Method for stewing soup under pressure

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for boiling soup by a pressure cooker, the pressure cooker comprises a heating device and a cooling device, the method comprises the following steps: after maintaining the pressure maintaining pressure for a preset duration in a pressure maintaining stage, starting a cyclic extraction stage, and adjusting the start-stop state of the cooling device and / or the heating device, the cooking parameters in the cooking cavity are cyclically decreased by a first parameter value and then increased by a second parameter value, so that nutrient substances in the health-preserving food materials subjected to pressure curing are dissolved out into the soup, and the second parameter value is larger than the first parameter value. According to the method, the cooling-heating process is continuously circulated, nutrient substances in cooking food materials are promoted to be broken and dissolved out during cooling, volatile components in the cooking food materials are condensed and flow back into soup, and nutrient substances with different boiling points can be dissolved out during heating, so that the extraction rate of the nutrient substances is increased, and the quality of the cooked food materials is improved. And the nutritional value of soup food is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of pressure cooking appliances, specifically relating to a method for cooking soup in a pressure cooker. Background Technology

[0002] With the improvement of living standards, medicinal soups and other soup-based foods have come into the public eye. Medicinal soups are special foods made by combining processed Chinese medicinal herbs with traditional cooking ingredients, based on traditional Chinese medicine theory.

[0003] Traditional earthenware pots and herbal decoction pots are open, which means they can only be used for cooking at normal pressure when stewing nourishing soups. This requires a long cooking time to cook the medicinal herbs and other ingredients, making the cooking inefficient. Furthermore, the normal pressure cooking environment makes it difficult to break down the dense structure of the ingredients, resulting in slow and low nutrient dissolution. At the same time, the open design allows volatile nutrients in the ingredients to evaporate, reducing the nutritional value of the soup and failing to meet users' needs for quickly obtaining highly nutritious soups.

[0004] Pressure cookers, with their sealed, high-temperature, and high-pressure cooking environment, can quickly cook ingredients and shorten cooking time, making them a common kitchen appliance for preparing soups in homes. Current pressure cookers typically include a heating element and a cooking chamber. The heating element generates high pressure within the cooking chamber, using this high-temperature, high-pressure environment to accelerate the softening and cooking of ingredients, thus improving the efficiency of soup cooking. However, the current methods of cooking soup with pressure cookers still have many shortcomings in practical applications, making it difficult to fully meet users' core needs for the nutritional value of soups.

[0005] Specifically, the cooking process of existing pressure cookers typically includes a heating stage, a pressure-increasing stage, a pressure-holding stage, and a pressure-depressurizing stage. During the pressure-holding stage, the food is cooked by maintaining a constant pressure and / or temperature range, after which the process directly proceeds to the pressure-depressurizing stage to complete the cooking. Because users often add a variety of ingredients when cooking health-preserving soups, including root vegetables like yam, mushrooms like matsutake, and medicinal herbs like astragalus, these ingredients contain significantly different nutrients, and their boiling points and other properties also vary. For example, the boiling points of amino acids in food are mostly between 110-180℃, while polysaccharides mostly boil above 180℃, and some volatile active ingredients such as flavonoids and terpenes have lower boiling points, only 80-100℃. Furthermore, most nutrients in health-preserving foods, such as polysaccharides, saponins, amino acids, and flavonoids, are encapsulated within the cellular structure of the food itself. This means that the cooking pressure and / or temperature maintained by existing pressure cookers during the pressure-holding stage not only fails to effectively destroy the cellular structure where nutrients reside, but more importantly, a single cooking pressure and / or temperature cannot meet the dissolution requirements of various nutrients: if the cooking pressure and / or temperature during the pressure-holding stage is high, although it may approach the dissolution conditions of some high-boiling-point nutrients, it will cause low-boiling-point volatile components to evaporate; if the cooking pressure and / or temperature during the pressure-holding stage is low, low-boiling-point nutrients can be retained, but high-boiling-point nutrients are difficult to dissolve, ultimately resulting in a large amount of nutrients remaining in the food residue and not being fully dissolved into the soup, causing a waste of nutrients and greatly reducing the nutritional value of soups. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a method for cooking soup using a pressure cooker, which solves the technical problem that the nutrients in the ingredients cannot be fully dissolved in existing pressure cooker soup cooking methods.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: A method for cooking soup in a pressure cooker, the pressure cooker including a heating device and a cooling device, the method comprising: maintaining the pressure for a preset time during the pressure holding stage, then initiating a cyclic extraction stage, adjusting the on / off state of the cooling device and / or the heating device, so that the cooking parameters in the cooking chamber cyclically decrease first and then increase second, so that the nutrients in the pressure-cooked ingredients dissolve into the soup, wherein the second parameter value is greater than the first parameter value.

