Abstract:
A steamer assembly includes a steamer insert and an adapter. The steamer insert has a perforated base and a peripheral portion extending outwardly from the base. The adapter has an opening dimensioned to receive the steamer insert and support the perforated surface above the bottom of a cooking pan. The peripheral portion of the steamer insert rests upon a rim of the adapter when the steamer assembly is assembled.

Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates to kitchen utensils, and in particular, to a steamer insert, a steamer assembly and related methods. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Using steam to prepare food is well known. The use of steam affords several benefits over other cooking methods, such as boiling, frying, etc., particularly because no fat (e.g., cooking oil, butter, margarine, etc.) is required in the process. 
     Conventional steamer inserts are designed for use in conventional saucepans having a capacity of about two quarts or greater. To use such an insert, the saucepan is first filled with an appropriate amount of water, and then the insert is placed within the saucepan. The bottom surface of the insert is maintained above the level of the water in the saucepan. In some configurations, the steamer has an outturned upper lip that engages the side of the saucepan to support the insert above the level of the water. In other configurations, the steamer insert has legs extending from its bottom surface that support the steamer above the level of the water. 
     Although these conventional steamer inserts are adequate for some steaming applications, e.g., steaming vegetables, they do not allow the preparer to access the food on the steamer surface easily and without injury (e.g., through burning or scalding). In particular, because conventional steamer inserts are designed with use in saucepans having a substantial depth, a preparer attempting to access food on the steaming surface must approach the steaming surface from directly above. U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,017 to Feld shows one example of a conventional steamer insert for use with a saucepan having a substantial depth. 
     Using a skillet as the container for the water in a steaming process has certain advantages. For one, a conventional skillet is arguably the most common kitchen utensil in modern kitchens. U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,905 to Johnson discloses a food steaming apparatus consisting of a plate that rests over the lip of a conventional skillet or, depending on the diameter of the skillet, within the skillet by engaging its inner side. The plate is perforated with specially designed holes suitable for using the plate to steam tortillas. 
     Because the plate is flat, however, it is difficult to maintain other foods, e.g., such as vegetables, on the steaming surface during preparation (i.e., during dispensing of the food onto the steaming surface and moving the skillet during preparation). Also, if the plate must be set down within the skillet to engage the side wall of skillet, the plate can be difficult to remove. Further, because the holes extend over the entire surface of the plate, there is no region where fully prepared food can be moved while continuing to steam other food. 
     Also known is a kitchen utensil or spatter guard designed to nest within and extend outward over a rim of a conventional skillet. Such a spatter guard is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,439,603. 
     It would be desirable to provide a steamer insert and steamer assembly useful for steaming food in a conventional skillet and allowing the preparer to access and attend to the food during the steaming process. Further, it would be advantageous to provide an area on the steamer assembly that would allow the preparer to separate fully steamed food from food requiring further steaming. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to the invention, a kitchen utensil adapted for use with a cooking pan as a steamer includes an adapter and a steamer insert. The adapter has an inner periphery, an outer periphery and an intermediate region between the inner periphery and the outer periphery. The inner periphery defines an opening. The adapter is engageable with a lip of the cooking pan such that the outer periphery extends outward beyond the lip. The steamer insert is nestible within the opening in the adapter. 
     The steamer insert may have a perforated base. The perforated base may be spaced from a bottom of the cooking pan when the cooking pan, adapter and steamer insert are assembled together. The base may be substantially flat. 
     The steamer insert may have a rim, and a portion of the rim may contact the intermediate portion of the adapter when the steamer insert is inserted in the adapter. The steamer insert may have a lip extending upwardly from the rim, and an outermost portion of the lip may define an outer periphery of the steamer insert. The steamer insert may have a steaming surface on a first level and an intermediate surface on a second level above the first level. 
     The steamer insert may include an upwardly angled side extending from the base, an outwardly angled rim extending from the side and an upwardly angled lip extending from the rim. The side and the rim may be joined at a shoulder. The rim and the lip may also be joined at a shoulder. 
     The intermediate portion of the adapter may include an upwardly inclined section, and the steamer insert may include an inclined portion angled to rest against the intermediate portion when the steamer insert is inserted into the adapter. The opening in the adapter may be larger than a base of the steamer insert, such that play exists between the adapter and the steamer insert when the steamer insert is inserted into the adapter. 
     The adapter may be formed of aluminum. The steamer insert may be formed of steel, and preferably coated with a non-stick coating. 
