Abstract:
A “fat eraser” system provides a housing for supporting and possibly enclosing a low temperature heat absorbing material and having a thermally conductive area of material in a shallow conic shape which can be brought into contact with a volume of food to enable a low temperature solidification of fat onto the thermally conductive area of material. A combination storage stand and fat scraping body includes scraping blades having an upper contour which is complementary to the shallow conic shape of the thermally conductive area of material to provide a self-centering ability to cleanly scrape and remove and collect any solidified fat from the thermally conductive area of material by rotating the thermally conductive area of material about its conical center and against the combination storage stand and fat scraping body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an improvements in the design and operation of a cooking implements which will enable removal of excess amounts of fat from a volume of prepared food, into which the fat is dispersed, by solidification and collection for conservation or disposal. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    Clean, controlled removal of fats, greases, butter and other high solidification hydrocarbon material, hereinafter “fat” from prepared foods is desirable for a number of reasons. In some cases the fat is used to transport a flavoring element and was necessary at significant volume during the cooking process, and after cooking and distribution of the flavoring element is completed the volume of fat can be removed without changing the flavor of the food present. Where the fat physically separates from the volume of the food material so that it may be visually identified, techniques of removal have included insertion of wicking material such as cloth or paper towels, as well as a pour-off or skimming and drainage. 
         [0003]    The purpose for fat removal may range from aesthetics in producing a prepared food without pools of visually separated fats, or foods from which fats may separate when served, to a need for restricting dietary fat intake. These wicking and pour-off methods are only able to be practiced where there is some pre-existing physical ability or occurrence of segregation of the fat in the prepared food. Where there is no identifiable physical separation, the introduction of a wicking towel might just as easily absorb water and other components of the prepared dish which were not to be removed. Without physical separation of fat in the prepared dish, no significant pour-off would be possible. 
         [0004]    In some other cases, the desire to conserve the fat as an expensive element in food preparation, and to prevent its being wasted and to provide for its recovery for later use may also be present. The ability to conserve and recycle fat from one prepared food dish into another can be advantageous. Some of the conserving, recycling cases might involve serial batch processing of food where the fat recovered from a just completed batch of food can be transferred back to a batch of food just beginning its processing. In other cases, an amount of fat saved from preparation of one type of food might be preserved and recycled back into the preparation of the same food at a later date. In other cases the fat from the preparation of one food might be cross cycled into the preparation of another food either because of its flavor or simply because of a desire to conserve new fat which would otherwise be brought into the cooking process. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,057 which issued to Dorothy Joan McCoy on May 17, 1977 entitled “Portable, Cold Grease Remover” disclosed the use of a plate with heat fin row projections for increasing a lower surface area, and which could be used to support either a small sealed container of coolant or an accordion expanding reservoir of liquid. McCoy taught the bringing into contact of the lower heat finned plate onto contact with any grease which might be observed to float on the upper surface of a broth or soup, causing the fat to solidify and adhere to the undersurface of the plate. McCoy suggests that any solidified fat on the underside of the plate can be removed by scraping or heating. However, it is clear that both the device and the method of McCoy is problematic. Scraping the lower plate of McCoy must either involve a comb which matches the shape of the heat fin surface, or the fat will be left in rows between adjacent heat fins. McCoy also suggests re-heating the plate and draining the fat, but this involves another container, another heating step, and yet a further collection step. The plate would need to be dis-assembled, and placed in a container, the fat melted and then re-removed from the container into which it is collected. Its true that scraping during processing, which would leave fat adhered to the rows between the heat fins, could be tolerated during the fat collection operation, but this reduces the efficiency of the operation. It should be remembered that as the fat solidifies onto a metal surface, it represents an insulative presence to heat conduction with respect to the conductivity of a metal plate. Considering the fat as a thermal insulator, the ribbed plate of McCoy which is scraped using a simple edge device, and which leaves fat in the heat fins is then re-employed into the food dish, experiences a proportional reduction in its effective area available for adhesion of thermally solidifying fat. 
