GB2588168A

GB2588168A - Cooking vessel for concurrently steaming and poaching food

Info

Publication number: GB2588168A
Application number: GB1914707.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yuill Joanna
Original assignee: Yu Cook Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Yu Cook Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2019-10-11
Filing date: 2019-10-11
Publication date: 2021-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-11
Also published as: GB2588168B; GB201914707D0

Abstract

A cooking vessel 1 suitable for concurrently steaming and poaching food comprises separable portions 2A, 2B which together define a closed container. The closed container comprises at least two internal compartments 9, 10 separated by a platform 11 and the platform is configured to allow fluid flow therethrough. The vessel further comprises a seal 6 at the juncture between the separable portions. The seal is adapted to allow the egress of steam from the closed container and prevent the ingress of liquid into the closed container. The platform may comprise upper 11A and lower 11B platform portions which join together to form a third internal compartment. The seal may be flexible and compressible and may be made from silicone. The seal may be in the form of a flattened disc with an aperture therethrough and may have an internal flange 8 which extends into the cooking vessel during use. An inner edge of the internal flange may comprise a slot 15 and the platform may be received by the slot. In use, the cooking vessel is placed into boiling water to permit concurrent poaching and steaming of food within the compartments of the vessel.

Description

Cooking vessel for concurrently steaming and poaching food

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cooking vessel that can be placed into boiling water and which allows for concurrent steaming and poaching of foodstuffs within the vessel. More particularly, the cooking vessel has at least two compartments separated by a platform through which fluid such as steam can flow and is formed by separable portions. The juncture between the separable portions has a seal which allows steam to escape during cooking but prevents the water from the pan from entering the cooking vessel. The vessel also allows for easy food storage.

Background

Steamers for cooking food are well known in the art. In their most basic variant, they can take the form of an insert which sits within, or compartments which sit on, a pan of boiling water such that steam from the boiling water permeates through the insert to cook food items. More complex mains-connected steamers also exist, where the bottom section is itself a water heater rather than simply a pan. Such cooking is popular as steam cooking is a relatively healthy form of cooking. However, whilst steaming is a good way of cooking many foods there is often a desire to also use other cooking methods to bring additional flavours to a meal and in many instances steaming will be used for only some of the ingredients forming part of a meal.

Another cooking style often considered to be relatively healthy is poaching, which effectively cooks a foodstuff by simmering it in an amount of liquid. Poaching allows protein such as chicken or fish to be cooked within a sauce to provide both flavour and texture or moisture.

Various products for poaching are also known in the art, often taking the form of small pans.

It would be useful to provide a cooking vessel that allowed for both steaming and/or poaching of foodstuff. It would also be advantageous if the cooking vessel allowed cooking liquor or sauce held within to be retained for use as a sauce to serve alongside the foodstuff.

It would also be advantageous to provide a cooking vessel that could also be used for food storage e.g. storage in a refrigerator.

It would be desirable to obviate or mitigate drawbacks associated with prior art cooking vessels.

Throughout this description references to steaming, or steam cooking generally encompass heating foodstuff with steam.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooking vessel suitable for concurrently steaming and poaching food, comprising; separable portions which together define a closed container; said closed container comprising at least two internal compartments separated by a platform, said platform configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough; characterised in that a seal is provided at the juncture between the separable portions, said seal being adapted to allow the egress of steam from, and to prevent the ingress of liquid into, the closed container.

Advantageously, a protein in sauce or cooking liquor can be placed in the first compartment, whilst further foodstuff such as vegetables can be placed in the second compartment. The cooking vessel is then placed in a pan of boiling water to provide a source of heat to the contents such that the first compartment poaches the protein in the sauce or cooking liquor and concurrently steam from the poaching liquid passes through the platform into the second compartment to cook additional food placed therein. In addition, the same vessel could be provided with only liquid in the first compartment and used to simply steam food in the second compartment or to poach food in a liquid in the first compartment.

Preferably, there are two separable portions.

The first parable portion includes at least first wall and a first rim, and the second portion includes at least a second wall and a second rim.

Preferably each separable portion is a hollow, hemi-spherical, shape.

Most preferably each separable portion is a substantially flat-bottomed hollow, hemispherical, shape i.e. bowl-shaped.

The flat bottom is continuous with an upwardly extending side wall. The upwardly extending side wall terminates at a rim.

The flat-bottomed surface allows each portion to rest in an upright position on a table or counter.

