GB2327033A - An attachment for reducing steam emission from a cooking vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment (2) is described to prevent steam being emitted from a saucepan (3), or the like, containing boiling water. The attachment has a main body (6) for holding a liquid of a lower temperature than steam, such as water, said attachment being placed over the pan (3). The main body has a spout (10) for entry of the liquid, a rim (14) for abutting the sides of the pan and a handle (12). The attachment causes steam given off by the boiling water to condense and fall back into the pan, falling into the centre or the periphery of the pan depending on the shape of the lower surface of the attachment. The liquid in the attachment is also heated thereby and may be used for other purposes.

Description

Title: An improved cooking apparatus.

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to an improved cooking apparatus.

The cooking of vegetables and the like is normally achieved by means of heating the vegetables in a saucepan of boiling water over a heated ring or hob or by means of a steaming device until the vegetables are sufficiently well cooked. A major problem encountered with such activity is the large amount of steam which is released from water in the pan. This can result in the kitchen area becoming hot and humid and is also an unnecessary waste of energy. Additionally, the escaped steam may condense on the cooler walls and windows of the kitchen which may lead to problems being experienced with damp. Furthermore, if left unattended the water in the pan invariably boils over. This not only necessitates the wiping dry of the hob but may also cause the vegetables to boil dry if the pan is left unattended, with the possibility of the vegetables being burnt and therefore ruined.

The conventional way of dealing with the steam produced during cooking is to provide a hood and vent extractor positioned over the hob of the cooker to extract the steam from the kitchen. Although this appliance does reduce the amount of steam in the kitchen area, it does have a number of drawbacks. The extraction of the steam results in a substantial amount of heat being lost therewith which is a wasteful loss of energy. Additionally, the provision of an extractor does not alleviate the problem of the pan boiling dry, indeed the extractor hood may increase this problem since the removal of the steam from above the pan will allow more water to evaporate. The provision of an extractor hood is also costly and not always appropriate.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved cooking apparatus which may overcome the abovementioned drawbacks.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved cooking apparatus for reducing the emission of steam produced by boiling water from a saucepan, steamer or the like comprising an attachment for placing over the pan, the attachment having a main body for containing a liquid with an opening for the delivery and removal thereof, whereby the provision of a liquid of a lower temperature than steam in the main body causes condensation of steam produced by boiling water inside the pan.

Preferably, the attachment is provided with a handle. Preferably, the handle is made of or coated with an insulating material such that it does not become hot during use. The handle may be formed integrally with the main body of the attachment.

Preferably, the opening in the main body is in the form of a spout to enable the liquid to be delivered to and poured from the attachment easily.

It is to be appreciated that the overall shape and configuration of the attachment may be such that the attachment matches a particular design of pan. The attachment may be available in a variety of sizes to snugly fit onto different sizes of pan.

The main body of the attachment is preferably a cylindrical enclosed bowl having an opening in the form of a spout. The main body will generally contain cool water to affect condensation of the steam emitted from the boiling water in the pan below but other suitable liquids may equally be used.

Alternatively, the main body may be upwardly open, being provided with a lid for covering the same. Preferably, the lid is provided with a handle. It is preferable that the lid may be fixed to the main body by suitable fastening means such that the attachment may be carried by means of the handle on the lid. Alternatively, the handle may be provided on a side of the main body. The lid may be hingedly mounted with respect to the main body.

The base of the attachment is preferably concave in profile such that the water which has condensed on the surface thereof runs to the centre of the base and falls back into the pan. Alternatively, the base may be convex in profile so that the condensed water runs to the edge thereof, particularly if the attachment is for use with a steamer. The curved base also increases the surface area for affecting condensation of the steam. The base may also be corrugated, dimpled or other form as necessary to provide condensing efficiency and control over the refluxed water with respect to the material of construction of the attachment.

A rim is preferably provided near the edge of the base of the attachment for abutting against the sides of the pan. The rim may be provided around the entire circumference of the base of the attachment or may only be provided around a part thereof. The rim also keeps the base of the attachment from directly contacting a works surface when it is removed from the pan.

Preferably, the sides of the attachment extend beyond the rim to assist in preventing loss of steam from between the attachment and the pan.

The attachment of the present invention may be made of any suitable material, such as stainless steel, aluminium, a heat-resistant glass or a thermosetting plastics material.

For a better understanding of the present invention and too show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is cross-sectional diagram of a saucepan fitted with an attachment according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the attachment shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional diagram of a saucepan fitted with an attachment according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. A saucepan 3 containing boiling water 5 for cooking vegetables (not shown) or the like is provided with an attachment 2 for reducing the level of steam produced by the boiling water being emitted from the pan. The attachment 2 comprises a main body 6, in the shape of a cylindrical bowl, which is enclosed except for an opening 10, in the form of a spout. The main body is provided with a handle 12 for transporting the attachment to and from the pan. The base 18 of the main body is provided with a concave surface and a rim or lip 14 is provided around the base of the bowl near to its outer edge which abuts the sides of the pan 3. The sides 16 of the attachment extend beyond the rim 14 and sides of the pan 3.

In use, cold water or another suitable liquid is poured into the main body 6 of the attachment 2 via the spout 10. The attachment is then placed over the pan 3 using the handle 2 with the rim 14 of the attachment abutting the sides of the pan. The water in the pan is heated on the hob of the cooker thereby cooking the vegetables contained therein. When the water reaches its boiling point, steam will be produced which rises above the surface of the water in the pan. Under normal circumstances this would be diffuse around the kitchen or be extracted by a hood and vent extractor.

