This application is a 371 application of PCT/JP2016/053763 having an international filing date of Feb. 9, 2016, which claims priority to JP2015-077865 filed Apr. 6, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a food cooking system for heating food with steam and microwaves.
To reheat frozen food so as to make it edible, there can be used a defrosting method such as defrosting frozen food by heating it over an open fire, defrosting frozen food by heating a vessel containing the frozen food in hot water, or defrosting frozen food by heating it in a microwave oven. Of these defrosting methods, microwave ovens make it possible to defrost frozen food easily and hygienically without making hands dirty, and are therefore generally widespread. Most of conventional microwave ovens have only so-called “warming” function or “microwave cooking” function of performing high-frequency heating of food, which is an object to be heated, by irradiating the food with microwaves. However, recently, with the diversification of food and the like, microwave ovens have become more and more multifunctional, and microwave ovens of a type having, in addition to the cooking functions using high-frequency heating, a so-called “steam cooking” function using steam heating are widely used (see Patent Literatures 1 and 2). While high-frequency heating has the advantage of short heating time, it has the disadvantages of being likely to result in uneven heating and also being likely to cause drying and hardening of the food if heated excessively. On the other hand, in steam heating, food is heated with steam generated by boiling water, and therefore, the disadvantages of high-frequency heating can be compensated for by combining high-frequency heating with steam heating.
Patent Literatures 3 to 5 disclose techniques for improving heating cookers having a microwave cooking function and a steam cooking function. In these techniques, a container accommodating food to be heated, is disposed in a heating chamber of a heating cooker, and the container is provided with an inlet port for steam supplied from a steam supplier, so that steam can be directly introduced into the container. A container (steam cooker) with a lid disclosed in Patent Literature 3 is configured such that an internal space of the container is partitioned into two, an upper and lower space, by a steam-permeable partition plate. In this container, food is accommodated in the upper space, and a steam inlet port is provided in a wall portion defining the lower space, so that steam can be directly introduced into the lower space. Containers disclosed in Patent Literatures 4 and 5 have a receiving tray on which food is to be placed and a grill tray lid that covers the receiving tray, the grill tray lid being provided with a steam inlet port. According to Patent Literatures 3 to 5, the techniques disclosed therein purport to enable food to be deliciously cooked while increasing cooking efficiency and reducing cooking time.
Patent Literature 6 discloses a technique that uses steam heating to defrost frozen food (pasta containing rice flour). The technique disclosed in Patent Literature 6 was made in view of the following problem: compared with ordinary pasta made from only wheat flour, pasta containing rice flour significantly deteriorates in quality when defrosted from a frozen state. The technique includes a step of keeping frozen pasta that contains rice flour and has been boiled and frozen under specific conditions, in steam at gauge pressure within a specific range for a specific period of time to thereby quickly defrost the frozen pasta. According to Patent Literature 6, the technique disclosed therein purports to make it possible to perform integrated management of the steps of boiling and freezing in a processing factory, the step of transporting from the processing factory to a store, and the steps of storing and quickly defrosting in the store, and to provide chewy pasta containing rice flour in a short period of time upon receiving an order.
Patent Literature 1: JP 2013-120018A
Patent Literature 2: JP 2014-25612A
Patent Literature 3: JP 2007-271104A
Patent Literature 4: JP 2011-237144A
Patent Literature 5: JP 2011-241987A
Patent Literature 6: JP 2013-215139A
Conventional heating cookers such as those disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 to 5 meet the demand for increasing cooking efficiency and reducing cooking time and can provide high-quality ready-cooked food. However, against the background of the diversification of lifestyles, the diversification of food, and the like, the required level has been on the rise recently, and therefore, food cooking systems with higher performance are in demand. Moreover, for example, the containers, such as the receiving tray and the steam cooker, of the heating cookers disclosed in Patent Literatures 3 to 5 are basically dedicated for cooking. Thus, prior to cooking food, there is required an operation of taking out the food, which is an object to be cooked, from its packaging container and transferring it to such a container dedicated for cooking. Moreover, after cooking the food using the container dedicated for cooking, there is also required an operation of transferring the cooked food accommodated in the container dedicated for cooking to a piece of tableware (a dish or the like) for eating and serving. These operations take extra time and effort, and due to these operations, the food may be touched by hands, cooking utensils, and the like prior to cooking, during cooking, and after cooking until the food is eaten. For this reason, there is room for improvement from a hygiene standpoint as well. For heating cookers that use steam and microwaves, a technique that can sufficiently meet the need for heating and cooking food to be cooked together with its accommodating body has not yet been provided.
