| 1. | A cooker (12) having a normally closed oven compartment (13) and a hot plate (15) , a heater element (14) located within the top of the oven compartment immediately below the hot plate and designed to heat both the oven compartment and the hot plate, characterised in that the hot plate is formed from a material with a surface which does not substantially stick to dough, the heating element is designed to heat the hot plate and the oven compartment to high temperatures suitable for cooking bread dough, and in that the oven is normally closed by a door (22) hinged adjacent its top so that it can be pivoted to a position opening the oven compartment. |
| 2. | A cooker according to claim 1 characterised in that the element (14) is designed to heat the oven compartment to a temperature in the range 400 to 600°C. |
| 3. | A cooker according to claim 2 characterised in that the element (14) is arranged to heat the oven compartment (13) to a temperature in the range 450 to 500°C. |
| 4. | A cooker according to claims 1 characterised in that the element (14) is arranged to heat the hot plate (15) to a temperature in the range 250 to 400°C. |
| 5. | A cooker according to any of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the element (14) is arranged to heat the hot plate (15) to a temperature in the range 325 to 350°C. |
| 6. | A cooker according to any of claims 1, 2 or 4 including a handle (24) by which the door can be swung outwardly the handle projecting to one side (16) of the cooker. |
| 7. | A cooker according to any of claims 1, 2 or 4 characterised in that its overall dimensions are no greater than 43cms by 40cms by 22cms. |
| 8. | A cooker according to any of claims 1, 2 or 4 characterised in that the hot plate extends over substantially the whole horizontal area of the oven compartment and is loosely supported on the upright walls (16, 18, 20) of the oven compartment so that it forms the top of the oven compartment. |
| 9. | A cooker according to any of claims 1 , 2 or 4 characterised in that the hot plate (15) is made of stone or ceramic material. |
| 10. | A cooker according to any of claims 1, 2 or 4 characterised in that the heating element (14) is an electric element and the element and its electric connections are loosely supported in the oven so that they are easily removable after removal of the hot plate. |
| 11. | A cooker according to any of claims 1,2 or 4 characterised in that a perforated plate (42) removably supportable in the oven so that it is located substantially immediately below the element at the top of the oven compartment. |
| 12. | A cooker according to claim 1 in combination with a support implement (30) comprising a flat tray portion (31) and an elongate handle, the tray portion being sized to be inserted into the oven to extend over the majority of the horizontal area of the oven with its handle (32) extending outside the door. |
| 13. | A cooker and implement combination according to claim 12 chartacterised in that the oven is provided with ledges and/or other projections (33) arranged to support the support implement in the oven just clear of the base (17) of the oven compartment. |
| 14. | A cooker or combination according to any of claims 1, 12 or 13 characterised in that the base (17) of the oven compartment is separated from a stand (21) by a slot designed to accommodate the support implement or other tray like member which space will be warm when the cooker is "on". |
| 15. | A cooker or combination according to any of claims 1, 12 or 13 in combination with a roller implement (37) comprising a hollow cylindrical roller (38) rotatably mounted on a coaxial rod (39) extending beyond the end of the roller to form a handle. |
| 16. | A method of cooking a flat bread product in which the bread is cooked in two stages, in a first stage with its lower surface only subject to heat and in a second stage in an oven, characterised in that in the first stage the bread is placed directly into contact with the surface of a hot plate preheated to a temperature of at least 250°C, and in that the bread is then transferred onto a carrier and located on that carrier in the oven directly below the hot plate, the oven being at a temperature of at least 400°C. |
| 17. | A method according to claim 16 in which the bread product when in the oven is subjected to radiant heat from the heat source which also heats the hot plate. |
| 18. | A method according to claim 16 or claim 17 characterised in that the carrier is preheated before the bread product is transferred thereto. |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART
This invention relates to a cooker and associated equipment for cooking bread (which term includes all bread type doughs) in flat form, such as pitta bread, nan, tortillas or pizzas, and to a method of cooking such bread.
