Cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance that facilitates preparation of dry packaged foods includes a base and a removable pot on the base. The base is adapted to rest upon a horizontal countertop surface as a support for other components of the cooking appliance. The base includes an electric line adapted to be plugged into a source of household electricity and an electric motor connected to the electric line. The pot is adapted to be placed removably upon the base for food preparation purposes and to be used apart from the base as a serving dish. An electric heating element is included for heating the pot when the pot is on the base using electric power from the electric line. A stirring mechanism on the pot is adapted to connect to the motor when the pot is placed on the base and to stir packaged foods within the pot using rotational power from the electric motor. The stirring mechanism of one embodiment includes a stirring element and an opposing blade that are so adapted that the stirring element rotates past the opposing blade in order that the stirring element and the opposing blade can cooperatively break up clumps of food between them. A temperature control, a timer, and a grease collection pan are also included on the base, together with a removably grease drain element in the pot.