Device and method for storing and cooking foodstuffs in a refrigerated environment

Claim 2

In combination with a dEvice for storing food and repetitively cooking different portions of food, said device consisting of a thermally insulated chamber having refrigeration means to maintain the interior of the chamber at refrigerated temperatures, electric circuit means controlled by a timer and a plurality of thermally insulated heating casseroles containing entree food for storing and cooking, the heating casseroles having integral heating elements connected to said timer controlled circuit, the circuit selectively energizing the heating element of different selected heating casseroles throughout a 24 hour period for repetitive cooking of entree food in the different heating casseroles, the improvement comprising: a thermally insulated tray having restraining means to separately support and restrain movement of said heating casseroles on said tray during the time the heating element of selected heating casseroles are energized for cooking; thermally insulated unheated casseroles disposed on said tray and separated from said heating casseroles by said restraining means, the unheated casseroles containing frozen and/or chilled side dish food during storage and during cooking in the selected casseroles; the thermal insulation of said tray, the heating casseroles, the unheated casseroles, and said refrigeration means retarding the change of phase of any foods contained in any of said casseroles not selected for cooking so that the degree of thaw of frozen food does not exceed 50 percent and the degree of freeze of chilled foods does not exceed 30 percent during the 24 hour period the different heating casseroles are selected for repetitive cooking.

Claim 3

An improved food storage and preparation device of the type having a plurality of thermally insulated heating casseroles containing frozen entree food, each casserole having a dish member to support said food disposed within the casserole, the dish member having a low heat capacity and a film resistor integral therewith and within the casserole, said casseroles being disposed in a chamber having refrigeration means to maintain the chamber interior at refrigerated temperatures and an electric circuit connected to a timer and the resistor integral with the dish member of each casserole to energize the resistor of the dish member of selected casseroles to produce heat within the casserole, the low heat capacity of the dish member passing substantially all of the heat produced by the resistor through the dish member into the food to cook the entree food supported therein, wherein the improvement comprises: a. a plurality of thermally insulated trays supporting one or more individual heating casseroles during storage and during the cooking of the entree food therein, said refrigeration means, the thermal insulation of said heating casseroles and tray, and the low heat capacity of the dish member within said heating casseroles selected for cooking combining to reduce the transfer of heat into the non-selected heating casseroles to maintain the frozen entrees therein at temperature levels of 30* F. and below for a period of 24 hours; b. one or more thermally insulated unheated casseroles containing frozen side dish food supported by said tray, each unheated casserole having a food supporting member supported in a base in spaced relation from the base, the thermal insulation of said tray and unheated casserole, the low heat capacity of the dish member within said heating casseroles selected for cooking, and said refrigeration means combining to reduce the transfer of heat into the unheated casseroles containing frozen side dish food so that the frozen side dish food is maintained at temperatures of 30* F. and below during storage and during cooking of said heated casseroles for a period of 24 hours; and c. one or more thermally insulated unheated casseroles containing chilled side dish food supported by said tray, the thermal insulation of said tray and said unheated casserole containing chIlled foods maintaining the chilled foods at temperatures of 30* F. or above during storage and during cooking of said heating casseroles for a period of 24 hours, said tray, when removed from said chamber, supporting casseroles for serving the food contained in said heating and unheated casseroles.

Claim 4

An improved food storage and preparation device of the type having a plurality of thermally insulated heating casseroles containing frozen entree food, each casserole having a dish member to support said food disposed within the casserole, the dish member having a low heat capacity and a film resistor integral therewith and within the casserole, said casseroles being disposed in a chamber having refrigeration means to maintain the chamber interior at refrigerated temperatures and an electric circuit connected to a timer and the resistor integral with the dish member of each casserole to energize the resistor of the dish member of selected casseroles to produce heat within the casserole, the low heat capacity of the dish member passing substantially all of the heat produced by the resistor through the dish member into the food to cook the entree food supported therein, wherein the improvement comprises: a. a plurality of thermally insulated trays supporting one or more individual heating casseroles during storage and during the cooking of the entree food therein, said refrigeration means, the thermal insulation of said heating casseroles and tray, and the low heat capacity of the dish member within said heating casseroles selected for cooking combining to reduce the transfer of heat into the non-selected heating casseroles to maintain the frozen entrees therein at temperature levels of 30* F. and below for a period of 24 hours; b. one or more thermally insulated unheated casseroles containing frozen side dish food supported by said tray, each unheated casserole having a food supporting member supported in a base in spaced relation from the base, the thermal insulation of said tray and unheated casserole, the low heat capacity of the dish member within said heating casseroles selected for cooking, and said refrigeration means combining to reduce the transfer of heat into the unheated casseroles containing frozen side dish food so that the frozen side dish food is maintained at temperatures of 30* F. and below during storage and during cooking of said heated casseroles for a period of 24 hours; and c. one or more thermally insulated unheated casseroles containing chilled side dish food supported by said tray, the thermal insulation of said tray and said unheated casserole containing chIlled foods maintaining the chilled foods at temperatures of 30* F. or above during storage and during cooking of said heating casseroles for a period of 24 hours, said tray, when removed from said chamber, supporting casseroles for serving the food contained in said heating and unheated casseroles.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 wherein the chilled side dish food contained in said unheated casseroles is disposed therein in a thermally insulating wrapping.

Claim 6

The device of claim 2 in which the frozen entrees in the non-selected heating casseroles are maintained at temperatures in the range of about 20-30* F. and the chilled side dish food in the unheated casseroles is maintained at temperatures in the range of about 30*-40* F.