These types of bread require to be cooked/baked at a very high temperature and best results cannot be achieved using a conventional household cooker. The taste and texture of the final product is very dependent on the exact cooking cycle, not just the temperature and speed of cooking, but whether the bread is cooked in contact with a correctly heated surface or is subject to radiant or convection heating. Conventionally, particularly in restaurants, such bread is cooked in a clay or tandoori oven preheated by charcoal, wood or other combustible material until all the oven walls are extremely hot. Inserting and extracting bread from such an oven is a dangerous occupation. In addition, the temperature of such ovens is difficult to control and is not even throughout, also they are uneconomical for cooking small quantities. The flat bread dough when thin and uncooked is difficult to handle and place in the oven correctly.
US Specification 4889972 shows a small cooker in which a heating element heats both an upper chamber formed by an upper baking member, a flat pan member, a steam plate and a cover, and a lower chamber which accommodates a grill pan. This cooker is relatively complicated and is not suitable for cooking bread. It does not have an oven with a door.
US Specification 4381317 discloses a method of cooking a pizza in which the uncooked pizza dough is placed in a cast iron skillet, which is first placed on a stove top and then placed in the broiler of the stove. With this arrangement the base of the pizza is initially in contact with a cold cast iron skillet which only heats gradually and
its first heating is not an immediate contact with a very hot surface. It appears from the cooking times given that the broiler temperature would be insufficient to provide ideal cooking of bread doughs.
One object of the present invention is to provide a cooker for and method of cooking flat bread which is simple and relatively cheap. In its preferred form, the cooker is particularly suitable for use in an individual household or for producing limited quantities quickly in a restaurant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention provides a cooker having a normally closed oven compartment and a hot plate, a heater element located within the top of the oven compartment immediately below the hot plate and designed to heat both the oven compartment and the hot plate, characterised in that the hot plate is formed from a material with a surface which does not substantially stick to dough, the heating element is designed to heat the hot plate and the oven compartment to high temperatures suitable for cooking bread dough, and in that the oven is normally closed by a door hinged adjacent its top so that it can be pivoted to a position opening the oven compartment. Preferably the heating element is designed to heat the oven compartment to a temperature, preferably in the range 400 - 600 and most preferably 450 - 500 ° centigrade, and the hot plate to a temperature, in the range 250 - 400 and most preferably 325 - 350° centigrade.
Preferably, the cooker is easily portable and dimensioned so as to conveniently receive in the oven and on the hot plate, without wasted space, a single piece of flat bread or several small pieces. Preferably, the overall dimensions of the cooker including handles are no greater than 43 cms by 40 cms by 22 cms. With advantage the hot plate extends over substantially the whole horizontal area of the oven compartment and is loosely supported on the tops of
the walls of that compartment to form the top of the compartment. The hot plate is easily removable from the top of the compartment and the electrical element with its connection box and cable is also easily removable from the compartment so that the hot plate and remainder of the compartment can be easily cleaned.
The cooker is intended to be used in combination with a flat support implement comprising a tray portion and an elongate handle extending from one side thereof, preferably in substantially the same plane as the tray portion. The tray portion is sized to be inserted in and extend over substantially the whole of the horizontal area of the oven compartment with its handle extending outside the door. The oven compartment is preferably provided with ledges or other projections arranged to support the support implement just clear of the base of the oven compartment.
In use, the oven compartment and the hot plate are heated by the heating element to the required temperature. A piece of bread dough is rolled flat and is placed on to the hot plate. This causes the lower surface of the dough to become more solid and makes the dough more easy to handle. After a short time, for example ten to thirty seconds, when the dough has started to rise, the dough, the same way up and now more easily handled, is transferred to a tray, preferably the above described support implement, and placed in the oven compartment where the topside is subjected to the radiant heat of the red hot element and the whole dough is subjected to the high overall oven temperature. For example for pitta bread, with the oven temperature at 470°C, the cooking will be completed in in about one minute.
