Method and household appliance for controlling humidity

Method for controlling humidity in a cavity of a household appliance, comprising at least the following steps:

• a) adjusting a set humidity value for a boost cycle and/or a cooking cycle and/or a de-steaming cycle of steam cooking operation of a cooking process by a user input;
• b) humidity control carried out throughout the steam cooking operation,
• said step of humidity control comprising at least the following steps:
• i) measuring a first input value by the at least one first sensor and measuring a second input value by the at least one second sensor;
• ii) correlating said first input value and said second input value to a humidity index value from a matrix, wherein said matrix comprises such humidity index value, said matrix being deposited in a control unit of the household appliance, said correlation comprising comparing said first input value and/or said second input value to the matrix;
• iii) comparing said humidity index value from step ii) to a set humidity value for a boost cycle and/or a cooking cycle and/or a de-steaming cycle of a cooking process from step a);
• iv) determining and/or generating a humidity output signal for controlling a humidity controlling means based on the comparison from step iii);
• and
• v) controlling said humidity controlling means and generating a humidity value in the cavity according to the humidity output signal.

An appliance comprising a heatable cavity for cooking food stuffs, a compartment located exterior of said cavity and being in fluid communication therewith via a duct that can be opened and closed via a valve, a first sensor for measuring a first input value comprising at least one of a first temperature value and a first humidity value measured at a location within said compartment where the temperature is about or less than 100° C. during operation of said appliance, a second sensor for measuring a second input value comprising a second temperature value within said cavity, said compartment comprising a fan for diluting with ambient air cooking fumes entering said compartment from said cavity via said duct and for exhausting a mixture of said cooking fumes and said ambient air from within said compartment out of the appliance, a humidity controlling means adapted to introduce steam into said cavity, a control unit in operative communication with each of said first sensor, said second sensor, said valve and said humidity controlling means, said control unit being adapted to continuously receive first input value data from said first sensor and second temperature value data from said second sensor and to continuously correlate said first and second input values with a corresponding humidity index value from a lookup table, said control unit being further adapted to continuously compare said continuously correlated humidity index value to a set humidity value to thereby regulate the humidity in said cavity in order to target said humidity index value to said set humidity value by:

• actuating said valve to facilitate expulsion of humidity-laden cooking fumes from said cavity through said duct;
• and
• operating said humidity generating means to introduce steam into said cavity.