[0008] In this technical solution, when using a pressure cooker to make soup, the cooking process typically includes a pressure-increasing stage, a pressure-holding stage, and a pressure-depressurizing stage. During the pressure-holding stage, the cooking temperature and / or pressure within the cooking chamber are maintained for a preset time. This high-temperature, high-pressure cooking environment cooks the ingredients in the soup, facilitating the subsequent dissolution of nutrients. Simultaneously, the high-temperature, high-pressure cooking environment denatures the nutrients in the ingredients, preparing them for subsequent dissolution; for example, it denatures proteins, preparing them for the breakdown into amino acids and other umami substances. After maintaining the preset time, the circulation extraction stage is initiated. In this stage, by controlling the start and stop status of the cooling device, the cooking parameters in the cooking cavity are first reduced to a lower value. On the one hand, the start of the cooling device can reduce the cooking temperature and / or cooking pressure in the cooking cavity. The temperature difference causes the fiber of the cell wall of the food to break, thereby better dissolving the nutrients encapsulated in the cells. At the same time, the reduction of cooking parameters can keep the soup in the cooking cavity boiling, which accelerates the movement of nutrients and other soluble substances at the current cooking temperature, thereby effectively dissolving them. On the other hand, volatile components that have reached the boiling point can also be condensed and refluxed into the soup by the start of the cooling device, resulting in more nutrients being dissolved in the soup. Then, by controlling the on / off state of the heating device, the cooking parameters in the cooking cavity are raised to a second parameter value, which is greater than the first parameter value. This means that the cooking parameters in the cooking cavity are raised to a higher level than before the decrease. In the next cycle, when the cooling device is controlled to lower the cooking parameters to the first parameter value again, the soup in the cooking cavity is in a boiling state, which can dissolve nutrients with higher boiling points from the ingredients. Through multiple cycles, nutrients with different boiling points in the ingredients can be effectively dissolved, so that the nutrients in the ingredients can be fully dissolved and released into the soup, thereby improving the nutritional value of soups cooked in a pressure cooker.

[0009] In one possible implementation of this application, after the cooking parameter increases to a second parameter value, the start / stop state of the heating device and / or the cooling device is controlled to maintain the current cooking parameter for a first preset duration.

[0010] In this technical solution, during the cyclic extraction stage, after the cooking parameters rise to a second parameter value, the on / off state of the heating and / or cooling devices is controlled to maintain the current cooking parameters for a first preset duration. By maintaining the first preset duration, cooking parameters such as cooking temperature and / or cooking pressure can be stabilized, creating a stable enrichment environment for the functional components or nutrients that are suitable for the current cooking parameters. This promotes the enrichment of nutrients at the corresponding temperature point, so that when the cooking parameters are subsequently reduced, the nutrients can dissolve more quickly as the soup boils, or the convection and stirring effect of boiling can accelerate the diffusion of the enriched nutrients into the soup, further improving the dissolution efficiency of nutrients and thus enhancing the nutritional value of the soup.

[0011] In one possible implementation of this application, the cooling device includes at least a water-cooling device disposed inside the pot lid. During the cyclic extraction stage, the water-cooling device is activated to cool the pot lid, so that the nutrients in the health-preserving ingredients condense and flow back into the soup.

