초록 ▼

The method and apparatus for preparing foodstuffs by boiling and/or steaming including a thin walled and, hence, crushable insert having water-tight properties and mounted within a porous structure providing support for the thin walled insert, and holding the insert in a spaced fashion relative to t

The method and apparatus for preparing foodstuffs by boiling and/or steaming including a thin walled and, hence, crushable insert having water-tight properties and mounted within a porous structure providing support for the thin walled insert, and holding the insert in a spaced fashion relative to the bottom and side walls of a cooking vessel, thereby forming the equivalent of a heat pipe structure in the hollow gap space between the insert support and the cooking vessel. For foodstuff preparation by boiling, water may be added to both the vessel interior and the insert interior, the foodstuffs being placed within the insert. The insert may be provided with a lip bridging the aforesaid gap to facilitate filling or emptying of the insert without spilling the insert contents into the vessel, thereby keeping it substantially clean. The aforesaid lip may completely surround the insert and overlie the gap, suitable openings being provided to permit the escape of steam therethrough. The vessel may be employed with steam generating apparatus provided either independently of or in combination with heating apparatus such as the hot plate, for example.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for use with a cooking vessel and including a removable lid for heating solid and liquid foodstuffs either separately or together while spacing the foodstuff from the bottom and walls of the cooking vessel used to heat the foodstuff comprising: said vessel having an upper open end for rece

Apparatus for use with a cooking vessel and including a removable lid for heating solid and liquid foodstuffs either separately or together while spacing the foodstuff from the bottom and walls of the cooking vessel used to heat the foodstuff comprising: said vessel having an upper open end for receiving the removable lid and adapted to receive and contain water for heating; a holder received by said vessel and having a bowl-shaped perforated portion and an upper portion for supporting the holder in said vessel so that the side wall and bottom of the bowl-shaped perforated portion are respectively spaced from the side wall and bottom of said vessel; an insert positioned in said holder; said insert being a liquid-tight bowl-shaped disposable plastic member thermoformed so as to have a thin bowl-shaped body defined by a continuous side-wall and an integral bottom; the upper part of said bowl-shaped body being formed with an integral annular flange disposed generally outward and away from said insert wall and shaped to at least partially engage the upper edge of said holder, said flange being semi-rigid and sufficiently strong such that it cooperates with said thin bowl-shaped body to support and hold said insert upon the holder without the need for any additional holding means when said flange is iN engagement with the upper edge of said holder; the continuous side-wall and integral bottom of the insert bowl-shaped body conforming respectively to the side wall and bottom of the holder to smoothly and substantially intimately engage the inner surface of the holder without having to be folded, enabling the heated fluid in the vessel and located between the vessel and the holder to intimately engage substantially the entire exterior bowl-shaped surface of the insert, the thickness of the insert being chosen to maximize heat transfer to the foodstuff through the insert.