COOKING BAG WITH INTEGRATED FEATURES

Abstract

There is provided a cooking bag having one or more integrated features for assisting in cooking a food item via sous vide or other convectional cooking methods. One such feature is an interior bag wall that separates its interior volume into first and second compartments, one for a food item to be cooked and the other for a solid seasoning item. The interior bag wall includes a liquid permeable portion that allows liquid to pass between the first and second compartments but inhibits the passage of solids. Another feature is a thermometer integrated into the bag for indicating whether a food item has reached a predetermined threshold temperature during cooking.

Description

BACKGROUND

Sous vide is a style of cooking wherein a food item is placed in an isolated container, such as a bag, under at least partial vacuum and then immersed in a cooking medium at a lower-than-normal cooking temperature for a longer-than-normal cooking period. Placing the food item in an isolated container allows the moisture and juices released by the food item during cooking to be kept with the food item rather than emitted to the surrounding environment. Keeping the moisture and juices with the food item results in food with increased flavor that is not dried out. The lower cooking temperature allows the food to be evenly cooked without the risk of over-cooking. The food can be cooked at or slightly above the desired final food temperature and is typically cooked until all of the food reaches that temperature. Because of the lower cooking temperatures, it takes longer to cook a food item via sous vide than other cooking methods that use relatively high temperatures. Maintaining the food under vacuum improves heat transfer between the cooking medium and the food item through the container because heat need not traverse an air gap within the container. The reduced air, and thus reduced oxygen, also minimizes the chance that food will become undesirably oxidized during cooking. Additionally, removing air from the container allows the food item to be sealed in the container well in advance of cooking such that it can be easily preserved via refrigeration or freezing until the food item is ready to be cooked. This also minimizes the chance the food will become undesirably oxidized during storage.

In addition to cooking a food item such that it retains its own moisture and juices, it may be desirable to season a food item cooked via sous vide. While the food item can be seasoned after the cooking process is complete, there are advantages to cooking the food item with the seasoning in the container along with the food. However, there are potential issues with including the seasoning in the container along with the food. For example, seasoning ingredients placed directly in the same compartment with the food can become a caked amalgam during cooking that can coat the food, similar to a paste, which can be considered unappetizing. Thus, there is a desire for an improved way to season a food item to be cooked via sous vide.

The lower cooking temperature and longer cooking times of sous vide can cause a user used to conventional cooking times and temperatures to have difficulty knowing when cooking via sous vide is complete. It is desirable to know the central, internal temperature of the food item because this is typically the last portion of the food item to reach the final desired temperature. One way in which the central, internal temperature of the food item can measured is by inserting a conventional cooking thermometer into the food item. However, this requires not only disrupting the cooking process but also the piercing of the sous vide bag, thus disrupting the vacuum seal. Additional, a thermometer could be placed entirely within the bag, but this can cause difficulties in reading the temperature measured by the thermometer. Thus, there is a need for an improved way to monitor the central, internal temperature of a food item being cooked via sous vide.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes integrated features associated with a cooking bag for assisting in cooking a food item in the cooking bag via sous vide cooking or conventional cooking methods.

There is provided a cooking bag that includes a plurality of bag walls that define an interior volume and a bag opening. An interior bag wall divides the interior volume into a first compartment and a second compartment. At least a portion of the interior bag wall is liquid permeable while preventing passage of solids having a mean diameter greater than 1 mm such that liquid can pass between the first compartment and the second compartment through the interior bag wall. The second compartment contains a solid seasoning item for seasoning a food item being cooked or to be cooked in the first compartment.

There is also provided a cooking bag that includes a plurality of bag walls that define an interior volume and a bag opening. A first bag wall of the plurality of bag walls includes a thermometer hermetically sealed in a hole therein. The thermometer has a body that includes piercing portion disposed within the interior volume. The thermometer also includes a temperature effector disposed within said body adjacent or within said piercing portion, or thermally connected to said piercing portion, and temperature indicator disposed outside said bag. The temperature effector and temperature indicator are coupled together such that upon the temperature effector being heated to a predetermined threshold temperature, the temperature indicator provides an indication that the predetermined threshold temperature has been reached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a schematic perspective view of a cooking bag according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 1B shows a first alternative for a liquid-permeable section of an interior bag wall of the cooking bag of according to FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C shows a second alternative for a liquid-permeable section of an interior bag wall of the cooking bag of according to FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A shows a schematic perspective view, partially cut away, of a cooking bag according to a second embodiment having a flap for closing an internal compartment in the open position.

