Abstract: A steam heated beatershaft for use in a cooking chamber is shown in FIG. 1 having at its drive end a driven shaft (2) and at its opposite end a hollow shaft (4) which in use is connected to a steam supply whereby steam can be fed from a concentric steam chamber and respective hollow support arms into respective annular hollow rings (9). A collecting tube extends from each hollow ring through a respective hollow arm into a collection chamber mounted concentrically within the steam chamber so that as the rings (9) rotate in heating and agitating the material in the cooking chamber condensate within the hollow rings (9) is collected and transfered from the collection chamber through a discharge tube provide through the hollow shaft (4).