Set of cooking plates for an electric cooking appliance
The set of cooking plates with hollow recesses and optional shearing device enhances electric cooking appliances by allowing efficient vegetarian cooking and reducing waste, addressing the limitations of existing appliances in versatility and suitability for vegetarian dishes.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SEB SA
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing electric cooking appliances, such as waffle irons, are not suitable for cooking vegetarian dishes like meatballs and lack versatility in recipe options.
A set of cooking plates for electric cooking appliances, featuring lower and upper plates with hollow recesses that form cooking cavities for forming and cooking balls of food preparations, with a specific ratio of access opening area to base wall area, and optionally including a shearing device to manage excess food, allowing for efficient and healthy vegetarian cooking.
The solution significantly reduces preparation time, maximizes the number of balls produced, and expands recipe options, particularly enabling convenient vegetarian cooking with reduced food waste and improved food distribution.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical field
[0001] The present invention relates to electric cooking appliances and in particular to electric cooking appliances of the type waffle iron, which enable the production of food preparations of the type waffles from a food dough. State of the art
[0002] An electric cooking appliance of the waffle iron type is known to contain: • a lower heating structure configured to rest on a horizontal support, and an upper heating structure movably mounted with respect to the lower heating structure between an open configuration in which the upper and lower heating structures are separated from each other, and a closed configuration in which the upper and lower heating structures are close together and in which the upper heating structure covers the lower heating structure, • a set of waffle plates comprising a lower waffle plate configured to be detachably attached to the lower heating structure, and an upper waffle plate configured to be detachably attached to the upper heating structure, each of the lower and upper waffle plates comprising one or more recesses configured to define one or more cooking chambers when the lower and upper waffle plates are attached to the lower and upper heating structures respectively, the latter assuming the closed configuration.
[0003] In order to increase the number of recipes that can be carried out with such an electric cooking appliance, it is known to equip the latter with several additional sets of cooking plates, such as a set of croque monsieur plates and a set of panini plates.
[0004] However, such an electric cooking appliance is not suitable for cooking a vegetarian dish, and in particular not for cooking meatballs in a vegetarian dish. Summary of the invention
[0005] The present invention aims to eliminate all or some of these disadvantages.
[0006] The technical problem underlying the invention is in particular to provide a set of cooking plates for an electric cooking appliance that is simply structured and at the same time enables convenient shaping and cooking of balls of a food preparation.
[0007] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a set of cooking plates for an electric cooking appliance, for example of the waffle iron type, comprising a lower cooking plate configured to be mounted on a lower heating structure of the electric cooking appliance, and an upper cooking plate configured to be mounted on an upper heating structure of the electric cooking appliance, wherein each of the lower and upper cooking plates comprises a bottom wall and a plurality of hollow recesses provided on the bottom wall, each hollow recess having an access opening, wherein the lower and upper cooking plates are configured to assume a cooking configuration in which each hollow recess provided on the lower cooking plate is opposite a hollow recess provided on the upper cooking plate, and in which each pair of opposing hollow recesses delimits a cooking cavity configured toto enable the forming and cooking of a ball of a food preparation, and for example a ball of a vegetarian preparation, wherein a ratio of the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the access openings provided on an identical base wall to the area of a virtual planar surface bounded by a circumferential edge of the base wall is greater than or equal to 0.8 and for example greater than or equal to 0.85.
[0008] In other words, for each floor wall, an orthogonal projection of the depressions provided on a floor wall into a reference plane extending parallel to an extension plane of the floor wall represents at least 80% and, for example, at least 85% of the orthogonal projection of the floor wall into the reference plane.
[0009] Put another way, each floor wall comprises a first wall section with depressions and a second wall section without depressions; the ratio of the surface area of the first wall section to the surface area of the second wall section is greater than 4 and, for example, greater than 5.6.