[0012] In this technical solution, a water-cooling device is used in the circulating extraction stage to achieve pressure cooker venting without venting, effectively avoiding the loss of volatile nutrients in the ingredients. The water-cooling device is installed inside the lid, which can quickly cool the lid during startup. The high cooling efficiency allows the volatile nutrients in the ingredients to quickly condense and flow back into the soup, enhancing the nutritional value of the soup.

[0013] In one possible implementation of this application, the cooking parameters include at least cooking pressure and / or cooking temperature, and the cooling device includes at least a water cooling device and an air cooling device. During the cyclic extraction stage, the water cooling device and the air cooling device are activated simultaneously to reduce the cooking pressure and / or cooking temperature in the cooking chamber, thereby creating a pressure difference that disrupts the cellular structure of the nutrients in the health-preserving ingredients, thus causing the nutrients to dissolve into the broth.

[0014] In this technical solution, the cooling device can be a combination of water cooling and air cooling, enabling the pressure cooker to achieve pressure and temperature reduction without venting, thus avoiding the loss of volatile nutrients in the food. During the circulating extraction stage, both the air cooling and water cooling devices are activated simultaneously. Utilizing the efficient cooling of the water cooling device and the rapid heat dissipation of the air cooling device, the cooking pressure and / or cooking temperature within the cooking cavity drops sharply, causing the cell walls of the food to break down and effectively dissolving the nutrients encapsulated within the cell structure. The decrease in cooking parameters keeps the broth in the cooking cavity at a boiling state. Boiling promotes the dissolution of nutrients and allows the dissolved nutrients to fully mix with the broth, thereby enhancing both the nutritional value and the taste of the soup.

[0015] In one possible implementation of this application, the pot lid is provided with a top temperature measuring device. During the cyclic extraction stage, the following alternating steps are performed cyclically: first, the cooling device is started until the temperature drop detected by the top temperature measuring device reaches a first parameter value, and then the heating device is started until the temperature rise detected by the top temperature measuring device reaches a second parameter value.

[0016] In this technical solution, during the cyclic extraction stage, the cooking temperature is first controlled to decrease by a first parameter value, and then increased by a second parameter value. Precise temperature control is achieved using the temperature value detected by the top temperature measuring device, ensuring effective nutrient dissolution in each cycle and maintaining stability in the nutrient dissolution effect. Furthermore, after a preset pressure holding time, controlling the cooking temperature to decrease by the first parameter value ensures effective dissolution of nutrients enriched at the corresponding temperature point within the set pressure, preventing the failure to dissolve nutrients with relatively low boiling points due to first increasing the second parameter value.

[0017] In one possible implementation of this application, the number of cycles of the alternating steps in the cyclic extraction stage is determined according to the food category of the health-preserving ingredients.

[0018] In this technical solution, by determining the number of cycles in the alternating steps of the cyclic extraction stage based on the type of health-promoting ingredient, personalized cooking can be achieved. For example, for dense root vegetables, the number of cycles can be increased to improve the dissolution of nutrients, while for loose ingredients like mushrooms, the number of cycles can be reduced, thus improving the adaptability of the cyclic extraction stage to different types of health-promoting ingredients. Simultaneously, it can balance the dissolution of nutrients with cooking efficiency, reducing the number of cycles for ingredients with easily soluble nutrients to improve cooking efficiency, and increasing the number of cycles for ingredients with poorly soluble nutrients to ensure sufficient dissolution.

[0019] In one possible implementation of this application, during the cyclic extraction stage, when the cooling device is activated, the heating device is controlled to stop power so that the broth in the cooking chamber is in a boiling state, thereby promoting the dissolution of nutrients from the health-preserving ingredients into the broth.

[0020] In this technical solution, since the cooking chamber remains in a high-temperature, high-pressure, and sealed environment during the cyclic extraction stage, the broth is kept boiling as the cooking parameters decrease to maximize the dissolution efficiency of nutrients from the ingredients. This boiling broth facilitates faster nutrient extraction. Furthermore, controlling the heating device's power by activating the cooling device ensures the broth in the cooking chamber remains boiling, preventing ineffective boiling (e.g., only small bubbles) caused by simultaneous cooling and heating or high-power cooling with low-power heating, which results in low nutrient dissolution efficiency. Controlling the heating device's power also reduces energy waste and improves energy utilization.

