GB2571785A

GB2571785A - Cooking system and method

Info

Publication number: GB2571785A
Application number: GB1803825.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Llewelyn Gozney Thomas
Original assignee: Gozney Group Ltd
Current assignee: Gozney Group Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-09
Filing date: 2018-03-09
Publication date: 2019-09-11
Also published as: GB201803825D0

Abstract

A cooking system comprises an oven 10 having a cooking chamber 12 with an opening 13 to permit cookware to be placed in and removed from the chamber and an item of oven cookware. The item of cookware 1 comprises a food-support surface (2, fig 3) having a periphery, and an oven-closure wall 3 located at along at least part of the periphery of the food-support surface. When the food-support surface of the item of oven cookware is placed within the chamber a majority of the opening to the chamber is occluded by the oven-closure wall. Preferably the oven closure wall substantially covers and substantially seals the cooking chamber opening. The oven is preferably a pizza oven. The oven-closure wall preferably incorporates a handle or mean for attaching a handle.

Description

Cooking System and Method

The present invention relates to a cooking system and method. In particular the present invention relates to improvements in oven cooking apparatus, and especially to pizza ovens.

Oven cookware is used to support items of food when cooking in ovens. Cookware comes in many forms such as pans and trays.

When cooking in an oven tray, for example, first has food placed thereon. The tray is then positioned inside the oven upon a support surface such as a rack and the oven door is closed behind it to retain heat in the oven. When the food has cooked to a user's requirements the door is opened, the tray is removed from the oven, and the food cooked thereon may be consumed.

The present invention seeks to improve upon the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cooking system comprising:

an oven having a cooking chamber with an opening to permit cookware to be placed in and removed from the chamber; and an item of oven cookware comprising:

a food-support surface having a periphery;

an oven-closure wall located at along at least part of the periphery of the foodsupport surface;

wherein when the food-support surface of the item of oven cookware is placed within the chamber a majority of the opening to the chamber is occluded by the ovenclosure wall.

In some embodiments the oven-closure wall is sized so as to occlude at least 60% of the opening, or to occlude at least 65% of the opening, or to occlude at least 70% of the opening, or to occlude at least 75% of the opening, or to occlude at least 80% of the opening, or to occlude at least 85% of the opening, or to occlude at least 90% of the opening, or to occlude at least 95% of the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

In some embodiments the opening to the chamber is substantially occluded by the ovenclosure wall when the item of cookware is in use.

In some embodiments the oven-closure wall is sized so as to substantially seal the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

In some embodiments the item of oven cookware comprises a handle attached adjacent the oven-closure wall, or comprises means to attach a handle adjacent the oven-closure wall.

In some embodiments a handle is attached substantially in the middle of the oven-closure wall.

In some embodiments an oven-closure wall extends fully across the width of the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

In some embodiments the oven-closure wall extends only around part of the periphery of the food-support surface.

In some embodiments the oven-closure wall is located only along an edge or edges of the food-support surface that are located adjacent the chamber opening when the item of cookware is in use.

In some embodiments the oven-closure wall extends into the chamber adjacent each side of the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

In some embodiments the item of oven cookware comprises a lip of lower height than the wall extending around at least part of the peripheral edge or edges of the food-support surface.

In some embodiments around a remainder of the periphery of the food support surface where the oven closure wall is not located there is either provided a lip of a lower height than the wall or there is provided no peripheral wall.

In some embodiments the oven-closure wall extends around the whole periphery of the food-support surface.

In some embodiments wall is at an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees to the food support surface, or at an angle of between 60 and 75 degrees to the food support surface.

In some embodiments the oven is a pizza oven.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an item of oven cookware adapted for use with the system of any preceding statement of invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of oven cooking comprising the steps of:

a) providing a system made in accordance with any preceding statement of invention relating to the first aspect of the present invention;

b) positioning the item of cookware in the oven such that a majority of the opening to the chamber is occluded by the oven-closure wall.

In order that the present invention may be more fully understood a specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an item of cookware made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the item of cookware of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the item of cookware of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the item of cookware of Figure 1 alongside an oven for which the cookware is to be used; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the item of cookware of Figure 1 in use in the oven of Figure

4.

Referring to the drawings an item of cookware in the form of a cast iron pan 1 comprises a food-supporting surface 2 and an oven-closure wall 3.

Surface 2 is substantially square in shape, having four peripheral edges 5, 6, 7, 8.

Wall 3 extends along the whole of edge 5 of surface 2 and as best illustrated in Figure 2 also extends partly along edges 6 and 8, which adjoin edge 5. Along edge 5 wall 3 extends upwardly from surface 2 at an angle of approximately 60 degrees.

Extending along the remainder of peripheral edges 6 and 8 and extending along the whole of edge 7 is lip 9.

Lip 9 is approximately one third of the height of wall 3.