In one embodiment the hinged door can swing both inwardly and outwardly, this allows the bread on the tray to be pushed into the oven and extracted therefrom only by contact with the tray and bread. Thus the door which is hot, need not be touched, nor the hands placed very close to the door or inserted in the oven. In this preferred embodiment a handle may be provided at the side of the oven, and
connected to the door adjacent the hinge, for opening the door manually. The door automatically shuts under gravitational force.
Preferably, an additional roller implement is provided for placing the dough on to the hot plate. This is in the form of a hollow cylindrical roller rotatably mounted on a coaxial rod extending beyond the end of the roller to form a handle. In use the roller is placed on the rolled out dough and the dough is looped over the roller and carried to the hot plate in this manner. The dough is then laid on the hot plate and rolled on to it by the action of the roller. The roller is used to press the dough into good contact with the surface of the hot plate. The roller preferably has an outer diameter in the range 1 to 2.5 cms and is formed of metal or other non-stick surface.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of cooking a flat bread product in which the bread is cooked in two stages, in a first stage with its lower surface only subject to heat and in a second stage in an oven, characterised in that in the first stage the bread is placed directly into contact with the surface of a hot plate pre¬ heated to a temperature of at least 250°C, and in that the bread is then transferred onto a carrier and located on that carrier in the oven directly below the hot plate, the oven being at a temperature of at least 400°C.
Such method is preferably carried out using the cooker and implements as described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of cooker, implements associated with the cooker and method of cooking will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooker with its top plate and heater element separated from the remainder,
Figure 2 is a plan view of one implement for use with
the cooker,
Figure 3 is plan view of another implement for use with the cooker,
Figure 4 is a plan view of an optional plate for use in the oven, and
Figure 5 is a view of the cooker in use with a piece of bread dough being placed on the hot plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT
A cooker, intended particuarly for cooking individual pieces of flat bread, is shown in Figure 1. The cooker is in the form of a rectangular sectioned, closed, box 12 defining an oven compartment 13, having an electrical heating element 14 freely mounted in the top of the compartment, immediately beneath a hotplate 15 forming the top of the oven compartment. Other heating elements, for example a gas burner, may be used instead of the electrical element. The side walls 16, base 17, back 18 and upper part 20 of the front wall of the oven compartment are formed as a unitary piece, from metal or other material, possibly with an external heat insulation or guard. The base is supported on a stand 21 which spaces it from the work surface on which it will normally rest. The base of the cooker is spaced from the stand 21 by legs 19 at the corners to define a slot 19A. The cooker is provided with handles 10 at its sides and a back guard 11. The lower part of the front wall is formed by a door 22, hinged at 23, so as to pivot substantially about its top horizontal edge in either direction, inwardly or outwardly of the compartment, from its normal vertical rest position shown. The door has sufficient weight to always try to assume a substantially vertical position, closing the oven compartment and forming a good seal around its edges. However, in case it is required to move the door manually, it is connected to a handle 24 projecting from one side wall 16, at about the level of the hinge, so that it can be swung inwardly or outwardly without touching the door itself which,
in use, will be hot. Part of the door is transparent.
The electrical element 14, which is located only at the top of the oven compartment, is mounted to an electrical box 25 for connecting it to an electrical supply by a cord and plug in conventional manner. The ends of the element adjacent the connection box extend through an insulated, open topped, groove 26 in one wall and the element is additionally supported by a bar 27 extending between the front and back walls of the oven compartment.
The hot plate 15 is rectangular and made of ceramic, clay based, material such as is known for lining the walls of conventional clay or tandoori ovens. This material has been found to be particularly suitable for high temperature use and does not stick to the hot bread dough. The hot plate extends for the full horizontal, dimensions of the oven compartment and is loosely supported on the tops of the walls 16, 18 and 20, within raised corner portions 28 thereof so that it forms the closed top of the oven compartment. With this arrangement, the cooker is easily. dismantled since the top plate can be lifted up, the electrical element and connector box lifted out of the oven compartment and then all these parts can be cleaned separately.