The problem to be addressed by the present invention relates to providing a food cooking system that makes it possible to easily heat and cook food, such as frozen food, together with its accommodating body by means of steam and microwaves, to collectively and hygienically handle the heated and cooked food and the accommodating body as a single-serving food package after heating and cooking, and furthermore, to obtain the heated and cooked food in a high-quality finished state.
The invention provides a food cooking system comprising: a single-serving food package including food as an object to be cooked and an accommodating body accommodating the food; a heating chamber accommodating the single-serving food package; a steam supplier that supplies steam into the heating chamber; and a microwave supplier that supplies microwaves into the heating chamber, the food cooking system heating and cooking the food with the steam and the microwaves, wherein the accommodating body is configured to be able to take in steam that is in the heating chamber into the single-serving food package, and steam at a temperature of 85 to 130° C. is supplied into the heating chamber by the steam supplier, and microwaves with an actual output of 500 to 3000 W are supplied by the microwave supplier for 15 to 180 seconds while the steam is supplied into the single-serving food package.
According to a food cooking system of the present invention, it is possible to easily heat and cook food, such as frozen food, together with its accommodating body by means of steam and microwaves, to collectively and hygienically handle the heated and cooked food and the accommodating body as a single-serving food package after heating and cooking, and furthermore, to obtain the heated and cooked food in a high-quality finished state. The “high-quality finished state” as used herein specifically means, for example, that with respect to food obtained by heating and cooking frozen food, excessive heating and drying, which are peculiar to microwave ovens, are prevented, the finished food has a wet feel, and the same taste, texture, and appearance as those immediately after being cooked before being frozen are achieved. Moreover, the accommodating body constituting the single-serving food package is essentially a disposable accommodating body designed for an accommodated object (food) that is to be completely consumed in a single sitting. Thus, after the food in the single-serving food package has been eaten, the accommodating body can be disposed of, so that a series of operations from cooking to clean-up after eating can be performed easily and hygienically.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the drawings.
More specifically, the heating cooker 1A includes a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped main body casing 5 that forms the exterior of the heating cooker 1A, and the heating chamber 2 having a rectangular shape in front view is disposed in the main body casing 5. A door (not shown) is attached to a front face of the main body casing 5, the door being rotatable about one side of the front face of the main body casing 5, the side serving as the axis of rotation. The heating chamber 2 is configured to be openable/closable by opening/closing the door. Moreover, although not shown, an operating panel constituted by a liquid crystal display panel, dials, buttons, and the like is provided on a lateral side of the door in the front face of the main body casing 5. It is possible to set, for example, the operating and heating conditions for the heating cooker 1A by operating the operating panel.
The steam supplier 3 includes a steam generator 30 and a steam supply pipe 31. The steam generator 30 includes a heater and the like for heating water into water vapor, and is provided, within the main body casing 5, on a lateral side of and adjacent to the heating chamber 2. When the heating cooker 1A is in operation, water that is needed to generate steam is supplied to the steam generator 30, and the supplied water is heated and boiled in the steam generator 30 to convert into water vapor (saturated water vapor). Water that is used to generate steam may be, for example, directly supplied from a faucet or may be supplied from a water tank (not shown) included in the heating cooker 1A through a feed pump (not shown). The water vapor (saturated water vapor) generated in the steam generator 30 is supplied into the heating chamber 2 via the steam supply pipe 31.
The microwave suppliers 4 are disposed, within the main body casing 5, on the upper and lower sides respectively of the heating chamber 3, and include a magnetron that generates microwaves, a waveguide that transmits the generated microwaves, a rotating antenna that radiates the microwaves into the heating chamber 3, and the like.
