JP7591822B2 - Auxiliary container for cooking rice and cooking method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an auxiliary rice cooking container that is placed in a rice cooking container and used, and a rice cooking method using the auxiliary container.

An auxiliary rice cooking container and a rice cooking method are known that can recover some of the carbohydrates that have dissolved from the rice into the water when cooking rice using a rice cooking container such as a rice cooker or clay pot (Patent Document 1). The auxiliary rice cooking container has a storage section that stores boiled water during cooking, and a protruding section that is located above the storage section and protrudes outward from the container and is placed on the upper end of the rice cooking container. Therefore, when the protruding section is placed on the upper end of the rice cooking container, the storage section is positioned inside the rice cooking container.

When cooking rice with the auxiliary rice cooking container set on top of the rice cooking container, boiling water is sprayed out of the top of the rice cooking container and guided into the storage section. The water stored in the storage section contains carbohydrates that have dissolved from the rice, so some of the carbohydrates in the rice can be reduced.

JP 2020-199211 A

However, with the above-mentioned auxiliary rice cooking container, depending on the shape and dimensions of the top end of the rice cooking container, it may not be possible to place the protruding part on the top end of the rice cooking container, which may result in the water containing carbohydrates not being collected properly. For this reason, there is room for improvement in terms of versatility.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a versatile auxiliary rice cooking container and rice cooking method.

The auxiliary rice cooking container for achieving the above object is:
An auxiliary rice cooking container that is housed in a rice cooking container and used when cooking rice by heating rice and water placed in the rice cooking container, and that recovers a portion of the carbohydrates that have dissolved from the rice into the water during cooking, comprising:
A storage section that is open upward, has a bottom, and stores boiled water during cooking;
A handle portion provided above the storage portion and extending upward;
A placement part provided at a lower end of the rice cooking auxiliary container and placed on rice;
The present invention is characterized by comprising:

In addition, the method of cooking rice using the auxiliary rice cooking container is as follows:
a first step of storing rice, water, and the auxiliary rice-cooking container in the rice-cooking container, the amount of water being increased by taking into account the volume of the storage section compared to the amount of water required for the amount of rice to be cooked when the auxiliary rice-cooking container is not used, and the auxiliary rice-cooking container is in a state in which a portion of the water is placed in the storage section and the placement section is placed on the rice;
A second step is performed after the first step, in which the rice cooking container is heated to cook rice.
A third step is executed after the second step, and after the rice cooking is completed, the user holds the handle and removes the rice cooking auxiliary container from the rice cooking container, thereby recovering the hot water stored in the storage section.
The present invention is characterized by comprising:

According to the present invention, the storage section has a bottom and a placement section at its lower end that is placed on the rice. This allows rice to be cooked inside the rice cooking container with the rice cooking auxiliary container placed on the top surface of the rice. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which a part of the rice cooking auxiliary container is placed on the top end of the rice cooking container to install the rice cooking auxiliary container, it is less subject to restrictions due to the shape and dimensions of the top end of the rice cooking container. Therefore, it has excellent versatility. During cooking, boiling water sprays out to the top of the rice cooking container, and the water flows from above the rice cooking auxiliary container into the storage section, and a certain amount of water is stored in the storage section. This allows the water containing sugar derived from rice to be collected. In addition, since the handle section extends upward, when removing the rice cooking auxiliary container from the rice cooking container, the inner circumferential surface of the rice cooking container and the user's hand are less likely to interfere with each other. In this way, some of the sugar can be easily removed.

1A is a perspective view of an auxiliary rice cooking container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(a) is a side view of the rice cooking auxiliary container, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1(a). 1A is a side view of the rice cooking auxiliary container, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of part X of FIG. A diagram showing the rice cooking process. A diagram showing the rice cooking process. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of an auxiliary rice cooking container.