     The inner periphery of the adapter may be shaped to fit within the rim of the cooking pan when the adapter and the cooking pan are assembled together. The inner periphery may be defined by a lower portion of an upwardly angled side, and the adapter may include an outwardly angled rim extending from the side and an upwardly angled lip extending from the rim. The side and the rim may be joined at a shoulder. The rim and the lip may also be joined at a shoulder. 
     According to another implementation, a steamer adapted for use with a cooking pan includes a perforated base and a peripheral portion extending outwardly from the base. The steamer is nestible in the cooking pan by resting the peripheral portion on an edge of the cooking pan. As a result, the perforated base is suspended below the upturned edge and above a bottom of the cooking pan, and the peripheral portion of the steamer extends substantially outward beyond the upturned edge. 
     According to still another implementation, a steamer insert suitable for use with a shallow cooking pan includes a perforated base and a solid peripheral portion extending outwardly from the perforated base, the peripheral portion having an intermediate area spaced above the perforated base. 
     According to yet another implementation, an easy access food steamer assembly for use with a skillet includes an adapter and a steamer insert. The adapter has an outer periphery sized larger than the skillet and an inner periphery that defines an opening. The opening is smaller than a cooking surface of the skillet. The steamer insert is coupleable with the opening in the adapter and has a perforated steaming surface. When the steamer insert is coupled to the adapter and the assembly is inserted into the skillet, the steaming surface is adjacent an upper edge of the skillet, thereby allowing access to the steaming surface. 
     According to a method implementation, food is prepared using steam by providing a cooking pan, an adapter and a steamer insert, inserting the adapter within a periphery of the cooking pan, inserting the steamer insert into an opening in the adapter, and heating water in the cooking pan to produce steam for preparing food on the steamer insert. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded pictorial view showing a steamer insert and adapter that together comprise a steamer assembly according to the present invention in conjunction with a conventional skillet. 
     FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the assembled steamer assembly and skillet. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the steamer insert showing its structure and the pattern of the holes in the steaming surface. 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional cover for the skillet that can be used to cover the steamer insert when the steamer assembly is in place in the skillet. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a steamer assembly  100  according to the invention that includes a steamer insert  102  configured to nest within an adapter  104 . The steamer assembly  100  is adapted for use with a conventional skillet  106  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     In a specific implementation, the steamer insert  102  has a substantially circular shape and a shallow depth. The steamer insert  102  has a substantially flat steaming surface  108  that has a plurality of holes  110 , and an intermediate region between the steaming surface  108  and an outermost periphery of the steamer insert  102 . 
     In particular, an upturned side  112  extends around and upward from the steaming surface  108 . The side  112  is joined to a rim  114  at a first shoulder  116 . The rim  114  extends outward and slightly upward from the side  112 . An outer periphery of the rim  114  is joined to a lip  118  at a second shoulder  120 . The lip  118  extends upward and slightly outward from the rim  114 . 
     In the specific implementation shown, the adapter  104  also has a substantially circular shape and a shallow depth. The adapter  104  has a side  122  that extends upward and slightly outward with an innermost periphery  125   a  that defines an opening  124  within which the steamer insert  102  can be inserted. The adapter has an intermediate region  125   c  between the innermost periphery  125   a  and the outermost periphery  125   b.    
     In particular, the side  122  is joined to a rim  126  at a first shoulder  128 . The rim  126  extends outward and slightly upward from the side  122 . The rim  126  is jointed to a lip  130  at a second shoulder  132 . The lip  130  extends upward and slightly outward from the rim  126 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the steamer assembly  100  is assembled by inserting the steamer insert  102  into the adapter  104  such that the steaming surface  108  is above the opening  124 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first shoulder  116  of the steamer insert  102  rests on the first shoulder  128  of the adapter  104 . The steamer insert  102  can be sized to fit within the adapter  104  more loosely, however, such that the size of the opening  124  and the size of the steaming surface  108  need not be precisely matched (i.e., with play existing between the side  112  of the steamer insert  102  and the side  122  of the adapter  104 ). Such play can accommodate differing thermal expansions of the steamer insert  102  and the adapter  104 . 
     As assembled, the rim  114  of the steamer insert  102  and the rim  126  of the adapter  104  contact each other. This contact assists in preventing steam from escaping. In a specific implementation, the rim  114  and the rim  126  are each inclined portions. Further, the rim  114  and rim  126  are each substantially flat, and thus there is no free path between the steamer insert  102  and the adapter  104  for steam to escape. 
