No preheat system for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance incorporating a no preheat cooking mode comprising:

• an oven cavity;
• at least one heat source disposed to direct heat into said oven cavity;
• a control panel including a plurality of input members for programming at least time and temperature parameters for a cooking operation within the oven cavity and for selectively establishing a no preheat cooking mode for the cooking appliance;
• and
• means for controlling said at least one heat source in accordance with a no preheat cooking sequence upon establishing the no preheat cooking mode, said controlling means being adapted to activate the at least one heat source at a maximum heat output for a first predetermined time period and at a varying heat output through a plurality of stages for a second time period, with said first and second time periods being collectively equal to the programmed time parameter.

In a cooking appliance including an oven cavity, a plurality of heat sources positioned to direct heat into said oven cavity, and a control panel having a plurality of input members for programming time and temperature parameters for a cooking operation within the oven cavity, a method of performing the cooking operation without preheating the oven cavity comprising:

• A) setting a time parameter for a cooking operation, with the time parameter being based upon the cooking operation being performed with preheating of the oven cavity;
• B) activating multiple ones of the plurality of heat sources at maximum heat outputs for a first time period of the cooking operation;
• C) operating the cooking appliance through a plurality of managed heat generation stages for a second time period of the cooking operation, while individually controlling the plurality of heat sources;
• and
• D) completing a cooking operation in the programmed time parameter without initially preheating the cooking appliance.