GB2470226A

GB2470226A - Heated spatula for assisting in frying eggs

Info

Publication number: GB2470226A
Application number: GB0908402A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jonathan David Whittle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-05-15
Filing date: 2009-05-15
Publication date: 2010-11-17
Also published as: GB0908402D0

Abstract

A kitchen spatula can be used to help to keep an egg yolk 5 intact and non coagulated when frying the egg sunny side up. Its features allow the albumen 6 (egg white) to be fully cooked whilst not coming into contact with the yolk 5 so that the yolk doesn't become damaged or coagulated. It allows cooking of the upper side of the egg white without needing to flip the egg during preparation, which may result in yolk fracture and spillage, or in yolk coagulation. The spatula paddle 2 is adapted so that when pressed onto the top of an egg it will cook the albumen 6, whilst the yolk portion 5 of said egg will be accommodated in a hole 1 so that it is not touched by the paddle, preventing yolk fracture or coagulation. The spatula has an elongate handle 3, and the paddle 2 may have a non-stick surface.

Description

Egg Spatula

Background of the Invention

This invention relates to a spatula which includes features that enable it to help cook a fried egg to the point at which it has a runny yolk and a solidly cooked (coagulated') albumen (white'). It is a common problem that people desire sunny-side up' eggs, which have a solidly cooked white but a runny yolk. It is often difficult to achieve this, as the underside of the egg will cook before the top side, leaving a layer of uncooked albumen on the top of the egg. Leaving the egg to cook for longer, in an attempt to achieve this, may mean that the bottom of the egg becomes burnt, and/or the yolk also becomes coagulated. A common method of cooking this uncooked layer of albumen is to flip the egg over, which may result in yolk fracture and spillage, or result in the yolk becoming coagulated.

Previous patents, disclosed below, have sought to address the problem of creating a fried egg which has the yolk-intact, but with the albumen fully cooked, top and bottom. They address the problem by inventing devices that allow for easier flipping of the egg during frying, with the intention keeping the yolk intact.

Examples of such inventions are disclosed in U.S. Patent Numbers. 4,088,360 (1978), 4,095,832 (1978), and 5,443,293 (1995).

Due to the egg's characteristics of a bulbous yolk, which protrudes upwards above the albumen, flipping the egg is never ideal, as it leaves the yolk in a position in which it may easily fracture or be punctured. Flipping the egg also means that the yolk is likely to be cooked solid, as when flipped it will be in direct contact with the cooking surface (e.g. frying pan).

The disclosed previous inventions mentioned above, try to address the problem of making a fried egg with its yolk intact and non-coagulated, but with a fully cooked albumen, by flipping the egg during cooking.

The disclosed previous inventions also tend to be quite complex, hard to manufacture, expensive to manufacture and hard to clean.

Statement of Invention

An aim of the present invention, or at least of specific embodiments of it, is to enable a sunny-side-up egg to be fried without the need for flipping the egg and yet produce a fully-cooked-through albumen and an intact but runny yolk.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spatula for use in frying a sunny-side-up egg, such as a hen's egg, the spatula comprising a paddle and an elongate handle extending from the paddle. The paddle has a substantially flat surface and a relief therein.

The surface is of a size and shape such that, in use, the surface can be placed facing downwardly on and cover at least the majority of the upper surface of the albumen of a frying sunny-side-up egg.

The relief is of a size and shape such that, in use, with the surface positioned as aforesaid, any substantial contact of the paddle with the yolk of the egg can be avoided. The paddle is capable of being heated to a cooking temperature of the egg and, when positioned as aforesaid, of transferring heat to the albumen to assist cooking of the albumen.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of frying a sunny-side-up egg, such bas a hen's egg. As is conventional, the method includes the step of placing the contents of an egg on a heated frying surface. However, the method employs a spatula according to the first aspect of the invention and also includes the steps of heating the paddle to a cooking temperature of the egg, and placing the first-mentioned surface of the heated paddle facing downwardly on the upper surface of the albumen of the frying egg with the relief surrounding the yoke of the egg so as to assist cooking of the albumen whilst avoiding any substantial contact of the paddle with the yoke.

Accordingly, a fully-cooked-through albumen can be achieved without the need for flipping the egg and without cooking the egg for a period of time which will bum the underside of the egg.

Assuming the spatula is used with care, the paddle does not make any substantial contact with the yolk so that (i) it does not damage the yolk and (ii) little or no heat is transferred from the paddle to the yolk so that the yoke can remain runny.

Although the relief could be provided by a domed recess in the underside of the paddle, it is preferably provided by a hole through the paddle. This enables the user to see that they are correctly positioning the paddle around the yolk. it also enables the spatula to be used to lift the egg from the frying surface, once the egg has been cooked, especially if the paddle has a second substantially flat surface opposite the first-mentioned surface, i.e. a substantially flat upper surface.

The hole preferably has a diameter of at least 25 mm and preferably has a diameter of no more than mm. The hole is preferably substantially circular.

