Air fryer
A pressure cooker for simultaneous pressure cooking and air frying is described. The pressure cooker includes a housing defining a cooking chamber and having a door which can be opened in order to place food items into the cooking chamber and can be sealed closed such that the cooking chamber is air tight. The pressure cooker further includes a basket for supporting the food items to be cooked and is mounted in the cooking chamber during a cooking operation. The pressure cooker furthermore includes an air mover for circulating air within the cooking chamber, and a drive arrangement for driving the air mover.
1 . A pressure cooker configured for simultaneous pressure cooking and air frying, the pressure cooker comprising:
a housing defining a cooking chamber and having a door which is opened in order to place food items into the cooking chamber and is sealed closed such that the cooking chamber is air tight;
a basket for supporting the food items to be cooked, and configured to be mounted in the cooking chamber during a cooking operation;
an air mover for circulating air within the cooking chamber;
a drive arrangement for driving the air mover;
a heater connectable to a power supply through a wall of the cooking chamber, for heating the air circulated by the air mover; and
a self-sealing arrangement for providing a seal between the heater and the wall when the cooking chamber is pressurized above an ambient pressure.
2 . The pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the drive arrangement is configured to transmit drive to the air mover through a wall of the cooking chamber.
3 . The pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the self-sealing arrangement comprises a plate located within the cooking chamber, and compressible sealing means located between the plate and the wall of the cooking chamber.
4 . The pressure cooker of claim 1 , further comprising a water reservoir for the storage of water, and means for evaporating the water in the water reservoir to provide steam to the cooking chamber.
5 . The pressure cooker of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure regulating valve.
6 . The pressure cooker of claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to adjust the drive arrangement and the pressure regulating valve to adjust an air speed and a pressure within the cooking chamber.
7 . The pressure cooker of claim 6 , wherein the controller is operable to adjust the drive arrangement and the pressure regulating valve in accordance with a predefined cooking programme.
8 . The pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the drive arrangement comprises a motor.
9 . The pressure cooker of claim 8 , wherein the air mover comprises a fan.
10 . The pressure cooker of claim 8 , wherein the air mover is mounted on a drive shaft of the motor.
11 . The pressure cooker of claim 10 , wherein the drive shaft is supported in a sealed bearing mounted in a wall of the cooking chamber.
12 . The pressure cooker of claim 10 , wherein the drive shaft passes through a rotary seal mounted in a wall of the cooking chamber.
13 . A method of cooking comprising a combination of pressure cooking and air frying, in the pressure cooker of claim 1 .