         [0006]    Further, fat can be difficult to remove from an expanded surface. McCoy teaches the use of an expanded surface and a comb or complementary structure would have to remove fat from an expanded surface. This mechanism would produce significant force resistance. The result would be either a fixed comb requiring the user to exert significant upper body strength to scrape the heat fin surface. In the alternative, a hand held comb would have to be forced against a hand held plate and the scraping action would produce significant twisting stress between the hand held comb or complementary plate, and the collecting plate of McCoy. The hand held comb or complementary plate might be as likely to slip, and flip fat across the room, especially for users lacking upper body strength. Thus, cleaning of the McCoy plate would require a hand held comb or complementary plate in one hand, and the collection plate in the other hand, with both being positioned over a collection bowl. This system is simply not practical for instances in which small amounts of fat are to be collected, nor effective for instances where large amounts of fats are to be collected particularly by persons with limited upper body strength. 
         [0007]    Another problem with McCoy is the inability for the plate to move into a volume of food and collect fat by solidification at different levels. Not all of the fat in a volume of food will rise to the top into a visually identifiable pool. A plate, such as the plate in McCoy, with its sealed container and ladle supported plate cannot practically be thrust into a volume of food for a number of reasons. First, pressing straight down would simply macerate and destroy the look and average size of the masses of food. Second, the skirt of McCoy will likely not withstand any lateral motion, and the expandable foil skirt would likely collapse. McCoy teaches collection of fat only from the top of broth or soup. The heat transfer surface is generally planar, with or without heat fins, an can only be placed atop the mass of food for which fat removal is desired. 
         [0008]    As a practical matter, if the fat is not exactly at the surface, the McCoy device has no practical way to capture it. McCoy is faced with either providing a nearly infinitely thin layer of a food volume in hopes of observing and trying to capture fat, or it can only operate for clear broths based upon the overwhelming predominance of water and both the hydrophobic properties of the fat, and a light density which causes the fats to accumulate at the top. 
         [0009]    For other foods, which are not clear broths or soups, and which may be hydrophobic enough to cause fat to attach and cling to the food material (most of which may be amino acids and proteins having varying degrees of hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics) in locations such that they cannot float to the top. A user preparing such foods may be under the mistaken impression that no recoverable or excess fat is present simply because no fat is seen collecting at the top. 
         [0010]    Generally, the use of a device such as the McCoy device, only at the very top of soups or broths reduces the ability to provide extraction and some purification of fat that might exist throughout the volume of the foodstuff. Solidification of fat based upon a low temperature source has an ability to provide some purification. Where the user is looking for a pool of clear fat at the top of a volume of cooked foodstuff, the device of McCoy provides very little additional purification. As a result the disadvantages of the device of McCoy, or any device which uses a contact plate at the top of a volume of a food volume include complete avoidance of the ability to gather fat which has not already been clarified and pooled at the top of the food volume. This results in (1) an inability to probe the food volume in a manner which will move the food aside without macerating it, to test for fat that has not risen to the top, (2) the inability to compete with food particles for fat which is clinging to the food particles, (3) a general psychological pre-disposition to utilize a plate device to gather fat only when it is visible at the top, (4) a prejudice of assuming that no fat is present when none is seen, and (5) due to the relatively large plate and cold source container of McCoy which must be assembled and set up whenever fat is desired to be gathered, avoidance of fat collection will occur for all but the largest volumes of food. 
         [0011]    What is therefore needed is a fat gathering system which is simple to set up, which can remove fat from a volume of food even where the fat is not visible and where it does not necessarily pool at the top of the volume of food. The fat gathering system should also be able to function as a fat probe to help alert users as to the presence and amount of fat in a volume of food without macerating it. The needed system should also facilitate separation of the fat from the implements of the system, in a controlled and orderly way, and which can be used by individuals without significant upper body strength. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]    A “fat eraser” system utilizes a body having a forward shallow curved or conical surface which can range from curving with a flat area to completely curved and which is used to probe into a volume of food without macerating the food to collect the fat from that volume of food. In a first embodiment, a larger housing includes a space for loading with ice and water, or loaded with ice which then becomes a mixture of ice and water after some melting occurs. When the space is filled a conically or curved surface cap made of high thermal conducting material, such as aluminum encloses the volume filled with ice and water. When the fat removal device is oriented with the high thermal conducting material oriented downward, the water and ice are then in direct contact with a thermal conductive conic plate. The conic plate end of the housing is then inserted into the mass of food as fat begins to solidify on the outside of the conic conductive plate which caps the unit. 
