and further comprising a water inlet for said pool disposed on a lower side of said bottom. 12. The device of claim 1 further comprising an automatically resetting thermal sensor connected to control said heat source such that heat source is turned off in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature, but is turned on in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature below said predetermined temperature. 13. The device of claim 1: wherein said steam chamber includes a first generally horizontal section disposed between said pool and said floor and a second generally vertical section disposed proximate said sidewall; wherein said floor generally defines a boundary of said first section of said steam chamber and said second section is bounded by said sidewall; wherein said pool extends directly beneath said first and second compartments; wherein said first holes and said second holes have a ratio of cross-sectional areas of approximately 2:3; wherein said steam circulates within said cooking device in an unforced manner by natural convection along two paths: a first path from said steam chamber out through said first holes to said cooking cavity and then back to said steam chamber; and a second path from said pool, generally vertically proximate said sidewall, then out through said second holes into said cooking cavity, and then back to said steam chamber. 14. The device of claim 13: wherein said heat source comprises one or more electrical heating elements; wherein said second holes are disposed in a lower ⅔ of said sidewall; wherein a bottom of said pool is disposed at an angle to horizontal, and further comprising a water inlet for said pool disposed on a lower side of said bottom; and further comprising an automatically resetting thermal sensor connected to control said heat source such that heat source is turned off in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature, but is turned on in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature below said predetermined temperature. 15. The device of claim 1 wherein said sidewall is removable without the use of tools. 16. The device of claim 1 wherein said cooking cavity has a shape of a parallelepiped. 17. The device of claim 16 wherein at least two walls defining said cooking cavity, not including a door, are immovably fixed to the device. 18. The device of claim 16 wherein at least two walls defining said cooking cavity, not including a door, are non-porous. 19. The device of claim 16 wherein said cooking cavity has a volume of about two cubic feet or more. 20. The device of claim 1 wherein said cooking cavity is adapted to support a plurality of trays for holding food to be cooked. 21. A method of providing steam to a cooking cavity of a commercial steam cooking device, said cooking cavity having a floor defining a lower boundary thereof and a sidewall defining a side boundary thereof, said method comprising: generating steam by heating water in a pool disposed below said cooking cavity, said pool forming a portion of a steam chamber; routing steam from said steam chamber to said cooking cavity via both a plurality of first holes in said floor and a plurality of second holes in said sidewall; and circulating said steam within said device in an unforced manner by natural convection. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said steam chamber includes a first generally horizontal section disposed between said pool and said floor and a second generally vertical section disposed proximate said sidewall, and wherein said routing steam to said cooking cavity comprises routing steam along said second section and out said second holes. 23. The method of claim 21 wherein said second section is bounded by said sidewall. 24. The method of claim 22 wherein said pool extends directly beneath said first and second compartments and wherein said generating steam comprises heating water in said pool and thereby supplying steam directly to said first and second sections of said steam chamber. 25. The method of claim 21 wherein said routing steam to said cooking cavity comprises routing approximately 1쩍 times as much steam to said cooking cavity via said second holes as compared to via said first holes. 26. The method of claim 21 wherein said second holes are disposed entirely in a lower ⅔ of said sidewall. 27. The method of claim 21 further comprising limiting pressures in said cooking chamber to not more than slightly above atmosphere by connecting said cooking cavity to atmosphere via exhaust duct and a cap that moveably engages said exhaust duct. 28. The method of claim 21 wherein said circulating said steam within said device in an unforced manner by natural convection comprises circulating said steam within said cooking device in an unforced manner by natural convection along two paths: a first path from said steam chamber out through said first holes to said cooking cavity and then back to said steam chamber; and a second path from said pool, generally vertically proximate said sidewall, then out through said second holes into said cooking cavity, and then back to said steam chamber. 29. The method of claim 21 further comprising: a) in response to turning on said cooking device, initiating a water flow into said pool and substantially simultaneously activating a heat source to generate heat; b) thereafter, controlling the on/off state of the heat source based on a thermal sensor in thermal communication with said pool while circulating steam within said device by unforced natural convection. 