[0010] Such a configuration of the set of cooking plates according to the present invention makes it possible to form the balls of a food preparation by moving the lower and upper cooking plates into the cooking configuration, that is, by moving the upper heating structure, which belongs to the electric cooking appliance equipped with the set of cooking plates, into the closed configuration, which on the one hand makes it possible to significantly reduce the preparation time of a recipe and on the other hand makes it considerably easier to carry out this recipe.
[0011] Furthermore, such a density of indentations provided on each base wall enables the maximization of the number of balls that can be produced simultaneously with the set of cooking plates according to the present invention.
[0012] Furthermore, by equipping an electric cooking appliance of the type waffle iron with a set of cooking plates according to the present invention, it is possible to increase the number of recipes that can be carried out with such an electric cooking appliance, but in particular to be able to conveniently carry out recipes based on vegetarian preparations.
[0013] The set of cooking plates may also have one or more of the following features, individually or in combination.
[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the bottom wall of each of the lower and upper cooking plates is essentially flat.
[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the bottom walls of the lower and upper cooking plates are configured to be spaced apart from each other by a separating distance when the lower and upper cooking plates are in the cooking configuration.
[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the hollow recesses provided on the lower cooking plate have essentially the same depths and shapes, and the hollow recesses provided on the upper cooking plate have essentially the same depths and shapes.
[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, each hollow depression has an overall hemispherical shape.
[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, each cooking cavity is spherical overall.
[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the hollow recesses provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates are arranged adjacent to one another, i.e., neighboring, and the lower and upper cooking plates are configured such that if a hollow recess provided on the lower cooking plate contains excess food, the excess food is displaced to at least one adjacent hollow recess provided on the lower cooking plate when the lower and upper cooking plates are moved into the cooking configuration. In other words, the lower and upper cooking plates are configured to displace excess food contained in a hollow recess provided on the lower cooking plate to at least one adjacent hollow recess provided on the lower cooking plate when the lower and upper cooking plates are moved into the cooking configuration.Such a configuration of the lower and upper cooking plates ensures a better distribution of the food preparation in the cooking cavities defined by the lower and upper cooking plates and allows for a significant reduction in the amount of material lost between the cooking cavities, thus considerably limiting food waste.
[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the lower and upper cooking plates is configured such that the minimum distance between the access openings of two adjacent hollow recesses provided on the cooking plate is less than 5 mm and, for example, less than 3 mm.
[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the hollow recesses provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates are arranged in an offset manner.
[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the access opening of each hollow recess is circular overall.
[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the set of cooking plates comprises a shearing device configured to cut off by shearing any excess preparation located between two adjacent hollow recesses provided on the lower cooking plate (and in particular between each pair of adjacent hollow recesses) when the lower and upper cooking plates are moved into the cooking configuration. The presence of such a shearing device enables an aesthetically pleasing result for each of the balls produced using the set of cooking plates according to the present invention.
[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the shear cutting device comprises: • ring-shaped ribs provided on the bottom wall of one of the lower and upper cooking plates, each ring-shaped rib defining an access opening of a hollow recess, and • ring-shaped counterforms provided on the bottom wall of the other of the lower and upper cooking plates, each ring-shaped counterform extending around and at a distance from an access opening of a hollow recess and having a shape that is at least partially complementary to that of the ring-shaped rib.
[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, each annular counterform is configured to extend around the annular rib when the lower and upper cooking plates are in the cooking configuration.
[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, each annular counterform comprises an inner circumferential surface configured to extend opposite an outer circumferential surface of the annular rib when the lower and upper cooking plates are in the cooking configuration.
[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, each ring-shaped rib has a circular shape.
[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, each annular counterform has an inner diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the annular rib.
[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, each annular counterform externally defines an annular groove that extends around the access opening of the hollow recess and that can at least partially accommodate the annular rib when the lower and upper cooking plates are in the cooking configuration.
[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, each annular rib is configured to rest on the bottom of the annular groove.
