Microwave oven popcorn popper, steamer and roaster

Abstract

A cooking utensil for a microwave oven is provided comprising a shallow, generally hollow, lower cooking member defining a pyramidal-shaped cavity with an open base. A stand orients the lower cooking member in the microwave oven cavity with the open base upwardly directed to define an open top, pyramidal-shaped lower heating chamber for retaining and heating popcorn kernels. Unpopped popcorn kernels are gravity biased into the apexes defined by the intersections of the sidewalls of the pyramidal-shaped heating chamber to facilitate efficient heating of the unpopped kernels. A cover is disposed over the lower cooking member comprising a deep, generally hollow, upper member defining a roughly cube-shaped cavity with one open side. A support is provided for orienting the open side of the cover relative to the lower cooking member such that the open side of the roughly cube-shaped cavity communicates with the open top of the pyramidal-shaped lower heating chamber to define an upper chamber for receiving and storing popped popcorn kernels upwardly and away from the heating chamber to prevent scorching of the popped kernels. A steaming and roasting trivet is provided which engages a lower cooking member and defines a generally horizontal surface for supporting foodstuffs above the lower heating chamber. The trivet converts the cooking utensil into a steaming and roasting device wherein the lower heating chamber retains liquid and the upper chamber comprises an oven chamber.