The heating cooker 1A has the same basic configuration as known microwave ovens having a so-called steam cooking function. The steam supplier 3 and the microwave supplier 4 of the heating cooker 1A can have the same configurations as those of the known microwave ovens. Furthermore, the heating cooker 1A includes various other means that are usually included in the known microwave ovens, for example, a temperature detecting means that detects the temperature of the heating chamber 2. Moreover, as is the case with known microwave ovens of this type having the steam cooking function, the heating cooker 1A is configured to be switchable between various cooking modes, and can perform not only a cooking mode in which both the steam heating through the steam supplier 3 and the high-frequency heating through the microwave supplier 4 are used, but also a cooking mode in which only one of the steam heating and the high-frequency heating is used.
The single-serving food package 19 includes the food F to be cooked and eaten and the accommodating body 10 in which the food F is accommodated and packaged, and is a package for commercial use. The single-serving food package 19 is in a form in which it can be marketed alone, and may be displayed in a store as is and pass into the hands of a general consumer. In a case where a general consumer purchases the single-serving food package 19 from a store, for example, the single-serving food package 19 purchased from the store can be stored in a refrigerator or a freezer as is, if needed. Then, when the single-serving food package 19 is to be served for eating, the single-serving food package 19 need only be placed in the heating chamber 2 of the heating cooker 1A as is and heated and cooked. That is, the cooked food F can be served and eaten in a state in which it remains accommodated in the accommodating body 10 without the need for transferring it to a separate eating and serving container such as a dish. The accommodating body 10 can also be disposed of after the food F has been eaten. Therefore, by using the single-serving food package 19, food can be easily and hygienically cooked, served, and eaten, and for example, cooking can be performed even in a section in a store such as one where a dedicated kitchen is not installed (e.g., around a cash desk in a supermarket).
The type of food F accommodated in the single-serving food package 19 is not limited, and examples thereof include noodles such as pasta, udon, soba, and Chinese noodles, cooked rice, bread, and steamed food. Also, the state of the food F is not limited, and the food F may be raw (unfrozen and unheated state) or may be in a refrigerated or frozen state. The heating cooker 1A can be used to heat raw food (unfrozen and unheated food), defrost frozen food, and warm chilled (refrigerated) food, for example, and is particularly effective in defrosting frozen noodles and defrosting and heating cooked rice.
The accommodating body 10 constituting the single-serving food package 19 is composed of a material that is capable of resisting heating in a microwave oven, specifically, resin or paper. The accommodating body 10 is configured to be able to take in steam that is in the heating chamber 2 into the single-serving food package 19. More specifically, the accommodating body 10 in the present embodiment has a wall portion that defines a space for accommodating food, which is denoted by reference symbol F in the drawings. The wall portion includes a bottom surface portion 11, on which the food F is placed, and a peripheral surface portion 12 extending upward from a peripheral edge of the bottom surface portion 11. A plurality of vent holes 15 for steam to pass through are formed in the wall portion, penetrating the wall portion in a thickness direction thereof. The accommodating body 10 is configured to be able to take in steam that is in the heating chamber 2 into the single-serving food package 19 via the plurality of vent holes 15. The peripheral surface portion 12 is constituted by four flat plate-like side wall portions extending upward from the four sides, respectively, of the bottom surface portion 11 having a rectangular shape in plan view. The inside surrounded by the bottom surface portion 11 and the peripheral surface portion 12 (four side wall portions) constitutes a space for accommodating the food to be heated.
