Vacuum cooking or warming appliance
AssigneeAll-Clad Metalcrafters LLC
InventorWilliam Groll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooking or food warming appliance having a heated heat sink plate situated in a vacuum environment within an outer shell. A food vessel intimately engages the heat sink plate along a food contacting surface thereof by virtue of the vacuum. The vacuum eliminates air gaps between the food contacting surface of the food vessel and the heat sink plate so as to provide instantaneous and uniform heating of the food vessel. The vacuum environment also provides thermal insulation for the heat sink plate whereby heat loss by convection is virtually eliminated.
Claims17
A cooking or warming appliance comprising:
- a. an outer shell;
- b. a heat sink plate positioned within the shell;
- c. heating means for heating the heat sink plate within the shell;
- d. a food vessel for placement within the outer shell, said vessel having a food-contacting surface adapted to engage the heat sink plate;
- and
- e. vacuum means associated with the shell to create a vacuum around the heat sink plate.
A food cooking or warming appliance comprising:
- a. an outer shell;
- b. a heat sink plate positioned within the interior of the shell;
- c. resistance heating and control means associated with the heat sink plate for heating the plate to a desired temperature;
- d. a food vessel for selective placement within the outer shell, said vessel having a food contacting surface for placement adjacent to said heat sink plate;
- e. a lid adapted to selective engagement with one of the outer shell or the food vessel;
- f. a vacuum pump means communicating with the interior of the outer shell;
- and
- g. a sealing means cooperating between the lid and the outer shell and between the food vessel and the outer shell.
A method of cooking or warming food comprising the steps of:
- a. providing an outer shell;
- b. providing heating means within the outer shell;
- c. providing vacuum means for selectively providing a vacuum around the heating means;
- d. providing a food vessel for placement in the outer shell whereby the food vessel is adapted to contact the heating means;
- e. providing lid means adapted to fit the outer shell and the food vessel;
- and
- f. providing sealing means to establish a vacuum tight seal between the lid and the outer shell during a preheating step and between the food vessel and the outer shell during a cooking or warming step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.