FIG. 2B shows a schematic perspective view as in FIG. 2A having the aforesaid flap in the closed position.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view, partially cut away, of a cooking bag according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4A shows a schematic perspective view of a cooking bag according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 4B shows a view into the opening of the cooking bag of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C shows a side perspective view of the cooking bag of FIG. 4A, with the bag closed and the side walls removed.

FIG. 4D shows a cutaway side view of the cooking bag of FIG. 4A having a food item vacuum sealed therein.

FIG. 4E shows a schematic cutaway side view of a temperature detection unit of the cooking bag of FIG. 4A in a first state.

FIG. 4F is a view as in FIG. 4E with the temperature detection unit in a second state.

FIG. 5A shows a schematic perspective view, partially cut away, of a cooking bag according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 5B shows a schematic cutaway side view of a temperature detection unit of the cooking bag of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C shows a perspective view of the temperature detection unit of FIG. 5B in a first state.

FIG. 5D shows a perspective view of the temperature detection unit of FIG. 5B in a second state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A depicts a cooking bag 100 according to a first embodiment. The cooking bag 100 has an interior volume 101 for containing a food item to be cooked via sous vide, e.g. air sous vide or water sous vide, or other conventional cooking methods. The internal volume 101 can also contain a seasoning item to season the food item during cooking. The bag 100 includes opposing first and second bag walls 111 and 112. The bag also can have opposing side bag walls 113, 114. The bag walls 111, 112, 113, 114 can be made of any suitable food-grade material that can withstand typical sous-vide cooking temperatures (e.g. up to 200° F.), including polyethylene and polypropylene. The first bag wall 111 and second bag wall 112 can be generally rectangular in shape and are connected to one another along respective first edges thereof, forming a first bag edge 115 opposite the bag opening 102. To enable the bag to be expanded to accommodate the volume of food items, the first and second bag walls 111 and 112 can be connected adjacent their lateral edges via opposing side bag walls 113, 114 whose width (between the walls 111 and 112 define opening width of the bag. Opening ends of the respective walls 111, 112, 113 and 114, located opposite the seam 115, together define the perimeter of the bag opening 102, wherein the widths of side walls 113 and 114 enable the opening 102 to be a wide-mouth opening to accommodate insertion of larger food items.

The opening ends of the first bag wall 111 and second bag wall 112 contain or constitute sealing flaps 121, 122, respectively. To close the bag the sealing flaps 121, 122 can be brought together in face-to-face abutment or contact and joined via a conventional bag sealer as known in the art, which applies pressure and heat to partially melt the plastic in the adjoining flaps 121, 122 thereby heat-welding them to one another to seal, e.g. hermetically seal, the bag 100, thereby isolating its interior volume 101. Alternatively, the bag opening can be sealed via other sealing means, such as zippers, press and lock features, etc., so long as the interior volume 101 of the resulting closed bag will be substantially vacuum sealed if intended for sous-vide cooking, to permit drawing and sustaining a vacuum therein.

Once a food item has been inserted, sealing the bag keeps moisture and juices with the food item while cooking to provide additional flavor to the food item and keep it from becoming undesirably dry. If sous vide cooking is intended, then a vacuum sealers (also known in the art) can be used to draw air out of the internal volume 101 in order to collapse the bag and press it against the food item under vacuum within the volume 101. The seal at flaps 121, 122 preferably is strong enough to withstand increased internal pressure within the bag from evolved or expanding gases, as well as any exuded liquid, within the internal volume 101 during cooking.

In order to keep a food item and seasoning item separate therein, the interior volume 101 is divided into a plurality of compartments: e.g. a first compartment 101a can be provided for containing the food item during cooking, and a second compartment 101b for containing the seasoning item. An interior bag wall 130 divides the interior volume 101 into the respective compartments 101a, 101b. In the illustrated embodiment, the portion of the interior volume 101 between the first bag wall 111 and interior bag wall 130 constitutes the first compartment 101a, whereas the portion between the second bag wall 112 and interior bag wall 130 constitutes the second compartment 101b. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the interior bag wall 130 is of similar dimension as the first and second bag walls 111, 112 and extends essentially parallel thereto and midway therefrom between the opposing side walls 113 and 114. Preferably it also extends from the seam 115 opposite the bag opening 102 in order to ensure isolation between the adjacent first and second compartments 101a and 101b. However, it also may form a separate seam (not shown) with only one of the bag walls 111, 112 at a location remote from seam 115. In alternative embodiments, the interior bag wall 130 can have different dimensions than the first and second bag walls 111, 112. Similar to the first bag wall 111 and second bag wall 112, the interior bag wall 130 is generally rectangular in shape. The interior bag wall 130 is connected along a first edge thereof to either the first bag wall 111, second bag wall 112, or the bag edge 115. Additionally, the interior bag wall 130 is connected along a second edge thereof to the side bag wall 113, and along a third edge thereof to the side bag wall 114. As depicted, edge of the interior bag wall 130 is exposed adjacent to the bag opening 102, and may extend between the flaps 121, 122 when joined to ensure that they seal also against the proximal edge of the interior wall 130. This ensures separation of the first and second compartments 101a, 102a when the bag is sealed.

The seasoning item can be any solid ingredient that a user desires for seasoning a food item but does not wish to physically combine with the food item, and particularly to amalgamate to form a cake or paste on the food item. Examples of seasoning items include, but are not limited to, wood, seaweed, salt, herbs, spices, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, and other soluble and insoluble solid ingredients that contribute to flavoring food. The seasoning item can be a powdered seasoning item, e.g. one that mixes with liquid to produce a sauce for seasoning the food item. So that a seasoning item in the second compartment 101b can season a food item contained in the first compartment 101a, the interior wall 130 is passable to liquid over at least a permeable portion 131 of its surface. As depicted in FIG. 1B, the permeable portion 131 of the interior wall 130 can have perforations 133 (exaggerated in the figure for ease of reference) that allow liquid to travel therethrough between the compartments 101a and 101b, yet small enough to limit or prevent solid seasoning items from passing through. In example embodiments, an array of perforations 133 preferably having mean diameters of not more than 3 mm, more preferably not more than 2 mm, 1 mm, or 0.5 mm, can be provided in the permeable portion 131 of the wall 130. As depicted in FIG. 1B, the perforations 133 are circular. However, the perforations can have other shapes, including but not limited to star shapes and X shapes.

Alternatively, the permeable portion 131 of the interior bag wall 130 can be a porous or otherwise liquid permeable membrane 134. The liquid permeable membrane 134 can be, e.g., a porous membrane through which liquid water may pass via diffusion. Or it may be a fibrous membrane through which liquid may wick and pass via interstitial spaces between fibers. The permeable portion 131 of the wall 130 can be a reticulated web made of any suitable food-grade material known in the art, including cheesecloth and reticulated thermoplastics, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. However it is constituted, the permeable portion 131 may be a section of the interior wall 130 or it can constitute the entire interior bag wall 130. However constituted, preferably the permeable portion 131 of the wall 130 will prevent passage of solids having a mean diameter greater than 3 mm; preferably greater than 2 mm, 1 mm or 0.5 mm.

In an example cooking method, a food item is inserted into the first compartment 101a of a bag 100 (as in FIG. 1A) and a seasoning item is inserted into the second compartment 101b. The cooking bag 100 is then sealed via the sealing flaps 121, 122 and evacuated to prepare for sous vide cooking. The cooking bag 100 and its contents are then placed in a cooking medium. While the food item is being cooked in the first compartment 101a, moisture and/or juices emitted from the food item can traverse the permeable portion 131 of wall 130 into the second compartment 101b, which contains a seasoning item. The moisture and/or juices and the seasoning item mix to create a seasoning liquid in the second compartment 101b. For example, if the seasoning item is soluble, then it can dissolve therein forming a solution. Alternatively, the seasoning item may become suspended in the liquid. In either case (and in the case of suspension, provided that the suspended particles are small enough), the seasoning liquid can traverse the permeable portion 131 back into the first compartment 101a where it can season the food item. In some cases, agitation may be useful to cause food-sourced liquid to proceed to and from the second compartment to season the food item in the first compartment 101a. However, it is contemplated that usually sufficient reciprocating flow through the permeable portion 131 of the wall 130 will occur to effectively season the food item during a typical sous-vide cooking time, which can range from 2 to 6 hours depending on the food item.