[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the bottom of each annular groove is raised relative to the bottom wall.
[0032] According to one embodiment of the invention, each annular rib has a height that is lower than the separation distance between the bottom walls of the lower and upper cooking plates when the lower and upper cooking plates are in the cooking configuration.
[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, each annular rib has a height that is greater than or equal to the depth of the annular groove.
[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, the ring-shaped counter-forms are provided on the lower cooking plate, and the ring-shaped ribs are provided on the upper cooking plate.
[0035] According to one embodiment of the invention, the upper surface of each annular counterform is configured to be located opposite and at a distance from the bottom wall of the upper cooking plate when the lower and upper cooking plates are in the cooking configuration. Advantageously, the separation distance between the upper surface of each annular counterform and the bottom wall of the upper cooking plate is less than 2 mm when the lower and upper cooking plates are in the cooking configuration.
[0036] According to one embodiment of the invention, the upper surface of each annular counterform is offset relative to the bottom of the annular groove by a displacement distance that is less than the height of each annular rib.
[0037] According to one embodiment of the invention, the number of hollow recesses provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates is greater than 5, advantageously greater than 10, and is, for example, between 10 and 30.
[0038] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the lower and upper cooking plates is at least partially covered with a ceramic coating. These arrangements ensure healthier cooking of the meatballs in a food preparation.
[0039] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the lower and upper cooking plates is at least partially covered with a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene. These arrangements allow for an extension of the non-stick function.
[0040] The present invention further relates to an electric cooking appliance, for example of the type of waffle iron, which includes a set of cooking plates according to the present invention.
[0041] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking device comprises a lower heating structure configured to rest on a horizontal support, to which the lower cooking plate can be detachably attached, for example, and an upper heating structure to which the upper cooking plate can be detachably attached, for example, wherein the upper heating structure is movably, and for example pivotably, mounted relative to the lower heating structure between an open configuration, in which the lower cooking plate and the upper cooking plate are separated from each other and in which a food preparation can be placed into each of the hollow recesses provided on the lower cooking plate, and a closed configuration, in which the lower and upper cooking plates assume the cooking configuration and in which the balls of a food preparation can be formed and cooked in the cooking cavities bounded by the lower and upper cooking plates.
[0042] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance comprises a memory in which at least one vegetarian cooking program is stored, which defines a cooking plan suitable for cooking a vegetarian preparation, and a control unit configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance according to the vegetarian cooking program when the electric cooking appliance is equipped with the lower and upper cooking plates.
[0043] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking plan of the vegetarian cooking program defines a cooking temperature and a cooking time that are suitable for cooking a vegetarian preparation.
[0044] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance comprises a set of waffle plates, which includes a lower waffle plate configured to be detachably attached to the lower heating structure, and an upper waffle plate configured to be detachably attached to the upper heating structure, wherein the lower waffle plate and the upper waffle plate are interchangeable with the lower cooking plate and the upper cooking plate, respectively. Brief description of the characters
[0045] The invention is well understood with reference to the following description and the accompanying schematic drawings, which illustrate two embodiments of this electric cooking appliance as non-limiting examples. Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective partial view of an electric cooking appliance according to a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a set of waffle plates that belong to the electric cooking appliance made of Fig. 1 belong. Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a set of cooking plates that belong to the electric cooking appliance made of Fig. 1 belong and assume a cooking configuration. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a lower cooking plate from above, which belongs to the set of cooking plates made of Fig. 3 belongs. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an upper cooking plate from below, which belongs to the set of cooking plates made of Fig. 3 belongs. Fig. Figure 6 is a perspective partial view, cut off along a longitudinal section plane, of the lower cooking plate. Fig. 4. Fig. Figure 7 is a partially perspective view, cut off along a longitudinal section plane, of the upper cooking plate. Fig. 5. Fig. Figure 8 is a perspective view, cut off along a longitudinal section plane, of the lower and upper cooking plates that occupy the cooking configuration. Fig. Figure 9 is a partial longitudinal section view of the lower and upper cooking plates that form the cooking configuration. Fig. Figure 10 is a partial view in longitudinal section of the lower cooking plate. Fig. Figure 11 is a partial view in longitudinal section of the upper cooking plate. Fig. Figure 12 is a view of the upper cooking plate from below. Fig. Figure 13 is a view of the lower cooking plate from above. Fig. Figure 14 is a perspective view of a set of cooking plates belonging to an electric cooking appliance according to a second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a lower cooking plate from above, which belongs to the set of cooking plates made of Fig. 14 belongs. Detailed description
[0046] In this publication, the terms “back”, “top”, “bottom”, “high”, “above” and “below” are defined in relation to a use of the electric cooking appliance while the electric cooking appliance rests on a horizontal surface and the user is in front of the electric cooking appliance.
