Cooking system and method for separating and storing fatty liquids

Abstract

A cooking system for separating and storing fatty liquids away from edible food either during or after cooking. The system includes a cooking apparatus having a body portion for cooking food. A fatty liquid reservoir mounted on the cooking apparatus is in fluid communication with the body portion. A pressure reducing device is in fluid communication with the reservoir and generates a pressure differential of sufficient magnitude to deliver a fatty liquid from the body portion to the reservoir. The system allows a user to cook food while removing excess liquid fat, grease or the like in order to scavenge away the unwanted fatty liquid from the cooking environment to a storage area where the liquid is safely quarantined. Once quarantined, the hot fatty liquid can be allowed to cool so that it can be eventually discarded in an environmentally beneficial manner.

1 . A cooking system for separating and storing fatty liquids away from edible food either during or after cooking, comprising: 
 a cooking apparatus having a body portion for cooking food;    a fatty liquid reservoir mounted on said cooking apparatus and in fluid communication with said body portion; and    a pressure reducing device in fluid communication with said reservoir for generating a pressure differential of sufficient magnitude to deliver a fatty liquid from said body portion to said reservoir.    
   
   
       2 . The cooking system of  claim 1 , wherein said cooking apparatus is one of a pan, a pot, a crock, a wok, a griddle, or a grill.  
   
   
       3 . The cooking system of  claim 1 , wherein said reservoir communicates with said body portion by way of a liquid removal conduit having a first end in fluid communication with said body portion and a second end in fluid communication with an upper portion of said reservoir that is above a lower portion of said reservoir that collects said fatty liquids, such that said fatty liquids drop down from said second end of said liquid removal conduit into said reservoir lower portion where they will be trapped.  
   
   
       4 . The cooking system of  claim 1 , wherein said reservoir comprises one of an open vessel or a closed vessel and is detachable from said cooking apparatus.  
   
   
       5 . The cooking system of  claim 1 , wherein said pressure reducing device comprises one of a pump, a syringe, or a bulb.  
   
   
       6 . The cooking system of  claim 1 , wherein said cooking apparatus comprises a handle and wherein said reservoir and said pressure reducing device are mounted on said handle.  
   
   
       7 . The cooking system of  claim 6 , wherein said pressure reducing device and at least a portion of said reservoir are disposed in an interior of said handle.  
   
   
       8 . The cooking system of  claim 7 , wherein said reservoir and said pressure reducing device are in fluid communication with said interior portion of said handle, and wherein said pressure reducing device comprises volume expanding plunger slidably engaging an interior surface of said handle, and further wherein displacement of said plunger expands a fluid volume in said interior portion of said handle so as to create said pressure differential.  
   
   
       9 . The cooking system of  claim 1 , wherein said pressure reducing device comprises one of a finger operable trigger, a pushbutton, or a slider switch.  
   
   
       10 . The cooking system of  claim 1 , further including a filter disposed on said body portion to remove particulates from said fatty liquid prior to said fatty liquid being delivered to said reservoir.  
   
   
       11 . A cooking system for separating and storing fatty liquids away from edible food either during or after a cooking process, comprising: 
 a cooking apparatus;    a liquefied grease/oil reservoir;    a liquid removal conduit having a first end in fluid communication with said cooking apparatus and a second end in fluid communication with said liquefied grease/oil reservoir;    a volume expander in fluid communication with said liquefied grease/oil reservoir; and    a device for activating said volume expander.    
   
   
       12 . The cooking system of  claim 11 , wherein said liquid removal conduit comprises one of a tube, a cavity or a channel.  
   
   
       13 . The cooking system in  claim 11 , wherein said volume expander comprises one of a displacement pump, a syringe, a suction pump or a flexible bulb.  
   
   
       14 . The cooking system in  claim 11 , wherein said liquefied grease/oil reservoir, said liquid removal conduit, said volume expander, and said device for activating said volume expander are integral with said cooking apparatus.  
   
   
       15 . The cooking system in  claim 11 , wherein said liquefied grease/oil reservoir, said liquid removal conduit, said internal volume expander, and said device for activating said volume expander are separable from said cooking apparatus.  
   
   
       16 . The cooking system in  claim 11 , further comprising a mesh or filter covering said first end of said liquid removal conduit.  
   
   
       17 . The cooking system of  claim 11 , wherein said device for activating said volume expander comprises one of a pushbutton, a trigger switch, or a slider switch.  
   
   
       18 . A cooking system for separating and storing fatty liquids away from edible food either during or after cooking, comprising: 
 a cooking apparatus having a body portion for cooking food;    reservoir means in fluid communication with said cooking apparatus for storing a fatty liquid removed from said body portion;    pressure reducing means in fluid communication with said reservoir means for generating a pressure differential of sufficient magnitude to deliver a fatty liquid from said body portion to said reservoir; and    one or both of said reservoir means and said pressure reducing means being disposed on said cooking apparatus during cooking.    
   
   
       19 . A method for separating a fatty liquid from edible food either during or after cooking, comprising: 
 placing said food in a body portion of a cooking apparatus having a fatty liquid reservoir in fluid communication with said body portion and with a pressure reducing device;    heating said food to generate a fatty liquid or introducing a fatty liquid prior to cooking; and    activating said pressure reducing device to generate a pressure differential of sufficient magnitude to deliver said fatty liquid from said body portion to said reservoir.    
   
   
       20 . A method for removing liquefied fat or oil from a cooking apparatus either during or after cooking using the device of  claim 11 , comprising: 
 tilting said cooking apparatus as necessary in order to move liquefied grease/oil to said first end of said liquid removal conduit, and    activating said internal volume expander.    
   
   
       21 . A cooking system kit adapted for attachment to a cooking apparatus for removing fatty liquids away from edible food either during or after cooking, comprising: 
 a liquefied grease/oil reservoir;    a liquid removal conduit having a first end adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a cooking apparatus and a second end in fluid communication with said liquefied grease/oil reservoir;    a volume expander in fluid communication with said liquefied grease/oil reservoir; and    a trigger device for activating said volume expander.