AU2015101936A4 - Soup preparation - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of serving hot soup including holding the soup in a vessel 15 that is at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation. Heat is applied to the soup to maintain the temperature of the soup within a range of about 800C to about 950C. The 5 soup is dispensed from the vessel whilst the vessel remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation. The applying heat includes induction heating.

Description

SOUP PREPARATION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the preparation of soup.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A popular Vietnamese soup, known as Pho, consists of a hot broth poured over cooked rice noodles and other ingredients such as meat and vegetables. Often the meat is very thinly sliced raw meat which quickly cooks when bathed in the broth. The broth is often a meat-based broth formed by simmering beef or chicken (or other animal) bones in water, along with herbs and spices and other ingredients.

Typically a restaurateur will prepare a single batch of broth in a large stockpot which is gently heated all day. Each serving of broth is individually taken from the pot with the aid of a ladle.

The present inventor has recognised that the conventional approach to the preparation and service of Pho is labour intensive and slow. Additionally, the present inventor has also observed that this traditional approach has inconsistent results. It would be desirable to prepare and serve Pho in a way that requires less labour input, is faster from the customer’s perspective and which produces more consistent results.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention aims to provide improvements in and for the preparation and service of soup. To emphasise, whilst the invention will be described in the context of Pho, various aspects of the invention may well be applied to other forms of soup.

It is not admitted that any of the information in this patent specification is common general knowledge, or that the person skilled in the art could be reasonably expected to

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P1194AUNZ ascertain or understand it, regard it as relevant or combine it in any way at the priority date.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present inventor has recognised that the typical placement of the broth pot at the back of the house (i.e. in the kitchen) is one factor that increases the labour and time required to serve Pho. The inventor has also recognised that moving the broth pot to the front of house (e.g. as part of a service counter arrangement) can cause other problems in that the potentially unsightly and potentially dangerously hot broth pot is potentially within sight and reach of consumers.

The inventor has also recognised that one of the causes of the noted inconsistency is associated with the broth reducing due to evaporation throughout the day. Simply adding a lid to the broth pot led to some improvement, although it was found that significant evaporation still took place because a large plume of steam (visible as water vapour) emerged from the pot each time the lid was opened, and likewise each time the lid was opened condensation would fall from the interior of the lid.

With the foregoing in mind, one aspect of the invention provides a method of serving hot soup including holding the soup in a vessel that is at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation;

dispensing the soup from the vessel whilst the vessel remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation.

The dispensing is preferably dispensing a discrete serve of the soup and is most preferably opening a tap.

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Optionally the method further includes applying heat to the soup. The application of heat may be to maintain the temperature of soup within a range of about 80°C to about 95°C, or more preferably 85°C to 88°C inclusive.

The application of heat preferably includes transferring heat from at least one of a floor and a wall of the vessel to the soup, and most preferably includes induction heating.

By way of example, the soup may be a broth.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of preparing soup including combining the dispensed soup with one or more further ingredients. The further ingredient(s) may include noodle(s). The method may include cooking the noodle(s) prior to the combining. The combining may be serving, from the vessel, soup into a bowl containing the further ingredient(s).

Another aspect of the invention provides an apparatus, for serving hot soup, including structure defining a volume, the volume being for holding the soup and closed to at least impede evaporation of the soup;

an outlet via which the soup is dispensable from the volume whilst the volume remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation; and a heating arrangement configured to elevate a temperature of at least a portion of the structure to transfer heat from the at least portion of the structure to the soup.

The heating arrangement may be an induction heating arrangement. Preferably the heating arrangement is a cook top upon which the structure is seatable.

The heating arrangement may be configured to maintain the temperature of the soup within a range of about 80°C to about 95°C, or more preferably 85°C to 88°C inclusive.

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The apparatus may include a cover shaped to cover the structure without contacting the structure and to permit access to the outlet.

Also disclosed is an apparatus, for serving hot soup, including structure defining a volume, the volume being for holding the soup and closed to at least 5 impede evaporation of the soup;

an outlet via which the soup is dispensable from the volume whilst the volume remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation; and a cover shaped to cover the structure without contacting the structure and to permit access to the outlet.

The cover preferably has a polished appearance, and most preferably is formed by metal spinning.

The outlet is preferably a tap.

A volume in the range of about 10L to about 150L is considered practical. Preferably the volume is about 40L or about 100L.

