GB2404845A

GB2404845A - A sausage cooker

Info

Publication number: GB2404845A
Application number: GB0318812A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brett Anstee; Melanie Sampson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-08-11
Filing date: 2003-08-11
Publication date: 2005-02-16
Also published as: GB0318812D0

Abstract

A sausage cooking plate 10 includes an upper surface 11 having a number of grooves 12 formed therein. These grooves 12 are shaped to receive and encapsulate approximately half of a sausage. The cooking plate 10 additionally includes a lower surface 13 which is shaped so that, in use, when the lower surface 13 is placed on a heat conducting mass, the majority of the lower surface 13 maintains intimate thermal contact with the heat conducting mass. Grooves may be provided on both surfaces, the grooves on one surface being smaller than the grooves on the other surface.

Description

A SAUSAGE COOKER

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and a device for cooking sausages.

Background to the Invention

Presently, sausages can be cooked using one of three conventional methods; grilling, baking or frying. There are, however, problems associated with each method.

When gniling sausages, they must be frequently turned to expose uncooked portions of the sausage to the heat source. This is, however, hindered by the ease with which the sausages roll, often re-exposing previously cooked portions of the sausage and resulting in uneven cooking or burning. The requirement for the sausages to be turned also results in longer cooking times, since the sausage is cooked in small sections rather than all at once. Typical cooking times for grilling are around twenty minutes.

In addition, fat from sausages being cooked under a grill can spit onto the grill element causing smoke or flames. This presents a hazard and hence sausages under the grill must be continually watched. This is a significant disadvantage for this method of cooking.

When frying sausages, they must be turned in the same way as when grilling.

Therefore, the same problems of uneven cooking and long cooking times exist. In addition, however, frying can cause the sausages to bend, hence further increasing their tendency to roll and therefore cook unevenly. When added to the unhealthy nature of fried foods, due to the necessity of using oil, it is apparent why frying is an undesirable method for cooking sausages When baking sausages it is again necessary to use oil, and hence baking is also an unhealthy method of cooking. In addition, the meat can become tough and chewy, since the cooking time required to bake any food is comparatively longer than the time required for other methods of cooking. Baking is therefore not a viable alternative to grilling or frying.

As a result, there exists a need for a cooking method that is quick, allows even cooking, and does not require constant supervision.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a sausage cooking plate comprises a block of heat conducting material which includes an upper surface having a number of grooves formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate a sausage, and a lower surface which is shaped so that, in use, when the lower surface is placed on a heat conducting mass, the majority of the lower surface maintains intimate thermal contact with the heat conducting mass.

In the first aspect of the invention, the shape of the lower surface encourages fast heat transfer between the heat conducting mass and the cooking plate, and consequent fast cooking of the sausages In practice, this means that if the heat conducting mass is substantially flat, the surface of the cooking plate is also substantially flat. Similarly, if the surface of the heat conducting mass is ridged, curved or otherwise shaped, the surface of the cooking plate is of a complementary shape.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a sausage cooking plate comprises a block of heat conducting material which includes a first surface having a number of grooves of a first size formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate one size of sausage, and a second surface having a number of grooves of a second size formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate a different size sausage.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a sausage cooking device comprises a pair of sausage cooking plates, each plate including a first surface having a number of grooves formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate a sausage, wherein the plates are adapted to be stacked with grooves of one plate aligned with the grooves of the other plate so as to fully encapsulate a sausage between them.

Optionally, such a device can comprise a hinge, placed along an outside edge of the cojoined surface. With or without such a hinge, this device enables preheating of the two plates in an open position, subsequent encapsulation of a sausage for cooking in the closed position, and return to the open position for sausage removal.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of cooking sausages comprises the steps of heating a sausage cooking plate according to any aspect of the present invention on a heat conducting mass so as to transfer heat, and thereby cook, one or more sausages placed within grooves of the plate.

In one implementation of the method, the sausages are turned part way through cooking to heat unexposed sections of the sausages As an alternative, a pair of plates may be used so as to fully encapsulate each sausage and thereby negate the need to turn them. In this approach, the method preferably comprises the step of preheating a pair of similar plates before stacking the plates together with sausages encapsulated there between.