By providing the separable portions as bowl-shapes, a user can eat directly from the cooking vessel if desired.

When joined together, along with the seal, the separable portionsform a hollow, substantially spherical vessel with opposing flattened sections.

Preferably, the separable portions are made from a material that will substantially float in water. Most preferably the separable portions are made from polypropylene.

By making the cooking vessel in a shape and with a material which is floatable, this allows relatively gentle heating of the vessel when it is in boiling water. This can reduce the speed at which pressure/steam builds up inside the vessel.

Advantageously, a material such as polypropylene can float in water but will also not deform when heated to temperatures of approx. 100°C (i.e. placed in boiling water) or cooled to 4°C (i.e. stored in a refrigerator).

Preferably, the platform comprises several apertures. The apertures are sized such that gas and liquid can flow therethrough, but foodstuff cannot pass through.

Optionally the platform may itself comprise separable platform portions which join together to form a third internal compartment within the platform.

The third compartment can itself be filled with food for cooking which will be held separately from food in the other compartment during the cooking process.

Preferably there is an upper platform portion and a lower platform portion. The upper platform portion and the lower platform portion each have a shallow bowl shape which has side walls which flatten out towards the rim to give a substantially planar rim flange. The rim flanges of the upper platform portion and a lower platform portion can be brought together to form a platform with an internal compartment.

Preferably, the seal is a mechanical seal that is shaped to sit between the rims of the separable portions.

The seal is a ring shaped to match the shape of dimensions of the rims of the separable portions.

The seal is effectively a gasket which sits between the rim of the first separable portion and the rim of the second separable portion.

Preferably the seal is a flexible seal that is shaped to sit between the rims of the separable portions.

The flexibility of the seal is selected such that it can be compressed between the rims of the separable portions to prevent water ingress into the cooking vessel. However, a pressure increase within the cooking vessel due to a build-up of steam will cause the seal to move and allow steam to escape from the cooking vessel.

Preferably the seal is made from a material with a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the separable portions. This will allow the seal to expand slightly when placed into hot or boiling water which in turn reduces the internal pressure required to allow steam to escape via the seal during the cooking process.

The seal has both sufficient elasticity that it will allow for expansion when placed under pressure and resilience such that when the pressure application reduces or is removed it will substantially revert to its original conformation.

Preferably the seal is made from silicone. Alternatively, it may be made from TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) or nitrile rubber.

Preferably the seal is made from high grade silicone.

Preferably the seal is a ring in the form of a flattened disc with aperture therethrough.

Preferably the seal has an internal flange which extend inwards into the cooking vessel during use.

Most preferably the internal flange is a continuous flange that extends around the inner circumference of the seal.

The internal flange extends laterally inwards and is substantially on the same plane as the plane formed by the rim of the separable portion.

Preferably the platform engages with the internal flange such that the platform is substantially on the same plane as the plane formed by the rim of a separable portion.

Optionally the inner edge of the internal flange comprises a slit or groove.

Preferably the platform is received by the slit or groove.

Preferably at least one of the upper or lower surfaces of the seal is provided with a groove that is shaped to receive the rim of a separable portion.

Most preferably each of one of the upper or lower surfaces of the seal is provided with a groove that is shaped to receive the rim of a separable portion.

Alternatively, or in addition, the seal is permanently affixed to the rim of one of the first or second separable portions.

Preferably the cooking vessel comprises at least one securing element which acts to secure the first and second separable portions together such that they are resiliently biased to a closed configuration but can move apart when the internal pressure of the vessel exceeds a predetermined threshold.

The predetermined threshold is somewhat determined by the material and configuration that is used. Typically, the material will deform or stretch when exposed to a pressure greater than 1PSIG, or greater than 2 PSIG or greater than 5 PSIG.

Preferably the cooking vessel comprises a plurality of securing elements to secure the first and second separable portions together such that they are resiliently biased to a closed configuration but can move apart when the internal pressure of the vessel exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Preferably the outer circumference of the seal has a plurality of securing elements which act to releasably secure the seal to the outer surface of a separable portion, preferably to each separable portion.

Preferably the securing elements comprise loops which engage with shaped engagement sections on the outer surface of each separable portion.

Preferably the securing elements are formed from the same flexible and/or elastic material as the seal. Preferably this is silicon, TPE or nitrile rubber.

