Claims
- 1. A multi-purpose cooker usable for both steaming and dehydrating foods, said cooker including:
- A. a base member including a compartment therein;
- B. a cover member cooperable with the base member for providing a food-steaming and food-dehydrating chamber including the compartment of said base member o said chamber retaining water therein during steaming of foods; and
- C. first food retaining means retainable in the chamber for supporting food to be dehydrated; and
- D. second food retaining means retainable in the chamber for supporting food to be steamed, said second food retaining means having a different structure from said first food retaining means.
- 2. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 1, wherein said base member includes a heater and a switch for selectively energizing said heater, said cover member including venting passage means therein for communicating with said compartment, said first food retaining means for supporting food to be dehydrated including at least one first food retaining member having a porous food supporting surface through which dry heated air in said chamber can pass for dehydrating food retained on said porous surface, and said second food retaining means for supporting food to be steamed including a second food retaining member having a food supporting surface for supporting food to be steamed by the flow of steam within said chamber.
- 3. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, including a plurality of said first food retaining members vertically stackable on each other with the porous food supporting surface of each of said first food retaining members being vertically spaced from an adjacent porous food supporting surface.
- 4. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, including a support member retainable in said compartment of the base member under said second food retaining member for supporting the second food retaining member in said compartment when the cooker is utilized to steam foods.
- 5. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, including a support member separate from said second food retaining member and retainable in said compartment of the base member under said second food retaining member for supporting the second food retaining member in said compartment when the cooker is utilized to steam foods.
- 6. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, including a support member separate from said second food retaining member and retainable in said compartment of the base member under said second food retaining member for supporting said second food retaining member in said compartment when the cooker is utilized to steam foods, said support member including a collection trough for collecting condensate generated from the steaming of foods.
- 7. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section at which condensate can leave said second food retaining member.
- 8. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section including passages therethrough for permitting condensate to leave said second food retaining member.
- 9. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 8, including a support member separate from said second food retaining member and retainable in said compartment of the base member under said second food retaining member for supporting said second food retaining member in said compartment when the cooker is utilized to steam foods, said support member including a collection trough underlying the passages in the second section of the bottom wall of the second food retaining member for collecting condensate generated from the steaming of foods and passing through said passages.
- 10. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, wherein said base member includes an inner wall defining said compartment, a passage extending through said inner wall, a fan means for directing air into close proximity to said heater and through said passage into said chamber when said fan means is energized, and switch means for energizing both said fan means and said heater and switch means for energizing said heater without energizing said fan means.
- 11. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, wherein said base member includes an inner wall defining said compartment and an outer wall spaced from said inner wall, a passage extending through said inner wall and communicating with the space between the inner and outer walls, a fan means retained in the space between the inner and outer walls for directing air into close proximity to said heater and through said passage and into the chamber when said fan means is energized, and switch means for energizing both said fan means and said heater and switch means for energizing said heater without energizing said fan means.
- 12. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 10, further including a closure member for closing the opening into said passage when food is steamed.
- 13. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 11, further including a closure member for closing the opening into said passage when food is steamed.
- 14. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 10, further including a support member separate from said second food retaining member and retainable in said compartment of the base member under said second food retaining member for supporting the second food retaining member in said compartment when the cooker is utilized to steam foods, said support member including a closure for closing the opening into said passage.
- 15. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 11, including a support member separate from said second food retaining member and retainable in said compartment of the base member under said second food retaining member for supporting said second food retaining member in said compartment when the cooker is utilized to steam foods, said support member including a closure for closing the opening into said passage and a collection trough for collecting condensate generated from the steaming of foods.
- 16. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 14, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section at which condensate can leave said second food retaining member.
- 17. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 15, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section at which condensate can leave said second food retaining member.
- 18. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 14, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section including passages therethrough for permitting condensate to leave said second food retaining member.
- 19. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 15, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section including passages therethrough for permitting condensate to leave said second food retaining member, said passages being in substantial vertical alignment with the collection trough.
- 20. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section at which condensate can leave said second food retaining member, further including a third food retaining member having a bottom wall which is liquid-impervious over its entire area for precluding condensate from leaving said third food retaining member.
- 21. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, wherein said second food retaining member includes a bottom wall for retaining food to be steamed thereon, said bottom wall including a first liquid-impervious section for retaining condensate thereon, and a second section including passages therethrough for permitting condensate to leave said second food retaining member, further including a third food retaining member having a bottom wall which is liquid-impervious over its entire area for precluding condensate from leaving said third food retaining member.
- 22. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, further including an additional food retaining member including a plurality of spaced egg supporting members on a surface thereof.
- 23. The multi-purpose cooker of claim 2, wherein said cover member includes a first section with the venting passage means therein, said venting passage means including a plurality of passageways extending through said first section, and a second section rotatable on said first section for selectively opening or closing a portion or all of said passageways.
- 24. A multi-purpose cooker usable for both steaming and dehydrating foods, said cooker including:
- A. a base member including a compartment therein;
- B. a cover member cooperable with the base member for providing a food-steaming and food-dehydrating chamber including the compartment of said base member, said chamber retaining water therein during steaming of foods; and
- C. a first food retaining member retainable in the chamber; and
- D. a second food retaining member retainable in the chamber, said second food retaining member having a different structure from said first food retaining member.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/083,368, filed on Jun. 25, 1993, now abandoned, in the name of Johnson Su, and entitled "A Multi-Purpose Cooker"; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/024,384, filed Mar. 1, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,673.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Related Publications (1)
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24384 |
Mar 1993 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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83368 |
Jun 1993 |
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