Patent ID: 7922027

Claim:
A pan for use in serving food therein, comprising: a body comprised of a high heat conductive material and including a wall that defines a hollow interior within which food can be held, said body having a closed lower end and an open upper end; a circumferential flange projecting laterally from and extending around an outer surface of said wall at or near said upper end of said body, said flange having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer edge between the upper and lower surfaces; a gasket comprised of a heat resistant and insulating material extending around said flange so as to entirely cover the outer edge and at least partially cover said upper and lower surfaces of said flange; means for providing a circumferential sealing ridge on a lower surface of said gasket adjacent to and which extends downwardly below said outer edge of said circumferential edge so that said sealing ridge is spaced-apart from said wall of said body; and means for providing a finger gripping surface on said gasket between said sealing ridge and said wall of said body.