COOKING DEVICE AND COMPONENTS THEREOF
Disclosed herein is a cooking system including a housing defining a hollow chamber for receiving a cooking container. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber and includes a heating element. A first portion of a bayonet locking system is located on the upper portion, about the opening. A pressure cooking lid configured to cover the opening and seal the cooking container includes a second portion of the bayonet locking system engageable with the first portion to lock the pressure cooking lid to the housing. A convection cooking lid is moveable between a first position where the convection cooking lid covers the opening and a second position where the convection cooking lid is spaced away from the opening. The convection cooking lid includes a heating element and a fan. The cooking system is operable in a pressure cooking mode and a convective cooking mode.
1 . A cooking system for cooking food, the system comprising:
a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a cooking container, said housing having an upper portion defining an opening to said hollow chamber, said housing including a heating element;
a first portion of a bayonet locking system located on said upper portion and about said opening;
a pressure cooking lid configured to cover said opening to said hollow chamber and to seal against an open end of a cooking container, said pressure cooking lid including a complementary second portion of a bayonet locking system, wherein said second portion is engageable with said first portion to lock said pressure cooking lid to said housing;
a convection cooking lid attachable to said housing and moveable between a first position where said convection cooking lid covers said opening to said hollow chamber and a second position where said convection cooking lid does not cover said opening to said hollow chamber, said convection cooking lid including a heating element and a fan;
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.
2 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein when in said convective cooking mode the cooking system is operable as at least one of an air fryer, baking/roasting oven, broiler, and dehydrator.
3 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein food is receivable in said food container in both said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode.
4 . The cooking device of claim 1 , 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.
5 . The cooking system of claim 1 , further including a first temperature sensor proximate said first heating element and a second temperature sensor in said lid.
6 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein the system is operable in either said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode without having to remove said food container from the hollow chamber.
7 . The cooking system of claim 1 , further comprising an insert for supporting a food item in said food container.
8 . The cooking system of claim 7 , 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.
9 . The cooking system of claim 8 , 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.
10 . The cooking system of claim 7 , 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.
11 . The cooking system of claim 9 , 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.
12 . The cooking system of claim 11 , wherein said fan is 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.
13 . The cooking system of claim 11 , wherein said diffuser is configured to create a vortex of air circulating through said insert.
14 . The cooking system of claim 10 , 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.
15 . The cooking system of claim 11 , 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.
16 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said lid abuts said housing about a substantial entirety of said upper surface thereof when said lid is in said closed position.
17 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said housing surrounds said food container around a substantial entirety of at least a portion thereof when said food container is received within said hollow chamber.
18 . A cooking system for cooking food, the system comprising:
a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a cooking container, said housing having an upper portion defining an opening to said hollow chamber, said housing including a heating element;
a first portion of a bayonet locking system located on said upper portion and about said opening;
a pressure cooking lid configured to cover said opening to said hollow chamber and to seal against an open end of a cooking container, said pressure cooking lid including a complementary second portion of a bayonet locking system, wherein said second portion is engageable with said first portion to lock said pressure cooking lid to said housing;
a convection cooking lid moveably attached to said housing and moveable between a first position where said convection cooking lid covers said opening to said hollow chamber and a second position where said convection cooking lid is spaced away from and does not cover said opening to said hollow chamber, said convection cooking lid including a heating element and a fan;
an insert for supporting a food item in said food container, 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, 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; and
a diffuser disposed in said food container beneath said base, said diffuser including at least one vane configured to impart rotation to fluid circulating through said hollow chamber and said plurality of apertures during said convective cooking mode;
wherein said fan is 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, and
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.
19 . The cooking system of claim 18 , wherein when in said convective cooking mode the cooking system is operable as at least one of an air fryer, baking/roasting oven, broiler, and dehydrator.
20 . The cooking system of claim 18 , wherein food is receivable in said food container in both said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode.
21 . The cooking device of claim 18 , 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.
22 . The cooking system of claim 18 , 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 18 , wherein the system is operable in either said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode without having to remove said food container from the hollow chamber.
24 . The cooking system of claim 18 , wherein said diffuser is configured to create a vortex of air circulating through said insert.
25 . 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.
26 . The cooking system of claim 18 , 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.
27 . The cooking system of claim 18 , wherein said lid abuts said housing about a substantial entirety of said upper surface thereof when said lid is in said closed position.
28 . The cooking system of claim 18 , wherein said housing surrounds said food container around a substantial entirety of at least a portion thereof when said food container is received within said hollow chamber.
29 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said convection cooking lid is moveably attached to said housing, wherein when in said second position said convection cooking lid is spaced away from said opening to said hollow chamber.