GB2488998A

GB2488998A - Sausage cooking apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2488998A
Application number: GB1104245.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary David Archdale
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-03-14
Filing date: 2011-03-14
Publication date: 2012-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-14
Also published as: GB201104245D0; GB2488998B

Abstract

Sausages cooked in pans with flat surfaces suffer from the problem that they require turning several times; when turned sausages can be prone to inadvertently roll onto flat spots and overcook in these areas. Additionally the cooking oil and fat from the sausages spits beyond the pan creating a mess around the cooker. A sausage pan 1 is disclosed having a base (1A, Fig 2) and a peripheral rim 1B; a series of channels 4 and a peripheral reservoir 7 to collect fat and/or cooking oil are located in the pan, within the peripheral rim. The pan also comprises a lid 2 arranged to cover the troughs and the reservoir. The underside of the lid is formed with corresponding troughs (Fig 2), such that when then lid is placed onto the pan, the troughs of the pan and the lid form channels to encapsulate sausages (Fig 4). A vent may be provided in the rim which provides fluid communication between the inside of the apparatus and the outside of the apparatus when the lid is supported on the pan. The portion of the rim surrounding the vent may form a spout 12.

Description

Apparatus for Cooking Sausaues The present invention relates to a pan for cooking sausages or other similar shaped food products.

Sausages have long been cooked in pans with a flat surface. To cook they require turning several times. The cooking oil and fat from the sausages spit beyond the pan creating a mess around the cooker and surrounding surfaces. Sausages are not perfectly round in shape and are difficult to cook evenly all-round. When turned, they are prone to inadvertently roll onto flat spots and overcook in these areas.

GB 2206775 describes a sausage flying pan having a plurality of parallel troughs to hold sausages. This overcomes the problem with flat spotting, but it is still necessary to turn the sausages often because the tops of the sausages will not cook so well. Nor does this design address the problems of spitting fat.

There also exist custom designed sausage cookers, examples of which are described in WO 80/0 1237 & US 5671658. These comprises a pair of hinged, grooved cooking plates arranged to lie one on top of the other with the grooves aligned so as to fully encapsulate a sausage.

An alternative approach is directed to cooking plates such as described in GB2199732 & GB2404845. Figure 2 of GB2404845 discloses the use of paired cooking plates to encapsulate the sausage. The plates are intended to be placed in a pan or grill for heating. Because the sausages are in a sealed enclosure, the pressure inside the enclosure will increase when heated. The pressure builds until it is sufficient to temporarily open the plates discharging the pressured gas. The repetition of this process gives rise to an undesirable chattering' of the plates. The discharge of pressured gas is also likely to be accompanied by a hazardous forceful ejection of hot fat and oil.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for cooking a sausage comprising: a pan having a base for supporting the pan on a hob and to conduct heat from the hob to the sausage; a rim extending around the base; walls extending upwardly from the base within the periphery of the rim; a channel define between the upwardly extending walls for holding a sausage; and a reservoir located within the rim and adjacent the channel for holding fluid which has flowed out of the channel; a lid adapted to sit over the pan to cover the channel and the reservoir, the underside of the lid having, within a peripheral rim, downwardly extending walls which define between them a channel, and arranged such that when the lid is seated on the pan, the channel of the pan and the channel of the lid form a chamber to encase the sausage.

The invention enables the benefits of chamber cooking whilst inhibiting pressure build up within the chamber so as to reduce the occurrence of chattering.

Additionally, the covered reservoir can retain hot fat or oil which has drained from the channels, minimising the mess created outside of the pan.

In order that hot gases can vent from the apparatus, the pan and/or lid may be provided with a vent. Preferably the vent is provided in the rim of the pan, and also functions as a spout for pouring out oil/fat. In order to reduce the occurrence of hot oil or fat spluttering out through the spout, the lid may be provided with a portion which extends downwardly to partially occlude the spout opening.

Because the lid defines part of the chamber and also covers the reservoir, the pan can be tilted whilst retaining the sausages within the chambers. This allows hot oil and fat to be safely drained from the pan before the lid is taken off and the cooked sausages removed.