Alternatively, the cooking bag 100 can be provided with a seasoning item pre-loaded into and sealed within the second compartment 101b prior to delivery to a user. This removes a user-performed step from the above example cooking method such that a user can season a food item in a more efficient manner. Additionally, this removes uncertainty for a user about which seasoning item and how much of it they want to use. Thus, a user selects a cooking bag having a preloaded seasoning item sealed within the second compartment. The user then places the food item in the first compartment, and proceeds with the steps outlined above for sealing the cooking bag and cooking the food item. It is contemplated in this embodiment, for example, that preseasoned cooking bags 100 can be sold having preselected flavors, e.g. teriyaki, chipotle, jerk, curry, rosemary tarragon, etc., which the consumer can select and purchase from a store and bring home to cook a food item according to the preselected seasoning.

FIGS. 2A-2B depict a cooking bag 200 according to a second embodiment. Similar to the cooking bag 200, the cooking bag 200 has an interior volume 201 that can contain a food item to be cooked via sous vide or other conventional cooking methods. The internal volume 201 can also contain a seasoning item to season the food item during cooking. The bag 200 includes a first bag wall 211 and a second bag wall 212 (analogous to walls 111 and 112 in the earlier embodiment), but does not include side bag walls. Instead, the opposing bag walls 211 and 212 are joined directly to one another at opposing lateral seams to yield a pouch-style bag 200. The bag walls 211, 212, can be made of any suitable food-grade material, including polyethylene and polypropylene. In the illustrated embodiment, the first bag wall 211 and second bag wall 212 are generally rectangular in shape and are connected to one another along three of four respective edges thereof, forming a first bag edge 215 opposite the bag opening 202, and opposing lateral bag edges.

Similar to the cooking bag 100, the interior volume 201 of the cooking bag 200 is divided into two compartments: a first compartment 201a, i.e. a food-item compartment, and a second compartment 201b, i.e. a seasoning compartment. An interior bag wall 230 divides the interior volume 201 into the respective compartment 201a, 201b. However, in this embodiment the interior bag wall 230 is smaller than the first and second bag walls 211, 212 and is connected to the second bag wall 230 along its edge(s) (i.e. first, second, and third edges 235, 236 and 237, respectively, as illustrated). As depicted, a fourth edge defines an opening 232 that provides access to the second compartment 201b from within the first compartment 201a.

A flap 238 can be provided to cover the opening 232 of the second compartment 201b. The flap 238 is movable between an open position (FIG. 2A) and a closed position (FIG. 2B). However, the flap 238 is preferably biased (i.e. its fold seam pre-stressed so that it tends) towards the closed portion covering the opening 232 and thereby isolating the first and second compartments 201a, 201b from one another. When the flap 238 is in the open position, a seasoning item can be inserted into the second compartment 201b through the opening 232. When the flap 238 is in the closed position, the seasoning item is generally secured in the second compartment 201b such that it is not drawn easily out of the second compartment 201b. This not only provides advantages during cooking, but also provides advantages during a vacuum seal step, whereby placing the interior volume 201 of the bag 200 under vacuum does not draw a seasoning item out of the second compartment 201b. It is not necessarily required that the flap 238 be effective to hermetically seal the compartment 201b from compartment 201a. Rather, so long as the flap provides sufficient interference so that relatively large solid seasoning items will not pass when it is closed, and the opening 232 itself is remote from the bag opening 201 so that suction upon sealing the bag 200 is not likely to draw a particulated seasoning item therefor, that will be sufficient.

The second compartment 201b can be used by a consumer to load a seasoning item for cooking as discussed above. Alternatively, the cooking bag 200 can be provided and sold with a seasoning item pre-loaded into and sealed within the second compartment 201b prior to delivery to a user. In this alternative, the flap 238 may not be present because access to the second compartment 201b by the consumer will not be required to insert a seasoning item. Rather, the second compartment 201b might be factory sealed via weld seams about its entire perimeter.

So that the seasoning item can season the food item, the interior wall 230 is passable to liquid over at least a permeable section 231 thereof as in the earlier embodiment. Also as above, the permeable section 231 can be a perforated section or a liquid-permeable membrane.

