Patent ID: 7244915

Claim:
A method for preventing the splattering of food during microwave oven cooking with a device for covering food during microwave heating, said device comprising a microwavable flexible sheet including a substantially smooth, food-facing surface that is free of openings, the sheet having a configuration including size, shape, and weight distribution for flexibly draping the sheet over food on a rigid structure such that the flexibly draped sheet overhangs and folds loosely over an outer perimeter of the rigid structure, and the sheet being sufficiently heavy to prevent the sheet from being blown off by steam from cooking food or from splattering food and without the sheet clinging to or being attached to the rigid structure during microwave heating, thereby forming at least a partial enclosure around the food when the sheet loosely contacts at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the rigid structure, and wherein during microwave heating the at least a partial enclosure around the food substantially contains food-splattering inside while allowing steam to escape through an opening formed between the flexibly draped sheet and the outer perimeter of the rigid structure, wherein the method comprises: positioning the rigid structure containing food in a microwave oven; draping the microwavable flexible sheet over the rigid structure with the substantially smooth opening-free surface facing the food and with the draped sheet overhanging and folding over the outer perimeter of the rigid structure thereby forming the at least a partial enclosure around the food when the sheet loosely contacts the at least a portion of the outer perimeter of the rigid structure, and without the sheet clinging to or being attached to the rigid structure during microwave heating; forming the opening between the draped sheet and the outer perimeter of the rigid structure, the opening configured for the passage of steam; and starting the microwave oven and substantially containing food-splattering inside the at least a partial enclosure while allowing steam from the cooking food to escape from the at least a partial enclosure through the opening.