To ensure that the channels of the pan and lid are positioned in register, it is preferable that the pan comprises a locating lug and the lid a corresponding slot which engage when the lid is correctly positioned with respect the pan, and inhibits movement of the lid with respect the pan during cooking.

In order to increase the number of sausages which can be cooked at one time, it is preferred that the pan and lid have multiple channels arranged to cooperate with one another to form multiple chambers. To utilise the pan space most efficiently, the channels may be substantially parallel.

So that oil and fat can drain from the or each channel quickly, the spout is preferably positioned towards the axial end of the one or multiple channels. Nevertheless, in other embodiments it is possible that pouring direction of the vent traverses the axis of the channel or multiple parallel channels, and that the upwardly extending walls which define the channels comprises transverse slots which allow fat and oil to drain through the walls towards the spout.

To provide ease of handling, both the pan and lid may comprise a handle. Where the pan comprises two opposing spouts, the handle of the pan is preferable located at a midway position from either spout to facilitate use by left or right handed persons.

The invention will now be described by example, with reference to the following figures in which: Figure 1 is perspective view of a sausage pan, with a lid ready to be placed onto the pan; Figure 2 is an upwardly looking perspective view showing the underside of the pan and lid; Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the sausage pan with lid placed thereon; Figure 4 is a cross-section taken through X-X of Figure 3 illustrating the intemal chambers formed between the pan and the lid; Figure 5 is a cross section taken through Y-Y of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment; and Figure 7 is an upwardly looking perspective view showing the underside of the pan and lid of Figure 6.

Figures 1 to 5 illustrate a pan 1 adapted to cook sausages, and a lid 2 arranged to cover the pan 1. The pan 1 and the lid 2 are manufactured from materials with good heat conduction properties Examples include metals such as iron, steel, aluminium or copper, and may be treated with an anti-stick coating.

Pan 1 has a generally circular base 1A, the edge of the base extend upwardly to form a rim lB which extends around the periphery of the base 1A. The underside of the base 1A is relatively flat to support the pan 1 on a hob or other heating surface. The upper side of the base 1A is formed, through casting or otherwise, with an undulating surface comprising a series of substantially parallel upstanding walls 3 between which are defined channels 4. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 4, the walls 3 are curved concavely so that the channels 4 have a substantially semi-circular profile.

The outer sides 3A of outermost walls 3 extend to the base 1BA of the rim lB.

Each wall 3 is formed with an end surface 3B to provide a stable base for supporting, in conjunction with rim 1B, lid 2. An appropriate width for the uppermost surface is 5mm.

The continuality of the rim lB is broken by the presence of two diametrically opposed spouts 12 which extend outwardly beyond the perimeter of the rim lB. The spout base 12A of each spout 12 is arranged to be lower that the remainder of the top of the rim lB edge to aid pouring, but higher than the base IBA of the rim lB.

The pan 1 further comprises a handle 8 located at midway position between the spouts 12 to facilitate use by either left or right handed users. In other embodiments it is possible that the pan 1 may comprise only one spout 12 and/or the handle 8 is positioned differently with respect the one or more spouts 12.

The walls 3 traverse the base IA, extending chord like between positions on the circumference of the base of the rim 1 BA. As a result the outer walls will be shorter than inner walls. An outer chamber or reservoir 7 defined between the axial ends of the walls 3 and the inside surface of the rim 1B, provide means to collect excess oil and fat which has drained from the channels 4. In certain embodiments, the base of the channels 4 may be formed at a higher level than the base 1BA of the rim lB to reduce the possibility of fluids flowing from the reservoir 7 back into the channel 3.

Lid 2 comprises a body 2A the edge of which extends downwardly to form a peripheral rim 2B having a diameter corresponding to rim lB. A handle 10 is mounted to the lid 2 to allow the lid 2 to be placed on/removed from the pan 1.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the under surface of the lid is formed, by casting or other means, with undulations comprising a series of parallel walls 5 which are concavely curved so as to define between them channels 6 having a semi-circular profile. The end surfaces SB of the walls S having a width of 5mm provide a base for support onto corresponding end surfaces 3B. The outer sides 5A of outermost walls 5 extend to meets the peripheral base 2BA of the rim 2B.