The accommodating body 10 in the present embodiment is a tray having a substantially quadrangular shape in plan view, and has an upper opening through which the food can be placed therein and taken out. As shown in
In the accommodating body 10 of the present embodiment, the flange portion 13 is formed protruding from the upper end portion of the peripheral surface portion 12. The flange portion 13 protrudes from the upper end portion of the peripheral surface portion 12 outward in a horizontal plane direction (direction orthogonal to the depth direction of the accommodating body). When the accommodating body 10 is viewed from above, the flange portion 13 is continuous in such a manner as to surround the upper opening of the accommodating body 10. The flange portion 13 can be used as a finger grip by which the accommodating body 10 (single-serving food package 19) is held with fingers. Also, in other embodiments described later, the flange portion 13 can be used as an engagement site for the support member 6 that is used in subjecting the single-serving food package 19 to cooking (see
In the present embodiment, the plurality of vent holes 15 are formed in only the bottom surface portion 11 in a scattered manner, and no vent holes 15 are formed in the peripheral surface portion 12. The plurality of vent holes 15 have the same shape and dimensions in plan view. In the present invention, it is sufficient if the vent holes 15 are formed in a wall portion of the accommodating body 10 which wall portion defines the space for accommodating the food. Thus, the vent holes 15 may be formed in the peripheral surface portion 12 and may be formed in the lid portion 17 opposing the bottom surface portion 11. The vent holes 15 that are formed in the bottom surface portion 11, on which the food F is placed, not only function to allow steam to pass through but can also function as discharge holes for a liquid such as water and the like exuding from the food F. For this reason, it is preferable that the vent holes 15 be formed in at least the bottom surface portion 11.
In the accommodating body according to the present invention, the opening area and opening ratio of the vent holes for steam to pass through in the bottom surface portion can be adjusted as appropriate in accordance with the form of the accommodating body, and are not limited. However, in the case where the accommodating body is a tray like the accommodating body 10 shown in
Moreover, the accommodating body according to the present invention includes not only a tray such as that shown in the drawing but also a resin packaging bag for individual packaging of the food. In the case where the accommodating body is such a packaging bag, the opening area of a single vent hole is preferably 2 to 80 mm2, more preferably 3 to 50 mm2, and even more preferably 4 to 25 mm2, and the opening ratio of the bottom surface portion of the packaging bag as the accommodating body is preferably 1 to 30%, more preferably 1 to 20%, and even more preferably 1 to 10%, from the same standpoint as that described above.
The longest portion of each of the plurality of vent holes 15 in the bottom surface portion 11 of the accommodating body 10 has a length of preferably not more than 50 mm and more preferably 3 to 30 mm at an opening end portion thereof located on the internal surface side of the accommodating body 10. The “longest portion of each vent hole 15” as used herein means the diameter or the like in the case where the vent holes 15 have an isotropic shape, such as a true circular shape shown in
The shape of the vent holes 15 in plan view, the formation pattern thereof, and the like are not limited and can be set as appropriate.
In the case where the vent holes 15 have a true circular shape in plan view, the diameter thereof is preferably 1 to 10 mm. In the case where the vent holes 15 have a shape elongated in one direction, such as an oblong elliptical shape or a rectangular shape, in plan view, the short side thereof has a length of preferably 1 to 10 mm, and the long side has a length of preferably 10 to 50 mm. Note that the dimensions related to the shape of the vent holes 15 in plan view herein mean the measured values on the opening end portion of each vent hole 15 that is located on the internal surface side (food-accommodating space side) of the accommodating body 10.
The shape of the accommodating body 10 is not limited to a quadrangular shape in plan view, such as that shown in the drawings, and a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and polygonal shapes other than the quadrangular shape can be employed. Also, the dimensions of various portions of the accommodating body 10 are not limited. However, according to the findings of the inventors of the present invention, it is particularly preferable that an accommodating body of a tray type, like the accommodating body 10, have a circular shape in plan view. In the case where an accommodating body of a tray type has a circular shape in plan view, the shape of the food in plan view becomes circular and hence has no corner portions, when food is packed into the accommodating body. Consequently, the disadvantage in that microwaves supplied during heating and cooking concentrate on the corner portions of the food is prevented, and there is an advantage in that the whole of the food is likely to be uniformly irradiated with microwaves. Moreover, an accommodating body of a tray type having a circular shape in plan view has another advantage in that steam is likely to be uniformly diffused on an opposite side of a mount table 20, which will be described later, to a surface (upper surface) thereof on which the single-serving food package 19 is placed. This advantage makes it easy for steam to be uniformly supplied to the entire single-serving food package 19.
