Cooking apparatus

Abstract

A domestic fryer assembly and method of using which includes interconnected shell and cooking pot with the shell having an interior cavity receiving the cooking pot. A heating unit as in a resistance bar heater unit is supported by the combination shell and cooking pot and extends down into the cooking pot and features a generally horizontal portion suspended above the cooking pot bottom and preferably having a configuration of a horse-shoe with outer curved sides that generally follow the curvature of the supporting pot. The cooking pot is designed to hold sufficient cooking fluid to provide for deep frying relatively large single item food pieces as in a whole turkey of, for example, 8 to 18 pounds. The food item is preferably retained in a cooking basket that is dimensioned for insertion into the cooking pot. The cooking pot also preferably includes one or more volume reduction step-ins such as a bottom or lower one for doubling as a cooking basket support and/or an upper annular ledge step-in in the pot.

1 . A domestic fryer assembly, comprising:
 a shell having an interior cavity;   a cooking pot dimensioned for receipt within said interior cavity;   a heat source positioned for heating a cooking fluid within said pot; and   said pot being dimensioned to receive in cooking position a 12 pound turkey.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said cooking pot includes a radial step-in section that is positioned in a lower third of said cooking pot. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2  wherein said heat source is a resistance bar having a first section that extends down into the pot and a second section that is suspended above a bottom surface of said cooking pot. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 3  wherein said step-in section is positioned above said second section of said resistance bar. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4  wherein said step-in section of said cooking pot includes a plurality of step-in segments spaced peripherally about the side wall of said cooking pot. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5  further comprising food holding means having a radial outer region dimension for support by said step-in section of said cooking pot. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6  wherein said food holding means comprises a basket having cooking fluid flow through apertures and grasping means. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising fold holding means dimensions for receiving the 12 pound turkey, and
 means for supporting said food holding means in a suspended state above a portion of said heat source extending along a bottom surface of said cooking pot. 
 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein said means for support includes a first step-in section formed in said cooking pot. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9  wherein said cooking pot includes a second radial step-in portion and said second radial step-in portion is positioned above said first radial step-in portion and is radial outward of said first step-in portion. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising food holding means and wherein said heat source includes a resistance heater bar that includes a portion extending down into said cooking pot and wherein said food holding means is dimensioned for receipt within said cooking pot and includes a recessed portion that extends in common with the downwardly extending portion of the resistance heater bar. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said cooking pot includes a cooking fluid fill line representing a cooking fluid volume from 8 to 16 quarts. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12  wherein said cooking pot has an overall volume of about 2 to 3 times that represented by the fluid fill line. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said shell includes receiving means for receiving said cooking pot to preclude free relative rotation. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein said receiving means includes a notch formed in an upper edge of said shell that is dimensioned to receive a tab portion of said shell. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein said receiving means includes a connection block designed to connect with a corresponding connection block fixed to said cooking pot. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said shell is a multicomponent unit with a first component including an upper annular rim of plastic, and intermediate metallic shell wall and a lower base support with suspension projections extending thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A domestic fryer assembly, comprising:
 a shell having an interior cavity;   a cooking pot dimensioned for receipt within said interior cavity;   a heat source positioned for heating a cooking fluid within said pot; and   said pot comprising step-in means formed in a lower half of said pot.   
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18  wherein said heat source includes a heater bar with a generally horizontal portion positioned below an upper surface of said step-in means. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 19  further comprising a turkey basket dimensioned for receiving turkeys of 8 to 18 pounds and having a configuration which comes in supporting contact with said step in means. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 20  wherein said cooking pot has an upper annular flange which is in supporting relationship with said shell. 
     
     
         22 . A method of deep frying a turkey with a domestic fryer, comprising:
 inserting a turkey into a cooking pot; and   heating fluid in said cooking pot with an electric heater unit in contact with the fluid in the cooking pot.