[0021] In one possible implementation of this application, the cooling device includes at least an air-cooling device. After the cyclic extraction stage is completed, the heating device is controlled to stop power, and the air-cooling device is activated to reduce the pressure in the cooking chamber, so that the nutrients in the health-preserving ingredients are further released into the soup.

[0022] In this technical solution, after the cyclic extraction stage ends and the depressurization stage begins, the heating device is deactivated, and the air-cooling device is activated to gently depressurize the cooking cavity, instead of using water cooling for rapid cooling. This provides a stable environment for the release of residual nutrients in the food, such as ginsenosides, astragalus polysaccharides, and goji berry polysaccharides, promoting their further and full release. Simultaneously, the gentle depressurization process also encourages the released nutrients to interact and "cluster together" in the broth, forming nano-sized particles. These nano-sized particles can be naturally "swallowed" by macrophages on the oral mucosa, thereby enhancing immunity and relieving stress and fatigue. Furthermore, using the air-cooling device for gentle depressurization avoids excessively rapid depressurization, which could cause broth splashing and increase the difficulty of cleaning for the user.

[0023] In one possible implementation of this application, the first parameter value is not lower than 2°C or not lower than 10 kPa, and the second parameter value is not lower than 4°C or not lower than 20 kPa.

[0024] In this technical solution, a threshold is set with a first parameter value ≥2℃ or ≥10kPa and a second parameter value ≥4℃ or ≥20kPa. This ensures that during cyclic extraction, the cooking parameter, after decreasing and then increasing, rises by at least 2℃ or 10kPa compared to the initial cooking parameter. This threshold is neither too low, resulting in low extraction efficiency during the cyclic extraction stage, nor too high, affecting the dissolution of nutrients with different boiling points. It covers the boiling point range of nutrients in most health-promoting ingredients, ensuring that nutrients with different boiling points can meet the dissolution conditions, thereby improving the dissolution efficiency of nutrients in the ingredients and giving soups cooked in a pressure cooker higher nutritional value. Simultaneously, the set first parameter value ≥2℃ or ≥10kPa and the second parameter value ≥4℃ or ≥20kPa ensure that the cell structure within the ingredients undergoes sufficient expansion and contraction changes during the cyclic extraction stage. This prevents insufficient cell expansion and contraction due to insignificant parameter changes, which would prevent the cell structure from rupturing and effectively dissolving the nutrients encapsulated within the cells.

[0025] In one possible implementation of this application, the cooling device includes an air-cooled device and / or a water-cooled device, wherein the air-cooled device includes at least a top fan and / or a side fan, and the water-cooled device includes at least a cold water conduit.

[0026] In this technical solution, the cooling device adopts a water cooling device and / or an air cooling device. Both of these cooling devices can achieve cooling and pressure reduction without exhaust, thereby avoiding the loss of volatile substances in the food. The volatile substances can be condensed and liquefied and flow back into the soup when the cooling device is started, thereby improving the nutritional value of the soup. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 A flowchart of a pressure cooker soup-making method provided in this application; Figure 2 A cooking process curve diagram for pressure cooker soup making provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this application, a detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0030] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this application that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0031] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the "above" or "below" of the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "implementation," "example," "a particular embodiment," "example," or "specific example," etc., indicate that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0033] The pressure cooker described in this application includes a pot body and a lid. The pot body includes an inner pot for holding food, and the pot body and lid, when closed, form a cooking cavity. The pressure cooker also includes at least a heating device and a cooling device. Optionally, the heating device may include a bottom heating device located at the bottom of the inner pot for heating the cooking cavity, or a bottom heating device and a side heating device located at the bottom and sides of the inner pot for heating the bottom and sides of the cooking cavity. Some pressure cookers also have a top heating device inside the lid for heating the top of the cooking cavity, thereby achieving uniform heating of the food in the cooking cavity, reducing the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the food, and suppressing the formation of condensation on the inner lid. Optionally, the cooling device may include an air-cooling device and / or a water-cooling device. To improve user convenience, the pressure cooker in this application is preferably a pressure cooker that does not require venting, meaning that during the depressurization process, no user intervention or manual venting is needed; automatic depressurization is achieved through the air-cooling device and / or water-cooling device. Optionally, the air-cooling device includes a top fan and / or a side fan, and the water-cooling device includes a cold water conduit. The top fan and the cold water conduit are located inside the pot lid for cooling the inner lid. The side fan is located on the inner side of the pot body for air-cooling the inner pot.

