Combination oven with independent cooking modules

A modular oven comprising:

• an outer cabinet defining an oven volume including multiple module locations;
• a first oven module independently removably receivable within the outer cabinet to be supported by the outer cabinet, the module having an independent housing supporting:
• a heater and a thermal sensor,
• a fan, and
• nonremovable upper and lower walls, and
• a first heating element;
• a second oven module independently removably receivable within the outer cabinet to be supported by the outer cabinet, the module having an independent housing supporting:
• a heater and a thermal sensor,
• a fan,
• nonremovable upper and lower walls, and
• a second heating element;
• wherein the first heating element is distinct from the second heating element;
• and
• a control system operatively connected to each cooking module, the control system configured to control the first and second heating element based on cooking schedules corresponding to each distinct module type,
• wherein each module is configured to perform a distinct cooking operation selected from the group consisting of convection cooking, steam cooking, impingement cooking, microwave cooking, infrared cooking, radiant cooking, and direct contact cooking
• wherein one of the first and second heating element is a steam generator heater independent of the heater of one of the first and second oven module and further comprising
• a controller communicating with the heater of the one of the first and second oven module, the thermal sensor and the steam generator heater, and executing a program stored in memory to:
• (i) control the heater of the one of the first and second oven module according to a temperature signal from the thermal sensor;
• (ii) control the steam generator heater according to a power setting of the oven wherein when the heater of the one of the first and second oven module is operating at a first power setting, generate a steam production signal, turn on the steam generator heater, and turn on the heater of the one of the first and second oven module, and when the one of the first and second oven module is operating at a second power setting, generate the steam detection signal, turn on the steam generator heater, and turn off the heater of the one of the first and second oven module.