A Springform Pan is a baking pan where the rim and the bottom panel are separate parts. The rim has a spring loaded latch that allows clamping it onto the bottom. The same principle, perhaps with additional high temperature silicone seals could be used to make a height adjustable pot. You start with a simple shallow frying pan as the bottom part. Then you clamp on rims to the desired height to make it a pot. Each rim adds about 2inch. There could also be pierced “bottom” panels that can be put in at different heights to make a multi level steamer (similar to those Chinese bamboo towers). A rim with a closed bottom panel would make it a plain Springform again. The top rim can also seal onto the lid to make a moderate pressure cooker (walls are too thin for real high pressure)
No need to buy a whole series of bulky pots any more. Dirty pots can be broken down into smaller pieces for easy placement in the dishwasher. Rims snap around each other for compact storage.-- kbecker, May 22 2004 Expandable Pot Lids http://www.halfbake...andable_20pot_20lidone size fits all [lintkeeper2, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Collapsible cup increases diameter with height http://www.tropical...Collapsible-Cup.htm [kbecker, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] Nice! But shouldn't the pot get wider too? Else youd have something 3 feet tall, but only 6 inches wide.-- DesertFox, May 22 2004 Wouldn't most people need multiple kits anyway? I mean, I guess you could sell the bottoms standalone, but many will want to cook more than one thing at a time. My pots stack, so I don't see much storage advantage there either. I like the advantage when cleaning though.-- phoenix, May 23 2004 Until I read the article, I was thinking of a fIower pot to prevent destroying the roots when transplanting. Either way, I think we will be seeing this idea on an infomercial.-- bobad, May 23 2004 I foresee an entire line of expanding and contracting cookware. (shameless plug--see link)-- lintkeeper2, May 23 2004 [DF] I had that concern too. If you follow that track you will end up with something like the collapsible cup (link). I may have problems with stability, so I decided to stay with straight walls. Perhaps cooks will need a 6" and an 8" version (Infomercial: Order the 8" set within the next half hour and get the 6" set absolutely free). Still easier to clean and store.-- kbecker, May 23 2004 random, halfbakery