[0034] When using a pressure cooker to cook soups or other nourishing soups, the user places the ingredients into the cooking cavity, closes the lid, and starts the heating program. Optionally, the cooking program executed by the pressure cooker includes at least: During the heating phase, the heating device inside the pressure cooker is activated to heat the cooking cavity, causing the temperature inside the cooking cavity to rise continuously and generate steam inside the cooking cavity.

[0035] During the pressurization stage, as the heating device is activated, the amount of steam in the cooking chamber gradually increases. When the amount of steam increases to the point that the float device on the lid can be lifted, the cooking chamber is in a sealed state, and at this time the cooking chamber begins to pressurize.

[0036] During the pressure holding stage, once the pressure inside the cooking cavity rises to the set pressure holding pressure, the cooking pressure inside the cooking cavity is maintained at the pressure holding pressure by controlling the start / stop status of the heating device and / or cooling device.

[0037] During the depressurization phase, after the countdown of the pressure holding phase ends, the heating device is turned off and the cooling device is activated to reduce the pressure inside the cooking cavity to normal pressure or a state where the lid can be opened, indicating to the user that cooking is complete.

[0038] However, during this process, when users cook soups, taking health-preserving soups as an example, they heat various types of ingredients. Different types of ingredients, or even similar ingredients, contain different nutrients, and these nutrients usually have different boiling points. This means that the nutrient dissolution process requires different cooking temperatures and / or cooking pressures. Currently, the cooking process maintains a set pressure or pressure range during the pressure-holding stage. While this can cook the ingredients, the efficiency of nutrient dissolution is not high, resulting in soups that do not meet users' needs for high nutritional value.

[0039] To address the aforementioned problems, this application proposes a method for cooking soup using a pressure cooker, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the method includes: After maintaining the pressure at the preset time during the pressure holding phase, the cyclic extraction phase is initiated.

[0040] After the pressure cooker enters the pressure-holding stage, the set pressure is maintained. By maintaining the preset time in the high-temperature and high-pressure cooking environment, the ingredients added to the soup are cooked and matured. This helps to dissolve the nutrients in the cooked ingredients later. At the same time, the high-temperature and high-pressure cooking environment can also denature the nutrients in the ingredients, thus preparing them for subsequent dissolution. For example, it can denature the proteins in the ingredients, preparing them for the breakdown of proteins into amino acids and other umami substances.

[0041] Optionally, the preset cooking time can be adjusted according to the type and / or amount of food being heated. In one example, the pressure cooker includes a bottom temperature sensor to detect the bottom temperature of the inner pot. By calculating the rate of temperature rise detected by the bottom temperature sensor during the heating phase, or by determining the time required for the preset temperature to change based on the temperature detected by the bottom temperature sensor during the heating phase, the amount of food in the cooking cavity is determined. Then, based on the determined amount of food, the preset time for maintaining the set pressure during the pressure-holding phase is adjusted to ensure that the food is cooked thoroughly and to prevent insufficient cooking from affecting the dissolution of nutrients.

[0042] Optionally, the cyclic extraction stage can be included within the pressure holding stage. In this case, the pressure holding stage is considered to end after the cyclic extraction stage concludes, and the depressurization stage begins. Alternatively, the cyclic extraction stage can be separate from the pressure holding stage. In this case, the pressure holding stage is considered to end after maintaining the pressure for a preset duration. After the pressure holding stage ends, the depressurization stage does not begin; instead, the cyclic extraction stage is initiated, and the depressurization stage begins only after the cyclic extraction stage concludes.