[0047] Unless otherwise stated, the term ‘essentially’ in this publication means ‘exactly or to 10% or to 10°’.
[0048] The Fig. Figures 1 to 13 represent an electric cooking appliance 2, for example of the type waffle iron, according to a first embodiment of the invention.
[0049] The electric cooking appliance 2 comprises a lower heating structure 3, which is in the form of a base plate and is configured to rest on a horizontal support, and an upper heating structure 4, which is in the form of a lid, which is movably mounted with respect to the lower heating structure 3 between an open configuration in which the upper heating structure 4 and the lower heating structure 3 are separated from each other, and a closed configuration in which the upper heating structure 4 and the lower heating structure 3 are closer together and in which the upper heating structure 4 covers the lower heating structure 3.
[0050] Advantageously, the upper heating element 4 is mounted to the lower heating element 3 via a pivot joint, which defines a pivot axis located in a rear part of the electric cooking appliance 2 and is configured to extend essentially horizontally when the lower heating element 3 rests on a horizontal surface. To facilitate movement of the upper heating element 4 between the open and closed configurations, the upper heating element 4 can be equipped with a handle configured for user operation.
[0051] As is known, the lower heating structure 3 comprises a lower heating device 3.1, for example formed by a resistance heating element, and a lower receiving area 3.2, and the upper heating structure 4 comprises an upper heating device 4.1, for example formed by a resistance heating element, and an upper receiving area 4.2.
[0052] The electric cooking appliance 2 also includes a set of waffle plates (see Fig. 2), comprising a lower waffle plate 5 configured to be received in the lower receiving area 3.2 and detachably attached to the lower heating structure 3, and an upper waffle plate 6 configured to be received in the upper receiving area 4.2 and detachably attached to the upper heating structure 4. The lower and upper heating devices 3.1, 4.1 are specifically configured to be located below and above the lower and upper waffle plates 5, 6, respectively, and to heat the lower and upper waffle plates 5, 6 when the latter are attached to the lower heating structure 3 and the upper heating structure 4, respectively, and the lower heating structure 3 rests on a horizontal support.
[0053] As is known, each of the lower and upper waffle plates 5, 6 includes one or more recesses 7, which are configured when the lower and upper waffle plates 5, 6 are attached to the lower heating structure 3 and to the upper heating structure 4 respectively, and when the latter assumes the closed configuration, to define one or more cooking chambers.
[0054] The electric cooking appliance 2 also includes a set of cooking plates, comprising a lower cooking plate 8, configured to be detachably attached to the lower heating structure 3, and an upper cooking plate 9, configured to be detachably attached to the upper heating structure 4. The lower waffle plate 5 and the upper waffle plate 6 are each interchangeable with the lower cooking plate 8 and the upper cooking plate 9, respectively.
[0055] Advantageously, each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 comprises a main plate part made of aluminium and a coating of ceramic or polytetrafluoroethylene that at least partially covers the main plate part, in particular the part of the main plate part that is intended to come into contact with the food preparation.
