WO2014167479A1

WO2014167479A1 - Apparatus for cooking

Info

Publication number: WO2014167479A1
Application number: PCT/IB2014/060486
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ning Zhou; Jiani TANG; Yanling GAO; Weiran Wang
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
Priority date: 2013-04-08
Filing date: 2014-04-07
Publication date: 2014-10-16

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for cooking which comprises a holding unit configured to hold and heat said food; and an induction heating unit positioned in a distance from said holding unit, configured to heat up said holding unit; wherein said holding unit is configured to have melted fat of said food removed off said holding unit to avoid heating the melted fat. By using such an apparatus, concentration of heterocyclic aromatic amines and polyaromatic hydrocarbons in cooked food could be reduced.

Description

Apparatus For Cooking

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cooking, and particularly to an apparatus for cooking food with reduced concentration of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Background of the Invention

Grilling, broiling and toasting are popular techniques for cooking meat, seafood, and sometime vegetables. When applying such techniques, food is typically cooked over dry heat at high temperature for example 150 to 400 °C, and is often in direct contact with flames of burning wood, coal, charcoal, oil etc. Such cooking processes are also accompanied with heavy smoke due to incomplete combustion and intense heating of oil / melted fat. Two types of carcinogens may be formed in the food prepared in above ways due to the high temperature and smoke: heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

HAAs can be further categorized to pyrolytic HAAs and aminoimidazoarenes (AIAs). Pyrolytic HAAs are formed at temperatures higher than 250 °C in protein rich foods such as meat and fish, due to pyrolysis of amino acids and proteins that produces deaminated and decarboxylated products and reactive radical fragments. Such compounds combine together may form heterocyclic ring structures. AIAs are formed in cooked meat by Maillard reaction of amino acid and reducing sugar.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compounds that contain two or more aromatic rings. They are formed as a result of incomplete combustion of wood, coal, charcoal, or oil.

The formation of these HAAs is mainly temperature driven, while formation of PAHs is due to the smoke of fuels and heating of melted fat.

Decrease in cooking temperature may reduce HAAs but may not effectively reduce PAHs due to the smoke of fuels and heating of melted fat.

Object and Summary of the Invention

Because of the issue stated above, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus for cooking which can avoid heating of melted fat and generation of smoke, therefore concentration of PAHs as well as HAAs in food cooked with such an apparatus could be reduced.

In one aspect, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for cooking food, comprises a holding unit configured to hold and heat said food; and an induction heating unit positioned in a distance from said holding unit, configured to generate heat in said holding unit; wherein said holding unit is configured to have melted fat of said food removed off said holding unit to avoid heating the melted fat. By using this apparatus, not only smoke generated due to heating of melted fat could be avoided, but also fuel-generated smoke could also be avoided due to the use of induction heating unit.

Advantageously, said induction heating unit is an electromagnetic induction heating unit configured to cause generation of current in said holding unit and thereby to heat up said holding unit. Electromagnetic heating could provide fast heating speed and high energy efficiency.

Advantageously, said holding unit comprises a plurality of openings through which the melted fat can drip. Such arrangement could help avoid heating of the melted fat on the holding unit and generation of smoke therefrom.

Advantageously, total area of said openings is no more than one third of area of said holding unit. Such arrangement could allow dripping of the melted fat while maintain enough area of the holding unit for generation of heat.

Advantageously, area of each of the openings ranges substantially from 4 square millimeters to 4 square centimeters. Such arrangement could allow dripping of the melted fat while holding the food to be cooked and obtaining desired pattern on surface of the food.

Advantageously, center of said holding unit is at a higher position than edge of said holding unit. By employing this structure, melted fat could be removed from the holding unit in a cleaner way.

Advantageously, said holding unit is arc-shaped and radian of the arc is at least 160 degrees. Such an arrangement could further help the melted fat to flow from the center towards the edge of the holding unit.

Advantageously, said holding unit is provided with a collecting element made of insulating material positioned on at least part of the edge of said holding unit, configured to collect the melted fat. The structure helps to gather the melted fat and to further reduce the possibility of heating melted fat on the holding unit. Advantageously, said collecting element is groove- shaped with a depth not more than 5 millimeters. This provides a generous space to collect the melted fat for cooking.

Advantageously, said insulating material is high temperature endurable material including ceramics, glass, and plastic. This arrangement avoids heating of the melted fat in the collecting unit.

Advantageously, the distance between said holding unit and said induction heating unit is adjustable, and in particular, the distance is at least 5 millimeters. This arrangement could guarantee that the induction heating unit itself is not heated to avoid generation of smoke.

Advantageously, said induction heating unit is made of metallic material and in particular ferromagnetic material. By using this type of material, better induction heating effect could be achieved.

Advantageously, the apparatus further comprises another heating unit placed above said holding unit; wherein said holding unit is positioned above said induction heating unit and below said another heating unit. By using this arrangement, the food could be cooked more thoroughly.

Advantageously, said induction heating unit is configured to heat up said holding unit to a temperature not more than 250 degrees Celsius. This arrangement avoids generation of HAAs, the formation of which is generally temperature driven.