[0043] During the cyclic extraction stage, the start / stop status of the cooling device and / or heating device is adjusted so that the cooking parameters in the cooking chamber first decrease in the first parameter value and then increase in the second parameter value.

[0044] Optionally, after maintaining the pressure for a preset time, the cyclic extraction stage is initiated. During this stage, the cooking parameters within the cooking chamber are lowered by controlling the on / off state of the cooling device. On one hand, activating the cooling device lowers the cooking temperature and / or pressure within the cooking chamber, causing the cell walls of the food to break down due to the temperature difference, thus better dissolving the nutrients encapsulated within the cells. Simultaneously, the decrease in cooking parameters keeps the broth in the cooking chamber boiling, accelerating the movement of nutrients and other soluble substances at the current cooking temperature, thereby effectively dissolving them. On the other hand, volatile components reaching their boiling point can also be condensed and refluxed back into the broth by the activation of the cooling device, resulting in even more nutrients being dissolved in the broth.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the cooling device used in the cyclic extraction stage is a water-cooling device, which optionally includes a cold water conduit located inside the pot lid. Cooling the pot lid with the water-cooling device not only achieves pressure reduction without venting the pressure cooker, effectively preventing the loss of volatile nutrients in the ingredients, but also allows for rapid cooling of the pot lid during startup. This high cooling efficiency causes volatile nutrients in the ingredients to quickly condense and flow back into the broth, enhancing the nutritional value of the soup.

[0046] In another possible implementation, the cooling device includes a water-cooling device and an air-cooling device. Optionally, the water-cooling device includes a cold water conduit located inside the lid, and the air-cooling device includes a top fan located inside the lid and a side fan located inside the pot. Simultaneously activating both the water-cooling and air-cooling devices during the circulating extraction stage allows the pressure cooker to achieve pressure and cooling without venting, preventing the loss of volatile nutrients in the food. Furthermore, the efficient cooling of the water-cooling device and the rapid heat dissipation of the air-cooling device cause a sudden drop in cooking pressure and / or temperature within the cooking cavity, causing the cell walls of the food to break down and effectively dissolving the nutrients encased within the cell structure. Moreover, the decrease in cooking parameters keeps the broth in the cooking cavity at a boil. Boiling promotes the dissolution of nutrients and allows the dissolved nutrients to fully mix with the broth, thereby enhancing both the nutritional value and the taste of the soup.

[0047] Optionally, when using one of the two possible implementation methods described above, the heating device's power is stopped when the cooking parameters within the cooking chamber, i.e., cooking temperature and / or cooking pressure, decrease. Since the cooking chamber remains in a high-temperature, high-pressure, closed environment during the cyclic extraction stage, the broth is kept boiling as the cooking parameters decrease to maximize the dissolution efficiency of nutrients from the food. This boiling broth facilitates faster nutrient dissolution. Controlling the heating device's power by activating the cooling device ensures the broth within the cooking chamber remains boiling, preventing indistinct boiling (e.g., only small bubbles) caused by simultaneous cooling and heating or high-power cooling with low-power heating, which results in inefficient nutrient dissolution. Furthermore, controlling the heating device's power also reduces energy waste and improves energy efficiency.

[0048] Optionally, after the cooking parameters in the cooking chamber decrease to a first parameter value by activating the cooling device, the cooking parameters can be maintained at the first parameter value for a period of time by controlling the on / off state of the cooling device and / or the heating device, so that nutrients in the food with boiling points at the current temperature can be dissolved more efficiently. Alternatively, after the cooking parameters decrease to the first parameter value, the cooling device can be turned off and the heating device can be activated directly, so that the cooking parameters rise to a second parameter value, instead of maintaining the first parameter value. This method can achieve effective dissolution of nutrients by only using the process of decreasing cooking parameters.

