APPARATUS FOR COOKING A CHICKEN
This invention relates to apparatus for cooking a chicken.
A chicken may be cooked in various ways such for example as by roasting or grilling. The chicken may be cooked using a cooking liquid. One known apparatus for cooking a chicken using a cooking liquid comprises a tray for receiving the cooking liquid, a lid for the tray, and a chimney member which upstands from the tray. The chicken is placed over the top of the chimney member and vapour from the cooking liquid facilitates the cooking of the chicken, for example by reducing cooking times and/or producing a better cooked chicken. The known apparatus is for barbecue use, and it has disadvantages in that it does not operate as efficiently as possible.
In contrast, the present invention is concerned with apparatus for cooking a chicken in an oven, and in a time that is significantly reduced compared with conventional cooking times.
Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for cooking a chicken, which apparatus comprises:
(i) a tray for receiving a cooking liquid;
(ii) a lid for the tray;
(iii) a chimney member which is frusto-conical and upstands from the lid;
(iv) a passage which extends longitudinally through the chimney member;
(v) a passage inlet which places the passage in communication with the tray ;
(vi) a passage outlet which places the passage in communication with the inside of the chicken when the chicken is placed over the top of the chimney member in use of the apparatus; and the apparatus being such that in use:
(vii) the lid closes the tray when the lid is on the tray;
(viii) the cooking liquid in the tray is able to be heated until vapour from the cooking liquid is generated; and
(ix) the lid on the tray prevents the escape of the vapour from the tray other than through the chimney member, whereby the vapour is caused to pass along the passage in the chimney member from the passage inlet to the passage outlet, and from the passage outlet into the inside of the chicken placed over the top of the chimney member.
The apparatus of the present invention is advantageous in that it is able to reduce significantly the cooking time for the chicken. The cooking time for the chicken may be reduced by at least fifty per cent of the time that would be required without the use of the apparatus. The construction of the chimney member enables the vapour from the cooking liquid to be directed exactly to where it is required, namely to the inside of the chicken placed over the top of the chimney member.
The apparatus of the present invention is also advantageous in that its construction is able to provide for a greater retention of moisture, to allow for fat to collect in the tray, and to prevent fat from coming into contact with the source of heat for cooking the chicken. The apparatus is able to be constructed such that it looks aesthetically pleasing. Further, the apparatus may be relatively simple to manufacture, and it may be of an easy to clean minimalistic design. The apparatus may be especially suitable for use in domestic ovens.
The apparatus may be one in which the passage includes at least one auxiliary outlet aperture which extends through a wall of the chimney member, and in which the auxiliary outlet aperture is placed at a position sufficiently high up in the chimney member that the auxiliary outlet aperture becomes located inside the chicken when the chicken is placed over the top of the chimney member in use of the apparatus.
Preferably there is a plurality of the auxiliary outlet apertures. The auxiliary outlet apertures may be in the form of a ring. The auxiliary outlet apertures may be disposed in other formations if desired. The auxiliary outlet
apertures are preferably circular holes. Other shaped holes may be employed so that, for example, the holes may be square or rectangular, or in the form of elongated slots.
The lid may have a body portion which extends into the tray. In this case, the apparatus may be one in which the body portion of the lid has side walls which slope inwardly toward a base of the body portion of the lid, and in which the sidewalls define a receiving area for receiving liquid dripping from the chicken during cooking of the chicken.
The apparatus may be one in which the tray has sloping slide walls which slope inwardly towards a base of the tray.
Preferably, the apparatus is one in which the sloping side walls of the lid engage the sloping side walls of the tray when the lid is on the tray.
The apparatus may be one in which the tray is a rectilinear tray, and in which the lid is a rectilinear lid. In this case, the tray is preferably a rectangular tray and the lid is preferably a rectangular lid. Other shapes for the tray and the lid may be employed so that, for example, the tray and lid may both be of a square, circular, elliptical or hexagonal shape.
The lid may have a lip formation for resting on the tray. The lip formation of the lid may be formed by first and second lips at opposite ends of the lid. Where the lid is a rectilinear lid, then the other sides of the lid may be with or without lips.
The tray may also have a lip formation. The lip formation of the tray may be formed by first and second lips at opposite ends of the tray. Usually,
the lip formation of the tray will be the same as the lip formation of the lid, but other arrangements may be employed if desired.
