Patent Grant
7617948
None
The present invention relates to an article of cookware, and in particular to a cookware vessel with a multiple component lid.
The lid of a cookware vessel is conventionally a solid member with a diameter and edge size to fit into the upper rim of the underlying cooking vessel. A transparent lid is favored by some to observe the progress of cooking without removing the lid. Also known are lids with a plurality of hole to be used as a sieve or screen for draining water from pasta, for example.
A lid serves to retain the heat of cooking, as well as prevent the spatter of oil, boiling sauce and the like outside of the cooking vessel. While the progress of cooking can be observed through a transparent lid, the lid must be removed to stir the content of the cooking vessel. Removing the lid during stirring thus increases the likelihood of some of the contents spattering onto the cook or the kitchen area. Further, a transparent lid can easily become “fogged” by miniscule drops of vapor that condense on it, if it has not anti-fog coating (or if it is accidentally removed from aggressive cleaning). While glass lids can easily be cleaned of these condensed vapor drops, the contents of the pan must again be opened, inviting the possibility of spattered oil or sauce.
It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a cookware lid system and device that minimizes the potential for the contents of the cooking vessel to spatter when they are being stirred.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a glass cooking lid that is easy to clean.
In the present invention, the first object is achieved by providing a two component cookware lid for a cooking vessel. The cookware article comprises a substantially circular fluid containing cooking vessel having a substantially planar portion of the interior bottom cooking surface with substantially upright surrounding walls that terminate in a first rim. The lid for covering the cooking vessel has a first lower surrounding or annular component adapted for sealing engagement with the first rim of said fluid containing vessel and terminates at a second or upper rim. A cover is adapted for sealed engagement with the second rim of the lower annular component. The lower annular component has an inner concavity second or upper rim has a smaller circumference than the substantially planar portion of the interior bottom cooking surface. The cover or upper lid is preferably glass to observe the foodstuffs cooking in the vessel. When the cover or upper lid is removed to stir the contents the remaining lower annular components acts as a splash or spatter shield. More preferably, the cover or upper lid has a flat bottom surface so that it can be used as a food press when fitted against the interior bottom cooking surface.
The above and other objects, effects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the article of cookware 10 includes a food retaining cooking vessel 11 that comprises a substantially circular or elliptically shaped bottom cooking surface 12 surrounded by substantially upright walls 13, which extend upward to terminate in rim 14 to define a fluid containing vessel. The article of cookware 10 also includes a lid 100 that rests in substantially sealed engagement on rim 14. The lid 100 comprises a lower surrounding and preferably annular portion 110 that terminates in an upper rim 114 and an upper cover 120 that rests in substantially sealed engagement on or within the upper rim 114. In this embodiment the cover 120 is shown as being comprised of a horizontal member 125 that is a substantially flat transparent glass plate with a centrally disposed inverted U-shaped handle 133. The circumference of the upper rim 114 of the lower annular portion of the lid is at least somewhat smaller than the rim 14 of the cookware article 10 itself so that the walls 113 of the lid turn inward, preferably with concave curvature, as they extend upward from the rim 14 of the cooking vessel 11.
The configuration of the article of cookware 10 with lid 100 has the numerous benefits. First, only the uppermost covering portion 120 of the lid 100 need be removed for stirring the contents of the pot. Thus, with the remaining lower surrounding or annular portion 110 left in place on rim 14, the contents can be observed or stirred. In this arrangement, shown in
In
Food presses are frequently used to cook bacon and similar thinly sliced meats having a relatively high fat content, which would otherwise curl and distort in shape when cooked on a griddle or frying pan. This is undesirable from an aesthetic, as well as practical viewpoint, as for example should the chefs wish to assemble sandwiches that stay closed. The pressure exerted by the mass of the cover 120 prevents curling of such meats that occurs due to uneven shrinkage, as fat is rendered during cooking or browning. Once the first side of the meat or bacon is sufficiently cooked, the now flat bacon pieces can turned over so that the opposite side may be cooked without the cover 120. However, the omission of the plate on cooking the second side depends on the thickness of the meat or foodstuff and the quantity of fat rendered there from. The lid 120 can also be used a food press to grill sandwiches and the like. Food presses also help render fat from thicker pieces of meat and cook irregular foodstuffs faster by increasing the contacting surface area with the heated interior bottom cooking surface.
Thus, the lower surface of horizontal member 125 opposite handle 133 is generally flat for use as a grill or food. Preferably, the horizontal member 125 of cover 120 is glass so that the progress of the cooking process and contents can be observed without the cover 120 being removed. The horizontal member 125 of cover 120 is more preferably tempered glass. It is further preferred, as shown in
It should be further appreciated that combination of a transparent glass horizontal member 125 to engage and rest with the lower annular portion 110 provides an alternative way of providing a generally a dome shaped lid while avoiding the need for specially formed or slumped glass to create the dome shape.
The article of cookware 10 has at least one side handle, such as long handle 130 on the cooking vessel portion 11. It is also further preferable that the cooking vessel itself has a short or helper side handle 131 directly opposite longer side handle 130. It is also preferable that both portions of the lid 100 have separate handles. Thus, the lower annular portion 110 has a handle 132 and cover 120 has a handle 133. Handle 133 is generally an inverted U-shape with an L-shaped flange 134 at each end. The horizontal portion of the “L” is used to attached to the horizontal member of cover 120 with a rivets 140.
It should be understood that in the preferred embodiments the lower annular portion 110 is metal or the same material used to construct the cooking vessel portion 11 of cookware article 10.
It should be understood that in other embodiments of the invention the cookware article is optionally a pot or a pan having an overall shape that is circular, elliptical, oblong, rectangular or square. The cover 120 while preferably being glass, can also be metallic, enamel covered metal or glass-ceramic material. Likewise, while the lower annular portion 110 is preferably metal it is also optionally glass, glass-ceramic, or enamel covered metal. Further, the cover portion 120 need not be entirely flat depending on the intended use as a food press, it may be slightly curved or textured (as shown in
It should also be appreciated that the lid portion can be configured to have a lower central portion that acts as the food press, with a surrounding region being available for engaging and resting on rim 114.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968950 | Maigret | Aug 1934 | A |
| 7090090 | Ohyama | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 20040200360 | Howell et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040216620 | Quiggins et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080087673 A1 | Apr 2008 | US |
