Cone-shaped tortilla molds and method of cooking conical tortilla shells

• US 20080220132A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nickolas G. Taminich
• Original Assignee: Nickolas G. Taminich
• Inventors: Taminich, Nickolas G.
• Application Number:
  US11/714,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20080220132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/138
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 5/026 for baking waffle cups or cones
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/025 Apparatus for shaping or moulding baked wafers, e.g. to obtain cones for ice cream
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 13/33 Edible containers, e.g. cups or cones
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 13/42 Tortillas
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/11 using oil
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/13 Snacks or the like obtained by oil frying of a formed cereal dough
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/10 Moulding
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/1295 Frying baskets or other food holders

Abstract

The apparatus and method for making conical tortilla shells involves a pair of conical molds with a plurality of apertures therethrough. The first mold has a closed apex at one end, and a widened end at the other, and a handle mounted to the inside at the opening of the first mold, and the second mold has a narrow open apex at one end, and a widened end at the other end, with a handle mounted to the exterior at the opening, to allow the handles to be grasped by a user. In the method, a tortilla is wrapped in a conical shape around the first mold and the molds are put together with the tortilla between them, and with the handles placed together to that the molds and tortilla between them may be manipulated as a unit by a user in cooking the tortilla.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming and cooking a tortilla in a conical shape, comprising:

a first conically shaped hollow mold having an inside surface and an exterior surface defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, said first mold having a narrow end with a closed apex, a widened end with an opening having a lip, and a handle mounted to the inside surface and extending a predetermined distance sufficiently beyond the lip of the first mold to allow the handle be grasped by a user; and

a second conically shaped hollow mold having an inside surface and an exterior surface defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, said second mold having a narrow end with an apex with an opening, a widened end with an opening having a lip, and a handle mounted to the exterior surface and extending a predetermined distance corresponding to the handle of the first mold and sufficiently beyond the lip of the second mold to allow the handle be grasped by a user, whereby a tortilla may be placed between the first and second molds for cooking.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first mold is made of a thin planar material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said handles of said first and second molds are rods.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said handles of said first and second molds are formed in the shape of a loop.

5. A method for forming and cooking a tortilla in a conical shape, comprising the steps of:

providing a first conically shaped hollow mold having an inside surface and an exterior surface defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, said first mold having a narrow end with a closed apex, a widened end with an opening having a lip, and a handle mounted to the inside surface and extending a predetermined distance sufficiently beyond the lip of the first mold to allow the handle be grasped by a user;

providing a second conically shaped hollow mold having an inside surface and an exterior surface defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, said second mold having a narrow end with an apex with an opening, a widened end with an opening having a lip, and a handle mounted to the exterior surface and extending a predetermined distance corresponding to the handle of the first mold and sufficiently beyond the lip of the second mold to allow the handle be grasped by a user;

placing a round, flat tortilla on a flat surface;

placing an external side of the first mold on a top surface of the tortilla with the closed apex of the first mold approximately at a first outer portion of a radial edge of the tortilla;

wrapping a second outer portion of the radial edge of the tortilla over the exterior surface of the first mold;

wrapping a third outer portion of the radial edge of the tortilla over the exterior surface of the first mold and overlapping the second outer portion of the radial edge of the tortilla;

pressing the tortilla to the exterior surface of the first mold;

inserting the apex of the first mold with the tortilla wrapped thereon into the interior of the second mold;

placing the handles of the first and second molds together so that the first and second molds and the tortilla therebetween can be manipulated together by a user; and

cooking the tortilla between the first and second molds.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of removing the tortilla from between the first and second molds following cooking of the tortilla.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said first mold is made of a thin planar material.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said handles of said first and second molds are rods.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said handles of said first and second molds are formed in the shape of a loop.