         [0013]    Sometimes referred to as a “fat eraser”, the elongate housing is moved through the food in a in and out and angled side to side motion to move the conic plate into and through the mass of food without macerating the food. Thus, the conic plate serves to move the food masses out of the way rather than smashing or crushing them. As the “fat eraser” is continued to be moved through the food, fat will begin to solidify and collect onto the conic or curved plate. The immediate advantage of this system is striking in that it allows a user to hold the “fat eraser” in one hand and move it along and through the food mass to move it about, in order to “probe” the food volume possibly while examining the thermally transmissive plate as much as is necessary to ascertain the fat content of the food mass. This enables the user, with a little experience and depending upon the temperature of the food mass, to instantly get an early determination of the amount of fat in the food volume. The main housing may be made of plastic or even a coated plastic so that it fits easily and comfortably into the hand of the user. The conically shaped cap which is to have contact with the food volume may be made of highly thermally conductive aluminum so that it can actively and quickly remove heat from any fat contacting the surface of the main housing. 
         [0014]    A combination storage stand and fat scraping body includes a set of three interconnected blades each having an upper shape which is complementary to the conical shaped cap. The complementary shape provides a self-centering effect, so that the eraser stays securely within the combination storage stand and fat scraping body while solid fat is being removed, and provides a multi blade scraping action so that minimum time is spent before the fat eraser can be re-deployed into contact with the food volume. The combination storage stand and fat scraping body has a convenient grip so that the self-centering fat removal structure and stand can be easily manipulated by people with limited upper body strength. Further, because the blades of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body have pass through spaces, removing any solid fat which accumulates between the blades is relatively easy. This is done by simply pushing the solid fat through the spaces between the blades with the users gloved fingers or with a tool. 
         [0015]    In the first embodiment the housing may be more elongated, while in a second embodiment, the housing still presents a curved gently conic but greater diameter cap, in essence a shallow cone. A corresponding combination storage stand and fat scraping body is provided with blades having an upper configuration matching the cone shape of the cap. The second embodiment is expected to provide a significant amount of fat removal from a shallow food volume or from instances where the fat is expected to exist at a depth of from the surface to a centimeter or two below the surface. The second embodiment may also preferably have an enhanced heat absorption body for quick action and heavy fat removal loading, such as a gel pack or solid carbon dioxide (it will be preferable to provide a vent hole where solid carbon dioxide, or dry ice, is used as a low temperature heat absorbing material). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0016]    The invention, its configuration, construction, and operation will be best further described in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of the fat eraser and illustrating a main housing seen adjacent a cap preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, with the cap seen over a combination storage stand and fat scraping body; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  illustrates the fat eraser of  FIG. 1  in an orientation where the cap is applied to the pot and where the combination storage stand and fat scraping body supports the main housing and cap pot in a rest or storage position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the fat eraser resting on its combination storage stand and fat scraping body; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  illustrating the main capped housing in storage position atop the combination storage stand and fat scraping body; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  side schematic view illustrating the fat eraser shown schematically within a container which includes a volume of food and illustrating that the food eraser can be brought vertically down into the food mass and moved from side to side, in a manner to gently push into the volume of food and push it about without macerating any pieces of food within the food volume, and illustrating contact for fat removal; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view consistent with but taken oppositely with respect to the view of  FIG. 3  and showing the scraping action of fat removal upon the turning of the fat eraser within the combination storage stand and fat scraping body so that fat collects between the scraping blades; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a perspective exploded view of a second embodiment of the fat eraser and illustrating an upper saucer shaped housing to facilitate manual handling, and seen adjacent a lower cone shaped member preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, for fitting underneath the upper saucer shaped housing, and shown over a combination storage stand and fat scraping body; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  illustrates the fat eraser of  FIG. 7  in an orientation where the upper saucer shaped housing to facilitate manual handling is seen attached to the lower cone shaped member and resting atop the combination storage stand and fat scraping body; 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the fat eraser resting on its combination storage stand and fat scraping body; 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9  illustrating the main capped housing in storage position atop the combination storage stand and fat scraping body; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is a bottom view consistent but opposite with respect to the view of  FIG. 3  and showing the scraping action of fat removal upon the turning of the fat eraser within the combination storage stand and fat scraping body so that fat collects between the scraping blades. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]    The description and operation of the fat eraser is best begun with reference to  FIG. 1  which illustrates is an exploded view of a first embodiment of a fat eraser assembly  21  which includes a main housing  23 , a cap  25  which can form an enclosure with respect to the main housing  23 , and seen over a first embodiment of a combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 . The main housing  23  and the cap  25  forms the fat eraser  29  portion of the fat eraser assembly  21 . The main housing  23  has a length which is of greater magnitude than its effective width to form a oblong shaped fat eraser  29 . 
