GB2220838A

GB2220838A - A cooking tray

Info

Publication number: GB2220838A
Application number: GB8817470A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert James Bailey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-07-22
Filing date: 1988-07-22
Publication date: 1990-01-24
Also published as: GB8817470D0

Abstract

A tray (1) for use during cooking has means (2) for supporting food and means (3) (e.g. triangular-section grooves and ridges) for allowing any liquid released from the food during cooking to drain away therefrom whilst being retained in the tray (1). The tray (1) is disposable and is preferably of one-piece construction. It is preferably pressed from metallic foil. Such a tray (1) can be placed in a grill pan or on a baking sheet and used to support food during grilling, baking or roasting, after which the tray (1) is discarded along with any grease or fat which has escaped from the food during cooking. <IMAGE>

Description

A COOKING TRAY The invention relates to a tray for use during cooking.

Most cooking trays, eg grill pans. baking trays.

roasting dishes, are of substantial construction so as to be intended for repeated use. They-are therefore expensive and also become increasingly difficult to clean after being used a number of times, especially when food which emits grease or fat is cooked in them.

Disposable dishes are known which are suitable for containing pies, but these dishes are not suitable for use in cooking food which emits grease, such as pieces of meat, since the food would then stand in and reabsorb its own grease.

An object of the invention is to provide a cooking tray which can be used to cook food such as pieces of meat such that any liquid emitted from the food drains away therefrom and which can be immediately discarded along with any such liquid in order to obviate the need for washing up.

The invention provides a tray for use during cooking comprising means for supporting food and means allowing any liquid released from the food during cooking to drain away therefrom whilst being retained in the tray, and wherein the tray is disposable.

Preferably, the tray is of one-piece construction.

Preferably, the tray is made of metallic foil.

Preferably, the tray has a plurality of elongate ridges for supporting the food and a plurality of grooves for allowing any liquid released from the food to drain away therefrom.

A tray according to the invention is a valuable labour-saving device in that food can be cooked, eg by grilling or roasting, without allowing the food to become saturated with its own grease or fat and without the need for washing up a dirty cooking tray.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tray according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a tray according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a tray 1 which is formed from a metallic foil and is generally rectangular in shape. The tray has a series of substantially parallel raised ridges 2 separated by grooves 3. The grooves 3 are shaped at either end so that the ends are raised in order that any liquid running into the grooves 3 is retained therein.

The second embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 is similar in all essential features. The tray 4 shown therein has ridges 5 extending substantially parallel to each other and grooves 6 located therebetween. However, the grooves 6 in this case are open ended and allow any liquid running therein to pass from the grooves 6 into an outer trough 7 located around the periphery of the tray 4.

The trays 1, 4 described above are strong enough to support pieces of food, eg steaks, chops, chicken pieces, fish etc, on the ridges 2. However, the material from which the trays are made must also be cheap enough to allow the retail price of the trays to be kept to a minimum. The trays could advantageously be pressed from the type of foil currently used to make disposable pie dishes.

A tray as described above is used by placing it into a grill pan or onto baking sheet to provide a firm surface on which it can stand. The food to be cooked is arranged on the ridges and then baked, roasted or grilled as desired. Any grease or fat which escapes from the food during cooking runs into the grooves and away from the food items. The food is thus cooked without allowing the fat to be reabsorbed.

When the food has been cooked. the tray can be removed from the grill pan or baking sheet either immediately or after having been left to cool. Any collected fat or grease is disposed of along with the tray, which is discarded, leaving a clean grill pan or baking sheet.

The shapes of the trays illustrated in the drawings are not limiting. The tray can be of any shape or size. It would also be possible to provide separate hollows or recesses in an otherwise planar food-supporting surface instead of grooves and ridges as described above, but the effect would be the same. Any suitable heat-resistant material could be used for manufacturing the trays.

Claims

1. A tray for use during cooking comprising means for supporting food and means allowing any liquid released from the food during cooking to drain away therefrom whilst being retained in the tray, and wherein the tray is disposable.

2. A tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tray is of one-piece construction.

3. A tray as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tray is made from metallic foil.

4. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting means comprise a plurality of elongate ridges and the draining means comprise a plurality of elongate grooves located between the ridges.

5. A tray is claimed in claim 4, wherein the ridges and grooves are substantially parallel to each other.

6. A tray as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ridges are substantialiy triangular in cross-section.

7. A tray as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the grooves are upturned at each end in order that any liquid released from the food is retained in the grooves.

8. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a trough is located adjacent the periphery of the tray such that any liquid released from the food drains into the trough and is retained therein.

9. A tray substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.