When the first-mentioned surface facing downwardly, the handle preferably projects upwardly and outwardly from the paddle, thus enabling the user to apply the paddle to the egg from a distance.

At least the first-mentioned surface of the paddle is preferably a non-stick surface.

At least the paddle preferably has a high specific heat capacity. The paddle and handle may be made from metal, such as stainless steel, in which case the handle may have a thermally-insulating grip at its distal end. Alternatively, the whole spatula may be made by injection-moulding from a plastics material having a high specific heat capacity and which is undamaged by the temperatures that the spatula will experience.

At least the paddle can be heated by any method the user chooses, preferably either by placing said paddle in the fat on a frying surface or by holding said paddle over a gas ring.

Introduction to Drawings

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an egg being cooked from above by the invention. The yolk is shown passing through the hole in the the paddle, whilst the paddle cooks the albumen on the top of the egg.

Figure 3 shows a side-on view of an egg being cooked from above by the invention. The yolk is shown passing through the paddle, whilst the paddle cooks the albumen on the top of the egg.

Figure 4 shows a top plan view of an egg being cooked from above by the invention. The yolk is shown passing through the paddle, whilst the paddle cooks the albumen on the top of the egg.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows an egg spatula according to this invention. The spatula has a flat paddle 2. The paddle 2 is manufactured from a material that can reach, retain and conduct high heat, such as metal, so that it can be heated to a suitable temperature and pressed against the top of a near-cooked egg to assist cooking of said egg. Said paddle may be heated by any means, for example resting it in the fat on a hot frying surface or by holding it over a gas ring. The paddle has a hole in it 1, for the purpose of accommodating an egg yolk when the spatula is pressed on top of a near-cooked frying egg. This allows the egg yolk to escape coming into contact with the hot surface of the paddle and becoming coagulated. It also prevents the yolk being pressed and fracturing, resulting in yolk spillage.

A handle 3 extends from the paddle. The underside of the paddle 4 is the surface which comes into contact with any uncooked albumen on top of an egg when it is near-cooked. This surface 4 will ideally be coated with a non-stick layer, although this is not essential.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the invention being put to use. The flat paddle 2 is being pressed onto the top of a frying egg. The egg albumen 6 on top of the near-cooked egg is coming into contact with the underside of the paddle 4. As the paddle has been heated, this is cooking the uncooked egg albumen 6 said paddle comes into contact with. The egg yolk 5 is passing through the hole in the paddle 1, ensuring that it does not come into contact with the paddle 2, therefore keeping it from becoming coagulated and keeping it from being pressed and fractured, resulting in yolk spillage.

Figure 3 shows a side-on view of the invention being put to use. The flat paddle 2 is being pressed onto the top of a frying egg. The egg's albumen 6 on top of the near-cooked egg is coming into contact with the paddle. The egg yolk S is clearly passing through the hole in the paddle 1, preventing it from becoming coagulated or fractured.

Figure 4 shows a top plan view of the invention being put to use. The flat paddle 2 is being pressed onto the top of an egg. The egg's albumen 6 on top of the near-cooked egg is coming into contact with the paddle. The egg yolk S is passing through the hole in the paddle 1, preventing it from becoming coagulated or fractured.

Claims

Claims 1. A spatula for use in frying a sunny-side-up egg, the spatula comprising a paddle and an elongate handle extending from the paddle, wherein: the paddle has a substantially flat surface and a relief therein; the surface is of a size and shape such that, in use, the surface can be placed facing downwardly on and cover at least the majority of the upper surface of the albumen of a frying sunny-side-up egg; the relief is of a size and shape such that, in use, with the surface positioned as aforesaid, any substantial contact of the paddle with the yolk of the egg can be avoided; and the paddle is capable of being heated to a cooking temperature of the egg and, when positioned as aforesaid, of transferring heat to the albumen to assist cooking of the albumen.
2. A spatula as claimed in claim 1, wherein the relief is provided by a hole through the paddle.
3. A spatula as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hole has a diameter of at least 25 mm.
4. A spatula as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the hole has a diameter of no more than 60 mm.
5. A spatula as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hole is substantially circular.
6. A spatula as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the paddle has a second substantially flat surface opposite the first-mentioned surface.
7. A spatula as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein, with the first-mentioned surface facing downwardly, the handle projects upwardly and outwardly from the paddle.
8. A spatula as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least the first-mentioned surface of the paddle is a non-stick surface.
9. A spatula substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
10. A method of frying a sunny-side-up egg, comprising the steps of: placing the contents of an egg on a heated frying surface; heating the paddle of a spatula as claimed in any preceding claim to a cooking temperature of the egg; and placing the first-mentioned surface of the heated paddle facing downwardly on the upper surface of the albumen of the frying egg with the relief surrounding the yoke of the egg so as to assist cooking of the albumen whilst avoiding any substantial contact of the paddle with the yoke.
11. A method of frying a sunny-side-up egg, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.