Advantageously, by selecting material which has a level of elasticity and is resilient, this means that as the pressure inside the cooking vessel increases, the securing elements can be placed under pressure sufficient for them to expand. This allows the separable portions to move apart slightly when the pressure increases, allowing some of the steam to escape. This in turn reduces the internal pressure such that the separable portions are pulled back together. In this way, steam is able to escape when pressure increases but the vessel is resealed once the pressure begins to drop such that water cannot enter.

Preferably the securing elements are formed integrally with the seal.

The securing elements are formed from an elastic or resilient material and arranged to engage with the separable portions to secure the separable portions together.

Optionally, the shaped engagement sections are arcuate grooves.

Alternatively, the shaped engagement sections extend out from the outer surface of the separable portion.

Optionally, the shaped engagement sections are ridges which extend out from the outer surface of the separable portion. Preferably the ridges are arcuate ridges with the crown of the arc pointing away from the rim.

The shaped engagement sections are positioned such that the securing elements must be stretched to attach or engage with them. As the securing elements are made from a resilient material, they are biased to securely but releasably compress the seal against the rim of a separable portions.

Optionally, the separable portions are provided with indicia which are visible on the internal walls, and which indicate the predetermined ideal minimum and maximum liquid fill levels for use.

Optionally, the separable portions are provided with indicia, which are visible on the internal walls, which provide visible indicators of preferred portion sizes.

Optionally the cooking vessel is provided with a colour change section, preferably in the form of a label, which changes colour in response to a change in temperature.

Advantageously including a removable label with a dye flush feature allows the user to safely label their food with best-before dates and also enables them to see when the vessel is stored safely in the refrigerator (label turns a first colour e.g. blue) and when the vessel is at optimum cooking temperature (label turns another colour e.g. red).

Various further features and aspects of the invention are defined in the claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the meaning commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which this invention belongs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where like parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals and in which: Figure 1 shows a cooking vessel according to an aspect of the present invention, the cooking vessel being in a closed configuration; and Figure 2 is an image showing and exploded view a cooking vessel according to the present invention, which shows how the cooking vessel can be opened into component parts; and Figure 3 is an image showing an embodiment of the platform and seal found in an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of cooking vessel 1. The cooking vessel has a first separable portion 2A and a second separable portion 2B made from a material such as polypropylene. In this embodiment, the separable portions 2A and 2B are identical in shape and size. Each separable portion 2A, 2B has a hollow, substantially hemispherical, shape.

Each separable portion 2A,2B has a flat bottom 5 and an upwardly extending wall 3 which terminates at a rim 4. The rim 4 of each separable portion can be considered to form a notional plane P1, P2. In this embodiment the rim 4 has a substantially circular circumference. Effectively, each separable portion is shaped like a bowl, with a flattened bottom section that allows it to be securely placed on a table or work surface, and which can be used to eat food directly from to avoid the need for additional receptacle post-cooking.

The two separable portions 2A and 2B are brought together at their rims 4 to form a closed container which can be placed into a pan of hot or boiling water. In some embodiments the rims may be shaped to interconnect and minimise lateral slippage, for example having male and female portions or mirror image flanges. Such shaped rims are known in the art.

The closed container has a first internal compartment 9 and a second internal compartment 10 separated by a platform 11. In the preferred embodiment of the invention which is depicted in the figures the platform 11 comprises an upper platform portion 11A and a lower platform portion 11B. The upper platform portion 11A and the lower platform portion 11B each have a shallow bowl shape which has side walls which flatten out towards the rim to give a substantially planar rim flange 14. The rim flanges 14 of the upper platform portion 11A and lower platform portion 11B are brought together to form the platform 11 and also a third internal compartment 12 within the platform.

The platform 11 comprises several apertures 13. The apertures are sized such that gas and liquid can flow therethrough, but foodstuff cannot pass through. This allows the flow of steam from the first internal compartment 9 to the second internal compartment 10 (or vice versa). When the platform comprises two separable platform portions 11A,11B, each of the portions 11A, 11B comprises apertures 13 to allow steam to flow from the first internal compartment 9 to the second internal compartment 10 via the third internal compartment 12. Advantageously, this allows a liquid such as a sauce to be heated in the first compartment and used to poach a protein such as fish, and the steam from the sauce can then flow to the second compartment 10 to substantially simultaneously steam cook or heat another food item such as pre-cooked rice. In addition, as the steam will also pass through the third compartment 12 it can also cook or heat another food item held therein e.g. vegetables.

