WO2003055319A1

WO2003055319A1 - A cooking apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2003055319A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2002/000281
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kevin Anderson
Original assignee: Hydraflow Industries Limited
Priority date: 2002-01-03
Filing date: 2002-12-19
Publication date: 2003-07-10
Also published as: AU2002367159A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable cooking apparatus which cooks items of food by circulating hot smoke throughout a cooking chamber. The apparatus includes a base 2 having a cavity 9b for receiving sawdust. Items of food to be cooked are placed on a rack 14. The sawdust is heated to smoking level by an electric element 5 or alternatively a gas burner, and the hot smoke circulates within a chamber defined by the base 2 and lid 4.

Description

A COOKING APPARATUS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a cooking apparatus and more particularly to a smoker for cooking foodstuffs.

BACKGROUND

It is well known to use smokers to cook foodstuffs such as fish or meat products. Such smokers generally consist of a smoking chamber, a tray over which a material such as sawdust is spread, and a source of heat provided by burning a liquid fuel, such as methylated spirits. The source of heat is typically directed to an underside of the tray to cause the sawdust to generate smoke. In use, the hot smoke contacts and thus gradually cooks the fish or meat within the chamber.

Prior art smokers known to the applicant suffer from various drawbacks. For example, they do not provide for suitable draining away of juices or oils etc from the cooking fish or meat. A further drawback with prior art smokers is that they are not capable of being adapted for cooking large or small items or quantities of fish or meat as desired. Further they can be inconvenient to use as sawdust must be scattered over the heated surface, rather than simply being placed at a central location, and use highly flammable liquid fuel.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to go at least some way towards addressing the above drawbacks, or to at least offer the public a useful choice.

The term comprise, comprises, comprising, or comprised, if and when used herein, should be interpreted non-exclusively - that is as conveying "consisting of or including".

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to a broad aspect of the invention there is provided a smoker comprising a chamber means, a heat generating means, a support means, and a smoke producing substance cavity means, the smoker being formed such that when it is in use an item or items of food can be placed within the chamber means and supported by the support means, a smoke producing substance can be placed within the cavity means, and the heat generating means can be activated to apply heat to the cavity means to cause the smoke producing substance to produce smoke within the chamber means such that the smoke gradually cooks the item or items of food.

Preferably, the smoker includes a base and a cover/lid which together define said chamber means.

Preferably, the base has inner and outer surfaces and includes a substantially centrally located aperture having a periphery flange extending from the inner surface facing said cover/lid; and wherein a housing containing said heat generating means is mounted to the outer surface of the base to substantially close off said aperture, and together with the said periphery flange defines the said cavity means.

Preferably, the base is substantially rectangular and said cover/lid is dome shaped.

Preferably, the base includes a lip around its outer periphery and said cover/lid engages with said lip.

Preferably, the smoker includes a wire lattice rack having a food supporting surface and two or more legs; and wherein said inner surface of the base includes spaced apart depressions into which said legs may locate.

Preferably, the said heat generating means comprises an electric heating element controllable by a timer.

Alternatively, the said heat generating means comprises a gas burner.

Preferably, the surface of the base is coated in a non-stick material. Preferably, the base includes support legs and carrying handles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of smoker for items of food shown in an exploded view format; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the smoker when adapted to have a greater size;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the smoker of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a smoker for items of food shown in an exploded view format.

With reference to Figure 1, the smoker comprises a chamber 1 having a base part 2, a central part 3, and a lid 4. The base part 2 houses a heat generating means in the form of an electric heating element 5. Activation of the heating element 5, the amount of heat which it produces, and the time that it runs for, can be regulated by way of controls 6 accessible from outside the chamber 1.

With further reference to Figure 1, a drip tray 7 divides the area between the base part 2 and the central part 3. The drip tray 7 is configured and arranged with a high centre point, outwardly and downwardly from which the surface 8 tapers. At the centre of the tray 7 is a central aperture 9. A cup-like container 10 is arranged to fit within the aperture 9, and as shown, the container 10 has a peripheral flange 11 which prevents it from passing completely through the aperture 9. The drip tray 7 also has slightly raised edges 12.

Referring again to Figure 1, the central part 2 of the chamber has a pair of opposite edges 13 (only one of which is shown) for supporting a rack 14. Preferably the rack 14 is formed as a metal lattice arrangement. The smoker also has handles 15 (only one of which is shown) on the base part 2, which enable the smoker to be easily carried from one place to another when not in use. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the smoker can be adapted for use with larger quantities or items of food. When adapted in this way the chamber 1 has one or more additional central parts 3 a so that that area between the base part 2 and the lid 4 is increased over the arrangement shown in Figure 1. Each second central part 3a is associated with the rack 14a of a metallic lattice arrangement supported by ledges substantially as described for the first mentioned rack 14.

It will be appreciated that the smoker can be adapted in the same or a similar manner to that described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 to give a chamber which can be used for shelving or even hanging very large items of food, for example legs or sides of pork, beef, lamb, etc. This may simply involve inserting further levels to the central parts 3 and 3a until the desired chamber size is achieved. The smoker is thus modular and portable.