FIG. 3 depicts a cooking bag 300 according to a third embodiment similar to the second embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2A-2B. The cooking bag 300 has an interior volume 301 defined by first and second bag walls 311, 312 connected along their perimeter edge(s) (e.g. a bag edge 315 opposite the bag opening 302, and opposing lateral bag edges). Again, sealing flaps 321, 322 can be provided for sealing the interior volume 301 of the bag 300, which also is divided into a first compartment 301a and a second compartment 301b by an interior bag wall 330. Also as in the second embodiment, the interior wall 330 is attached to the second bag wall 312 along edges thereof (e.g. along first, second, and third edges thereof to form first, second, and third interior bag edges 335, 336, 337, respectively) to define the second compartment, which has an opening 332. However, in this embodiment the opening 332 of the second compartment 302b faces away from the opening 302 of the interior volume 301. With this configuration, a seasoning item can be inserted into the second compartment 302b through the opening 332, but a vacuuming sealing step will be very unlikely to draw a seasoning item out of the second compartment 302b through the opening 332. The interior bag wall 330 includes a liquid-permeable section 331, which can be a perforated section or a liquid-permeable membrane section thereof as above, and which serves a similar purpose.

FIGS. 4A-4D depicts a cooking bag 400 according to a fourth embodiment. The overall configuration of the cooking bag 400 is similar to the cooking bag 100 of the first embodiment. The cooking bag 400 has an interior volume 401 defined between opposing first and second bag walls 411 and 412, as well as opposing side bag walls 413 and 414 extending between the walls 411 and 412 at opposite lateral ends thereof. An opening 402 provides access to the interior volume 411. In this embodiment, a thermometer 440 is affixed to and penetrates the first bag wall 411. The thermometer 440 can be used to indicate when a food item being cooked within the bag 400 has reached a predetermined temperature, as described below.

The thermometer 440 includes a body 441 that extends inwardly into the interior volume 401 from the first bag wall 411 through a hole therein (not labeled). The edge of the hole in wall 411 accommodating the thermometer body 441 is preferably hermetically sealed thereto, e.g. via plastic welding, so that the bag can sustain a drawn vacuum in use once the bag opening 402 is closed. The body 441 has an internal volume 442 (FIG. 4E) for housing its components in isolation from the internal volume 401 of bag 400.

The body 441 can be generally cylindrical, with a cylindrical portion 441a and a lower piercing portion 441b designed to pierce and at least partially penetrate into a food item 15 (see FIG. 4D), for example when a vacuum is drawn on the bag 400 such that the wall 411 is drawn against the surface of the food item 15. The tension in wall 411 can urge the thermometer 440 to pierce and penetrate the food item 15 beginning at its piercing portion 441. Alternatively or in addition, external pressure (as with one's finger) can be applied from above the thermometer 440 outside the bag 400 to press the thermometer 440 into the food item 15.

The thermometer 440 includes a temperature effector 443 that reacts or changes configuration upon reaching a threshold temperature, located preferably at or adjacent the distal end of the thermometer 440 adjacent to or within the piercing portion 441. A temperature indicator 444 is operatively coupled to the temperature effector 443 and provides an indication that the threshold temperature for actuating the effector 443 has been achieved.

The thermometer 440 can be comparable to a conventional turkey timer, wherein the temperature effector 443 includes a spring-loaded stem 445 whose distal end 445d initially is adhesively held within a heat-softenable solid plug 443 (e.g. of metal) whose softening or melting point is tuned to correspond to a desired threshold temperature. The stem 445 is spring-biased to eject it from the plug 443 so that an indicator 444 attached to the stem outside of the body 441 (and outside of the bag 400) is deflected to provide an indication that the threshold temperature has been reached. The plug 443 preferably is disposed within the body 441 at its distal end and preferably within the tip of the piercing portion 441b in order to yield good thermal communication between the plug 443 and the food item outside the body 441 adjacent that portion 441b. In this manner, efficient heat transfer between the food and the plug 443 can be achieved to ensure that the plug routinely approximates the internal temperature of the food item 15 that has been pierced. When that temperature reaches the threshold temperature, the plug 443 softens or melts sufficiently to release the distal end 445d of the stem, which is then ejected via the aforementioned spring bias, thereby deflecting the indicator 444 so that a user observing it will know that cooking is completed.