[0056] As in the Fig. 4 and Fig. As shown in Figure 5, each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 comprises a base wall 11, which is advantageously flat, and a plurality of hollow recesses 12 provided on the base wall 11. The number of hollow recesses 12 provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 is greater than 5, advantageously greater than 10, and is, for example, between 10 and 30. According to the embodiment shown in the figures, each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 comprises 21 hollow recesses 12.
[0057] Advantageously, the hollow recesses 12 provided on the lower cooking plate 8 have essentially the same recess depths and essentially the same recess shapes, and the hollow recesses 12 provided on the upper cooking plate 9 have essentially the same recess depths and essentially the same recess shapes.
[0058] A ratio of the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the access openings 13 provided on an identical floor wall 11 to the area of a virtual planar surface bounded by a perimeter of the floor wall 11 is greater than or equal to 0.8 and, for example, greater than or equal to 0.85. In other words, for each floor wall 11, an orthogonal projection of the shaped cavities 12 provided on a floor wall 11 into a reference plane extending parallel to an extent plane of the floor wall 11 represents at least 80% and, for example, at least 85% of the orthogonal projection of the floor wall 11 into the reference plane.
[0059] As in the Fig. 12 and Fig. As shown in Figure 13, the hollow recesses 12 provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are advantageously arranged adjacent to one another and offset. According to the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 13, each hollow recess 12 has a substantially hemispherical shape and comprises an access opening 13 that is substantially circular. Advantageously, each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 is configured such that the minimum distance between the access openings 13 of two adjacent hollow recesses provided on the cooking plate is less than 5 mm.
[0060] As in the Fig. 3, Fig. 8 and Fig. As shown in Figure 9, the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are configured to assume a cooking configuration in which each hollow recess 12 provided on the lower cooking plate 8 is located opposite a hollow recess 12 provided on the upper cooking plate 9, and in which each pair of opposing hollow recesses 12 defines a cooking cavity 14, preferably with an overall spherical shape, configured to allow the forming and cooking of a ball from a food preparation, and, for example, a ball of a vegetarian preparation such as a falafel or a vegetable ball. The lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are particularly configured to assume this cooking configuration when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are attached to the lower heating structure 3 and the upper heating structure 4, respectively, and the upper heating structure 4 is in its closed configuration.
[0061] The electric cooking appliance 2 is configured such that, when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are attached to the lower heating structure 3 and the upper heating structure 4 respectively, and the upper heating structure 4 assumes the open configuration, the lower cooking plate 8 and the upper cooking plate 9 are separated from each other and a food preparation can be placed into each cavity 12 provided on the lower cooking plate 8; and that, when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are attached to the lower heating structure 3 and the upper heating structure 4 respectively, and the upper heating structure 4 assumes the closed configuration, the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 assume the cooking configuration and balls of a food preparation can be formed and cooked in the cooking cavities 14 bounded by the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9.
[0062] As in the Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the lower cooking plate 8 comprises an upper circumferential rim 15 extending around the perimeter of the bottom wall 11, and the upper cooking plate 9 comprises a lower circumferential rim 16 extending around the perimeter of the bottom wall 11 and configured to rest on the upper circumferential rim 15 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration. Advantageously, the upper circumferential rim 15 and the lower circumferential rim 16 are configured such that the bottom walls 11 of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 extend substantially parallel to each other and are spaced apart by a separating distance when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration.
[0063] According to the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 13, the hollow recesses 12 provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are configured such that if a hollow recess 12 provided on the lower cooking plate 8 contains an excess of preparation (i.e., contains a volume of food preparation that is greater than the volume of the respective cooking cavity 14), the excess of preparation is automatically moved to one or more adjacent hollow recesses 12 provided on the lower cooking plate 8 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are moved into the cooking configuration.Such a configuration of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 ensures a better distribution of the food preparation in the cooking cavities 14 bounded by the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 and makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of material lost between the cooking cavities 14, which considerably limits food waste.
