A process and apparatus for cooking food in a roasting vessel, in which the temperature in and around the roasting vessel is measured and used to regulate the cooking temperature according to a preset program by means of a control circuit which activates and deactivates an electric heating element. By controlling the heat output according to a preset program, whereby the program is effected when a predetermined temperature differential from the preset roasting temperature is reached, the cooking temperature can be controlled without overshooting the preset roasting temperature, even during high rates of temperature increase which occur during the heating cycle of the roasting operation.