Compact, efficient, easy-to-clean food steamer for home use, with safety features and versatile modular food compartment

Claim 1

Apparatus for steam-cooking food, comprising: means for receiving a quantity of water and applying heat to convert the water to steam; at least one unitary molded plastic basket closely but removably fitted to the receiving-and-applying means to capture the steam, and having: a perforated floor for supporting such food, and for passing the steam upward into the basket and returning condensed steam as water to the receiving-and-applying means for reuse, said floor having a periphery, and four upstanding walls, erected substantially along the periphery, for confining the steam and such food in mutual contact; and a plastic cover dimensioned to be closely but removably fitted upon the walls of the basket to confine the steam within the basket and to collect some condensed steam for return through the floor for reuse; whereby water and food-juice deposits are easily cleaned from the floor of the plastic basket; and whereby the basket and cover together can retain the steam in contact with such food without any added exterior enclosure; a second unitary plastic basket interposed between the first-mentioned basket and the cover, and closely but removably fitted to the first-mentioned basket to capture steam rising therefrom, for supporting and confining additional such food and steam in mutual contact, said second basket having: a perforated floor for supporting such food, and for passing the steam upward into the basket and returning condensed steam as water through the first-mentioned basket to the receiving-and-applying means for reuse,said floor of the second basket having a periphery, and four upstanding walls erected substantially along the periphery of the second basket floor for confining such additional food and steam in mutual contact; said second-basket walls being dimensioned to be closely but removably interfitted, in place of the first-mentioned-basket walls, with the cover; and whereby the apparatus is selectably usable, at the option of a user, either for larger quantities of food without duplication of the receiving-and-applying means and cover, or for smaller quantities of food without wasting time and heat required to fill two baskets with steam; wherein the walls of the baskets are dimensioned for close mutual fitting of the second basket inverted upon the first-mentioned basket to form therewith a single double-height enclosure for large pieces of such food; and wherein the cover is dimensioned for close fitting upon the floor of the second basket when inverted, to confine the steam within the double-height enclosure; whereby the apparatus is further selectably usable for such larger quantities of food, at the option of a user, either in the form of shallow pieces of such food which could not be as quickly and effectively cooked if all stacked together in a double-height enclosure, or tall pieces of such food which could not fit within the height of a single basket.