Moreover, with consideration given to an improvement in the handleability of the single-serving food package 19, and the like, it is preferable that the accommodating body 10 constituting the single-serving food package 19 have a size that is just enough to accommodate an amount of food that can be completely eaten by a normal adult in one sitting. From this standpoint, for example, in the case where the space of the accommodating body 10 in which space the food is accommodated has a quadrangular shape in plan view as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the heating cooker 1A having the above-described configuration, to heat the food F of the single-serving food package 19 placed in the heating chamber 2, steam at a temperature of 85 to 130° C. is supplied into the heating chamber 2 by the steam supplier 3, and microwaves with an actual output of 500 to 3000 W are supplied for 15 to 180 seconds by the microwave supplier 4 while the steam is supplied into the single-serving food package 19 via the vent holes 15. Supplying steam and microwaves to the food F in the single-serving food package 19 (accommodating body 10) under the above-described conditions makes it possible to sufficiently heat and cook the food F in a short period of time without causing uneven heating and excessive heating and also makes it possible to easily and hygienically obtain high-quality heated and cooked food without making hands dirty. The steam at a temperature less than 85° C., the actual output of microwaves less than 500 W, or the supply time of microwaves less than 15 seconds cause a risk that cooking may take too much time. The steam at a temperature more than 130° C., the actual output of microwaves more than 3000 W, or the supply time of microwaves more than 180 seconds cause a risk that the quality of the food after cooking may deteriorate due to excessive heating. The “actual output of microwaves” as used herein means a rated high-frequency output. The temperature of the steam is preferably 95 to 120° C., the actual output of microwaves is preferably 800 to 2000 W, and the supply time of microwaves is preferably 30 to 100 seconds.
In view of ensuring that the above-described effects are provided more reliably, the amount of steam at a temperature of 85 to 130° C. to be supplied into the single-serving food package 19 (accommodating body 10) is preferably 1 to 100 g and more preferably 30 to 80 g. However, these preferable amounts of steam to be supplied are for cases where vent holes are formed in the bottom surface portion as in the case of the accommodating body 10. In cases where no vent holes are formed in the bottom surface portion as in an accommodating body 10E (see
The above-described heating cooker 1A is configured to supply steam to the food F in the single-serving food package 19 from only below the food F, whereas all of the embodiments shown in
A heating cooker 1B shown in
Moreover, since the vent holes 15 are formed in the peripheral surface portion 12 of the accommodating body 10D, the heating cooker 1B includes a package cover 23 that covers the entirety of the single-serving food package 19 placed on the mount table 20 (ceiling plate 21), as shown in
As described above, in the heating cooker 1B, the accommodating body 10D has the vent holes 15 in the bottom surface portion 11, on which the food F is placed, and at positions above the food F in the accommodating body 10D; steam is directly supplied under the mount table 20; the supplied steam permeates the mount table 20; a part of the steam that has permeated the mount table 20 is introduced into the single-serving food package 19 (accommodating body 10D) via the vent holes 15 in the bottom surface portion 11; another part of the steam that has permeated the mount table 20 is introduced into the space defined by the mount table 20 and the package cover 23, and further introduced into the single-serving food package 19 via the vent holes 15 (vent holes of the peripheral surface portion 12) at the positions above the food F and the upper opening 14. Thus, steam can be supplied to the food F in the single-serving food package 19 from both above and below the food F. Consequently, with the heating cooker 1B, food can be efficiently heated and cooked, problems such as uneven heating are unlikely to occur, and heated and cooked food with higher quality can be obtained in a relatively short period of time.
In view of balance between the efficiency of heating the food with steam and the functions of the container, with respect to the plurality of vent holes 15 in the peripheral surface portion 12 of the accommodating body 10D (vent holes at the positions above the food in the accommodating body 10D), the length of the longest portion of each vent hole 15 at an opening end portion on the inner surface side of the accommodating body 10D is preferably not more than 50 mm and more preferably 10 to 35 mm. Moreover, from the same standpoint, the opening ratio of the peripheral surface portion 12 is preferably 1 to 50% and more preferably 10 to 35%.