[0064] According to the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 13, the set of cooking plates includes a shearing device 17 which is configured to cut off by shearing any possible excess preparation located between two adjacent recesses 12 provided on the lower cooking plate 8 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are moved into the cooking configuration.
[0065] Advantageously, the shear cutting device comprises 17: • annular ribs 18 provided on the bottom wall 11 of one of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9, each annular rib 18 having a circular shape and defining the access opening 13 of a hollow recess 12, and • annular counterforms 19 provided on the bottom wall 11 of the other of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9, each annular counterform 19 extending around and at a distance from an access opening 13 of a hollow recess 12 and configured to extend around an annular rib 18 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration.
[0066] According to the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 13, the annular counter-forms 19 are provided on the lower cooking plate 8, and the annular ribs 18 are provided on the upper cooking plate 9.
[0067] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 9, each annular counterform 19 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the annular rib 18 and includes an inner circumferential surface 19.1 configured to be opposite an outer circumferential surface 18.1 of the annular rib 18 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration.
[0068] According to the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 13, each annular counterform 19 externally defines an annular groove 21 that extends around the access opening 13 of the hollow recess 12 and that can at least partially accommodate the annular rib 18 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration. Each annular rib 18 is specifically configured to rest on the base 21.1 of the annular groove 21.
[0069] Advantageously, the bottom 21.1 of each annular groove 21 is raised with respect to the bottom wall 11, and each annular rib 18 has a height that is less than the separation distance between the bottom walls 11 of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration, and that is greater than or equal to the depth of the annular groove 21.
[0070] According to the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 13, the upper surface of each annular counterform 19 is flat and configured to be located opposite and at a distance from the bottom wall 11 of the upper cooking plate 9 when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration. Advantageously, the separation distance between the upper surface of each annular counterform 19 and the bottom wall 11 of the upper cooking plate 9 is less than 2 mm when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration.
[0071] The electric cooking appliance 2 also includes: • a memory 22 in which at least one vegetarian cooking program, which defines a cooking plan suitable for cooking a vegetarian food preparation, and a waffle cooking program, which defines a cooking plan suitable for cooking a waffle, are stored, and • a control unit 23 which is configured to control the electric cooking appliance 2 according to the vegetarian cooking program when the electric cooking appliance 2 is equipped with the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9, and according to the waffle cooking program when the electric cooking appliance 2 is equipped with the lower and upper waffle plates 5, 6.
[0072] The cooking plan of the vegetarian cooking program defines in particular a cooking temperature and a cooking time that are suitable for cooking balls of a vegetarian preparation, while the cooking plan of the waffle cooking program defines in particular a cooking temperature and a cooking time that are suitable for cooking a food preparation for waffles.
[0073] The Fig. 14 and Fig. 15 represent a set of cooking plates according to a second embodiment of the invention, which differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are identical, and that the set of cooking plates does not have a shear cutting device.
[0074] According to the second embodiment of the invention, each of the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 comprises a support surface 24 which is flat, which is raised with respect to the bottom wall 11 and which extends around the access openings 13, and the set of cooking plates is configured such that, when the lower and upper cooking plates 8, 9 are in the cooking configuration, the support surface 24 provided on the upper cooking plate 9 rests on the support surface 24 provided on the lower cooking plate 8.
[0075] Naturally, the present invention is by no means limited to the described and illustrated embodiments, which serve only as examples. Modifications are possible, particularly with regard to the nature of the various elements or by substituting technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention.
