Abstract:
An electrical cooking device ( 10 ) for a bulb or more of garlic including a lower bowl-like cooking plate ( 22 ) with circular peripheral walls ( 46 ) extending upward having a annular beveled rim ( 32 ) and an upper domed cooking plate ( 20 ) having a recessed annular beveled rim ( 34 ) when in a closed position align in nestable cooperation to form a cooking chamber ( 30 ) in which one or more bulbs of garlic can be cooked quickly and efficiently.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention is a device for cooking foodstuffs, in particular it relates to an electrical cooker that roasts garlic. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Garlic is one of the oldest and most popular flavoring herbs in the world having been used as a food and medicine for centuries by all cultures. Over 200 million pounds of garlic are produced annually in the United States with its use having quadrupled in the past twenty-five years. It is a very pungent herb that when roasted the cloves soften and the sugars become concentrated creating a mild and nutty flavor. It is very popular as it becomes spreadable and its unique taste enhances many foods. 
     Roasted garlic is a favorite appetizer both in homes and restaurants and there are many recipes that call for its addition. 
     Presently the best method to roast a bulb of garlic is in a roasting container generally made of clay or ceramic or simply wrapping it in aluminum foil. Usually oil is added and then it is placed in a conventional oven at 350 to 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or if a lower temperature is used the cooking time must be increased. This procedure is not only time prohibitive but also wastes large amounts of energy heating a conventional oven. Because of this most people will not bother to roast a single bulb. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,734 to Dadez (2000) discloses a garlic roaster comprised of two parts, a top and bottom. The top having a receptacle in which a basting material is added and enters and bastes the food located on the base plate during the roasting operation. It still must be placed in an oven for the standard baking time. This does not solve the problem of the lengthy cooking time or the excessive energy waste. Therefore there is a need for an appliance that will cook one or more bulbs of garlic quickly and easily with little waste of energy. 
     OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
     Accordingly, the principle object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages mentioned by providing an electrical cooker that cooks the garlic fast and uses only a small amount of energy to replace what before took large amounts in a conventional oven. 
     Another object of the invention is to eliminate the excess heat put into a room by a conventional oven. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a safe and convenient method of roasting garlic that can be utilized in any home. 
     SUMMARY 
     These and other objects of the present invention are included in the preferred embodiment of a cooking device described herein comprised of a bowl-like lower cooking plate having a top planar surface surrounding a raised annular beveled rim adjacent a central circular recessed region and a domed upper cooking plate having a bottom planar surface surrounding a recessed annular beveled rim extending around a deeper central recessed dome area. These cooking plates when closed align in nestable cooperation to form a cooking chamber in which the garlic is placed. A heating element is located in close proximity to the cooking plates that provides heat to the cooking chamber and cooks the garlic within. A heat resistant housing surrounds the cooking plates in a somewhat decorative design. The apparatus may also contain multiple plate and cover combinations that provide surfaces for additional bulbs to be cooked simultaneously which may be advantageously used, for example, in restaurants. 
     DRAWINGS 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Reference Numerals 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 10 cooking device 
                 12 base unit 
               
               
                   
                 14 upper unit 
                 16 base 
               
               
                   
                 18 dial 
                 20 upper cooking plate 
               
               
                   
                 22 lower cooking plate 
                 24 upper housing 
               
               
                   
                 26 lower housing 
                 28 heating element 
               
               
                   
                 30 cooking chamber 
                 32 lower cooking plate rim 
               
               
                   
                 34 upper cooking plate rim 
                 36 hinge 
               
               
                   
                 38 screws 
                 40 base cover 
               
               
                   
                 42 timer control 
                 44 feet 
               
               
                   