In an alternative embodiment, the temperature effector can be constituted differently; e.g. as a thermocouple of two dissimilar metals whose differential voltage will shift as a function of temperature. The couple can be connected to a simple circuit housed in the body 441 that stores a look-up table to correlate voltage to temperature. A display (e.g. an LCD display, or an electrochromic display) can be disposed outside the body and even outside the bag to provide an indication of temperature; e.g. in numeric characters or in a photochromic shift wherein different colors approximate different temperatures. At temperatures at which sous vide cooking typically occurs (e.g. <200° F.) such a simple circuit can be effective.

FIGS. 5A-5D depicts another embodiment of a cooking bag 500 similar to the cooking bag 400 of FIG. 4A. The cooking bag 500 has an interior volume 501 defined between opposing first and second bag walls 511 and 512, as well as opposing side bag walls 513 and 514 extending between the walls 411 and 412 at opposite lateral ends thereof. An opening 502 provides access to the interior volume 501. The interior volume 501 is divided into a first compartment 501a and a second compartment 501b by an interior bag wall 530, e.g. similarly as in earlier embodiments. Also as in other embodiments, the interior bag wall 530 includes a liquid-permeable section 531 to permit the passage of food-exuded juices and moisture. The cooking bag 500 further includes a thermometer 540 affixed to the first bag wall 511.

The thermometer 540 here can be similar to the thermometer 440 described above in an earlier embodiment, i.e. having a temperature effector that reacts to changes in temperature or deflects upon reaching a threshold temperature, as well as a temperature indicator.

Alternatively, as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5B-5D the temperature effector 543 is made of a thermochromic material and can also serve as the temperature indicator. Below a threshold temperature, the thermochromic material has a non-transparent appearance. Above the threshold temperature, the thermochromic material has a transparent appearance. The threshold temperature can be in the range of desired cooking temperatures, such that when the food item 15 reaches the desired cooking temperature, the threshold temperature is reached. When the temperature of the temperature effector 543 reaches its threshold temperature, it becomes transparent. The transparency of the effector 543 results in visually perceptible change to the thermometer 540 that indicates to a user that the threshold (i.e. desired cooking) temperature has been reached. The material of the temperature effector 543 can be chosen based on a desired predetermined temperature, for example a desirable cooking temperature for a food item.

The temperature effector 543 is a colored (e.g. color-changing) feature that is easily visually distinguishable and detectable from the body 541 of the thermometer 540 from outside the bag 500. Optionally, the temperature effector 543 can cover a secondary temperature indicator 544, such as a contrasting surface or one with a preprinted message (e.g. “DONE”), such that when the temperature effector 543 is below its threshold temperature (and thus non-transparent), the secondary temperature indicator 544 is not visible. However, when the temperature effector 543 is at or above its threshold temperature, the secondary temperature indicator 544 is visible to indicate that the trigger temperature has been reached.

The thermometer 540 may include a conducting rod 545 extending within the interior volume 542 thereof from adjacent the portion 541b to adjacent the (and optionally contacting) the underside of the secondary indicator 544 or even the temperature effector 543. The conducting rod 545 is made of a material having a high thermal conductivity such that it can efficiently transfer heat from the tip of the piercing portion 541b to the temperature effector 543. Thus, when the temperature of the piercing portion 541b reaches the threshold temperature of the temperature effector 543, the thermal communication provided by conducting rod 545 results in the temperature effector 543 also reaching its threshold temperature.

The temperature detection unit 540 further includes a cover 547 that covers both the temperature effector 543 and the secondary temperature indicator 544. The cover 547 is transparent, which allows the temperature effector 543 to be seen therethrough. The cover 547 is preferably made from a thermally insulative material, which thermally isolates the temperature effector 543 from the environment outside of the cooking bag 500. Thus, the temperature of the temperature effector 543 is that of the conducting rod 545 and not of the surrounding environment, i.e. the cooking medium.

In alternative embodiments, the thermometer 540 can include a series of temperature effectors 543 and secondary temperature indicators 544. The various temperature indicators 544 can be of different colors and the various temperature effectors 543 can have different threshold temperatures, which allows the thermometer 540 to indicate multiple detected temperatures (and therefore cooking progress over time) to a user. For example, if the final desired internal temperature of the food item being cooked is 140° F., a first temperature effector 543 and temperature indicator 544 can show one color at 120° F., a second temperature effector 543 and temperature indicator 544 can show another color at 130° F., and a third temperature effector 543 and temperature indicator 544 can show a final color at 140° F. In this manner, the thermometer 540 can indicate cooking progress towards the final desired cooking temperature.

