Steam cooker having a reduced size

Abstract

A steam cooker composed of at least one cooking element having a peripheral lateral wall and a pedestal having a steam production base. The at least one cooking element and the pedestal are constructed and dimensioned to allow the at least one cooking element to be placed in either an upright position on the pedestal to hold a food being cooked or in an inverted position on the pedestal so that the peripheral lateral wall at least partially envelopes the pedestal.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A steam cooker comprising: at least one cooking element having a peripheral lateral wall; and a pedestal having a steam production base, wherein said at least one cooking element and said pedestal are constructed and dimensioned to allow said at least one cooking element to be placed in either an upright position on said pedestal to hold a food being cooked or in an inverted position on said pedestal so that said peripheral lateral wall at least partially envelopes said pedestal.  
     
     
         2 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a vessel for recovering juices and a cooking support adapted to be placed on said pedestal.  
     
     
         3 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cooking element has a bottom that rests on said pedestal when said at least one cooking element is disposed in the inverted position on said pedestal.  
     
     
         4 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cooking element comprises two cooking elements constructed and dimensioned to be nested in one another when said cooker is not in use.  
     
     
         5 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , further comprising a lid provided to close said at least one cooking element, said lid having a skirt dimensioned to envelop at least a part of said peripheral lateral wall of said at least one cooking element when said at least one cooking element is disposed in the inverted position.  
     
     
         6 . The steam cooker of  claim 5 , wherein said skirt comes to bear on said part of said peripheral lateral wall of said cooking element when said at least one cooking element is disposed in the inverted position.  
     
     
         7 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , further comprising a vessel for recovering juices, said said vessel having lateral recesses to facilitate gripping of said vessel by a user.  
     
     
         8 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , further comprising gripping organs disposed on an upper part of said at least one cooking element.  
     
     
         9 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , wherein said pedestal further comprises a retractable filling device for delivery of water to said steam production base.  
     
     
         10 . The steam cooker of  claim 9 , further comprising a vessel for recovering juices, and wherein said retractable filling device is arranged under said vessel for recovering juices.  
     
     
         11 . The steam cooker of  claim 10 , wherein said retractable filling device is arranged under a raised part of a bottom of said vessel for recovering juices.  
     
     
         12 . The steam cooker of  claim 10 , wherein said retractable filling device comprises a drawer arranged under a bottom of said vessel for recovering juices.  
     
     
         13 . The steam cooker of  claim 12 , wherein said drawer is mounted under said bottom of said vessel for recovering juices for pivotable movement along an axis.  
     
     
         14 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , further comprising a rice bowl, and wherein said pedestal has an outer annular lateral wall, said rice bowl and said outer annular lateral wall of said pedestal being dimensioned to allow said rice bowl to be disposed in inverted-position on said pedestal with said outer annular lateral wall surrounding said rice bowl.  
     
     
         15 . The steam cooker of  claim 14 , further comprising a vessel for recovering juices, said vessel having a bottom provided with a raised part, and wherein said rice bowl has a handle arranged to be housed above said raised part of said bottom of said vessel when said rice bowl is disposed in inverted position on said pedestal.  
     
     
         16 . The steam cooker of  claim 15 , wherein said handle extends from a lateral face of said rice bowl, said lateral face being curved inwardly toward the interior of said rice bowl.  
     
     
         17 . The steam cooker of  claim 14 , wherein said at least one cooking element is dimensioned so that when said at least one cooking element and said rice bowl are in inverted position on said pedestal, said at least one cooking element rests on said rice bowl.  
     
     
         18 . The steam cooker of  claim 1 , wherein said base is provided with gripping elements.