[0049] Furthermore, after the cooking parameters decrease to the first parameter value, or after the cooking parameters decrease to the first parameter value and remain at the first parameter value for a period of time, the cooking parameters in the cooking cavity are increased to a second parameter value by controlling the on / off state of the heating device. The second parameter value is greater than the first parameter value. That is, the cooking parameters in the cooking cavity can be increased to a higher level than before the decrease. In this way, when the cooling device is controlled to decrease the cooking parameters to the first parameter value again in the next cycle, the soup in the cooking cavity is in a boiling state, which can dissolve nutrients with higher boiling points from the ingredients. Through multiple cycles, nutrients with different boiling points in the ingredients can be effectively dissolved, so that the nutrients in the ingredients can be fully dissolved and released into the soup, thereby improving the nutritional value of soups cooked in a pressure cooker.

[0050] Optionally, to effectively concentrate nutrients with different boiling points within the ingredients, thereby improving the nutrient dissolution efficiency during subsequent decreases in cooking parameters, this application, in the cyclic extraction stage, after the cooking parameters rise to a second parameter value, controls the on / off state of the heating and / or cooling devices to maintain the current cooking parameters for a first preset duration. By maintaining this first preset duration, cooking parameters such as cooking temperature and / or cooking pressure can be stabilized, creating a stable enrichment environment for the functional components or nutrients suitable for the current cooking parameters. This promotes the enrichment of nutrients at the corresponding temperature points, allowing them to dissolve more quickly as the broth boils when the cooking parameters are subsequently decreased, or accelerating the diffusion of the enriched nutrients into the broth through the convection and stirring effect of boiling, further improving the nutrient dissolution efficiency and thus enhancing the nutritional value of the broth.

[0051] In one possible implementation, during the cyclic extraction phase, the cooking parameters within the cooking chamber are maintained at a preset duration after a decrease in a first parameter value and an increase in a second parameter value, by controlling the on / off state of the cooling device and / or the heating device. During this process, the cooking parameters include at least cooking temperature and / or cooking pressure. Therefore, within the preset duration of maintaining the current cooking parameters, when the current cooking parameters decrease, the cooling device can be turned off and the heating device started, or the power of the cooling device can be reduced and the power of the heating device increased; conversely, when the current cooking parameters increase, the heating device can be turned off and the cooling device started, or the power of the heating device can be reduced and the power of the cooling device increased, to maintain the current cooking parameters. Of course, those skilled in the art can also use other methods to control the cooling and heating devices to maintain the current cooking parameters, and this implementation does not limit this approach.

[0052] Optionally, the pressure cooker lid includes a top temperature sensor to detect the steam temperature inside the cooking chamber, thus reflecting the cooking temperature. Therefore, during the cyclic extraction stage, the following alternating steps are executed: first, the cooling device is activated until the temperature drop detected by the top temperature sensor reaches a first parameter value; then, the heating device is activated until the temperature rise detected by the top temperature sensor reaches a second parameter value. That is, during the cyclic extraction stage, the cooking temperature is cyclically controlled to decrease by the first parameter value and then increased by the second parameter value. Optionally, the cooking temperature is cyclically controlled to decrease by the first parameter value and then increased by the second parameter value, and after decreasing by the second parameter value, the current cooking temperature is maintained for a preset duration before the cycle repeats. This process utilizes the temperature value detected by the top temperature sensor to achieve precise control of the cooking temperature, ensuring that nutrients are effectively dissolved in each cycle and that the nutrient dissolution effect is stable in each cycle. Furthermore, after the preset holding time, the cooking temperature is first controlled to decrease by a first parameter value. This ensures the effective dissolution of nutrients concentrated at the corresponding temperature point within the set holding pressure, preventing the failure to dissolve nutrients with relatively low boiling points due to the initial increase of the second parameter value. Further, during actual cooking, the number of cycles in the aforementioned alternating steps of the cyclic extraction stage can be determined based on the type of health-promoting ingredient, thus achieving personalized cooking. For example, for dense root vegetables, the number of cycles can be increased to enhance nutrient dissolution, while for looser ingredients like mushrooms, the number of cycles can be reduced, improving the adaptability of the cyclic extraction stage to different types of health-promoting ingredients. Simultaneously, it can balance nutrient dissolution with cooking efficiency, reducing the number of cycles for ingredients with easily soluble nutrients to improve cooking efficiency, and increasing the number of cycles for ingredients with difficult-to-dissolve nutrients to ensure sufficient nutrient dissolution. In one example, the ingredients to be cooked can be determined by the cooking function or cooking button selected by the user at the start of cooking. For example, users can select either pork rib soup or medicinal soup from the cooking buttons to specify the ingredients as meat and medicinal herbs.

