Cooking oven having an active vent

A method of controlling a moisture level within an oven during a cooking cycle, the oven comprising a housing, a cook cavity located within the housing, a heating element configured to heat an air within the cook cavity, an active vent interconnecting the cook cavity and an outside of the housing, the active vent including a vent opening to the outside of the housing, the active vent including a divider separating the vent opening to the outside of the housing into a first pathway of airflow of the active vent and a second pathway of airflow of the active vent, the active vent including a controllable rotatable flap, the rotatable flap to open or close the active vent, a blower configured to expel the air within the cook cavity to the outside of the housing through the vent opening and the first pathway of airflow of the active vent and, at the same time, to draw in an ambient air from the outside of the housing through the vent opening and the second pathway of airflow of the active vent, the divider configured to keep separate the air to be expelled from the first pathway of airflow of the active vent through the vent opening, while at the same time allowing the ambient air to be drawn in through the vent opening and the second pathway of airflow of the active vent, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) turning on the heating element to initiate the cooking cycle;
• (b) keeping the rotatable flap closed during an initial stage of the cooking cycle;
• (c) after the initial stage of the cooking cycle, opening the rotatable flap;
• and
• (d) keeping the rotatable flap open during at least a portion of a remainder of the cooking cycle.

An oven comprising:

• a housing;
• a cook cavity located within the housing, wherein the housing includes a food opening to the cook cavity and the cook cavity is configured to receive a food item through the food opening;
• an oven door for covering the food opening;
• a heating element configured to heat an air within the cook cavity;
• a first active vent interconnecting the cook cavity and an outside of the housing, the first active vent including a first vent opening to the outside of the housing, the first active vent including a first divider separating the first vent opening to the outside of the housing into a first pathway of airflow of the first active vent and a second pathway of airflow of the first active vent, the first active vent including a controllable first rotatable flap, the first rotatable flap to open or close the first active vent;
• a second active vent interconnecting the cook cavity and the outside of the housing, the second active vent including a second vent opening to the outside of the housing, the second active vent including a second divider separating the second vent opening to the outside of the housing into a first pathway of airflow of the second active vent and a second pathway of airflow of the second active vent, the second active vent including a controllable second rotatable flap, the second rotatable flap to open or close the second active vent;
• a blower configured to expel the air within the cook cavity to the outside of the housing through the first vent opening and the first pathway of airflow of the first active vent and, at the same time, to draw in an ambient air from the outside of the housing through the first vent opening and the second pathway of airflow of the first active vent, and the blower configured to expel the air within the cook cavity to the outside of the housing through the second vent opening and the first pathway of airflow of the second active vent, and, at the same time, to draw in an ambient air from the outside of the housing through the second vent opening and the second pathway of airflow of the second active vent;
• the first divider configured to keep separate the air to be expelled from the first pathway of airflow of the first active vent through the first vent opening, while at the same time allowing the ambient air to be drawn in through the first vent opening and the second pathway of airflow of the first active vent;
• the second divider configured to keep separate the air to be expelled from the first pathway of airflow of the second active vent through the second vent opening, while at the same time allowing the ambient air to be drawn in through the second vent opening and the second pathway of airflow of the second active vent;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the first rotatable flap, the second rotatable flap, and the heating element, the controller comprising:
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories operatively coupled to the one or more processors and having stored thereon instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the controller to perform the steps of:
• (a) turning on the heating element to initiate a cooking cycle;
• (b) keeping at least one of the first rotatable flap and the second rotatable flap closed during an initial stage of the cooking cycle;
• and
• (c) keeping at least one of the first rotatable flap and the second rotatable flap open during at least a portion of a remainder of the cooking cycle.