Below, one embodiment of an auxiliary rice cooking container used during rice cooking will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

As shown in FIG. 1(a), the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a container-shaped main body 11 that opens upward. The main body 11 has a disk-shaped bottom 12 and a peripheral wall 13 that is provided around the entire periphery of the bottom 12 and extends obliquely upward from the peripheral edge of the bottom 12. This allows the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 to store moisture inside the main body 11. The main body 11 (bottom 12 and peripheral wall 13) is integrally formed from heat-resistant silicone resin. In other words, the main body 11 is formed from a soft material and is deformable.

The upper surface 15 of the peripheral wall 13 is inclined slightly downward from the outer peripheral surface side to the inner peripheral surface side of the peripheral wall 13 around the entire circumference (see Figs. 2(b) and 3(b)). Therefore, the outer peripheral end of the upper surface 15 forms the upper end 16 of the peripheral wall 13.

The peripheral wall portion 13 has a first wall portion 17 having a relatively large vertical dimension, and a second wall portion 21 having a relatively small vertical dimension. Two first walls 17 and two second walls 21 are provided. More specifically, a pair of first walls 17 are provided facing each other in the radial direction of the main body portion 11, and the space between each first wall portion 17 is the second wall portion 21 (see FIG. 1(b)). Note that the first wall portion 17 and the second wall portion 21 are integrally configured as the peripheral wall portion 13, but for convenience of explanation, they will be explained separately as the first wall portion 17 and the second wall portion 21.

The upper end 18 of the first wall 17 is symmetrical and has an upwardly convex, mountain-shaped arc shape in side view (see FIG. 2(a)). In more detail, the first wall 17 has a central portion that rises upward when viewed from the left to right, and this central portion forms the apex 18a, which is the uppermost portion of the upper end 16 of the main body 11. In other words, the maximum vertical dimension of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is the vertical dimension L1 from the lower end 24 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 to the apex 18a. The height position of the upper end 16 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 becomes lower the further away from the apex 18a.

The upper end 22 of the second wall 21 is symmetrical in side view and has a valley-shaped arc shape that is concave downward (see FIG. 3(a)). In detail, the center of the second wall 21 when viewed from the left and right is concave downward, and this center is the valley bottom 22a that is located at the lowest point of the upper end 16 of the main body 11. In other words, the minimum value of the vertical dimension of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is the vertical dimension L2 from the lower end 24 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 to the valley bottom 22a. The height position of the upper end 16 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 increases with distance from the valley bottom 22a.

At the boundary between the first wall 17 and the second wall 21, the vertical dimension of the first wall 17 is equal to the vertical dimension of the second wall 21. As a result, when the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is viewed as a whole, the height position of the upper end 16 of the peripheral wall 13 gradually decreases from one apex 18a to each valley bottom 22a, and gradually increases from each valley bottom 22a to the other apex 18a. Therefore, in a side view, the outline of the upper end 16 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is a curved line in which mountain shapes and valley shapes are alternately and continuously arranged. In addition, in a plan view, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a substantially elliptical shape, and the projection dimension (outer diameter dimension D1) of each apex 18a is larger than the projection dimension (outer dimension D2) of each valley bottom 22a (see FIG. 1(b)).

The rice cooking auxiliary container 10 is provided with a storage section 25 that stores moisture. The area of the main body 11 below the valley bottom 22a corresponds to the storage section 25. In other words, the height position of the upper end 27 of the storage section 25 is equal to the height position of the valley bottom 22a. Inside the storage section 25, a storage space 26 is formed with a depth D3 from the valley bottom 22a to the surface of the bottom 12. The storage space 26 is an effective volume capable of storing moisture within the storage section 25 (see Figures 2(b) and 3(b)).

The rice cooking auxiliary container 10 has a pair of handle portions 31 above the storage portion 25. In this embodiment, a part of the first wall portion 17 corresponds to the handle portion 31. More specifically, the area of the first wall portion 17 above the upper end portion 27 of the storage portion 25 forms the handle portion 31. That is, each handle portion 31 extends diagonally upward from the upper end portion 27 of the storage portion 25 and is provided so as to face each other in the radial direction of the main body portion 11. Note that the configuration of each handle portion 31 is the same, so the following will explain one of the handle portions 31.