         [0029]    The main housing  23  is shown as having a slight depression  31  at the upper end to assist in grasping and manipulating the fat eraser  29 . Depression  31  also allows the fat eraser  29  to be stored in an inverted manner without the fat scraping body  27 . In this manner the ice and water is in contact with the more thermally insulative plastic main housing  23 , rather than the highly conductive cap  25 . Storage in this manner conserves the heat absorbing capacity of the water and ice. A lip  33  is seen for stabilizing cap  25  and to provide a more readily recognizable indication to a user that the cap  25  is affixed to the main housing  23 . The cap  25  is seen as having a lift tab  35  which extends outwardly of the lip  33  when the cap  25  is attached to the main housing  23  to help the user to remove the cap  25 . The cap  25  can be seen a conic surface  37 . 
         [0030]    The combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  has an exterior radial surface  41  surface which is somewhat flaring at the base, and interrupted by a series of finger depressions  43  to enable users to more securely grasp the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  when it is being used to scrape any solid fat which may have collected on the surface of the cap  25  facing the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 . 
         [0031]    At the inside of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  a set of three scraping blades  47  are seen which extend to and joint at a radial center of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 . The blades  47  are seen as not extending downwardly to a lower extend of the bottom edge of the exterior radial surface  41  providing some clearance. The blades  47  each have a pair of oppositely disposed side surfaces  49 , and a top surface  51 . Top surface  51  can have a right angled relationship with respect to the side surface  49 , or some other angled relationship. 
         [0032]    In the orientation seen in  FIG. 1 , with the cap  25  securely attached to the main housing  23 , and with some cold liquid being contained within the main housing  23 , any fat on the exterior (underside of cap  25  as seen in  FIG. 1 ) will be scraped by the blades  47  if the cap  25  is rotated against the blades  47  (as will be shown). The upper portion of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  receives the cap  25  while allowing the cap  25  to turn and thus guides and stabilizes the cap  25  when cap  25  is turned to enable it to be scraped by the scraping blades  47 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 2  a collapsed view of the fat eraser assembly  21  seen in  FIG. 1  is illustrated. The cap  25  is shown as applied to the main housing  23 , and the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  is seen in a position of support with respect to the fat eraser  29 , which is the same general position it would occupy were to be employed for scraping fat from the cap  25 . 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a top view of the fat eraser  21  resting on its combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 , is shown. The lift tab  35  is seen as well as the fact that in this embodiment the finger depressions  43  are five in number. The slight depression  31  is also seen. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  illustrates the fat eraser  29  in a resting position atop the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 . The centering interaction between the cap  25  and the complementary top surfaces  51  of the scraping blades  47  is seen. An internal volume  53  will contain the water and ice necessary to absorb heat through the conic area  37  of cap  25 . Also visible is a transition surface  55  near the open end of the main housing  23 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a side schematic view illustrating the fat eraser  29  is shown. Fat eraser  29  is shown schematically with respect to a container  57  containing a volume of food  59  which may contain fat. The fat eraser  29  is shown as being oriented at an angle and being moved laterally while the cap  25  is partially submerged in the volume of food  59 . Notice that with a conical surface  61  of cap  25 , that any food particles encountered while the fat eraser  29  is moved through the volume of food  59  will easily be urged gently to one side or the other due to the conical shape. As is shown in  FIG. 6 , movement laterally is possible as is forward movement at an angle. The conic shape of the conical surface  61  of cap  25  will facilitate pushing throught a local level of the volume of food  59  to move through it at a depth significantly below the level of the volume of food  59 . The height of the cap  25  is not limited to the particular height shown in the figures. The height of the cap  25  may be greatly expanded to increase the probing nature of the action with regard to a volume of food  59 . This would also result in a higher and deeper combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 . The proportions shown approximate a relative size which is believed to work well in most kitchen applications. 