The presence of the attachment 2 containing cold water on top of the pan prevents the steam escaping and causes the steam to contact the base of the attachment. The base is at a cooler temperature due to the cold water contained therein and hence, the steam condenses and falls back into the pan 3, the attachment thereby acting as a reflux condenser. In this manner, the water in the pan is prevented from boiling over, the pan does not boil dry and steam is not emitted into the kitchen.

Moreover, the heat that is emitted during condensation of the steam into liquid water is used to heat the water contained in the attachment. This can then be used for other means, such as for making hot drinks or pouring into other pans for cooking thereby saving energy. The spout enables the heated water to be easily and conveniently transferred into another container.

The concave base of the attachment causes the condensed steam to run to the centre of the attachment away from the sides thereof. This ensures that the water is delivered back into the pan and is not lost between the sides of the pan and the attachment. The concave base also increases the amount of colder surface area available for the steam to contact to cause condensation thereof, thereby increasing the efficiency of the apparatus. The sides of the attachment extend beyond the sides of the pan and the rim of the attachment to assist in preventing steam or liquid from being lost from the apparatus.

Alternatively, the base may be convex in profile such that the condensed water runs to the edge of the attachment and falls back into the pan below. The provision of a convex base is particularly suitable for an attachment which is to be used with a steamer, since the condensed water will be delivered to the sides and thus not interfere with the functioning of the hood provided across the top of the steamer to effect steaming of the vegetables or other food contained therein. The surface of the base may also be corrugated, dimpled or of other form as necessary to provide condensing efficiency and control over the refluxed water with respect to the material of construction of the attachment.

The attachment may be made of any suitable material, such as stainless steel, aluminium, a heat resistant glass such as that sold under the Trade Mark Pyrex or a thermosetting plastics material. The handle is preferably made of or coated with an insulating material to prevent it becoming hot and thus unable to handle.

Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings shows another embodiment of the present invention. The attachment 30 consists of an upwardly open main body 20 having cold water therein, a rim 25 around the base thereof and a lid 21. The attachment is placed over a pan 27 containing water and the vegetables to be cooked.

The steam which is produced as the water in the pan boils contacts the base of the main body 20 which, due to the cooler temperature thereof, causes the steam to condense and fall back into the pan 27. This refluxing process is repeated until eventually, the vegetables will be cooked. The water in the attachment will also become hot and may be used for other purposes. The attachment is removed from the pan by means of the handle 23 with the lid being provided with means to secure it to the body portion, such as using a screw mechanism or other suitable fastening means.

The attachment for a cooking apparatus according to the present invention provides a number of advantages over the prior art. The device removes the need to have a hood and vent extractor situated above the hob of the cooker to remove steam which is given off by boiling water contained in saucepans. The condensation of the steam by the apparatus also prevents the pan boiling dry thereby allowing the saucepan to be left unattended for a longer period of time.

Additionally, heat of vaporisation is released as energy when the steam condenses which is absorbed by the liquid contained in the attachment as heat energy.

This results in the temperature of the water in the condenser slowly increasing to 60 or 70"C or more. At this temperature the condensing effect is still significant and once the food items in the saucepan are sufficiently cooked, the heated water contained in the attachment may be removed from the pan and used for other purposes, such as for hot drinks (being transferred to a kettle if necessary), for washing up or for cooking further vegetables. This allows a large amount of energy to be saved which is both economically and environmentally desirable.

The attachment may be made in a wide range of shapes, sizes and materials to complement saucepans and other cooking apparatuses which are already on the market. The attachment may be supplied instead of the conventional saucepan or steamer lid, as an accessory thereto or as an integral part of the saucepan or steamer.

Claims (24)

1. An cooking apparatus for reducing the emission of steam produced by boiling water from a saucepan, steamer or the like, comprising an attachment for placing over the pan, the attachment having a main body for containing a liquid with an opening for the delivery and removal thereof, whereby the provision of a liquid of a lower temperature than steam in the main body causes condensation of steam produced by boiling water inside the pan.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment is provided with a handle.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the handle is made of or coated with an insulating material.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the handle is formed integrally with the main body of the attachment.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the opening in the main body is in the form of a spout.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body of the attachment is a cylindrical, enclosed bowl having a small opening therein.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body is upwardly open, being provided with a lid for covering the opening thereof.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lid is provided with a handle.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the lid is fastened to the main body by suitable fastening means.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the lid is hingedly mounted to the main body of the attachment.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base of the main body of the attachment is convex in profile.

12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the base of the main body of the attachment is concave in profile.

13. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface of the base is corrugated.

14. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the surface of the base is dimpled.

15. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a rim is provided near the edge of the base of the attachment.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the rim is provided around the entire circumference of the base of the main body.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the rim is provided at intervals around the circumference of the base of the main body.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein the sides of the main body extend beyond the rim thereof.

19. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment is made of stainless steel.

20. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the attachment is made of aluminium.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the attachment is made of a heat-resistant glass.

22. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein the attachment is made of a thermosetting moulded plastics material.

23. An apparatus comprising a saucepan, steamer or the like fitted with an attachment according to any one of the preceding claims.

24. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Figures 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.