At the juncture between the two portions 2A and 2B there is a seal 6. The seal 6 is in the form of a high-grade silicone ring which acts as a flexible, compressible gasket between the two rims 4. The seal is sized to match the circumference of each of the rims 4 of the separable portions 2A, 2B.

The seal can be provided in a range of different colours to allow the cooking vessels to be easily identifiable.

As can be seen in figures 2 and 3, the silicone ring seal 6 is in the form of a flattened disc of silicone with an aperture therethrough. This disc is slightly wider than the width of the rim 4 of the separable portions 2A, 2B. Although most commonly the ring seal 6 is circular, it will be understood that the shape of the ring is selected to match the rim 4. There is a groove 7 on either side of the flattened disc, the groove being shaped to match the circumference of the rim 4 and to be of substantially the same width as the rim 4 such that the rim 4 of the separable portion 2A,2B can be snugly received therein. The seal 6 also has an internal flange 8 which extends inwards into the cooking vessel 1 during use and when the seal is positioned between the first and second separable portions 2A and 2B. The flange is continuous and extends around the inner circumference of the seal 6. In the closed configuration of the cooking vessel 1, the flange 8 extends inwardly into the cooking vessel 1, substantially along the plane formed by the rim of the separable portion i.e. P1/P2.

In this preferred embodiment, the seal is separate from both the first separable portion 2A and the second separable portion2B. However, it would be understood that the seal could be permanently affixed to the rim of one of the first or second separable portions.

As can be seen most clearly in Figure 2, the inner edge of the flange 8 has a slot 15. The edge of the platform 11 (in this embodiment a portion of the rim flanges 14 of the platform portions 11A,11B) engages with the slot 15 such that when the cooking vessel is closed, the platform 11 is held on substantially on the same plane as the plane formed by the rim 4 of a separable portion 2A, 2B. In this manner, the platform 11 separates the inner portion of the vessel into a first internal compartment 9 and a second internal compartment 10.

In another embodiment it could be envisaged that the platform is secured within the cooking vessel 1 in another manner. For example, it could sit on the flange 8 of the seal or could be attached to a portion of the inside of a separable portion 2A,2B.

As is most clearly shown in Figure 1, the outer circumference of the seal 6 has a plurality of securing elements 16 which act to releasably secure the seal 6 to the outer surfaces of each separable portion 2A, 2B. The securing elements are in the form of loops of silicone and are provided at evenly spaced intervals around the circumference of the seal 6. In the embodiment shown, six loops16 are arranged equidistantly around the outer circumference of the seal 6 such that they extend outwards from the rim 4 of a separable portion 2A, 2B when the cooking vessel 1 is assembled in its closed form. The loops 16 are formed integrally with the seal 6. The loops 16 are elastic and resilient and arranged to engage with engagement sections 17 on the outer surface of the separable portions to secure the separable portions together.

In this embodiment, the shaped engagement sections extend out from the outer surface of a separable portion 2 to form an arc shaped ridge 17. The crown 18, or narrowest part of the arc points away from the rim 4, towards the flattened bottom section 5. The loops 16 are sized such that they can be stretched to fit over the ridge 17 and are resiliently biased to hold the separable portion 2 and seal 6 together. The ridge 17 can be provided with a lip to prevent the loop 16 from slipping off the ridge as it needs to be pulled over the lip to be removed.

Some of the loops 16 attach to the first separable portion 2A whilst others attach to the second separable portion 2B. In this manner the seal is compressed and held between the first separable portion 2A and the second separable portion 2B and the cooking vessel is a closed container.

The separable portions 2A,2B are provided with indicia which are visible on the internal wall.

These can indicate the predetermined ideal minimum and maximum liquid fill levels for use and/or can provide visible indicators or designated areas to indicate preferred portion sizes.

The cooking vessel 1 is provided with a colour change section, preferably in the form of a removable label (not shown), which changes colour in response to a change in temperature.

This allows the user to safely label their food with best-before dates and also enables them to see when the vessel is stored safely in the refrigerator (label turns a first colour e.g. blue) and when the vessel is at optimum cooking temperature (label turns another colour e.g. red).