         [0037]    As the fat eraser  29  is moved through the volume of food  59  layers of fat  65  will begin to adhere to the conical surface  61  of cap  25 . The solidified fat  65  will form somewhat of a thermal barrier, such that as more fat collected, a reduced flow of heat into the conical surface  61  of cap  25  will be experienced. Therefore, to increase the rate at which fat is collected, the conical surface  61  of cap  25  should be scraped to be free of fat as often as possible. Another factor to be considered is the temperature of the volume of food  59 . A combination of high temperature and a thick layer of fat  65  might result in an equilibrium condition such that no further fat  65  is collected. So, depending upon the temperature of the volume of food  59  and the reduced temperature produced at the conical surface  61  of cap  25 , as well as the thickness the layers of fat  65  adhering to the conical surface  61  of cap  25 , the efficiency of fat collection will be affected. 
         [0038]    For a warm volume of food  59 , it has been found that a mixture of ice and water contained within the fat eraser  29  will be sufficient for fat  65  collection. An external temperature of the conical surface  61  of cap  25  of about eight degrees centigrade is achievable with water and ice. A lower temperature gel can be used (such as the type found commercially in plastic containers for use with a picnic cooler) to achieve a lower temperature. As a further alternative, a metal insert which includes the conical surface  61  could be brought to a super cold temperature and used as a non melting absorber of energy. Other low temperature sources can be used, such as dry ice or liquid gasses, so long as a gaseous exhaust port were provided on the fat eraser  29 . 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a bottom view consistent with but taken oppositely with respect to the view of  FIG. 3  illustrates the insertion of the fat eraser  29  back into the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  with the top surfaces  51  (not shown in  FIG. 6 ) being pressed against the conical surface  61  of cap  25 . Since the top surfaces  51  of the conical surface  61  of cap  25  are complementary to each other, a close very clean scraping of the fat  65  from conical surface  61  of cap  25  is obtained. All that the user need do is to turn the fat eraser  29 , with its fat eraser assembly  21  main housing  23  and cap  25  turning together, against and relative to the top surfaces  51  of the scraping blades  47 . This may be done while the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  is supported on a flat surface. 
         [0040]    As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , rotation of the conical surface  61  of cap  25  against the scraping blades  47  causes fat  65  to collect on the side surface  49  opposite the direction of turning of the conical surface  61  of cap  25 . The fat  65  can be continue to be collected until the inside of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  completely fills (if combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  is supported on a flat surface), or until the inverted bottom of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  overflows (where the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27  is inverted and turned atop the conical surface  61  of cap  25  like a valve). 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , a perspective exploded view of a second embodiment of the fat eraser system of the present invention is shown as a fat eraser system  121  which is shown in exploded view. The second embodiment of the fat eraser assembly  121  includes a main housing  123 , a cap  125  made of a thermally high conductive material, and which can form an enclosure with respect to the main housing  123 , and seen over a first embodiment of a second embodiment of a combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127 . The main housing  123  and the cap  125  forms the fat eraser  129  portion of the fat eraser assembly  121 . The main housing  123  has a length which is of lesser magnitude than its greatest effective width to form a flattened saucer shaped fat eraser  29 . 
         [0042]    The main housing  123  is shown as being saucer shaped having a radially expanded base  131 . The radially expanded base  131  helps to provide a larger footprint for instances where fat is expected to be harvested from a container  57  having a larger area and in which the fat is not expected to be present in concentrations as great throughout a volume of food  59 . Atop the radially expanded base  131  is a raised cylindrical structure  133 . Raised cylindrical structure  133  can be grasped like a knob for easy control and manipulation. A top surface  135  of the raised cylindrical structure  133  may be saddle shaped or flat. It may be preferable for the top surface  135  of the raised cylindrical structure  133  to enable the fat eraser  129  to be inverted with the coolant not losing capacity by absorbing as much ambient heat through the cap  125 . 