Advantageously, the apparatus further comprises a thermostat configured to sense temperature of said holding unit and/or said food, and to control operation of said induction heating unit accordingly. This arrangement helps to better control cooking temperature in order to avoid formation of HAAs or PAHs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus for cooking in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates another apparatus for cooking in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description

Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. The embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the invention, and are not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the invention encompass these and other modifications and variations as come within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus 100 for cooking according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Apparatus 100 may be a grill, a broiler, or a toaster and so forth. Apparatus 100 comprises an induction heating unit 102 and a holding unit 104. In one embodiment, induction heating unit 102 is an electromagnetic induction heater positioned below holding unit 104. Holding unit 104 is configured to hold food while cooking and may be made of metallic material, and particularly ferromagnetic material, such as iron or steel.

In one embodiment, holding unit 104 is not in contact with induction heating unit 104 and is positioned in a distance from induction heating unit 102, wherein said distance may be adjustable and may be at least 5 mm.

Induction heating unit 102 is configured to cause generation of eddy current in holding unit 104 and therefore heat is generated in holding unit 104 due to the current. Thus, holding unit 104 is configured to heat up the food.

In one embodiment, apparatus is configured to prepare food with dry heat, such as grilling, broiling, or toasting, and therefore cooking temperature of such process may reach 100°C. In one embodiment, temperature of holding unit 104 is not more than 250 °C, particularly not more than 200 °C.

In one embodiment, holding unit 104 may be a grid or a mesh which comprises a plurality of openings or holes. In one embodiment, the openings could be in any possible shapes and area of each of the openings ranges from 4 mm 2 to 4 cm 2 , and total area of the openings is not more than one third of area of holding unit 104.

In operation, fat in the food held by holding unit 104 is melted due to the heat in holding unit 104 and drips through the plurality of openings. In one embodiment, the melted fat could drip onto induction heating unit 102. Because induction heating unit 102 is not configured to heat the food directly, therefore temperature of induction heating unit 102 could be much lower than temperature of holding unit 104, particularly may be at room temperature. Therefore, the melted fat dripping onto induction heating unit 102 could not be heated and no smoke could be generated.

Figure 2 illustrates an apparatus 200 in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. Apparatus comprises an induction heating unit 202 which is the same as 102 illustrated in Figure 1, and a holding unit 204 configured to hold food while cooking and heat up the food.

In one embodiment, center of holding unit 204 is at a higher position than edge of holding unit 204. In particular, holding unit 204 is arc- shaped and radian of the arc is at least 160°.

In one embodiment, holding unit 204 is further provided with a collecting unit 206 positioned on at least part of the edge of holding unit 204. In operation, collecting unit 206 is configured to collect melted fat flowing from the center of holding unit 204. In one embodiment, collecting unit 206 is a groove with a depth not more than 5 mm.

Collecting unit 206 may be made of insulating and high temperature endurable material, such as ceramics, glass or plastic, therefore the melted fat collected therein could not be heated and no smoke could be generated.

In another embodiment, holding unit 204 also comprises a plurality of openings which could further avoid heating of the melted fat on holding unit 204.

In one embodiment, both of apparatus 100 and 200 respectively comprise a thermostat (not shown) configured to sense temperature of holding unit 104 and/or the food, and to control operation of induction heating unit 102 and 202 accordingly.

In one embodiment, apparatus 100 and 200 respectively comprise a cover 106 and

208 configured to control loss of moisture and heat. In one embodiment, cover 106 and

208 are sized to respectively maintain holding units 104 and 204 to be positioned in a distance from induction heating unit 102 and 202.

In one embodiment, apparatus 100 and 200 respectively comprise one or more additional heating units positioned above holding units 104 and 204, configure to provide overall heating of the food.

In one embodiment, apparatus 100 and 200 respectively comprise one or more additional holding units positioned in parallel with holding units 104 and 204. It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are given for describing rather than limiting the invention, and it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention and the appended claims. The protection scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims. In addition, any of the reference numerals in the claims should not be interpreted as a limitation to the claims. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The indefinite article "a" or "an" preceding an element or step does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements or steps.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cooking food, comprising:

a holding unit configured to hold and heat said food; and

an induction heating unit positioned in a distance from said holding unit, configured to heat up said holding unit;

wherein said holding unit is configured to have melted fat of said food removed off said holding unit to avoid heating the melted fat.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said induction heating unit is an electromagnetic induction heating unit configured to cause generation of current in said holding unit and thereby to heat up said holding unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein said holding unit comprises a plurality of openings through which the melted fat can drip.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein total area of said openings is no more than one third of area of said holding unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein area of each of the openings ranges substantially from 4 square millimeters to 4 square centimeters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein center of said holding unit is at a higher position than edge of said holding unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said holding unit is arc-shaped and radian of the arc is at least 160 degrees.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said holding unit is provided with a collecting element made of insulating material positioned on at least part of the edge of said holding unit, configured to collect the melted fat.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said collecting element is groove-shaped with a depth not more than 5 millimeters.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said insulating material is high temperature endurable material including ceramics, glass, and plastic.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance between said holding unit and said induction heating unit is adjustable, and in particular, the distance is at least 5 millimeters.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said induction heating unit is made of metallic material and in particular ferromagnetic material.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprises another heating unit placed above said holding unit; wherein said holding unit is positioned above said induction heating unit and below said another heating unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said induction heating unit is configured to heat up said holding unit to a temperature not more than 250 degrees Celsius.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprises a thermostat configured to sense temperature of said holding unit and/or said food, and to control operation of said induction heating unit accordingly.