Cooking container for more efficient cooking in a microwave oven

#To understand the importance of the invention discussed herein, it will be helpful to have a background in the following areas that play major roles in microwave ovens and their use. The first area of discussion is the nature of microwave energy, its application to cooking, and its effects on liquids. The second area of concern is the makeup of foods and their reaction to microwave energy. The third area to be discussed is the positioning of the food to be cooked within the microwave oven cavity to achieve optimum results.

#Microwaves are a form of electrical energy that resemble radio waves. These waves are disseminated within a microwave oven cavity in a random manner. They bounce off the six sides that make up the cavity. The energy is both radiated onto, and reflected off the walls. Liquids react to microwaves more than solids for the molecules are able to move, and therefore react, due to the amorphous nature of liquids.

#Foods consist mostly of liquids or moisture. On a cellular level, organic foods consist of approximately 80% water. The reason for heating foods is to soften the cell walls so that the nutrients are more readily available. When the cell walls are uncooked, there is more need for physical means to break down the cellular content of the food via chewing. Conversely, when a food is over-cooked, the cell walls are either burned or they lose their water. Loss of water also makes the food unpalatable. Also, the nutrients are often lost with the water vapor. In microwave cooking the water absorbs the energy and heats the solid portion by conduction. We are concerned with even equal heating of the food so that all the food attains the same degree of cell softening in the same period of time. This provides optimum availability of nutrients.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. The container is seen holding food in an upright standing position inside of a microwave oven.

#FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a microwave oven cavity in which the ratio of height to width to depth is 12:14:10.

#FIG. 1B shows a block of food laid horizontally on the floor of the oven cavity of FIG. 1A.

#FIGS. 1-8 of the drawing illustrate four embodiments of a microwave food cooking container in accordance with the present invention. These embodiments are sized differently to accommodate different kinds of food.

#All of the containers have a base 8 and peripheral sidewalls angularly extending from the base. At least one end sidewall includes portions 32 and 34 extending vertically downwardly from adjacent the top edge, but not necessarily all the way to the base. Thus, the container can stand upright on the end sidewall 14 when food is inside of the container, and can also be laid flat on their bases.

#Food cooked in the upright containers can be centered in a microwave oven to absorb an optimum quantity of direct and reflected microwaves, thereby ensuring the even cooking of the food. The cooked food can be served directly from the containers by removing the containers from the oven and laying them flat on their bases.