The structure may be a lidded pot.

Castors on which the apparatus is transportable may be provided.

Another aspect of the invention provides a service counter arrangement along which soup consumers may move from at least one decision station at which the consumers may select one or more ingredients;

to an apparatus at which soup from the apparatus is added to the selected ingredients.

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The counter arrangement may further include a pay station, and preferably includes a staff side from which at least one staff member may serve the consumers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the apparatus will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a plan view of a service counter arrangement; and • Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section view corresponding to the line 2-2 in Figure

1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following examples are intended to illustrate the scope of the invention and to enable reproduction and comparison. They are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way.

Figure 1 shows an example of a service counter arrangement 1 which includes a pay station 3, a decision station 5, a broth station 7 and a soup supply station 9. The broth station 7 includes the cooking apparatus 10 illustrated in Figure 2.

The exemplary counter 1 defines a simple linear path, although different shapes are possible. By way of example, these stations might be arranged in a U-shape so that consumers follow a U-shaped path as they move along the counter from the pay station at the entrance end of the counter to the supply station 9 at the exit end of the counter.

In this example, the counter 1 is staffed by staff members, although other variants of the invention are suited to the customers serving themselves, e.g. the counter arrangement 1 may be a self-service counter arrangement.

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Upon arrival at the pay station, the consumer 3a interacts with staff member 3b to pay for a serve of Pho. The staff member 3b is aided by cash register 3c. Payment of a fixed menu price covering all available options at this stage has been found to be most expedient. On the other hand, the pay station 3 may be configured as a decision station to allow the customer 3a to choose differently priced menu options.

Once payment has been effected, the consumer moves along the counter 1 to the decision station 5. At the same time, staff member 3b places a serve of pre-cooked rice noodles into a basket which is then dropped into boiling water in vessel 3d.

Whilst the noodles are being heated in the vessel 3d, customer 5a interacts with staff member 5b to select additional ingredients including meat and vegetables from the decision station 5. Once the selection is complete, staff member 5b adds the noodles from the vessel 3d to a bowl containing the selected other ingredients. That bowl is then passed to staff member 7b who operates the apparatus 10 to supply a single serve of broth into the bowl. The bowl is then passed on to staff member 9b at the soup supply station 9 whilst the same consumer moves to the position of consumer 9a to receive their bowl.

Desirably, at an early stage of the workflow, the bowl is in some way associated with an identifier that allows for easy relation of the bowl to the consumer. By way of example, at one of stations 3 or 5, a printed receipt bearing the customer’s name may be fixed to (or at least placed under to move along with) the bowl so that as bowls are rapidly passed along the staff side until they reach the supply station 9, the staff member 9b can easily relate each bowl to the appropriate consumer on the customer side 1a of the counter arrangement 1. By way of example, the staff member 9b might simply call out the consumer’s name, which name had been taken earlier on. Alternatively, a pair of numbered receipts may be printed, one of which follows the bowl whilst the other stays with the consumer so that the staff member 9b calls out a number. Of course, paired identifiers other than numbers are possible.

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The cooking apparatus 10 includes a wheeled table 11, a heating arrangement 13 in the form of an induction cook top, a vessel 15 and a cover 17.

The vessel 15 takes the form of a stock pot 15a fitted with a lid 15b and a tap 15c. The pot 15a has a single cylindrical wall, the base of which is capped by a horizontal planar floor. The lid 15b is disc-shaped and is fitted with a suitable handle. The tap 15c opens from the cylindrical side wall of the vessel 15a adjacent the floor of the vessel. A typical volume of the vessel 15 is in the range of about 10L (Litres) to about 150L. Exemplary vessels have a volume of about 40L or about 100L.

The lid 15b simply sits in and on the cylindrical opening of the top of the pot 15a. The inventor has found that this significantly impedes evaporation from the vessel 15 - it is not necessary to have a sealed pressure cooker-like device because the small amount of moisture that might escape past the lid can be safely neglected.

The tap 15c has a handle in the form of a simple lever that can be rotated through about 90° to dispense soup contained within the vessel 15.