The handle portion 31 has a through hole 33 that penetrates the handle portion 31 (first wall portion 17) in the thickness direction (see FIG. 2(a)). The through hole 33 is a symmetrical, horizontally long, upwardly convex, approximately isosceles triangular opening. Therefore, the lower end 34 of the through hole 33 extends horizontally. The lower end 34 of the through hole 33 is located above the upper end 27 of the storage portion 25 (i.e., above the valley bottom 22a of the peripheral wall portion 13). In other words, the vertical dimension L3 from the lower end 24 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 to the lower end 34 of the through hole 33 is larger than the vertical dimension L2.

The through hole 33 has a partition 36 in the center when viewed in the left-right direction of the through hole 33. The partition 36 extends vertically connecting the upper and lower surfaces of the through hole 33, and is provided to partition the through hole 33 into left and right. As a result, the through hole 33 is composed of two openings 33a, 33b.

The two openings 33a, 33b are formed symmetrically on either side of the partition 36, and each opening is shaped like a horizontally long right-angled triangle. Each opening 33a, 33b is large enough to allow a finger to be inserted. In addition, each opening 33a, 33b has a chamfered corner on the inner circumferential surface side of the peripheral wall 13 (see FIG. 3(c)).

As a result, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a bottom overall, and its lower end 24 (the underside of the bottom 12) is formed in a flat shape. This allows the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 to be placed on an object in a well-balanced manner with the opening of the main body 11 facing upward. Also, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a shape that is wider overall at the top than at the bottom (narrowing downward).

Next, a method of cooking rice using the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. In this embodiment, a rice cooker 41 is used as the rice cooking appliance. The rice cooker 41 is an electronic rice cooker having an inner pot 41a as a rice cooking container and a lid 41b.

When cooking rice, first, as shown in FIG. 4(a), rice 51, water 52, and the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 are placed in the inner pot 41a. At this time, the amount of water 52 is increased compared to when cooking rice without using the auxiliary rice cooking container 10. In detail, the amount of water 52 is the normal amount of water 52a used for the amount of rice 51 plus the amount of water 52b equivalent to the volume of the storage section 25. The auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is placed on the rice 51 with the opening facing upwards, with the storage section 25 partially filled with water 52 (first step). In this case, the weight of the main body 11 and the weight of the water 52b filled in the storage section 25 cause the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 to be submerged in the water 52a, and the bottom 12 is stably positioned with the rice 51 in contact with it. In other words, the lower end 24 (the lower surface of the bottom 12) of the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 serves as a placement part on which the rice is placed.

The maximum outer diameter D1 of the upper end 16 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inner pot 41a. This ensures a space between the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 and the inner surface of the inner pot 41a.

The procedure for putting the water 52 and the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 into the inner pot 41a is not particularly limited. For example, the entire amount of water 52 may be poured into the inner pot 41a, and then the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 may be placed in the empty storage section 25, and then the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 may be submerged in the water 52 to introduce a portion of the water 52 into the storage section 25. Alternatively, only the normal amount of water 52a used for the rice 51 may be placed in the inner pot 41a, and then the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 may be placed in the inner pot 41a. In this case, the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 may be placed in the inner pot 41a, and then the additional amount of water 52b may be poured into the storage section 25, or the additional amount of water 52b may be put in the storage section 25, and then the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 may be placed in the inner pot 41a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the lid 41b of the rice cooker 41 is closed and the rice cooker 41 is started. The rice 51 is heated for a predetermined time (second step). After a certain amount of time has passed since the start of cooking, the boiling water 53 (water containing carbohydrates dissolved from the rice 51) rises and moves toward the top of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10.

As described above, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a relatively small vertical dimension at the second wall portion 21. This allows the boiling water 53 to flow over the second wall portion 21 and into the storage portion 25. In addition, a through hole 33 is formed in the portion of the first wall portion 17 above the storage portion 25 (i.e., the handle portion 31). This allows the boiling water 53 to flow into the storage portion 25 through the through hole 33. In other words, the boiling water 53 can flow into the storage portion 25 from all four sides of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10.

In this embodiment, rice cooking is started by filling the storage section 25 with water 52b, so when boiling hot water 53 flows into the storage section 25, some of the hot water 54 that flows in will jump over the second wall section 21 or pass through the through hole 33 and flow out of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10. At this time, the part of the hot water 54 that flows out of the storage section 25 is the supernatant part, and the part containing a large amount of carbohydrates accumulates in the lower part of the storage section 25. In other words, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is configured to collect carbohydrates in the storage section 25 while exchanging hot water inside and outside the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 above the storage section 25.

After the rice 51 is cooked, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the pair of handles 31 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 are grasped and the hot water 54 stored in the storage section 25 is prevented from spilling, and the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is removed from the rice cooker 41 (third step).

After the hot water 54 containing carbohydrates is collected in the auxiliary rice cooking container 10, the hot water 54 stored in the storage section 25 is discarded. For example, when discarding the hot water 54 in the storage section 25 after the third step, the pair of handles 31 are held to lift the auxiliary rice cooking container 10, and the hot water 54 is discarded by climbing over the valley bottom section 22a. At this time, since the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is made of a soft material, when the pair of handles 31 are held to lift the auxiliary rice cooking container 10, the handles 31 can be brought closer to each other to deform the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 (see FIG. 5(b)). As a result, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a flow path for the hot water 54 formed in the second wall section 21, and the flow path is covered by each of the first wall sections 17. Therefore, the hot water 54 in the storage section 25 can be discarded more smoothly and safely.

The present embodiment described above provides the following excellent advantages:

- The auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a disk-shaped bottom 12 at its lower end 24, so the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 can be placed in the inner pot 41a of the rice cooker 41 by placing the bottom 12 on top of the rice 51. This means that it is less subject to restrictions due to the shape and dimensions of the upper end of the rice cooking container, compared to a configuration in which the auxiliary rice cooking container is installed by placing part of it on the upper end of the rice cooking container. Therefore, it has excellent versatility.

- Because the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is shaped to open upward, when boiling water 53 spurts out over the top of the inner pot 41a during cooking, the water 53 flows from above the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 into the storage section 25, and a certain amount of water 54 is stored in the storage section 25. This allows the water containing sugars derived from the rice to be collected. In this way, some of the sugars can be easily removed.

- When the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is used by placing it on top of the rice 51 inside the inner pot 41a, there is a concern that the user's hands may be exposed to the high temperature caused by cooking rice when removing the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 from the inner pot 41a after cooking. Therefore, the handle portion 31 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 of this embodiment is configured to extend diagonally upward from the upper end of the storage portion 25. This allows the user to hold the handle portion 31 that protrudes above the storage portion 25 when removing the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 from the inner pot 41a after cooking. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user's hands from being exposed to the high temperature caused by cooking rice when removing the auxiliary rice cooking container 10.

In addition, by configuring the handle portion 31 to extend diagonally upward, the outer diameter dimension of the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 can be reduced compared to when the handle portion 31 extends horizontally. This prevents the handle portion 31 from getting stuck on the upper end of the inner pot 41a when placed in the inner pot 41a. Therefore, it can be used even with a relatively small rice cooker 41, and is highly versatile. Also, it is easy to increase the capacity of the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 in order to increase the amount of carbohydrates recovered.

Furthermore, it is easier to secure space between the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 and the inner surface of the inner pot 41a, which prevents the user's hands from touching the hot inner pot 41a when removing the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 from the inner pot 41a.

The peripheral wall 13 of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is composed of a portion with a relatively large vertical dimension (first wall 17) and a portion with a small vertical dimension (second wall 21). The upper portion of the first wall 17 (more specifically, the portion above the upper end 27 of the storage portion 25) corresponds to the handle portion 31. This allows the user to hold the upper portion of the first wall 17 to lift the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 and allow it to climb over the second wall 21 to discard the hot water 54 in the storage portion 25.

- In the auxiliary rice cooking container 10, two first walls 17 and two second walls 21 are provided. More specifically, a pair of first walls 17 are provided facing each other in the radial direction, and the second walls 21 are provided sandwiched between each of the first walls 17. This allows the user to hold the upper part of each first wall 17 (handle portion 31) and lift the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 in a well-balanced state.

When discarding the hot water 54 stored in the storage section 25, the user can lift the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 by holding the upper parts of the pair of first wall sections 17, and discard the hot water 54 from the area between each of the handle sections 31. In this way, the user can easily discard the hot water 54 stored in the storage section 25.

- If a handle portion 31 is provided extending upward from the upper end portion 27 of the storage portion 25, the handle portion 31 may hinder the exchange of hot water between the inside and outside of the storage portion 25. In this embodiment, the handle portion 31 is formed with a through hole 33 (openings 33a, 33b). The through hole 33 is capable of guiding the hot water 54 that has boiled and moved upward in the inner pot 41a from the outer periphery of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 to the storage portion 25. This allows smooth exchange of hot water between the inside and outside of the storage portion 25, so that carbohydrates dissolved from the rice 51 can be efficiently collected.

In addition, by forming a through hole 33 in the handle portion 31, the upper part of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 can be made lighter, which prevents the center of gravity of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 from becoming too high. This further improves the stability of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10.

The lower end 34 of the through hole 33 is located above the valley bottom 22a of the peripheral wall portion 13. This allows the depth D3 of the storage portion 25 to be maximized, making it possible to collect hot water 54 containing more carbohydrates. In addition, when the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is lifted and the hot water 54 is discarded from the area between the handle portions 31, the hot water 54 is prevented from spilling out of the through hole 33.

- If a through hole 33 is provided in the handle portion 31, the strength of the handle portion 31 is reduced, and there is a concern that the handle portion 31 may be damaged or deformed when the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is lifted. Here, in this embodiment, the through hole 33 has a partition portion 36 formed in the center when viewed in the left-right direction, connecting the upper surface and the lower surface. This ensures the strength of the handle portion 31, and therefore prevents damage or deformation of the handle portion 31 when the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is lifted.

- The opening dimensions of each opening 33a, 33b are large enough for the user's fingers to enter. This allows the user to hook their fingers on the openings 33a, 33b when lifting the auxiliary rice cooking container 10, preventing the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 from slipping out of the hand.

When a user is wearing mittens on their hands, there is a concern that it may be difficult to insert their fingers into the openings 33a and 33b. In such a case, by pinching the partition 36, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 can be lifted without applying more force than necessary to the handle 31. Even if the part of the handle 31 above the openings 33a and 33b is pinched when lifting the auxiliary rice cooking container 10, the strength of the handle 31 is higher than in a configuration without the partition 36, so the handle 31 is unlikely to break off.

The openings 33a and 33b that make up the through hole 33 are both horizontally long when viewed from the front. In other words, the area in which hot water can be exchanged inside and outside the storage section 25 is wider, so even if the flow of hot water 54 rising inside the inner pot 41a is uneven, the boiling water 53 can be smoothly guided to the inside of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10.

- The lower end 34 of the through hole 33 (openings 33a, 33b) is horizontal. This makes it easier for hot water to climb over the lower end 34, making it easier to exchange hot water inside and outside the storage section 25 through the through hole 33.

The upper surface 15 of the peripheral wall 13 is inclined slightly downward from the outer periphery toward the inner periphery. In addition, the corners of each opening 33a, 33b on the inner periphery side of the peripheral wall 13 are chamfered. This makes it easier for the top part of the hot water 54 that flows into the storage section 25 to flow out of the storage section 25. This makes it possible to more smoothly exchange hot water inside and outside the storage section 25.

The auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a peripheral wall portion 13 that extends diagonally upward from the bottom portion 12, and is wider at the top than at the bottom. This makes it less susceptible to being pushed up by the boiling water 53 than an auxiliary rice cooking container 10 that is wider at the bottom than at the top. This further improves the stability of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10.

In addition, when the boiling water 53 rises to the top of the inner pot 41a, the through hole 33 provided in the first wall portion 17 (handle portion 31) opens in the direction in which the boiling water 53 rises. This allows the boiling water 53 to be introduced into the storage portion 25 more efficiently.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be implemented, for example, as follows.

(1) In the above embodiment, the lower end 34 of the through hole 33 was above the upper end 27 of the storage section 25, but the lower end 34 of the through hole 33 and the upper end 27 of the storage section 25 (i.e., the valley bottom 22a of the peripheral wall section 13) may be at the same height. Even in this case, the maximum volume of the storage section 25 is ensured. Furthermore, when the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is lifted by the handle section 31, the pair of handle sections 31 deform toward each other, and the lower end 34 of the through hole 33 is positioned higher than the valley bottom 22a, so that the outflow of hot water 54 from the through hole 33 closest to the hand is suppressed when the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is lifted.

(2) In the above embodiment, the underside of the bottom 12 is flat, but the underside of the bottom 12 may have projections and recesses. An example will be given below with reference to FIG. 6 (a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2(b)). For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the bottom 12 may have a plurality of spikes 61 on its underside. In this case, with rice 51 contained in the inner pot 41a in a layer, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is placed on the rice 51 so that the spikes 61 are inserted into the layer of rice 51. This can increase the stability of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 during cooking.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the center of the bottom 12 can be recessed toward the storage space 26 of the storage section 25. The peripheral portion of the underside of the bottom 12 protrudes downward relatively more than the center. Therefore, by inserting the relatively downward protruding portion into the layer of rice 51, the stability of the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 during cooking can be increased.

(3) In the above embodiment, the portion of the first wall portion 17 above the storage portion 25 is configured to function as the handle portion 31, but this is not limited to the above. The handle portion 31 does not need to form part of the first wall portion 17, and may be a separate member from the first wall portion 17.

(4) In the above embodiment, the peripheral wall portion 13 has a portion where the vertical dimension is relatively large (first wall portion 17) and a portion where the vertical dimension is relatively small (second wall portion 21), but this is not limited to this. For example, the vertical dimension of the wall portion may be constant around the entire circumference. Even in such a configuration, it is sufficient that the handle portion extends above the upper end of the wall portion.

(5) In the above embodiment, the vertical dimension of the peripheral wall portion 13 is configured to gradually change from the maximum value (vertical dimension L1) to the minimum value (vertical dimension L2), but this is not limited to this. For example, the outer shape of the upper end portion 16 of the peripheral wall portion 13 may be configured to form a step in side view. Any configuration may be used as long as the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is well balanced when lifted and the hot water 54 in the storage portion 25 is easily poured out.

(6) In the above embodiment, a pair of handle portions 31 are provided facing each other in the radial direction, but this is not limited to the above. The number of handle portions may be one, or three or more. However, the configuration of the above embodiment is preferable in terms of ease of balancing when lifting the rice cooking auxiliary container 10 and ease of discarding the hot water 54 stored in the storage portion 25.

(7) In the above embodiment, the partition 36 is provided in the through hole 33, but the partition 36 is not a required component. In addition, there are no limitations on the shape and dimensions of the opening of the through hole, and as long as hot water can pass through the through hole, it may be one that does not allow a finger to be inserted.

(8) In the above embodiment, the upper surface 15 of the peripheral wall 13 is inclined from the outer peripheral surface side to the inner peripheral surface side of the rice cooking auxiliary container 10, but it may be horizontal. Also, in the above embodiment, the corners of the inner peripheral surface side of the peripheral wall 13 of each opening 33a, 33b are chamfered, but such chamfering is not essential.

(9) In the above embodiment, the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 has a shape in which the upper part is wider than the lower part, but this is not limited to this. The outer dimensions of the lower and upper parts of the auxiliary rice cooking container may be equal, or the lower part may be wider than the upper part. However, the configuration of the above embodiment is preferable in terms of ease of molding the auxiliary rice cooking container, efficiency of hot water exchange inside and outside the storage section, and stability of the auxiliary rice cooking container.

(10) In the above embodiment, the shape of the bottom 12 is substantially circular in plan view, but it may be other shapes, such as a polygonal shape.

(11) In the above embodiment, the hot water 54 in the storage section 25 is discarded after the third step is completed, but the timing for discarding the hot water 54 in the storage section 25 is not limited as long as it is after the second step. For this reason, for example, the hot water 54 may be removed before the third step is performed. In this case, a ladle or the like is used to scoop the hot water 54 in the storage section 25 from the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 contained in the inner pot 41a, and then the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is removed from the inner pot 41a. In this way, by scooping out a certain amount of the hot water 54 in the storage section 25 before the third step is performed, it is possible to prevent the hot water 54 from spilling when the auxiliary rice cooking container 10 is lifted.

10...Auxiliary rice cooking container, 12...Bottom (placement part), 25...Storage part, 31...Handle part, 33...Through hole, 41a...Inner pot (rice cooking container).

Claims (7)

An auxiliary rice cooking container that is housed in a rice cooking container and used when cooking rice by heating rice and water placed in the rice cooking container, and that recovers a portion of the carbohydrates that have dissolved from the rice into the water during cooking, comprising:
A storage section that is open upward, has a bottom, and stores boiled water during cooking;
A handle portion provided above the storage portion and extending upward;
A placement part provided at a lower end of the rice cooking auxiliary container and placed on rice;
An auxiliary container for cooking rice. The rice cooking auxiliary container has a main body,
the main body portion has a bottom portion constituting the placement portion and a peripheral wall portion extending upward from an outer edge portion of the bottom portion,
A portion of the peripheral wall portion extends upward to form the handle portion,
A lowest portion where the height position of the peripheral wall portion is the lowest is formed in a portion of the peripheral wall portion where the handle portion is not provided as viewed in the circumferential direction,
The auxiliary rice cooking container according to claim 1 , wherein the upper end position of the storage portion is the upper end position of the lowest portion. The handle portion has a through hole penetrating the peripheral wall portion from inside to outside above the storage portion,
The auxiliary rice cooking container according to claim 2, wherein the through hole is capable of guiding hot water that has boiled and moved upward in the rice cooking container from the outer periphery of the auxiliary rice cooking container to the storage section. The auxiliary rice cooking container according to claim 3, wherein the opening shape of the through hole is horizontally elongated. The peripheral wall portion includes a partition portion that divides the through hole into left and right portions as viewed in a circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion,
The auxiliary rice cooking container according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the partitions are connected to the top and bottom of the through hole, respectively. The auxiliary rice cooking container according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the lower end of the through hole is formed to be at the same height as the upper end of the lowest part or at a higher position. A rice cooking method using the rice cooking auxiliary container according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
a first step of storing rice, water, and the auxiliary rice-cooking container in the rice-cooking container, the amount of water being increased by taking into account the volume of the storage section compared to the amount of water required for the amount of rice to be cooked when the auxiliary rice-cooking container is not used, and the auxiliary rice-cooking container is in a state in which a portion of the water is placed in the storage section and the placement section is placed on the rice;
A second step is performed after the first step, in which the rice cooking container is heated to cook rice.
A third step is executed after the second step, and after the rice cooking is completed, the user holds the handle and removes the rice cooking auxiliary container from the rice cooking container, thereby recovering the hot water stored in the storage section.
The method for cooking rice comprises:

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