Walls 3 and 5 have substantially similar arrangement such that when the lid 2 is placed on the pan 1 the end surfaces 3B, SB abut form a series of open ended cylindrical chambers U, V, W, X. Two outermost cooking chambers Y, Z are also formed between the outer walls 3A, SA and the inside surface of the rims lB, 2B.

To ensure that lid 2 is placed onto the pan 1 so that walls 3, 5 are in register, the pan 1 comprises lugs 11 which extend inwardly from the rim lB at positions displaced from the spouts 12, and the lid 2 comprises locating slots 13 formed in rim 2B. The lugs 11 locate within the locating slots 13 when the lid 2 is on the pan 1 in the correct orientation, and prevents the lid 2 from moving away from the correct position.

Extending radially outward from the rim 2B at diametrically opposed positions are spouts portions 12C having downward turned flanges 12D which, when the lid 2 on the pan 1, seat on corresponding flanges 12B of spout base 1 2A to form an enclosed channel for safely pouring away of fat/oil from the reservoir 7. A portion 2BA of the rim 2B extends downwardly to partially occlude the spout to inhibit the egress of hot fat and oil from the pan 1 when the sausages are being cooked.

With the lid 2 off, one or more sausages are placed in channels 4. The lid 2 is then placed on the pan 1 to enclose the sausages within chambers U,V,W,X,Y,Z. During cooking, heat is applied to the base of the pan 1 and conducts through to the lid 2, heating the chamber walls 3, 5 and by convection, the air within the chambers U,V,X,Y,Z. The chamber's relatively confined space assists cooking as it encourages hot oil and fat to circulate around the sausage rather than to evaporate and leave the vicinity of the pan 1 or to spit' outside of the pan 1.

To provide optimal cooking of the sausage, the diameter of the chambers are selected to be slightly larger than the sausage. This allows room for the sausage to expand, and a gap in order to allow hot fat/ oil to circulate around the sausage.

The chambers hold the sausages in position during cooking, preventing them rolling onto flat spots. The curved lower half of the chamber maximises the contact surface between the sausage and the chamber to distribute heat more evenly across the sausage.

Many commercially produced sausages in the UK have a standardised diameter of 25mm. For sausages of this size, an effective chamber diameter of 38mm is considered optimal. However, sausages have a wide range of possible sizes and so chamber diameters anywhere between 18 to 70 mms are preferred or more preferably between 18 and 50 mms.

Once the sausages have cooked, the apparatus may be removed from the heat source and, with the lid 2 still on, tiled in order that cooking oil and meat fat which has collected in the reservoir and channels can be drained through either of the spouts 12.

Once the oil and fat have been drained, the lid 2 can be removed and the sausages removed from the channels 4.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an alternative embodiment which is identical to the first embodiment other than the orientation and formation of the channels in the pan 1' and lid 2'. Chambers U', V', W', X', Y' and Z' defined between the pan 1' and lid 2' extend in substantially perpendicular direction compared with to the pouring direction of the spouts 12'. To allow fat and oil to flow out from the chambers U'-Z' and towards the spout 12' when the pan is tilted, walls 3' are provided with transverse slots 3'C which extend to the base of each channel 4'.

It will be appreciated that the aforesaid describe only examples of the invention and that many variants exist which still embody the invention for example, it is preferred that the base of the channels are substantially level along its length in order that the sausage will sit within its own fat to improving cooking. Nevertheless, where it is wished to provide a more healthy sausage, the base channels may be formed with a gradient in order to encourage fat expelled from the sausage to drain away into the reservoir.

It is envisaged that the chambers will be open at either end, though it is possible that one end may be occluded.

The pan 1 may be formed in a variety of shapes other than circular, e.g. square or rectangular. Where an alterative shape is chosen, it will be understood that the remaining features of the pan and lid will be adapted as necessary for the pan to function as described above.

Although it is preferred that channels have a substantially semi-circular profile in order to follow the curvature of the skin of the sausage, the profile of the walls 3 altered to form channel profiles of different shapes or may have be formed so as to have a profile with a curvature which changes.