The induction cook top 13 is configured to induce an electric current in the floor of the vessel 15 so as to elevate its temperature, which in turn results in the transfer of heat to the contained soup. Heating the soup by increasing the temperature of the floor (or other portion) of the pot 15a is preferred over other “more aggressive” means of heating, such as resistance coils immersed within the soup. By gently heating the soup in this way, the soup can be maintained at the optimum service temperature, which temperature is above the temperature at which bacteria are likely to grow, without burning the soup. Burning the soup would quickly give it a bitter flavour. The inventor has recognised that 85° to 88° is the optimum temperature for Pho broth, although a broader temperature range of 80° to 95° is also thought to be workable.

The cover 17 serves as a cosmetic cover and as a guard to prevent consumers on the customer side 1a burning themselves on the pot 15 or cook top 13. In this example, the

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P1194AUNZ cover 17 includes a cylindrical body 17a dimensioned to concentrically embrace the vessel 15. The body 17a is capped by a funnel-like section 17b which extends above the customer’s eye-line for an impressive aesthetic affect.

The cover 17 is formed of metal spun components. Metal spinning advantageously produces a seamless construction. In particular, the cylindrical wall of the body 17a is seamless. This seamless construction makes it easier to clean the cover 17 and the cover 17 is more hygienic. Additionally the cover 17 has an external appearance of being highly polished. In this example, the cover is formed of spun aluminum and is nickel-plated and highly polished. This highly polished appearance is another measure to make the cover easier to clean and more hygienic, but also looks attractive to consumers. In particular, the bright shiny surfaces convey a sense of cleanliness to consumers.

A single inverted U-shaped cut-out opens from the lower edge of the cylindrical wall of the body 17a. The cut-out 17d permits access to the tap 15c.

Desirably the table 11 includes castors 11a, which are most preferably swivel lock-down casters, and thus is a wheeled table. As suggested in Figure 1, the apparatus 10 includes (and the wheeled table 11 of the apparatus 10 carries) a pair of cook top 13, vessel 15 and cover 17 combinations. In larger restaurants, this arrangement may not carry a sufficient quantity of broth to last the day. It is contemplated that such restaurants will have a second apparatus 10 in which further broth is maintained at the desired temperature so that when required, e.g. during a busy lunch time, the apparatus 10 can be wheeled out of the way and swapped over quickly and efficiently once its supply of broth is exhausted.

The positioning of the tap 15c at or adjacent the floor of the pot 15a means that, when the tap is opened, broth flows from the pot under gravity without any need for a pump or similar means of pressurisation. Broth can continued to be dispensed from the tap 15c until the level of broth within the pot 15a reaches the level of the tap. Positioning the tap

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P1194AUNZ low down on the pot, at or adjacent the base of the pot, reduces the “undispensable” volume of broth. Optionally this undispensable portion of broth might be poured from one pot 15a into another fuller pot so that it is not wasted. So long as all of the pots 15a are emptied and cleaned at the end of the day, this provides an adequate degree of food safety.

The opening of the tap 15c is small relative to the vessel 15, such that when tap 15c is opened the vessel remains predominantly closed to impede evaporation. Thus evaporation from the vessel 15 is substantially avoided whilst soup is being dispensed.

Desirably a shelf 1c runs along the customer side 1a of the counter arrangement 1 and serves to provide a convenient location on which customers may rest a tray and other articles that they may have purchased. By way of example, a drinks fridge may be positioned on the staff side 1b in proximity to operator 3b so that the drinks are supplied to the customer at the pay station 3 and carried by the customer on such trays along the shelf 1c.

As will be apparent from the foregoing discussion, the counter arrangement 1 need not be a single counter made up of rigidly connected components. For example, the apparatus 10 is configured to be wheeled away from the other components of the counter arrangement 1 as previously described. Desirably the counter arrangement 1 includes a shielding wall 1d running along its length to shield details such as the undercarriage of the table 11 from customers’ view. Potentially the wall 1d is formed of separate panels.

Claims (15)

1. A method of serving hot soup including holding the soup in a vessel that is at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation;

applying heat to the soup to maintain the temperature of the soup within a range of about 80°C to about 95°C; and dispensing the soup from the vessel whilst the vessel remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation;

wherein the applying heat includes induction heating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dispensing is dispensing a discrete serve of the soup.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the dispensing is opening a tap.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the range is from 85°C to 88°C inclusive.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the applying heat includes transferring heat from at least one of a floor and a wall of the vessel to the soup.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the soup is a broth.

7. A method of preparing soup including combining soup served in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 6 with one or more further ingredients.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the further ingredient(s) include noodle(s).

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9. The method of claim 8 including cooking the noodle(s) prior to the combining.