In this embodiment the separable portions 2A and 2B are identical in shape and size, however although this is preferred as it allows the cooking vessel to be flipped 180 degrees in use and allows either portion (or both portions) to be used as a bowl, this is not essential. The ability to flip the vessel during cooking enables double the amount of protein to be prepared in substantially the same period of time. For example, the cooking vessel can be placed into a pan of boiling water with portion 2A as the lower portion that is at least partially submerged.

a protein portion can be initially poached within a cooking liquor in portion 2A (with steam still penetrating to portion 2B which contains a second protein portion). The cooking vessel can then be flipped 180 degrees such that portion 2B is now the lower portion which is partially submerged. The cooking liquor can also drain through the apertures in the platform through to 2B and a second protein portion in 2B can then also be poached (with the steam passing into portion 2A). It would be possible for example for the first separable portion to form a deeper bowl than the second or vice versa. Similarly, although a hemispherical bowl type shape is preferred it would be understood that the container could have other shapes (although it is preferred that such a shape is conducive to allowing the vessel to float with one compartment substantially above the other). It is however generally preferable from a cost of manufacturing perspective to have separable portions 2A and 2B identical in shape and size as the same tooling etc. can be used for both portions.

A typical meal that can be pared in Protein Pod would be a protein (e.g. white meat, fish, lentils or legumes) in a sauce with vegetables and pre-cooked pasta or rice. The portions can be pre-prepared, and a user can open the cooking vessel 1 to gain access to the first internal compartment 9 and the second internal compartment 10 (and optionally the third internal compartment 12 within the platform 11).

The user places the sauce or cooking liquid in the first internal compartment 9 along with a protein to be poached in the sauce/liquid. The platform 11 is opened and vegetables placed in the third internal compartment 12. The platform 11 is then engaged with the slot 15 of the seal such that the seal surrounds the circumference of the platform. The seal 6 is positioned on the rim 4 of the first separable portion 2k such that the rim 4 is snugly positioned in the groove 7 formed on a surface of the seal 6. The platform 11 thus forms the top wall of the first internal compartment 9. Several loops 16, preferably alternate loops, are attached to the ridges 17 on the outer surface of the first separable portion 2A to secure the seal to the first separabie portion 2A. The precooked rice or pasta can then be placed on the platform 11 or into the second internal compartment 10 formed by the inner surface of the second separable portion 2B. The second separable portion 2B is then positioned such that the rim 4 is placed over seal 4 and sits in the groove 7 on the exposed surface of the seal 6, on the opposite side to the First separable portion 2A. The remaining loops 16 which were not attached to the first separable portion 2A are attached to the ridges 17 on the outer surface of the second separable portion 2B to secure the seal 6 to the second separable portion 2B, In this manner the cooking vessel I is now fully sealed and closed (as shown in Figure 1).

Although the embodiment shown provides ridges on the outer surface of the separable portions, to which the attachment means in the form of loops can be attached, other means of securing the separable portions together LISing the resilient, elastic: attachment means can be utilised. This can include providing the attachment means as an elastic, resilient strap which can wrap around the outer circumference of the closed cooking vessel, surrounding both the first separable portion and the second separable portion, and attach back either to itself or part of the seal.

The dosed cooking vessel 1. can he placed in a fridge prior to cooking. The seal 6 prevents accidental spillage during storage and helps to maintain the freshness of the contents.

When ready for cooking, a user places the cooking vessel 1 into a pan or container of boiling water, ideally with the first separable portion on the bottom such that it is at least partially submerged. The seal 6 prevents any water from entering the cooking vessel from the pan. The cooking vessel floats in the pan of boding water in a partially submerged state and the heat from the boiling water passes through the wails of the cooking vessel and heats the liquid in the first internal compartment such that the protein, in this case fish, is poached therein.

The steam from the heated sauce or poaching liquid travels through the apertures in the platrorm 11 and cooks the vegetables within the third internal compartment 1.2 and also the pre-cooked rice or pasta in the second internal compartment 10. This aliows for different elements of a meai to be easily cooked together using both steaming and poaching.

During the steaming, the pressure within the cooking vessel 1 can rise, in some embodiments, the steam has built up sufficiently.. the flexible seal deforms slightly under the pressure to form a channel or rnicrochannel between the seal and a rim 4 of a separable portion 2. The pressure pushes the steam out of the cooking vessel. When the pressure drops, the resilient nature of the seal is such that the channel recloses. In this way the steam can escape from the cooking vessei via the seal 6 without allow water to enter. It is also envisaged that when the team builds up sufficiently, the separable portions are urged apart, as they are held together by the attachment means, in this case the loops 16" the attachment means stretch slightly when sufficient pressure insider the vessel occurs (for example, where the internal pressure in the vessel is greater than 1 pound per square inch gauge (N]3), or greater than 2 PSiG, or greater than S PSiG). This aliows some steam to escape and, as the pressure then reduces again, and the attachment means are resiliently biased to retain the cooking vessel and the separable portions in the closed, sealed state, the separable portions are brought back into closed sealing contact with the seal. it is suggested that the steam release can occur through both or either of the suggested mechanisms, aided by the conformation of seal and attachment means.

