Fryer, boiler and steamer cooking apparatus

A deep fat fryer/steamer combination cooking apparatus, comprising

• a pot with a bottom and side wall;
• a deep fat fryer/steamer combination basket having:
• (i) a basket main body with a basket bottom and a basket side wall, and drain apertures formed therein,
• (ii) a drain/steamer capture device secured to said basket main body and having at least one upper hook segment positioned for contact with an upper edge of said pot when in a drain mode and a second hook segment extending down off from said upper hook segment and wherein said upper hook segment has a radial extension that provides for placement of said basket in a cooking mode within said pot with said capture device free of contact with said pot, and
• (iii) a bailing handle structure engaged with said basket main body.

A deep fat fryer/steamer combination cooking apparatus, comprising:

• a pot with a bottom and side wall;
• a deep fat fryer/steamer combination basket having:
• (i) a basket main body with a basket bottom and a basket side wall, and drain apertures formed therein,
• (ii) a drain/steamer capture device secured to said basket main body and having at least one upper hook segment positioned for contact with an upper edge of said pot when in a drain mode and a second hook segment extending down off from said upper hook segment and wherein said upper hook segment has a radial extension that provides for placement of said basket in a cooking mode within said pot free of capture device contact with said pot and
• (iii) a bailing handle structure engaged with said basket main body;
• a drain off valve supported by said pot and positioned for draining cooking fluid from said pot,
• wherein said valve includes a handle which is manually movable from an on to an off position, and
• a conduit in fluid communication with said drain and a receptacle to receive drained cooking fluid passing through said conduit.

A method of deep frying at least a 10 pound turkey, comprising:

• heating cooking fluid in a pot;
• inserting a turkey into the basket;
• inserting the basket with turkey into the cooking fluid;
• lifting the basket with turkey up while within the pot by grasping of a bail handle structure supported by the main body of the basket;
• engaging a drain/steamer capture device attached to a main body of said basket such that said drain/steamer capture device contacts said pot, said method further comprising draining cooking oil from said pot by opening a drain valve supported by said pot.

A deep fat fryer/steamer combination cooking apparatus, comprising

• a pot with a bottom and side wall;
• a deep fat fryer/steamer combination basket having:
• (i) a basket main body with a basket bottom and a basket side wall, and drain apertures formed therein,
• (ii) a drain/steamer capture device secured to said basket main body and having at least one upper hook segment positioned for contact with an upper edge of said pot when in a drain mode and a second hook segment extending down off from said upper hook segment and
• (iii) a bailing handle structure engaged with said basket main body,
• wherein said bailing handle structure includes a bent bar secured at opposite ends to said basket main body, and
• wherein said bailing handle comprises grasp hook reception means.

A deep fat fryer/steamer combination cooking apparatus, comprising

• a pot with a bottom and side wall;
• a deep fat fryer/steamer combination basket having:
• (i) a basket main body with a basket bottom and a basket side wall, and drain apertures formed therein,
• (ii) a drain/steamer capture device secured to said basket main body and having at least one upper hook segment positioned for contact with an upper edge of said pot when in a drain mode and a second hook segment extending down off from said upper hook segment and
• (iii) a bailing handle structure engaged with said basket main body,
• wherein said drain/steamer capture device includes a monolithic hook having circumferentially separate first and second hook sections.

A deep fat fryer/steamer combination cooking apparatus, comprising

• a pot with a bottom and side wall;
• a deep fat fryer/steamer combination basket having:
• (i) a basket main body with a basket bottom and a basket side wall, and drain apertures formed in said basket,
• (ii) a drain/steamer capture device secured to said basket main body and having at least one upper hook segment positioned for contact with an upper edge of said pot when in a drain mode and a second hook segment extending down off from said upper hook segment, and
• (iii) a bailing handle structure engaged with said basket main body;
• and
• a drain off valve supported by said pot and positioned for draining cooking fluid from said pot.