The oven and hotplate are preferably sized to easily accommodate a single piece of flat bread of size 30 cms by 23 cms or several smaller ones.
The heating element is chosen to heat and maintain the oven to a temperature in the range 450 to 500°C and the hotplate to a temperature in the range 325 to 350°C, but only requires a plug rated at 13 amps.
Two implements are preferably provided or used in association with the cooker for cooking flat bread. As seen in Figure 2 a substantially flat support implement 30 has a tray portion 31 of metal material and an elongate disconnectable handle 32, preferably of insulating material, projecting from one side of the tray in substantially the same plane. The tray part is sized to be just accommodated in the oven compartment with the handle extending outside the
door. For this purpose, the oven is formed with an upwardly projecting front ledge 33 immediately under the door but spaced by a small gap 33A therefrom (substantially the thickness of tray 31) and the back wall is provided with a similar ledge 33B or projecting means, for supporting the other end of the tray spaced slightly upwardly from the base of the oven compartment. The base and side walls 17 and 16 of the cooker are extended forwardly beyond the front wall/door to form a guide/support 35 and heat shield at the entrance of the oven. The stand 21 defines a space thereunder for storage of implements. The slot 19A will accommodate the tray 31 (as seen in Figure 1) so that it can be warmed before use. As seen in Figure 3 a roller implement 37 has a hollow cylindrical, metal roller portion 38 rotatably located axially on a rod part, one end of which extends beyond the roller part to form a handle 39.
In use the heating element 14 is turned on to heat the oven and hotplate to the required temperature. A bread dough is made and rolled flat to a piece 45 of the required size, no larger than the dimension of the oven. The roller 37 is placed on the dough piece, which is then looped over the roller and carried in this looped form to the hotplate 15 where it is laid on the hotplate and rolled flat thereon as seen in Figure 5. The roller can be used to press the dough firmly onto the surface of the hotplate. After about 10 to 30 seconds (depending on the thickness of dough) the lower surface of the dough will have partially cooked and become more solid and the dough will have started to rise so that the whole piece is more easily handled. The support implement 30 (the tray portion 31 of which has been heated in slot 19A) is now pushed under the piece of dough and used to insert the dough, on the tray 31, into the oven compartment and support it in the oven. This action can be performed without touching the door since the tray and dough are used to push the door to swing inwards. Alternatively the door is swung outwards using the handle 25. Once the tray is fully in the oven, the door automatically
swings to its closed position. The dough will now be subjected to the oven temperature together with radiant heat from the red hot element. The state of the bread can be viewed through the transparent part of the door. When the dough is cooked, normally after about 10 to 40 seconds (depending on the thickness of dough) the whole can be extracted by pulling on the handle 32 causing the bread to swing the door outwardly and allow extraction of the tray and cooked bread. While one piece of bread is cooking in the oven a new piece can be cooking on the hotplate. The whole process is extremely fast, simple and safe. The cooker is easily located and used in the home as well as in a restaurant. It provides just the cooking conditions required for producing excellent quality flat bread.
Pizzas, which require a lower temperature oven or at least less radiant heat on the top because of the filling, can also be cooked using the same oven and method but with a perforated plate inserted in the oven immediately under the heating element. Such a plate is shown in Figure 4 at 40 and the oven compartment is provided wituh a support, indicated diagrammatically at 41, for receiving and supporting the plate in the oven. The plate has perforations 42 occupying for example 5 to 15%, preferably about 8%, of its area. The plate can be slid into the oven when it is required to cook pizzas and will reduce the radiant heat falling on the top surface of a pizza in the oven, and prlong the cooking cycle to two and a half to three minutes.
When cooking pitta bread, for example, the dough may be turned over and cooked for about four seconds on each side on the hot plate, and could also be turned over in the oven.
Next Patent: MACHINE FOR WORKING DOUGH PORTIONS