A heating cooker 1C shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the heating cooker 1C having the above-described configuration, as shown in
In a heating cooker 1D shown in
In the heating cooker 1D having the above-described configuration, steam is directly supplied under the mount table 20 by the lower supply pipe 31b, and steam is directly supplied to the food F in the single-serving food package 19 (accommodating body 10E) on the mount table 20 by the upper supply pipe 31a through the steam supply pipe insertion opening 16 that is located above the food F. The steam that has been supplied under the mount table 20 through the lower supply pipe 31b permeates the steam-permeable ceiling plate 21 and is further introduced into the single-serving food package 19 via the vent holes 15 in the bottom surface portion 11 of the accommodating body 10E. In the heating cooker 1D, steam can thus be supplied to the food F in the single-serving food package 19 from both above and below the food F. The heating cooker 1D provides the same effects as those of the heating cookers 1B and 1C.
In all of the embodiments shown in
A heating cooker 1F shown in
Although the present invention has been described based on the preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. All the portions provided in only one of the foregoing embodiments can be used in the other embodiments. Although the plurality of vent holes of the accommodating body have the same shape and dimensions in the foregoing embodiments, a combination of a plurality of vent holes having different shapes and/or dimensions can also be adopted. Moreover, although the accommodating body constituting the single-serving food package is a tray in the foregoing embodiments, the accommodating body according to the present invention is only required to be able to take steam that is in the heating chamber into the accommodating body (the single-serving food package), and may be, for example, a resin packaging bag for individual packaging of the food. The packaging bag may also be a so-called standing pouch that can stand by itself. In the case where a packaging bag is used as the accommodating body, it is preferable to use the packaging bag together with a member, such as the support member 6 shown in
The food cooking system of the present invention is applicable to a cooking appliance for heating food with steam and microwaves. For example, the food cooking system can be applied to a microwave oven, a multifunction microwave oven, a defrosting device, and the like. Moreover, the food in the single-serving food package may also include, in addition to a main food dish such as noodles or cooked rice, a supplementary food dish, for example, sauce, ingredients, and toppings, to be eaten with the main food dish.
In order to specifically describe the present invention, examples will be given below. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.
A food cooking system was prepared, the food cooking system being constituted by a combination of a heating cooker having the same configuration as the heating cooker 1A shown in
A food cooking system constituted by a heating cooker having the same basic configuration as the heating cooker disclosed in Patent Literature 3 was prepared. As disclosed in
A food cooking system constituted by a heating cooker having the same basic configuration as the heating cooker disclosed in Patent Literature 4 was prepared. As disclosed in
Evaluation Test
Five cooking staff heated and cooked (defrosted) frozen Chinese dumplings by using the food cooking systems of the example and reference examples, and then evaluated the degree of hygiene of handling in a series of operations at that time, on a scale of one to five.
Moreover, as an evaluation index of the ease of the series of operations, working time was measured by using a method described below. The shorter the working time, the easier the handling of the food cooking system, and accordingly, the higher the evaluation. As a result, the working time was 22 seconds in Example 1, 73 seconds in Reference Example 1, and 95 seconds in Reference Example 2.
Measurement of Working Time
With respect to the food cooking system of Example 1, since the frozen Chinese dumplings were contained in the single-serving food package, which was a part of the system, the single-serving food package was stored in a freezer beforehand, and the time (working time) taken to heat, cook, and serve the Chinese dumplings after the time point at which the single-serving food package was taken out of the freezer was measured.
With respect to each of the food cooking systems of Reference Examples 1 and 2, frozen Chinese dumplings packaged in a pillow bag were prepared separately from the system and stored in a freezer beforehand, and the time (working time) taken to heat, cook, and serve the Chinese dumplings after the time point at which the pillow bag was taken out of the freezer was measured. With respect to each of the food cooking systems of Reference Examples 1 and 2, after the pillow bag was taken out of the freezer, the pillow bag was opened, the frozen Chinese dumplings were put in the container with the lid, which was a part of the system, by using a pair of tongs, furthermore, the container was set in the heating chamber of the heating cooker, and thereafter, heating and cooking were performed.