With reference to Figure 4, an alternative embodiment is shown.

In this embodiment, the base 2 comprises a metal casting preferably provided with a nonstick surface coating. The base can be substantially circular in shape or more preferably rectangular as shown in the drawing and includes inner and outer surfaces and a lip 2L around the outer periphery. The base is provided with a centrally located circular aperture 9 provided with an upstanding peripheral flange 9a.

Each end of the base .2 is supported by a combined handle/stand component 20 expediently made of plastics material. Each component 20 includes a pair of support legs 20a and a lip 20b which engages the respective end of base 2 and may be retained by means of suitable screws or the like. The component 20 also includes a suitable handle defined by cut out 20c.

A food support rack 14 having a food support surface and at least two legs engages depressions 14a on the inner surface of the base is constructed as a metal lattice arrangement substantially as per the first embodiment.

A hinged or more preferably removable domed cover/lid 4 engages the lip around the periphery of the base 2 to define the cooking chamber 1. The cover/lid 4 may optionally include steam vents (not shown) and carrying handles. Alternatively, the base could be high sided and the cover/lid substantially flat although the former arrangement with the domed cover/lid is deemed a more preferable arrangement.

In one version of this embodiment, the heating means comprises an electric heating element 5 located within a circular housing 21. Housing 21 comprises an upper casing 21a and a lower casing 21b which together envelope the heating element which is thus protected from direct external exposure. The housing 21 is affixed (preferably by screws) to the base 2 directly beneath aperture 9a.

The top surface of the upper casing together with the peripheral flange 9a define the cavity 9b for receiving the smoke producing substance which in most cases will be wood sawdust or chips.

The electric heating element 5 receives power from a control unit C which essentially comprises an on/off switch combined with a timer mechanism.

In a second version of this embodiment, the heating means may comprise a gas burner (not shown) which can be substituted for the electric heating element E. The gas burner could be supplied with gas from a suitable regulated supply of bottled gas or a gas canister.

The base 2 may optionally include an annular well (not shown) surrounding flange 9a the purpose of which is to receive a flavouring liquid such as wine or other herb flavoured oil that will contribute to the final flavour of the cooked food.

When the smoker is in use, a pre-determined quantity of sawdust 16 or other smoke producing substance is placed in the container 10 or cavity 9b. Items of, (for example only) fish 17, meat, or other food are then placed on the rack 14 as appropriate, and the lid 4 is set in place to close off the chamber 1. The heating element 5 is activated by way of the controls 6 so that heat is applied to the container 10/cavity 9b. Heat from the element 5 (or alternatively a gas burner) causes the sawdust to produce smoke, which circulates within the chamber to smoke and cook the meat/fish 17. As the food cooks it releases juices or oils, etc, which fall to the drip tray 7 in the first embodiment or the inner surface of the base 2 in the case of the second embodiment. Because the drip tray 7 is inclined downwards from the central aperture 9, the juices, or oils, etc run to the raised edges 12 of the drip tray, and can be drained off if desired. The use of the container 10 and the drip tray 7 (first embodiment) or cavity 9b and inner surface (second embodiment) thus facilitates an efficient and low maintenance smoking operation.

The arrangement is such that the juices, or oils, etc, from the cooking fish make little or no contact with the sawdust, and leave minimal residue to clean off the drip tray when the smoking operation has been completed. The juices or oils, etc, are also less prone to catching fire during the smoking operation as they do not collect too close to the source of heat.

While some preferred aspects of the invention have been described by way of example, it should be appreciated that modifications and improvements can occur without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims.

1. A smoker comprising a chamber means, a heat generating means, a support means, and a smoke producing substance cavity means, the smoker being formed such that when it is in use an item or items of food can be placed within the chamber means and supported by the support means, a smoke producing substance can be placed within the cavity means, and the heat generating means can be activated to apply heat to the cavity means to cause the smoke producing substance to produce smoke within the chamber means such that the smoke gradually cooks the item or items of food.

2. A smoker according to claim 1 wherein the smoker includes a base and a cover/lid which together define said chamber means.

3. A smoker according to claim 2 wherein the base has inner and outer surfaces and includes a substantially centrally located aperture having a periphery flange extending from the inner surface facing said cover/lid; and wherein a housing containing said heat generating means is mounted to the outer surface of the base to substantially close off said aperture, and together with the said periphery flange defines the said cavity means.

4. A smoker according to claim 3 wherein said base is substantially rectangular and said cover/lid is dome shaped.

5. A smoker according to any one of claims 3 or 4 wherein said base includes a lip around its outer periphery and said cover/lid engages with said lip.

6. A smoker according to any one of claims 3 to 5 including a wire lattice rack having a food supporting surface and two or more legs; and wherein said inner surface of the base includes spaced apart depressions into which said legs may locate.

7. A smoker according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the said heat generating means comprises an electric heating element controllable by a timer.

8. A smoker according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the said heat generating means comprises a gas burner.

9. A smoker according to any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein the surface of the base is coated in a non-stick material.

10. A smoker according to any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein the base includes support legs and carrying handles.