Method and apparatus for slow cooking
First Claim
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1. Cooking apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure having a food support for an article of food to be cooked, and a fuel support for solid fuel, the supports being having food supporting and fuel supporting areas respectively, said areas being displaced from each other sufficiently that cooking of a food article on said food supporting area by fuel on said fuel supporting area can take place, at least in substantial part, as a result of contact between said food article and hot gas produced by combustion of said fuel;
an impeller arranged to cause air to flow from the exterior of said enclosure into the interior thereof, and to impinge upon solid fuel on said fuel supporting area;
an electric motor arranged to operate the impeller;
a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the atmosphere within said enclosure in the vicinity of an article of food on said food support, and providing a first output signal;
a second temperature sensor for sensing the internal temperature of a food article on said food support and providing a second output signal;
a controller, responsive to said first output signal, for controlling operation of said electric motor, said controller causing the impeller to increase the flow of air into the interior of said enclosure with decreasing temperature of said atmosphere and to decrease said flow of air with increasing temperature of said atmosphere, whereby said atmosphere is maintained substantially at a set point temperature;
said controller being also responsive to said second output signal for reducing said set point temperature as the internal temperature of said food article increases.
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Abstract
Slow cooking over solid fuel in an enclosed barbeque pit is carried out by the use of an electronically controlled impeller which directs a flow of air toward the fuel. The duty cycle of the impeller is controlled by an electronic controller which is responsive to the internal temperature of the food and to the temperature of the pit atmosphere. As the internal temperature of the food increases, the temperature of the pit atmosphere gradually decreases.
43 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Cooking apparatus comprising:
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an enclosure having a food support for an article of food to be cooked, and a fuel support for solid fuel, the supports being having food supporting and fuel supporting areas respectively, said areas being displaced from each other sufficiently that cooking of a food article on said food supporting area by fuel on said fuel supporting area can take place, at least in substantial part, as a result of contact between said food article and hot gas produced by combustion of said fuel;
an impeller arranged to cause air to flow from the exterior of said enclosure into the interior thereof, and to impinge upon solid fuel on said fuel supporting area;
an electric motor arranged to operate the impeller;
a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the atmosphere within said enclosure in the vicinity of an article of food on said food support, and providing a first output signal;
a second temperature sensor for sensing the internal temperature of a food article on said food support and providing a second output signal;
a controller, responsive to said first output signal, for controlling operation of said electric motor, said controller causing the impeller to increase the flow of air into the interior of said enclosure with decreasing temperature of said atmosphere and to decrease said flow of air with increasing temperature of said atmosphere, whereby said atmosphere is maintained substantially at a set point temperature;
said controller being also responsive to said second output signal for reducing said set point temperature as the internal temperature of said food article increases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Cooking apparatus comprising:
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an enclosure having a food support and a solid fuel support;
an impeller arranged to cause air to impinge upon solid fuel on said solid fuel support;
a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the atmosphere within said enclosure in the vicinity of an article of food on said food support;
a second temperature sensor for sensing the internal temperature of a food article on said food support;
a controller, responsive to said temperature sensors, for operating said impeller, said controller causing the flow of air toward said solid fuel to maintain the temperature of said atmosphere within said enclosure substantially at a set point determined by the internal temperature sensed by said second temperature sensor, and reducing said set point as said internal temperature increases. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of cooking comprising:
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burning solid fuel inside an enclosure, said enclosure also containing food to be cooked;
sensing an internal temperature in said food;
sensing a temperature of a gaseous atmosphere within said enclosure in the vicinity of said food;
causing air to flow from the exterior of said enclosure into the interior of said enclosure and toward said solid fuel by means of an impeller, said air being directed so that it reaches the vicinity of said solid fuel before its temperature is sensed in the gaseous atmosphere temperature sensing step;
in response to the sensed internal temperature of said food and the sensed temperature of said gaseous atmosphere, controlling the flow of air toward said solid fuel, thereby maintaining the temperature of said atmosphere within said enclosure substantially at a set point determined by the internal temperature, and reducing said set point as said internal temperature in said food increases. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification