Cooking Pan Apparatus and System with Integral Cooking Liquid Drain, and Method of Use

Abstract

A cooking pan apparatus, system, and method of use, comprising: a drain opening in a side wall of the pan; and a pan handle attached to the side wall, comprising a hollow drain channel enclosing the drain opening and running from proximate the drain opening to a drain exit proximate a distal end of the pan handle.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A cooking pan system, comprising:
 a drain opening in a side wall of a pan of said system, said pan comprising a material suitable for cooking food thereon; and   a pan handle fabricated directly into said side wall at an attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan, comprising a hollow drain channel enclosing said drain opening and running from proximate said drain opening to a drain exit proximate a distal end of said pan handle; wherein:   while cooking food in said pan, a single downward tilt of said pan handle at a tilt angle determined by said attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan enables said cooking liquids to be removed and disposed of, by virtue of said attachment angle and said enclosure of the drain channel by said pan handle.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pan cover;   a cover-to-pan connector system for holding said pan together with said pan cover, wherein:   said pan and said pan cover may be connected together, at will, by hand;   when said pan and said pan cover connected thereto are tilted to drain cooking liquids from said pan through said drain channel, said pan and said pan cover do not need to be held together by hand; and   said pan and said pan cover may be disconnected at will, by hand.   
     
     
         3 . The cooking pan system of  claim 2 , said cover-to-pan connector system further substantially providing a fluidic seal between said pan and said pan cover while said pan and said pan cover are connected together. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking pan system of  claim 2 , said cover-to-pan connector system comprising a flexible rib and a mating groove mating therewith, one situated circumferentially about said pan and the other situated circumferentially about said pan cover. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking pan system of  claim 2 , said cover-to-pan connector system comprising a plurality of détentes, and at least one a mating receptacle mating therewith, one of said plurality of détentes and said at least one a mating receptacle situated circumferentially about said pan, and the other of said plurality of détentes and said at least one a mating receptacle situated circumferentially about said pan cover. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of drainage channels for channeling cooking liquids towards said drain opening under force of gravity. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking pan system of  claim 6 , further comprising at least one drainage channel insert comprising said drainage channels. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising a screen affixed over said drain opening for preventing foods being cooked from passing through said drain opening. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , said pan handle further comprising a user-actuated drain control valve for controlling a flow of cooking liquids through said hollow drain channel. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cooking liquid collector attached to said pan handle, for collecting cooking liquids exiting through said drain exit. 
     
     
         11 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising a drain exit cap for sealing said drain exit, attachable to and removable therefrom at will. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pan handle pivot and lock for adjusting said attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan and for locking said angle in place. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of drainage channels for channeling cooking liquids towards said drain opening under force of gravity;   a screen affixed over said drain opening for preventing foods being cooked from passing through said drain opening;   a user-actuated drain control valve for controlling a flow of cooking liquids through said hollow drain channel;   a cooking liquid collector attached to said pan handle, for collecting cooking liquids exiting through said drain exit; and   a pan handle pivot and lock for adjusting said attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan and for locking said angle in place.   
     
     
         14 . A method of draining cooking liquids from a cooking pan, comprising:
 cooking food in said pan;   removing and disposing of said cooking liquids through a drain opening in a side wall of said pan, and further through a pan handle fabricated directly into said side wall at an attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan, said pan handle comprising a hollow drain channel enclosing said drain opening and running from proximate said drain opening to a drain exit proximate a distal end of said pan handle, by a single downward tilting of said pan handle at a tilt angle determined by said attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 connecting said pan together with a pan cover, at will, by hand, using a cover-to-pan connector system;   draining cooking liquids from said pan through said drain channel by tilting said pan and said pan cover connected thereto, with said cover-to-pan connector system holding said pan together with said pan cover such that said pan and said pan cover do not need to be held together by hand; and   disconnecting said pan and said pan cover, at will, by hand.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising substantially fluidically sealing said pan and said pan cover while said pan and said pan cover are connected together, using said cover-to-pan connector system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising connecting said pan together with a pan cover using said cover-to-pan connector system comprising a flexible rib and a mating groove mating therewith, one situated circumferentially about said pan and the other situated circumferentially about said pan cover. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising connecting said pan together with a pan cover using said cover-to-pan connector system comprising a plurality of détentes, and at least one a mating receptacle mating therewith, one of said plurality of détentes and said at least one a mating receptacle situated circumferentially about said pan, and the other of said plurality of détentes and said at least one a mating receptacle situated circumferentially about said pan cover. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising channeling cooking liquids towards said drain opening under force of gravity, using a plurality of drainage channels for said channeling. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising providing said drainage channels by inserting a drainage channel insert into said pan. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising preventing foods being cooked from passing through said drain opening using a screen affixed over said drain opening. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising controlling a flow of cooking liquids through said hollow drain channel, using a user-actuated drain control valve of said pan handle. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising collecting cooking liquids exiting through said drain exit using a cooking liquid collector attached to said pan handle. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising sealing said drain exit, using a drain exit cap for attachable to and removable therefrom at will. 
     
     
         25 . The cooking pan system of  claim 14 , further comprising adjusting said attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan and locking said angle in place, using a pan handle pivot and lock therefor. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 channeling cooking liquids towards said drain opening under force of gravity, using a plurality of drainage channels therefor;   preventing foods being cooked from passing through said drain opening using a screen affixed over said drain opening;   controlling a flow of cooking liquids through said hollow drain channel, using a user-actuated drain control valve of said pan handle;   collecting cooking liquids exiting through said drain exit using a cooking liquid collector attached to said pan handle;   sealing said drain exit, using a drain exit cap for attachable to and removable therefrom at will; and   adjusting said attachment angle of said pan handle relative to said pan and locking said angle in place, using a pan handle pivot and lock therefor.