A number of illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above apparatuses and methods may incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, any similar features between two embodiments are readily exchangeable with one another such that one embodiment can contain modified feature in view of another embodiment. The invention is therefore not limited to particular details of this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims are necessarily so limited.

Claims

1. A cooking bag, comprising: a plurality of bag walls defining an interior volume of the bag and a bag opening; andan interior bag wall that divides the interior volume into a first compartment and a second compartment;at least a portion of the interior bag wall being liquid permeable while preventing passage of solids having a mean diameter greater than 1 mm such that liquid can pass between the first compartment and the second compartment through the interior bag wall, the second compartment containing a solid seasoning item for seasoning a food item being cooked or to be cooked in the first compartment.

2. The cooking bag of claim 1, the liquid permeable portion of the interior bag wall comprising a plurality of perforations having a diameter of not greater than 3 mm.

3. The cooking bag of claim 2, wherein the solid seasoning item is a powder seasoning.

4. The cooking bag of claim 1, the liquid permeable portion of the interior bag wall comprising a liquid permeable membrane.

5. The cooking bag of claim 1, further comprising sealing flaps adjacent to the bag opening configured to be heat-welded together in face-to-face abutment to seal the bag for cooking.

6. The cooking bag of claim 5, wherein the interior volume is hermetically sealed upon heat-welding together of said sealing flaps.

7. The cooking bag of claim 1, further comprising a second opening providing communication between said first and second compartments, and a flap configured to reversibly cover said second opening in order to isolate said second opening from said first opening and to inhibit passage of a seasoning item therebetween.

8. The cooking bag of claim 7, said flap being biased toward a closed position covering said second opening.

9. The cooking bag of claim 7, said second opening facing away from said bag opening.

10. The cooking bag of claim 1, further comprising a thermometer received and hermetically sealed in a hole through one of said plurality of bag walls, said thermometer comprising a piercing portion extending into said interior volume of the bag.

11. The cooking bag of claim 10, said thermometer comprising a temperature effector adapted to react or change configuration upon reaching a threshold temperature, said threshold temperature being predetermined to correspond to a final desired cooking temperature of said food item.

12. A cooking bag comprising: a plurality of bag walls defining an interior volume and a bag opening;a first bag wall of the plurality of bag walls comprising a thermometer hermetically sealed in a hole therein, the thermometer comprising a body having a piercing portion disposed within said interior volume, a temperature effector disposed within said body adjacent or within said piercing portion, or thermally communicating with the piercing portion, and a temperature indicator disposed outside said bag, wherein the temperature effector and temperature indicator are coupled together such that upon the temperature effector being heated to a predetermined threshold temperature, the temperature indicator provides an indication that the predetermined threshold temperature has been reached.

13. The cooking bag of claim 12, the temperature effector comprising a spring-loaded stem having a distal end initially adhesively retained within a heat-softenable plug, wherein the temperature indicator moves from a first position to a second position upon softening of said plug when said threshold temperature is reached thereby releasing the distal end of said spring-loaded stem.

14. The cooking bag of claim 13, said heat-softenable plug being located within or adjacent the piercing portion within said body such that it is in thermal communication therewith.

15. The cooking bag of claim 12, the temperature effector comprising a thermochromic material that is transparent above the predetermined threshold temperature and non-transparent below the predetermined threshold temperature.

16. The cooking bag of claim 15, wherein the temperature effector covers that temperature indicator such that the temperature indicator is visible only when the temperature effector is transparent.

17. The cooking bag of claim 16, further comprising a conducting rod within said body and having a first end adjacent the piercing portion and a second end adjacent the temperature effector, said conducting rod providing thermal communication between the piercing portion and the thermal effector.

18. The cooking bag of claim 16, further comprising a cover that covers the temperature effector and temperature indicator to thermally isolate them from an environment outside of the cooking bag.

19. The cooking bag of claim 12, said predetermined threshold temperature being tuned to correspond to a desired final cooking temperature of a food item cooking or to be cooked in said bag.