Claims
[1] A set of cooking plates for an electric cooking appliance (2), comprising a lower cooking plate (8) configured to be mounted on a lower heating structure (3) of the electric cooking appliance (2), and an upper cooking plate (9) configured to be mounted on an upper heating structure (4) of the electric cooking appliance (2), each of the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) comprising a bottom wall (11) and a plurality of hollow recesses (12) provided on the bottom wall (11), each hollow recess (12) having an access opening (13), the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) being configured to assume a cooking configuration in which each hollow recess (12) provided on the lower cooking plate (8) is opposite a hollow recess (12) provided on the upper cooking plate (9), and in which each pair of opposite hollow recesses (12) defines a cooking cavity (14) configured is,to enable the forming and cooking of a ball of a food preparation, wherein the ratio of the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the access openings (13) provided on an identical base wall (11) to the area of a virtual planar surface bounded by a circumferential edge of the base wall (11) is greater than or equal to 0.
8. [2] Set of cooking plates according to claim 1, wherein each cooking cavity (14) is substantially spherical. [3] Set of cooking plates according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hollow recesses (12) provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) are arranged offset. [4] Set of cooking plates according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hollow recesses (12) provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) are arranged adjacent to one another, and the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) are configured such that, if a hollow recess (12) provided on the lower cooking plate (8) contains an excess of preparation, the excess of preparation is moved to at least one adjacent hollow recess (12) provided on the lower cooking plate (8) when the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) are moved into the cooking configuration. [5] Set of cooking plates according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the access opening (13) of each hollow recess (12) has a circular shape overall. [6] Set of cooking plates according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a shear cutting device (17) configured to cut off any excess preparation located between two adjacent hollow recesses (12) provided on the lower cooking plate (8) during the movement of the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) into the cooking configuration. [7] Set of cooking plates according to claim 6, wherein the shear cutting device (17) comprises: • annular ribs (18) provided on the bottom wall (11) of one of the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9), each annular rib (18) defining the access opening (13) of a hollow recess (12), and • annular counterforms (19) provided on the bottom wall (11) of the other of the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9), each annular counterform (19) extending around and at a distance from the access opening (13) of a hollow recess (12) and having a shape that is at least partially complementary to that of the annular rib (18). [8] Set of cooking plates according to claim 7, wherein each annular counterform (19) is configured to extend around the annular rib (18) when the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) are in the cooking configuration. [9] Set of cooking plates according to claim 7 or 8, wherein each annular counterform (19) comprises an inner circumferential surface (19.1) configured to extend relative to the outer circumferential surface (18.1) of the annular rib (18) when the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) are in the cooking configuration. [10] Set of cooking plates according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein each annular rib (18) has a circular shape. [11] Set of cooking plates according to claim 10, wherein each annular counterform (19) has an inner diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the annular rib (18). [12] Set of cooking plates according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein each annular counterform (19) externally delimits an annular groove (21) which extends around the access opening (13) of the hollow recess (12) and is able to at least partially accommodate the annular rib (18) when the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) are in the cooking configuration. [13] Set of cooking plates according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the number of hollow recesses (12) provided on each of the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) is greater than 5. [14] Electric cooking appliance (2) comprising a set of cooking plates according to any one of claims 1 to 13. [15] Electric cooking appliance (2) according to claim 14, comprising a lower heating structure (3) configured to rest on a horizontal support and to which the lower cooking plate (8) can be attached, and an upper heating structure (4) to which the upper cooking plate (9) can be attached, wherein the upper heating structure (4) is movably mounted relative to the lower heating structure (3) between an open configuration in which the lower cooking plate (8) and the upper cooking plate (9) are separated and in which a food preparation can be placed into each of the hollow recesses (12) provided on the lower cooking plate (8), and a closed configuration in which the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9) assume the cooking configuration and in which balls of a food preparation can be formed and cooked in the cooking cavities (14) bounded by the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9). [16] Electric cooking appliance (2) according to claim 14 or 15, comprising a memory (22) in which at least one vegetarian cooking program is stored, which defines a cooking plan suitable for cooking a vegetarian food preparation, and a control unit (23) configured to control the electric cooking appliance (2) according to the vegetarian cooking program when the electric cooking appliance (2) is equipped with the lower and upper cooking plates (8, 9).