Where both the lid and the tray have lip formations then the lip formation of the lid is preferably longer than the lip formation of the tray, thereby to facilitate removal by hand of the lid from the tray.
The cooking liquid in use of the apparatus of the present invention will usually be water. In this case the vapour generated will be steam. The water may have various ingredients added to it to enhance the cooking of the a chicken. Other types of cooking liquids may be employed, for example other types of cooking liquids that provide steam.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of apparatus for cooking a chicken;
Figure 2 is an exploded side view of the apparatus as shown in Figure
Figure 3 is a side view like Figure 2 but not in exploded form; and
Figure 4 is an end view of the apparatus as shown in Figure 3.
Referring to the drawings, there is shown apparatus 2 for cooking a chicken 4. The apparatus 2 comprises a tray 6 for receiving a cooking liquid. The apparatus 2 further comprises a lid 8 for the tray 6. A chimney member 10 upstands from the lid 8.
A passage 12 extends longitudinally through the chimney member 10. A passage inlet 14 places the passage 12 in communication with the tray 6. A
passage outlet 16 places the passage 12 in communication with the inside of the chicken 4 when the chicken 4 is placed over the top of the chimney member 10 in use of the apparatus 2.
The apparatus 2 is such that in use the lid 8 closes the tray 6 when the lid 8 is on the tray. The cooking liquid in the tray 6 is able to be heated until vapour from the cooking liquid is generated. The heating of the cooking liquid occurs as the chicken 4 is being cooked, for example by roasting, basting or other any other suitable and appropriate manner.
The lid 8 on the tray 6 prevents the escape of the vapour from the tray 6 other than through the chimney member 10. Thus the vapour is caused to pass along the passage 12 in the chimney member 10 from the passage inlet 14 to the passage outlet 16. The vapour is then caused to pass from the passage outlet 16 into the inside of the chicken 4 placed over the top of the chimney member 10.
The apparatus 2 is such that the passage 12 includes a plurality of auxiliary outlet apertures 18 which extend through a wall 20 of the chimney member 10. The auxiliary apertures 18 are at a position sufficiently high up in the chimney member 10, as shown in Figure 1 , that the auxiliary outlet apertures 18 become located inside the chicken 4 when the chicken 4 is placed over the top of the chimney member 10 in use of the apparatus 2. The auxiliary outlet apertures 18 are in the form of a ring. The auxiliary outlet apertures 18 are circular holes.
The chimney member 10 is a frusto-conical chimney member 10.
The lid 8 has a body portion 22 which extends into the tray 6. The body portion 22 of the lid 8 has side walls 24 which slope inwardly towards a base 26 of the body portion 22 of the lid 8. The side walls 24 define a receiving area 28 for receiving liquid dripping from the chicken 4 during the cooking of the chicken 4.
The tray 6 has sloping side walls 30 which slope inwardly towards a base 32 of the tray 6.
The sloping side walls 24 of the lid 8 engage the sloping side walls 30 of the tray 6 when the lid 8 is on the tray 6. The tray 6 and the lid 8 are both rectangular as can be best appreciated from Figure 1.
The lid 8 has a lip formation formed by first and second lips 34, 36 at opposite ends of the lid 8. The tray 6 also has a lip formation formed by first and second lips 38, 40 at opposite ends of the tray 6. The lips 34, 36 of the lid 8 are longer than the lips 38, 40 of the tray 6. This facilitates removal by hand of the lid 8 from the tray 6.
The apparatus 2 is able quickly and efficiently to cook the chicken 4 in an oven. The apparatus 2 is especially suitable for use in a domestic oven. The apparatus 2 has clean minimalistic lines for enabling the apparatus 2 to look aesthetically pleasing, and at the same time easily to be cleaned. The rectangular shape of the tray 6 and the lid 8 enable the apparatus 2 to make the most efficient use of the space in the oven. The chimney member 10 is such that the overall height of the apparatus 2 when including the chicken 4 will usually be the same, irrespective of the size of the chicken 4. The apparatus 2 may be such that it takes up half of one shelf in an oven, thereby
allowing, for example, other roasting trays to be used at the same time. The apparatus 2 is easily made from any suitable and appropriate materials, for example stainless steel. The apparatus 2 may easily be manufactured from sheet metals.
It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the tray 6 and the lid 8 may be of different shapes to those shown. The auxiliary outlet apertures 18 may be of shapes other than the circular shapes shown. The apparatus 2 may be made in various sizes, for example to fit different sized ovens. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.