Although the pan 1 defines one half of the chamber and the lid 2 the other half, it is possible, in other arrangements, for either the pan or the lid to provide the majority of the wall 3, 5 which define the chambers.

It is not essential that the lugs 11 are provided by the pan 1 and the slots 13 by the lid 2; these features may be swapped. In other arrangements the tugs 11 may protrude outwardly from the rim, or the lug and slot system may be omitted in favour of a different registration method such as a hinge.

Claims

Claims 1. Apparatus for cooking a sausage comprising: a pan having a base for supporting the pan on a hob and to conduct heat from the hob to the sausage; an upwardly extending peripheral rim around the base; walls extending upwardly from the base within the periphery of the rim; a channel defined between the upwardly extending walls for holding a sausage; and a reservoir located within the periphery of the rim and adjacent the channel for holding fluid which has flowed out of the channel; a lid adapted to sit over the pan to cover the channel and the reservoir, the underside of the lid having, within a peripheral rim, downwardly extending walls which define between them a channel, and arranged such that when the is lid is seated on the pan, the channel of the pan and the channel of the lid form a chamber to encase the sausage.
2. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a vent is provided in the rim which provides fluid communication between the inside of the apparatus and the outside of the apparatus when the lid is supported on the pan.
3. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to claim 2 wherein the vent is provided in the rim of the pan and wherein a portion of the rim surrounding the vent forms a spout.
4. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to claim 3 wherein the lid, when supported on the peripheral rim, defines a portion which protrudes downwardly into the spout.
5. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to an previous claim wherein the pan comprises multiple substantially parallel channels, the lid has multiple -10 -channels arranged to cooperate with the channels of the pan, and the reservoir is adjacent an end of the multiple channels to collect fluid which has flowed out of the multiple channels.
6. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to any previous claim wherein the spout is at or towards the axial end of the channel or channels.
7. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to any claim 1 to S wherein the pouring direction of the opening traverses the axis of the channel or multiple parallel channels, and that at least one upwardly extending wall has an opening for.
8. Apparatus for cooking a sausage to any claim 3 -7 wherein the pan comprises a handle, the handle and the spout being circumferentially displaced.
9. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to any previous claim wherein the lid has a handle.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. Apparatus for cooking a sausagc comprising: a pan having a base for supporting the pan on a hob and to conduct heat from the hob to the sausage; an upwardly extending peripheral rim around the base; walls extending upwardly from the base within the periphery of the rim; a channel defined between the upwardly extending walls for holding a sausage; and a reservoir located within the periphery of the rim and adjacent the channel for holding fluid which has flowed out of the channel; a lid adapted to sit over the pan to cover the channel and the reservoir, the underside of the lid having, within a peripheral rim, downwardly extending walls which define between them a channel, and arranged such that when the lid is seated on the pan, end surfaces of the downwardly extending walls and the upwardly extending walls abut so that the channel of the pan and the o channel of the lid form a chamber to encase the sausage. ro 2. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a vent is provided in the rim which provides fluid communication between the inside of the apparatus and the outside of the apparatus when the lid is supported on the pan.3. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to claim 2 wherein the vent is provided in the rim of the pan and wherein a portion of the rim surrounding the vent forms a spout.4. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to claim 3 wherein the lid, when supported on the peripheral rim, defines a portion which protrudes downwardly into the spout.5. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to an previous claim wherein the pan comprises multiple substantially parallel channels, the lid has multiple channels arranged to cooperate with the channels of the pan, and the reservoir is adjacent an end of the multiple channels to collect fluid which has flowed out of the muhiple channels.6. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to any previous claim wherein the spout is at or towards the axial end of the channel or channels.7. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to any claim 1 to S wherein the pouring direction of the opening traverses the axis of the channel or multiple parallel channels, and that at least one upwardly extending wall has an transverse slot which allow fat and oil to drain through the wall towards the spout. c\J r8. Apparatus for cooking a sausage to any claim 3 -7 wherein the pan compnses o a handle, the handle and the spout being circumferentially displaced.o 9. Apparatus for cooking a sausage according to any previous claim wherein the lid has a handle.