The sausage cooking plate of the invention can be made from any highly conductive material, for example metals such as aluminium, steel or stainless steel, orceramics. Such a sausage cooking plate can also be made of a composite material which allows control of heat distribution, for example to ensure an even temperature throughout the plate. Any composite appropriate for use in frying pans or saucepans may be used for this purpose.

The grooves formed in the plate are designed to at least partially encapsulate the sausage, and preferably encapsulate half of the sausage when it is laid on its side.

The grooves are typically semicircular in cross section, and preferably have the shape of an elongated oval in plan view. They can be arranged to be mutually parallel, mutually perpendicular, radially distributed or any combination of these. It is preferred, however, that the grooves are arranged to maximise space efficiency while maintaining sufficient separation to ensure a substantially even temperature across the cooking surface of the sausage cooking plate.

The grooves are sized to accept an average sausage. Typically, the grooves are between 15 and 35 millimetres in diameter, and preferably grooves for large sausages are between 25 and 30 millimetres and those for small sausages (chipolatas) are between 15 and 20 millimetres in diameter. The length of the grooves is typically between 100 millimetres and 140 millimetres.

The thickness of a single plate across its widest portions (ie where there are no grooves) is typically between 15 and 25 millimetres. This maximum thickness is preferably uniform along one cross section of the sausage cooking plate, but the thickness can be uniform or gradually decreasing across a perpendicular cross section. A gradually decreasing maximum thickness allows fat from the cooking sausages to drain to the end of each groove, and is preferably accompanied by holes at the lower end of each groove to allow fat to drain from the grooves into the pan.

Altematively, the lower end of each groove can be open, and a protruding retaining feature can be introduced to prevent the sausage sliding out of the open ended groove. This design can also aid the turning of the sausages when they are cooked on one side, as they can be more easily gripped.

In the case of a uniform maximum thickness, fat drainage can still be achieved by introducing holes into the bottom of the grooves. These holes preferably allow fat to drain from the bottom surface of each groove on to the heat conducting mass below. There are preferably at least three holes per groove, evenly spread along each groove's length. These holes can optionally lead to corresponding small channels in the opposite surface of the plate which contacts the heat conducting mass, to allow easy flow of fat out from under the plate and on to the heat conducting mass.

A sausage cooking plate according to the invention may be manufactured by moulding, machining or any other technique known in the art.

The present invention provides many advantages over traditional sausage cooking methods. Since the sausages are partially encapsulated, they cook faster and need to be turned fewer times. In the case of 50% encapsulation, the sausages need only to be turned once and the cooking time is as low as 9 minutes. Additionally, the device provides even cooking of the sausage, and consequentially a crispy skin is easily and reliably achieved. Use of a fat drainage system also provides a healthier sausage, and makes the fat easy to dispose of by collecting it on the heat conducting mass. Sausage cooking plates according to the present invention are cheap to manufacture, and are a low cost method of cooking, since cooking times are reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Examples of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompany drawings, in which: Figures 1a-1c show a first example of a sausage cooking plate according to the present invention; Figures 2a-2d show a second example of sausage cooking plates according to the present invention; Figures 3a-3c show a third example of a sausage cooking plate according to the present invention; Figures 4a-4d show a fourth example of a sausage cooking plate according to the present invention; and Figures 5a-5d show a fifth example of a sausage cooking plate according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

In a first example, shown in Figures 1a-1c, a sausage cooking plate 10 includes an upper surface 11 having a number of grooves 12 formed therein. These grooves 12 are shaped to receive and encapsulate approximately half of a sausage.

The cooking plate 10 additionally includes a lower surface 13 which is shaped so that, in use, when the lower surface 13 is placed on a heat conducting mass, the majority of the lower surface 13 maintains intimate thermal contact with the heat conducting mass. Suitable heat conducting masses include frying pans, saucepans or griddle pans, although any suitable kitchen or barbeque cookware is envisaged. The cooking plate 10 is made of aluminium.