Handle 4 extends from edge 5 substantially perpendicularly thereto and is located substantially in the middle of edge 5 (and thus wall 3).

Turning to pan 1 in use and referring to drawings 4 and 5, pan 1 is adapted for use with oven 10.

Oven 10 comprises a housing 11 that defines an internal cooking chamber that is heatable.

The cooking chamber comprises a base 12 for a user to position cookware and food thereon and an opening 13 for inserting and removing the cookware and food.

Opening 13 is approximately the same width and height as wall 3.

Food for cooking may be positioned upon surface 2 by a user and pan 1 then inserted into opening 13 such that surface 2 is housed within chamber 12.

When pan 1 is fully inserted into chamber 12 such that wall 3 is located in the plane of opening 13 pan 1 rests upon base 12 of the cooking chamber and upper edge 14 of wall 13 is located adjacent to upper edge 15 of opening 13.

In this position wall 3 extends between base 12 of the cooking chamber and the roof (not shown) of the cooking chamber. Wall 3 also spans the width of opening 13.

Wall 3 thereby acts to substantially occlude opening 13 such that heat is retained within chamber 12, thereby assisting in rapid cooking of the food without the need for an oven door.

If a user wishes to reduce the heat retained in the cooking chamber by wall 3 pan 1 may be slightly displaced so as to increase the gap between upper edge 14 of wall 13 and upper edge 15 of opening 13 such that heat may escape from the cooking chamber.

In the present embodiment the height of opening 13, i.e. the distance between base 12 of the cooking chamber and upper edge 15 of opening 13, is approximately 85mm. The height of wall 3 is approximately 80mm.

The width of opening 13 is approximately 315mm and the width of wall 3 is approximately 300mm.

Thus it may be seen that wall 3 occludes approximately 90% of opening 13.

In most embodiments it is envisioned that system made in accordance with the present invention will comprise a single opening having a base upon which an item of cookware sits.

Thus in order for an item of cookware to be manageable in size it is envisioned that any opening is likely to have a width of less than 50cm or less than 40cm. Any opening is likely to have a height of less than 20cm, or less than 10cm.

Although in the present embodiment item of cookware 1 is square and formed of cast iron any shapes and suitable materials may be of course be used depending upon requirements.

In some embodiments no lip may be provided around the periphery of a food support surface. A food support surface will normally be substantially planar but may either be smooth or comprise a griddle or other patterning.

It is considered that it may be preferable in most embodiments for an oven closure wall to extend fully across an edge of an item of cookware that is located at an opening of the oven when the item of cookware is in use. In most embodiments such an edge will be the only edge of the item of cookware long which the closure wall fully extends.

Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooking system comprising:

a food-support surface having a periphery;

wherein when the food-support surface of the item of oven cookware is placed within the chamber a majority of the opening to the chamber is occluded by the oven-closure wall.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the oven-closure wall is sized so as to occlude at least

60% of the opening, or to occlude at least 65% of the opening, or to occlude at least

70% of the opening, or to occlude at least 75% of the opening, or to occlude at least

80% of the opening, or to occlude at least 85% of the opening, or to occlude at least

90% of the opening, or to occlude at least 95% of the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the opening to the chamber is substantially occluded by the oven-closure wall when the item of cookware is in use.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the oven-closure wall is sized so as to substantially seal the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

5. The system of any preceding claim wherein the item of oven cookware comprises a handle attached adjacent the oven-closure wall, or comprises means to attach a handle adjacent the oven-closure wall.

6. The system of any preceding claim wherein a handle is attached substantially in the middle of the oven-closure wall.

7. The system of any preceding claim wherein an oven-closure wall extends fully across the width of the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

8. The system of any preceding claim wherein the oven-closure wall extends only around part of the periphery of the food-support surface.

9. The system of any preceding claim wherein the oven-closure wall is located only along an edge or edges of the food-support surface that are located adjacent the chamber opening when the item of cookware is in use.

10. The system of any preceding claim wherein the oven-closure wall extends into the chamber adjacent each side of the opening when the item of cookware is in use.

11. The system of any preceding claim wherein the item of oven cookware comprises a lip of lower height than the wall extending around at least part of the peripheral edge or edges of the food-support surface.

12. The system of any preceding claim wherein around a remainder of the periphery of the food support surface where the oven closure wall is not located there is either provided a lip of a lower height than the wall or there is provided no peripheral wall.

13. The system of any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the oven-closure wall extends around the whole periphery of the food-support surface.

14. The system of any preceding claim wherein the oven closure wall is at an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees to the food support surface, or at an angle of between 60 and 75 degrees to the food support surface.

15. The system of any preceding claim wherein the oven is a pizza oven.

16. An item of oven cookware adapted for use with the system of any preceding claim.

17. A method of oven cooking comprising the steps of:

a) providing a system made in accordance with any of claims 1 to 15;