10. The method of any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the combining is serving, in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 6, soup into a bowl containing the further ingredient(s).

5

11. An apparatus, for serving hot soup, including structure defining a volume, the volume being for holding the soup and closed to at least impede evaporation of the soup;

an outlet via which the soup is dispensable from the volume whilst the volume remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation; and

10 an induction heating arrangement configured to elevate a temperature of at least a portion of the structure to transfer heat from the at least portion of the structure to the soup;

wherein the heating arrangement is configured to maintain the temperature of the soup within a range of about 80°C to about 95°C.

15

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the heating arrangement is a cook top upon which the structure is seatable.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 or 12 wherein the range is from 85°C to 88°C inclusive.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, 12 or 13 further including a cover shaped to cover the structure without contacting the structure and to permit access to the outlet.

20 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the cover has a polished appearance.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 or 15 wherein the cover is formed by metal spinning.

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17. The apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 16 wherein the outlet is a tap.

18. The apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 17 wherein the volume is in the range of about 10L to about 100L.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the volume is about 40L or about 100L.

20. The apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 19 wherein the structure is a lidded pot.

21. The apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 20 including castors on which the apparatus is transportable.

22. A service counter arrangement along which soup consumers may move from at least one decision station at which the consumers may select one or more ingredients;

to the apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 21 at which soup from the apparatus may be added to the selected ingredients.

23. The counter arrangement of claim 22 further including a pay station.

24. The counter arrangement of claim 22 or 23 including a staff side from which at least one staff member may serve the consumers.

25. A method of serving hot soup including holding the soup in a vessel that is at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation;

dispensing the soup from the vessel whilst the vessel remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation; and

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P1194AUNZ combining the dispensed soup with one or more further ingredients;

wherein the further ingredient(s) include noodle(s).

26. The method of claim 25 including cooking the noodle(s) prior to the combining.

27. The method of claims 25 or 26 wherein the combining is the dispensing soup into a 5 bowl containing the further ingredient(s).

28. The method of any one of claims 25 to 27 wherein the dispensing is dispensing a discrete serve of the soup.

29. The method of any one of claims 25 to 28 wherein the dispensing is opening a tap.

30. The method of any one of claims 25 to 29 further including applying heat to the 10 soup.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the applying heat includes transferring heat from at least one of a floor and a wall of the vessel to the soup.

32. The method of claim 30 or 31 wherein the applying heat includes induction heating.

33. The method of any one of claims 25 to 32 wherein the dispensed soup is a broth.

15 34. A service counter arrangement along which soup consumers may move and which includes at least one decision station at which the consumers may select one or more ingredients;

a vessel in which noodle(s) may be heated; and

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P1194AUNZ an apparatus for dispensing soup to be combined with the noodle(s) and the selected ingredients;

wherein the apparatus includes structure defining a volume, the volume being for holding the soup and closed to at least impede evaporation of the soup; and an outlet via which the soup is dispensable from the volume whilst the volume remains at least predominantly closed to at least impede evaporation.

35. The counter arrangement of claim 34 further including a pay station.

36. The counter arrangement of claim 34 or 35 including a staff side from which at least one staff member may serve the consumers.

37. The counter arrangement of any one of claims 34 to 36 including a heating arrangement configured to elevate a temperature of at least a portion of the structure to transfer heat from the at least portion of the structure to the soup.

38. The counter arrangement of claim 37 wherein the heating arrangement is an induction heating arrangement.

39. The counter arrangement of claims 37 or 38 wherein the heating arrangement is a cook top upon which the structure is seatable.

40. The counter arrangement of any one of claims 34 to 39 further including a cover shaped to cover the structure without contacting the structure and to permit access to the outlet.

41. The counter arrangement of claim 40 wherein the cover has a polished appearance.

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42. The counter arrangement of claim 40 or 41 wherein the cover is formed by metal spinning.

43. The counter arrangement of any one of claims 34 to 42 wherein the outlet is a tap.

44. The counter arrangement of any one of claims 34 to 43 wherein the volume is in

5 the range of about 10L to about 100L.

45. The counter arrangement of claim 44 wherein the volume is about 40L or about 100L.

46. The counter arrangement of any one of claims 34 to 45 wherein the structure is a lidded pot.

10 47. The counter arrangement of any one of claims 34 to 46 including castors on which the apparatus is transportable.