Claim 7

In combination with a device for storing and cooking food of the type wherein frozen entree food is packed in thermally insulated heating casseroles having integral heating elements, the heating casseroles disposed in a chamber maintained at refrigerated temperatures by refrigerator means, the chamber having an electric circuit connected to the heating elements of said casseroles and a timer to energize selected casseroles for cooking the food therein, the improvement comprising: a. thermally insulated trays removably disposed in the chamber having first, second, and third recesses therein, one of said heating casseroles disposed in the second recess of each of said trays, the second recess having electrical contacts to interconnect the heating element of said heating casserole to said circuit so that the heating casserole may be selectively energized by said circuit for cooking the entree food therein; and b. thermally insulated unheated casseroles containing frozen and/or chilled side dish foods, said casseroles disposed respectively in the first and third recesses of each of said trays, each of said trays being removable from the chamber after entree food in the heating casserole disposed in the tray has been selected for cooking and the food therein cooked so that the cooked entree food and frozen and/or chilled side dish food is served in the casseroles supported by said trays, the thermal insulation of said trays, heating casseroles, unheated casseroles, and the refrigeration means of said chamber retarding the rate of heat exchange into and out of said casseroles so that substantially no change of phase occurs in said frozen entree food and frozen and/or chilled side dish food until said entree food is selected for cooking and said side dish food is removed from said chamber for serving or until the expiration of a 24 hour period.

Claim 8

In combination with a device for storing and cooking food of the type wherein frozen entree food is packed in thermally insulated heating casseroles having integral heating elements, the heating casseroles disposed in a chamber maintained at refrigerated temperatures by refrigerator means, the chamber having an electric circuit connected to the heating elements of said casseroles and a timer to energize selected casseroles for cooking the food therein, the improvement comprising: a. thermally insulated trays removably disposed in the chamber having first, second, and third recesses therein, one of said heating casseroles disposed in the second recess of each of said trays, the second recess having electrical contacts to interconnect the heating element of said heating casserole to said circuit so that the heating casserole may be selectively energized by said circuit for cooking the entree food therein; and b. thermally insulated unheated casseroles containing frozen and/or chilled side dish foods, said casseroles disposed respectively in the first and third recesses of each of said trays, each of said trays being removable from the chamber after entree food in the heating casserole disposed in the tray has been selected for cooking and the food therein cooked so that the cooked entree food and frozen and/or chilled side dish food is served in the casseroles supported by said trays, the thermal insulation of said trays, heating casseroles, unheated casseroles, and the refrigeration means of said chamber retarding the rate of heat exchange into and out of said casseroles so that substantially no change of phase occurs in said frozen entree food and frozen and/or chilled side dish food until said entree food is selected for cooking and said side dish food is removed from said chamber for serving or until the expiration of a 24 hour period.

Claim 9

In a method wherein frozen entree foods are packed in a plurality of heating casseroles and placed in a refrigerated chamber maintained at refrigerated temperatures and different heating casseroles are adapted to be selectively heated during different cooking periods for repetitively cooking entree food in the different selected heating casseroles for periods up to 24 hours, the improvement comprising: a. packing frozen and chilled side dish foods into separate individual thermally insulated unheated casseroles; b. placing said heating and unheated casserole into thermally insulated trays adapted to be moved into and out of said chamber, each tray containing at least one heating and one unheated casserole; c. placing the trays in said chamber for cooking the food in selected heating casseroles, for storing frozen entree food not selected for cooking and for storing frozen and chilled side dish foods until serving same; d. removing trays containing entree food cooked in said selected heating casseroles and side dish food contained in said unheated casseroles and serving same on said tray, the thermal insulation of said heating and unheated casseroles and said trays remaining in the chamber and the refrigerated temperatures of said chamber retarding the change of phase of frozen entree foods and frozen and chiLled side dish foods contained in said heating and unheated casseroles remaining in the chamber; e. continuing to cook food in different selected eating casseroles and serving same with one or more unheated casseroles of side dish food; and f. after a 24 hour period has passed, removing any remaining unheated casseroles containing chilled side dish foods and lowering the temperature of the chamber to reduce the temperature therein to temperature levels for freezing food in any remaining casseroles.

Claim 10

In a method wherein frozen entree foods are packed in a plurality of heating casseroles and placed in a refrigerated chamber maintained at refrigerated temperatures and different heating casseroles are adapted to be selectively heated during different cooking periods for repetitively cooking entree food in the different selected heating casseroles for periods up to 24 hours, the improvement comprising: a. packing frozen and chilled side dish foods into separate individual thermally insulated unheated casseroles; b. placing said heating and unheated casserole into thermally insulated trays adapted to be moved into and out of said chamber, each tray containing at least one heating and one unheated casserole; c. placing the trays in said chamber for cooking the food in selected heating casseroles, for storing frozen entree food not selected for cooking and for storing frozen and chilled side dish foods until serving same; d. removing trays containing entree food cooked in said selected heating casseroles and side dish food contained in said unheated casseroles and serving same on said tray, the thermal insulation of said heating and unheated casseroles and said trays remaining in the chamber and the refrigerated temperatures of said chamber retarding the change of phase of frozen entree foods and frozen and chiLled side dish foods contained in said heating and unheated casseroles remaining in the chamber; e. continuing to cook food in different selected eating casseroles and serving same with one or more unheated casseroles of side dish food; and f. after a 24 hour period has passed, removing any remaining unheated casseroles containing chilled side dish foods and lowering the temperature of the chamber to reduce the temperature therein to temperature levels for freezing food in any remaining casseroles.