30. The method of claim 29 further comprising: c) thereafter draining said pool in response to turning off said cooking device; and d) thereafter repeating steps a and b. 31. The method of claim 29 further comprising feeding water to said pool at a uniform rate during step b. 32. The method of claim 29 wherein said controlling the heat source comprises turning said heat source off in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature and thereafter automatically turning said heat source back on in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature below said predetermined temperature. 33. The method of claim 29 wherein said pool has a pool floor disposed at an angle relative to horizontal, and wherein said initiating a water flow into said pool comprises initiating a water flow into said pool via an inlet disposed proximate a lower side of said pool floor. 34. The method of claim 29 wherein said steam cooking device further comprises a steam trap assembly disposed adjacent said cooking cavity and having downwardly extending baffle; and further comprising, after step a, feeding water from said pool to said steam trap assembly. 35. The method of claim 21: wherein said steam chamber includes a first generally horizontal section disposed between said pool and said floor and a second generally vertical section disposed proximate said sidewall, and wherein said routing steam to said cooking cavity comprises routing steam along said second section and out said second holes; wherein said pool extends directly beneath said first and second compartments and wherein said generating steam comprises heating water in said pool and thereby supplying steam directly to said first and second sections of said steam chamber; wherein said routing steam to said cooking cavity comprises routing approximately 1쩍 times as much steam to said cooking cavity via said second holes as compared to via said first holes; wherein said circulating said steam within said device in an unforced manner by natural convection comprises circulating said steam within said cooking device in an unforced manner by natural convection along two paths: a first path from said steam chamber out through said first holes to said cooking cavity and then back to said steam chamber; and a second path from said pool, generally vertically proximate said sidewall, then out through said second holes into said cooking cavity, and then back to said steam chamber. 36. The method of claim 35 further comprising: a) in response to turning on said cooking device, initiating a water flow into said pool and substantially simultaneously activating a heat source to generate heat; b) thereafter, controlling the on/off state of the heat source based on a thermal sensor in thermal communication with said pool while circulating steam within said device by unforced natural convection; c) thereafter draining said pool in response to turning off said cooking device; and d) thereafter repeating steps a and b; e) wherein said controlling the heat source comprises turning said heat source off in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature and thereafter automatically turning said heat source back on in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature below said predetermined temperature. 37. The method of claim 35: wherein said pool has a pool floor disposed at an angle relative to horizontal, and wherein said initiating a water flow into said pool comprises initiating a water flow into said pool via an inlet disposed proximate a lower side of said pool floor; wherein said steam cooking device further comprises a steam trap assembly disposed adjacent said cooking cavity and having downwardly extending baffle; and further comprising, after step a, feeding water from said pool to said steam trap assembly; and wherein said second holes are disposed entirely in a lower ⅔ of said sidewall. 38. A method of designing steam flow in a natural convection steam cooking device having a cooking cavity, said cooking cavity having a floor defining a lower boundary thereof and a sidewall defining a side boundary thereof, said method comprising: establishing a plurality of first holes in said floor and a plurality of second holes in said sidewall; said first and second holes operatively connecting said cooking cavity to a steam chamber located below said floor and proximate said sidewall; running first and second tests with a first size and/or location of said second holes to generate first and second respective test results, said tests comprising: routing steam from said steam chamber to said cooking cavity via both said first holes and said second holes and circulating said steam within said device in an unforced manner by natural convection; monitoring heat transfer in said cooking cavity during said routing; selecting the size and/or location of said second holes corresponding to said test whose test results indicate more uniform heat transfer. 39. The method of claim 38 wherein said tests further comprises placing a plurality of trays in said cooking cavity, and wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring the temperature of a mass placed in each of said trays during said routing. 40. The method of claim 39 wherein said selecting comprises selecting the size and/or location of said second holes corresponding to said test whose test results indicate a minimum time difference between a first of said masses reaching a temperature and the last of said masses reaching said temperature. 41. The method of claim 40 wherein said plurality of trays comprises at least five trays.