Cooking device and components thereof

1. A cooking system for cooking food, the system comprising:

a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container, said housing having an upper portion defining an opening to said hollow chamber;

a lid configured to cover said upper portion of said housing and said opening to said hollow chamber in a closed position, said lid being moveable to an open position where said lid does not cover said opening to said hollow chamber;

at least one heating element associated with at least one of said housing and said lid;

wherein said cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a pressure cooking mode and a convective cooking mode, wherein in said pressure cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a pressure cooker and in said convective cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker, and

wherein in said pressure mode, the cooking system reaches a pressure of at least 40 kPa.

2. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said cooking system is operable in either of said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode when said lid is in said closed position.

3. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said cooking system is operable in said pressure cooking mode when said lid is in an open position.

4. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said cooking system is operable in said convective cooking mode when said lid is in said closed position.

5. The cooking system of claim 1 , further including a food container that is receivable in said hollow chamber and wherein food is receivable in said food container in both said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode when said food container is received in said hollow chamber.

6. The cooking device of claim 5 , wherein said food container includes a food support surface, and food is receivable in said food container in contact with said food support surface in both said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode when said food container is received in said hollow chamber.

7. The cooking system of claim 5 , wherein the system is operable in either said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode without having to remove said food container from said hollow chamber.

8. The cooking system of claim 5 , wherein said at least one lid is a first lid and a second lid, said second lid being attachable to said housing to selectively seal said opening to said food container when said food container is received within said hollow chamber.

9. The cooking system of claim 8 , wherein said second lid is attachable to said housing to seal said opening to said food container when said first lid is in said open position.

10. The cooking system of claim 8 , wherein said second lid is attachable to said housing to seal said opening to said food container when said cooking system is in said pressure cooking mode.

11. The cooking system of claim 5 , further comprising an insert for supporting a food item in said food container.

12. The cooking system of claim 11 , wherein said insert being positionable within said food container to form an annulus between an inner wall of said food container and an outer wall of said insert.

13. The cooking system of claim 12 , wherein said insert further comprises a base and an open end, said base including a plurality of apertures that allow fluid to flow through said base.

14. The cooking system of claim 13 , further including a diffuser disposed beneath said base, said diffuser including at least one vane configured to impart rotation to fluid circulating through said plurality of apertures during said convective cooking mode.

15. The cooking system of claim 14 , further including a fan disposed with said at least one heating element associated with said lid, said fan being positioned to move heated air relatively downward through said annulus, relatively horizontally across a lower surface of said food container, and relatively upward through said diffuser and said plurality of apertures of said base when said insert is positioned in said food container, said diffuser is disposed beneath said base, and said food container is received within said hollow chamber.

16. The cooking system of claim 15 , wherein said fan is positioned to draw air relatively upward through said insert and through said at least one heating element associated with said lid.

17. The cooking system of claim 14 , wherein said diffuser is configured to create a vortex of air circulating through said insert.

18. The cooking system of claim 5 , further including a diffuser disposed in said food container, said diffuser including at least one vane configured to impart rotation to fluid circulating through said hollow chamber.

19. The cooking system of claim 18 , wherein said food container includes an upward facing lower surface that is curved upward in a direction of an upper opening of said food container, and said diffuser includes a downward facing lower surface that is curved or sloped to conform to said upward facing lower surface of said food container.

20. The cooking system of claim 5 , wherein said housing is configured to surround said food container around an entirety of at least a portion thereof when said food container is received within said hollow chamber.

21. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one heating element includes a first heating element disposed at or below a lower extent of said hollow chamber, and a second heating element disposed at or above said opening to said hollow chamber.

22. The cooking system of claim 21 , further including a first temperature sensor proximate said first heating element and a second temperature sensor in said lid.

23. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one heating element is disposed in said lid.

24. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one heating element is disposed in said lid, and wherein a fan is also disposed in said lid at or above an opening to said hollow chamber.

25. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said lid abuts said housing about an entirety of said upper surface thereof when said lid is in said closed position.

26. The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said lid is affixed to said housing while being movable to said open position.

27. A cooking system for cooking food, the system comprising:

a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container, said housing having an upper portion defining an opening to said hollow chamber;

a first lid and a second lid, said first lid and said second lid configured to cover said upper portion of said housing and said opening to said hollow chamber in a closed position;

at least one heating element associated with at least one of said housing and said first lid;

wherein said cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a pressure cooking mode and a convective cooking mode, wherein in said pressure cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a pressure cooker and in said convective cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker, and

wherein said second lid is affixable to said housing in a locked arrangement during said pressure mode.