     The steamer assembly  100  is then inserted into the skillet  106  or other suitable cooking pan. As shown, a bottom surface of the rim  126  of the adapter rests on a lip  134  of the skillet  106 , and the periphery  125   b  of the adapter  104  extends beyond the lip  134 . Also, the steaming surface  108  is positioned below the level of the lip  134 . Depending upon the size of the skillet  106 , the lip  134  may contact the rim  126  near the first shoulder  128  or at any point between the first shoulder  128  and the second shoulder  132 . Thus, the adapter  104  can be sized to accommodate use of the steamer insert  102  with skillets or other cooking pans having a range of sizes. 
     The lip  118  of the steamer insert  102  projects upwardly from the rim  126  of the adapter  104 , and thus may be grasped by the user to remove the steamer insert  102  from the adapter  104 . Also, because the lip  118  projects upwardly, the lip  118  prevents food stored on the rim  126  between the lip  130  of the adapter  104  and the lip  118  (i.e., food in the region  140 , described below) from rolling down the rim  126  and falling into the steamer insert  102 . 
     The steamer assembly  100  and the skillet  106  may be used in conjunction with a cover  136  (FIG. 4) in certain applications, e.g., to concentrate the effect of the steam. Any suitable cover may be used. Because the adapter  104  as shown is sized larger than the skillet, a cover larger than the skillet may be used. If the cover  136  is sized for the skillet  106 , the cover  136  contacts the rim  114  of the steamer insert  102  when the cover  136  is placed over the steamer assembly  100 . 
     FIG. 3 shows the pattern of the holes  110  in the steaming surface  108  of the steamer insert  102  for a specific implementation. As shown, the holes  110  are spaced apart (e.g., by about 15°) along lines extending radially from the center of the steaming surface  108 . Alternatively, the holes  108  may be arranged in any other suitable pattern. In a specific implementation, the holes  110  are each stamped to about ⅛ in. in diameter. 
     The steamer insert  102  of a specific implementation is formed of 0.040 in. thickness steel and coated with a non-stick coating, e.g., a Teflon® coating. The adapter  104  of a specific implementation is formed of 0.040 in.-0.050 in. aluminum that is anodized to protect the surface. In a specific implementation, the side  122  of the adapter  104  has a diameter of about 9⅛ in. to about 9¼ in. Because the steamer insert  102  and the adapter  104  of the illustrated implementation are relatively thin and light, they are easy to use, clean and store. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the slight upward angle of the rim  126  prevents interference between the steamer assembly  100  and a handle  138  of the skillet  106 . When assembled, a region  140  is defined along the rim  126  of the adapter  104  between the lip  118  of the steamer insert  102  and the lip  130  of the adapter  104 . The region  140 , which is at a higher level than the steaming surface  108 , can be used to store food prior to or after steaming, e.g., while steaming other food or waiting for the water to boil. During use, the region  140  reaches a sufficient temperature for keeping food warm, but is cooler than the steaming surface  108 . 
     The steamer assembly  100  is configured such that food on the steaming surface  108  can be easily reached from the side, e.g., by using a spatula or other implement. The lips  130 ,  118  and rims  126 ,  114  of the adapter  104  and the steamer insert  102 , respectively, have a low profile, thus enabling a user to approach the steaming surface  108  with a spatula from any point along a periphery  125   b  of the steamer assembly  100 . 
     In operation for use as a steamer, the skillet  106  is partially filled with water and heated until the water boils. In certain application, e.g., preparing eggs, the water must first reach a full rolling boil. Steam produced by the boiling water escapes through the holes  110 , thereby cooking food placed on the steaming surface  108 . If necessary, the preparer can attend to food on the steaming surface  108  during preparation. The preparer can also move food between the steaming surface  108  and the region  140 . In some applications, the steamer insert  102  can be used with a cooking pan alone, i.e., without the adapter  104 . 
     In addition to conventional steaming applications, the steamer insert is also useful for other food preparation applications. These applications include, but are not limited to, restoring leftover meats and vegetables (without further dilution) and thawing frozen food. 
     Although the illustrated implementation of the steamer assembly  100  is intended for use with a skillet, either as shown or of the electric frying pan type, it can be used with other types of cooking pans as well, including, e.g., sauce pans, dutch ovens and stew pots. 
     Having illustrated and described the principles of my invention with reference to several preferred embodiments, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. I claim as my invention all such modifications that fall within the scope of the following claims.