         [0043]    The cap  125  has conical surface  127 . The cap  125  may, like cap  25  be made of thin, thermally conductive metal. The combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  has an exterior radial surface  141  surface which is somewhat flaring at the base, and interrupted by a series of finger depressions  143  to enable users to more securely grasp the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  when it is being used to scrape any solid fat which may have collected on the surface of the cap  125  facing the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127 . 
         [0044]    At the inside of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  a set of three scraping blades  147  are seen which extend to and joint at a radial center of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127 . The blades  147  are longer because the effective diameter of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  is greater than combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 . The blades  147  seen as not extending downwardly to a lower extend of the bottom edge of the exterior radial surface  141  providing some clearance. The blades  147  each have a pair of oppositely disposed side surfaces  149 , and a top surface  151 . Top surface  151  can have a right angled relationship with respect to the side surface  149 , or some other angled relationship. Again, the upper portion of the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  receives the cap  125  while allowing the cap  125  to turn and thus guides and stabilizes the cap  125  when cap  125  is turned to enable it to be scraped by the scraping blades  147 . 
         [0045]    In the orientation seen in  FIG. 1 , with the cap  125  securely attached to the main housing  123 , and with some cold liquid being contained within the main housing  23 , any fat on the exterior (underside of cap  25  as seen in  FIG. 1 ) will be scraped by the blades  147  if the cap  125  is rotated against the blades  147 , and despite the greater area of the fat eraser  129 , the additional volume within the raised cylindrical structure  133  will help to give an expanded volumetric capacity. 
         [0046]    Referring to  FIG. 8  a collapsed view of the fat eraser assembly  121  seen in  FIG. 7  is illustrated. As before the cap  125  is shown as applied to the main housing  123 , with the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  being seen in a position of support with respect to the fat eraser  129 , which is the same general position it would occupy were to be employed for scraping fat from the cap  125 . 
         [0047]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , a top view of the fat eraser  121  resting on its combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127 , is shown. Although the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  is larger than the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  27 , it is still not too large that it will not gain advantage from the finger depressions  143  which are also five in number. 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , a sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 3  illustrates the fat eraser  129  in a resting position atop the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127 . The centering interaction between the cap  25  and the complementary top surfaces  151  of the scraping blades  147  is seen. Also visible is an internal volume  153  which will contain the ice and water, or other coolant mass. There is an internal transition  155  between the raised cylindrical structure  133  and the radially expanded base  131 . A view looking directly into a section of one of the blades  147  is also seen. 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , a bottom view consistent with but taken oppositely with respect to the view of  FIG. 9  illustrates the insertion of the fat eraser  129  back into the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  with the top surfaces  151  (not shown in  FIG. 11  being pressed against the conical surface  127  of cap  125 . Since the top surfaces  151  and the conical surface  127  of cap  125  are complementary to each other, a close very clean scraping of the fat  65  from conical surface  127  of cap  125  is obtained. All that the user need do is to turn the fat eraser  129 , with its fat eraser assembly  121  main housing  123  and cap  125  turning together, against and relative to the top surfaces  151  of the scraping blades  147 . This may be done while the combination storage stand and fat scraping body  127  is supported on a flat surface or is hand held. 
         [0050]    As can be seen in  FIG. 11 , rotation of the conical surface  127  of cap  125  against the scraping blades  147  causes fat  65  to collect on the side surface  149  opposite the direction of turning of the conical surface  127  of cap  125 . The fat  65  can be continue to be collected in the same manner as was described for fat eraser  29 . 
         [0051]    While the present invention has been described in terms of a structure, device and process for extracting fat from a volume of prepared food using the transition of the fat from liquid to solid upon encountering a cooled surface, one skilled in the art will realize that the structure and techniques of the present invention can be applied to many structures and devices which are used in the kitchen, and particularly where temperature differences are used to preferentially capture components, either for conservation or elimination, by thermal solidification. 
         [0052]    Although the invention has been derived with reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, included within the patent warranted hereon are all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of this contribution to the art.