Note that since the present evaluation test was performed mainly to evaluate the ease and degree of hygiene of handling of the food cooking system, cooking conditions were set such that the frozen Chinese dumplings were sufficiently heated in all of the example and reference examples. Therefore, the temperature of the steam and the supply conditions for the microwaves varied among the example and reference examples. For this reason, with regard to the working time, the time obtained by subtracting the time taken for heating from the actually measured time was used as the working time, and an average value of the values of working time for the five respective cooking staff was calculated.
In Example 1, heating and cooking were performed by supplying steam at a temperature of 98° C. into the heating chamber in which the single-serving food package was accommodated, and supplying microwaves with an actual output of 1000 W for 40 second through the microwave supplier while the steam was supplied into the single-serving food package via the vent holes in the bottom surface portion of the accommodating body.
In Reference Example 1, heating and cooking were performed by putting the frozen Chinese dumplings taken out of the pillow bag in the upper space inside the container, and supplying microwaves with an actual output of 1000 W for 40 seconds while directly introducing steam at a temperature of 98° C. into the lower space.
In Reference Example 2, heating and cooking were performed by placing the frozen Chinese dumplings taken out of the pillow bag on the receiving tray constituting the container, and supplying microwaves with an actual output of 1000 W for 180 seconds while directly introducing steam at a temperature of 98° C. into the container from the grill tray lid side of the container.
The evaluation score (average of scores rated by the five graders) of the degree of hygiene of handling was 5.0 points in Example 1, whereas it was 3.5 points in Reference Example 1, and 2.2 points in Reference Example 2. Moreover, with respect to Reference Examples 1 and 2, the following facts were observed in the series of operations. From these observation results as well, it was suggested that the food cooking systems of Reference Examples 1 and 2 had room for improvement in handling and the degree of hygiene of handling.
It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2015-077865 | Apr 2015 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2016/053763 | 2/9/2016 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2016/163146 | 10/13/2016 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4961944 | Matoba et al. | Oct 1990 | A |
6229131 | Koochaki | May 2001 | B1 |
10104722 | Ueki | Oct 2018 | B2 |
20040169037 | Roussel et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20050079250 | Mao et al. | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20060088301 | Kanzaki | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20070221070 | Akashi et al. | Sep 2007 | A1 |
20120097668 | McGuiness et al. | Apr 2012 | A1 |
20190283952 | Pawlick | Sep 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1525928 | Sep 2004 | CN |
0245005 | Nov 1987 | EP |
0856704 | Aug 1998 | EP |
S53-13955 | Feb 1978 | JP |
H05-276884 | Oct 1993 | JP |
H08-128645 | May 1996 | JP |
2003192074 | Jul 2003 | JP |
2004-239465 | Aug 2004 | JP |
2005-082197 | Mar 2005 | JP |
2005-257120 | Sep 2005 | JP |
2005-308312 | Nov 2005 | JP |
2007-271104 | Oct 2007 | JP |
2011-237144 | Nov 2011 | JP |
2011-241987 | Dec 2011 | JP |
2012-075586 | Apr 2012 | JP |
2013-120018 | Jun 2013 | JP |
2013-215139 | Oct 2013 | JP |
2014-25612 | Feb 2014 | JP |
2014-032683 | Feb 2014 | JP |
Entry |
---|
Extended European Search Report in Europe Application No. 16776315.0, dated Nov. 27, 2018, pp. 1-9. |
News Release, and English language translation thereof, “Lawson-Established the First ‘Lawson Farm Ibaraki’ in Kita Kanto”, Lawson ID, Mar. 18, 2014, Retrieved from the internet at http://www.lawson.co.jp/company/news/detail/1247088_2504.html, 5 pages. |
International Search Report, and English language translation thereof, in corresponding International Application No. PCT/JP2016/053763, dated May 17, 2016, 5 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180098391 A1 | Apr 2018 | US |