The cc-Joking vessel can then be removed from the boiling water and opened by releasing the loops 16 from the ridges 17. The loops 16 also offer further functionality to the user: they can be used to 'hook' and rotate the vessel 180 degrees during the cooking process to ensure even cooking when both the upper and lower bowls are being used for food preparation.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" or "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present.

For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A cooking vessel suitable for concurrently steaming and poaching food, comprising; separable portions which together define a closed container; said closed container comprising at least two internal compartments separated by a platform, said platform configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough; characterised in that a seal is provided at the juncture between the separable portions, said seal being adapted to allow the egress of steam from, and to prevent the ingress of liquid into, the closed container.
A cooking vessel as in Claim 1 wherein there are two separable portions, and the first separabie portion includes at least first wall and a first rim, and the second portion includes at least a second wall and a second rim.
A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein each separable portion is a substantially flat-bottomed hollow, hemi-spherical, shape i.e. bowl-shaped.
A cooking vessel as in Claim 3 wherein the flat bottom is continuous with an upwardly extending side wall and the upwardly extending side wall terminates at a rim.
A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein, the separable portions are made from a material that will substantially float in water e.g. polypropylene.
A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein the platform comprises several apertures sized such that gas and liquid can flow therethrough, but foodstuff cannot pass through.
A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein the platform comprises an upper platform portion and a lower platform portion which join together to form a third internal compartment within the platform. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8. A cooking vessel as in Claim 7 wherein the upper platform portion and the lower platform portion each have a shallow bowl shape which has side walls which flatten out towards the rim to give a substantially planar rim flange.
9. A cooking vessel as in Claim 8 wherein the rim flanges of the upper platform portion and a lower platform portion can be brought together to form a platform with an internal compartment.
10. A cooking vessel as in any of Claims 2 to 9 wherein the seal is a flexible, compressible seal that is shaped to sit between the separable portions and match the shape of dimensions of the rims of the separable portions.
11. A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein the seal is made from a material with a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the material which the separable portions are made from.
12. A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein the seal is made from silicone.
13. A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein the seal is a ring in the form of a flattened disc with aperture therethrough and has an internal flange which extends inwards into the cooking vessel during use.
14. A cooking vessel as in Claim 13 wherein the internal flange is a continuous flange that extends around the inner circumference of the seal.
15. A cooking vessel as in any of Claims 13 or 14 wherein the platform engages with the internal flange such that the platform is substantially on the same plane as the plane formed by the rim of a separable portion.
16. A cooking vessel as in any of Claims 13 to 15 wherein the inner edge of the internal flange comprises a slot.
17. A cooking vessel as in Claim 16 wherein the platform is received by the slot.
18. A cooking vessel as in any of Claims 2 to 17 wherein at least one of the upper or lower surfaces of the seal is provided with a groove that is shaped to receive the rim of a separable portion.
19. A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims comprising at least one securing element which acts to secure the first and second separable portions together such that they are resiliently biased to a closed configuration but can move apart when the internal pressure of the vessel exceeds a predetermined threshold.
20. A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein the outer circumference of the seal has a plurality of securing elements which act to releasably secure the seal to the outer surface of each separable portion.
21. A cooking vessel as in Claim 20 wherein the securing elements comprise loops which engage with shaped engagement sections on the outer surface of each separable portion.
22. A cooking vessel as in any of Claims 19 to 21 wherein the securing elements are formed integrally with the seal.
23. A cooking vessel as in any of Claims 21 or 22 wherein the shaped engagement sections are ridges which extend out from the outer surface of the separable portion.
24. A cooking vessel as in any of Claims 21 or 22 wherein the shaped engagement sections are positioned such that the securing elements must be stretched to attach or engage with them.
25. A cooking vessel as in any of the previous Claims wherein the separable portions are provided with indicia which are visible on the internal walls, and which indicate the predetermined ideal minimum and maximum liquid fill levels for use and/or provide visible indicators of preferred portion sizes.