In a second example, as shown in Figures 2a-2d, a pair of sausage cooking plates 20 are connected via a hinge 24. This hinge 24 facilitates the opening and closing of the assembly, such that when the assembly is closed, the pair of plates 20 lie on top of one another, with their grooves 22 aligned, so as to fully encapsulate a sausage.

In a third example of the present invention, a sausage cooking plate 30 includes a first surface 31 having a number of large grooves 32 formed therein, and a second surface 33 having a number of smaller grooves 34 formed therein, as shown in Figures 3a-3c. In this device, large sausages can be cooked in the large grooves 32, with the second surface 33 in contact with a heat conducting mass. Altematively small sausages (for example chipolatas) can be cooked in the small grooves 34 with the first surface 31 in contact with a heat conducting mass.

In a fourth example of the present invention, a sausage cooking plate 40 substantially similar to shown in Figure 1 further has grooves 42 which each have one open end 44, and that slope downwards towards this open end. This is shown in Figures 4a-4d. These grooves allow fat from the sausage to drain out of the plate and on to the heat conducting mass. To prevent the sausage sliding down the sloped cooking cavity, the grooves each additionally comprise a protruding retaining feature 45.

In a fifth example of the present invention, a sausage cooking plate 50 substantially similar to that in Figure 1 additionally has three drainage holes 54 in the bottom of each groove 52. These drainage holes are evenly spaced, and are level with corresponding holes in all grooves. This allows communication with three channels 55 that are cut into the lower surface 53 of the plate, as shown in Figures 5a-5d. The drainage holes 54, in combination with the channels 55, allow fat to drain from the groove 52 on to the heat conducting mass.

All of the above examples are heated by thermal conduction from the heat conducting mass. The sausages are then cooked by conduction from the sausage cooking plate. Although we have referred to "sausages" throughout, it is to be understood that this term encompasses other similarly shaped foodstuffs such as kebabs, drumsticks, etc.

Claims

1. A sausage cooking plate comprising a block of heat conducting material which comprises: an uppersurface having a number of grooves formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate a sausage; and a lower surface which is shaped so that, in use, when the lower surface is placed on a heat conducting mass, the majority of the lower surface maintains intimate thermal contact with the heat conducting mass.

2. A sausage cooking plate comprising a block of heat conducting material which comprises: a first surface having a number of grooves of a first size formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate one size of sausage; and a second surface having a number of grooves of a different size formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate a different size sausage.

3. A sausage cooking plate according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the grooves are shaped so as to encapsulate about one half of a sausage.

4. A sausage cooking plate according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the grooves additionally comprise fat drainage holes.

5. A sausage cooking plate according to claim 4, wherein the fat drainage holes lead to fat drainage channels in the surface of the plate which contacts the heat conducting mass.

6. A sausage cooking plate according to any preceding claim, wherein a cross section of the sausage cooking plate has a gradually decreasing maximum thickness.

7. A sausage cooking plate according to claim 6, wherein the lower end of the each groove is open.

8. A sausage cooking plate according to claim 7, wherein the open end of each groove comprises a protruding retaining feature.

9. A sausage cooking plate according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate is formed from steel, stainless steel, aluminium, ceramic or a composite.

10. A sausage cooking device comprising a pair of sausage cooking plates, each plate comprising a first surface having a number of grooves formed therein which are shaped to receive and at least partially encapsulate a sausage, wherein the plates are adapted to be stacked with grooves of one plate aligned with the grooves of the other plate so as to fully encapsulate a sausage between them.

11. A sausage cooking device according to claim 10, wherein the sausage cooking plates are coupled together.

12. A sausage cooking device according to claim 1 1, wherein the sausage cooking plates are coupled by a hinge.

13. A method of cooking sausages comprising the steps of heating a sausage cooking plate or device according to any of the preceding claims on a heat conducting mass so as to transfer heat, and thereby cook, one or more sausages placed within the grooves of the plate.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the sausages are turned part way through cooking to heat unexposed sections of the sausages

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein two similar sausage cooking plates are heated separately, before stacking the plates together with sausages encapsulated between.

16. A sausage cooking plate substantially as shown in and/or described with reference to any of Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.