Disposable frying pan insert

A disposable pan, pot, or kettle liner system for deep-frying foods and includes a disposable pot liner and a disposable strainer fitting into the pot liner made of thin aluminum, aluminum alloy or other metal material having a stiffness adequate to be free-standing upon filling with cooking oil and heating to cooking temperatures while being sufficiently inexpensive to be disposable after use. The strainer is made of similar material and fits within the liner, holding foods to be cooked, and has a circular, flange-like upper rim extending upward, beyond the rim of the liner, to serve as a handle for lifting and straining the cooked food from the liner. The inventive disposable system is designed to be used within a non-disposable pot or kettle, but is freestanding. The system may also be used as a stand-alone unit directly on a heating surface such as a stove heating element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cooking utensils. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disposable deep-frying pot liner and strainer.

2. Description of the Related Art

The use of deep-frying pots or kettles is known to result in a messy cleanup after use. It would be desirable to provide a disposable pot liner and strainer to carry out the frying operation which may be merely disposed of without the frying oil reaching the permanent pot kettle. This allows the carrying out of deep-frying without the messy cleanup of the non-disposable pot or kettle.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,174,425, issued Sep. 26, 1936, to Schlumbohm, describes disposable foil frying pans which may be held in a hinged frame for use or fit within a non-disposable frying pan as a liner.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,048, issued Mar. 26, 1974, to Finley, describes a disposable cooking utensil having two shells arranged for even cooking.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,699, issued Mar. 23, 1982, to Binks, as seen in FIG. 8, describes a deep-fry pot having a disposable foil liner and a non-disposable strainer disposed therein.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,693, issued Jun. 28, 1994, to Collard et al., describes a combination frying pan and fat draining insert, neither of which is designed to be disposable.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,721, issued Jan. 13, 1998, to Homes, describes a perforated food drainer fitting within an opened food can for draining packing fluid.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,557, issued Feb. 6, 2001, to Wilk, describes a frying pan having an insert for food warming or holding functions, neither the pan or insert being designed to be disposable.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a disposable frying pan insert and strainer system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a disposable pan, pot, or kettle liner system for deep-frying foods. The system has a disposable pot liner and a disposable strainer fitting into the pot liner. The pot liner and strainer are preferably made of thin aluminum, aluminum alloy or other metal material having a stiffness adequate to retain its shape upon filling with frying oil and heating to cooking temperatures while being sufficiently inexpensive to be disposable after use.

The strainer is made of similar material and fits within the liner, holding foods to be cooked, and has a circular, flange-like upper rim extending upward, beyond the rim of the liner, to serve as a handle for lifting and straining the cooked food from the liner. The inventive disposable system is designed to be used within a non-disposable pot or kettle, but stands on its own, thus not requiring that it closely fit any particular shape or dimensions as long as the pot is of sufficient size for the system to fit within the walls thereof. The system may also be used as a stand-alone unit directly on a heating surface such as a stove heating element.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a system to allow deep-frying without the usual cleanup.

It is another object of the invention to provide a system as above which is designed to be disposable after use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a disposable deep-frying system as above which can be used within a non-disposable pot or kettle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a disposable deep-frying system as above which consists of a disposable liner and a disposable strainer fitting therein during use.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a disposable deep-frying system as above which may be used directly on a source of heat such as a stove heating element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a deep-fry disposable pot liner system having a disposable pot liner and a disposable strainer to fit within the pot liner.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown the disposable deep-fry pot insert system of the present invention and generally referred to by the reference number10. Insert system10has a disposable freestanding liner12resting in non-disposable pan, pot, or kettle P. Although liner12may be made to fit the inner contours of the non-disposable pot or kettle P, it is constructed of material of adequate stiffness to remain free-standing within the pot or kettle, thereby avoiding the need to have a special liner for each design of container as long as it is of adequate dimensions to receive the disposable liner12. Disposable insert system10includes a disposable strainer14made of similar material and sized and dimensioned so as to fit within the liner12.

Disposable liner12has an upper rim16having a cylindrical sidewall20curving inward to a flat, horizontal bottom wall20which rests on the inner side of the bottom wall of pot or kettle P (shown in ghost lines). The strainer14has an upper rim22, preferably extending above liner upper rim16when engaging liner12. Strainer14has a vertical cylindrical sidewall24extending downward from rim16and ending in a flat, horizontal bottom wall26.

The lower end of strainer sidewall24preferably rests the curved of liner against the inwardly curved portion of liner sidewall18leaving strainer bottom wall26spaced upward from the liner bottom wall20. Similarly, in this configuration, strainer sidewall24is spaced inwardly from liner sidewall18. Strainer rim22has a horizontally disposed, circumferential flat portion32extending outward from said strainer sidewall and a depending portion34extending downward from the outer circumference of rim22, the circumferential flat portion and depending portion serving as a handle from lifting strainer14from liner12when removing and draining cooked food from cooking oil contained in liner12.

It is contemplated by the present invention, however, that strainer14may be sized such as to fully rest on the horizontal bottom wall20of the liner12, or, alternatively, strainer14may be sized such that its sidewall24engages the inner side of liner sidewall20in a nesting arrangement. Although not specifically shown, these arrangements may easily be ascertained by observingFIG. 1.

As seen inFIGS. 1 and 2strainer14has straining holes28through the lower portion of the outer wall24and straining holes30through bottom wall26to allow liquid cooking oil to drain from the strainer when removing the cooked food. The holes28and30are preferably about ¼ inch in diameter.

Referring toFIG. 3, the disposable liner12with the strainer14may be placed directly on the heating element H of stove S if desired. The system may then be used for cooking and then disposed of without the use of a non-disposable pot.