                 46 cord 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Figures 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention in a closed position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 in an open position; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1 in an open position; 
     FIG. 4 is a top planar view; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1 in a closed position; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a first alternative embodiment of a cooking apparatus according to the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second alternative embodiment of a cooking apparatus according to the principles of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a cooking device constructed in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus  10  is somewhat decoratively shaped, includes a base unit indicated at  12  and an upper unit indicated at  14 . Base  16  stabilizes the upper unit  12  and base unit  14  and houses timer  42  (FIGS. 6 and 7) and timer dial  18  and is covered by base cover  40  (FIGS.  6  and  7 ). 
     Referring to FIG. 2 the base unit  12  includes a lower housing  26  to which lower cooking plate  22  is secured by screws  38 . The upper unit  14  includes an upper housing  24  to which upper cooking plate  20  is secured by screws  38 . The upper unit  14  being pivotal connected by hinge  36  (FIGS. 2,  3 ,  6 ,  7 ) movable relative to base un  12  to a closed position in which the upper cooking plate  20  and lower cooking plate  22  form a cooking chamber  30  (FIGS. 2,  6 ,  7 ). Upper cooking plate  20  is configured with an upper cooking plate rim  34  having a substantially planar surface circumscribing an annular beveled recess and lower cooking plate  22  is configured with lower cooking plate rim  32  having a substantially planar surface circumscribing an annular beveled ridge that in a closed position overlap preventing the escape of excess heat therefrom. 
     Lower cooking plate  22  is bowl-shaped (FIGS. 6,  7 ) with circular peripheral walls  46  (FIG. 6) extending upward that adequately hold the garlic and basting material within. Upper cooking plate  20  is domed to reflect heat and allow condensation to further baste during the cooking process. Cooking plates  20  and  22  being made of heat conductive metal and coated with nonstick coating provide easy cleanup. 
     Device  10  includes a heating element  28  (FIGS. 6,  7 ) coupled to lower cooking plate  22  for supplying heat to the lower cooking plate  20  and the cooking chamber  30 . 
     Operation 
     In operation, cooker  10  is placed in the open position by tilting the upper unit  14  back. A bulb of garlic to which the top has been sliced off to reveal the cloves within is placed on the lower cooking plate  22 . A basting material is added i.e. olive oil over the bulb. The upper unit  14  is placed back to the closed position and the dial  18  is actuated to bring heat the cooking chamber. During cooking the compact cooking chamber  30  allows the heated upper cooking plate  20  and the lower cooking plate  22  to be disposed in close proximity to the food thereby allowing the garlic to be quickly cooked. 
     After the desired cooking time is expired, the timer control  42  interrupts current to the heating element  28  indicating the garlic is cooked for the desired time. The upper unit  14  is then placed in the open position (FIG. 2) and the garlic is removed from the lower cooking plate  22 . Any basting material that remains within can be easily wiped clean with a paper towel. 
     Additional Embodiment 
     In a first alternative embodiment of the present invention (FIG.  8 ), the upper cooking plate  20  and the lower cooking plate  22  is enlarged to accommodate multiple cloves of garlic to be cooked simultaneously. 
     In a second alternative embodiment of the present invention (FIG.  9 ), multiple wells are shown, which could be any number, in the lower cooking plate  22  with corresponding domed surfaces in the upper cooking plate  20  that enable more than one clove of garlic to be cooked at the same time as might be desired in restaurants. 
     All embodiments may have unhinged upper units thereby allowing the upper unit to be lifted off and set back upon the base unit. Additionally, the heat resistant housing may take on any decorative configuration that enables it to affix to the cooking plates. 
     CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
     The present invention provides numerous benefits and advantages. The compact electric cooker provides tremendous energy savings by eliminating the use of a conventional oven. Cooking time is substantially decreased as the heat is concentrated close to the food allowing it to cook quickly. Minimum heat is given off thereby not adding additional heat to the room. Also cleanup is easy with the nonstick interior. It will provide the wonderful aroma of roasted garlic and allow anyone at any time to safely enjoy this popular and healthy food without the previous drawbacks. While various embodiments of this invention have been described for the purposes of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be made and used. It should be understood that implementation of other variations and modifications of the invention in its various aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described. It is therefore contemplated to cover by the present invention any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.