[0053] Optionally, during the cyclic extraction stage, the cooking parameters include at least cooking temperature and / or cooking pressure. Therefore, the first parameter value decreasing is no less than 2°C or 10 kPa, and the second parameter value increasing is no less than 4°C or 20 kPa. This ensures that during cyclic extraction, the cooking parameter increasing after decreasing is at least 2°C or 10 kPa higher than the initial value. This threshold is neither too low, resulting in low extraction efficiency during the cyclic extraction stage, nor too high, affecting the dissolution of nutrients with different boiling points. It covers the boiling point range of nutrients in most health-promoting ingredients, ensuring that nutrients with different boiling points can meet the dissolution conditions, thereby improving the dissolution efficiency of nutrients in the ingredients and giving soups cooked in a pressure cooker higher nutritional value. Simultaneously, setting the first parameter value to ≥2°C or ≥10 kPa and the second parameter value to ≥4°C or ≥20 kPa allows for sufficient expansion and contraction changes in the cell structure within the ingredients during the cyclic extraction stage. This avoids insufficient cell expansion and contraction due to small parameter changes, preventing cell rupture and thus hindering the effective dissolution of nutrients encapsulated within the cells.

[0054] After the extraction cycle, the pressure reduction phase begins. The heating device is deactivated, and the air-cooling device is activated to gently reduce the pressure in the cooking cavity. This pressure reduction phase avoids rapid water cooling, providing a stable environment for the release of residual nutrients such as ginsenosides, astragalus polysaccharides, and goji berry polysaccharides, promoting their further release. Simultaneously, the gentle pressure reduction process encourages the released nutrients to interact and bind together in the broth, forming nano-sized particles. These nano-sized particles can be naturally ingested by macrophages on the oral mucosa, thus enhancing immunity and relieving stress and fatigue. Furthermore, the air-cooling device prevents the rapid pressure reduction that water cooling can cause, which can lead to splashing and increased cleaning difficulty. It should be noted that to avoid the loss of volatile nutrients within the cooking cavity, venting is not used during the pressure reduction process. After the blood pressure reduction phase ends, the user is notified that cooking is complete, allowing them to enjoy a highly nutritious soup.

[0055] In one example, the cooking process curve for pressure cooker soup is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it includes: The heating and pressurization stage corresponding to time T1: The heating device is started or started intermittently, so that the cooking cavity is heated and pressurized to 70 kPa. Optionally, the pressure here can also be a range, such as 50-70 kPa.

[0056] This stage involves rapidly increasing temperature and pressure, causing the meat proteins in the soup to denature and the medicinal ingredients to fully absorb water and soften.

[0057] Optionally, the heating and pressurizing stage can also include two processes: a heating stage and a pressurizing stage. The heating device is activated, causing the temperature of the cooking cavity to rise continuously during the heating stage, generating steam. When the amount of steam generated during the heating stage is sufficient to lift the float on the lid, the cooking cavity is sealed. At this point, the heating device continues to operate, causing the cooking cavity to begin pressurizing, entering the pressurizing stage.

[0058] The high-pressure pre-cooking stage corresponding to time T2: When the temperature inside the cooking chamber rises to 114℃, corresponding to a pressure of 70kPa, the heating device intermittently maintains the current cooking temperature or pressure for 8-15 minutes. Optionally, this stage can also be a pressure range, such as 50-70kPa.

[0059] This stage involves cooking the ingredients in a high-temperature, high-pressure environment to facilitate the subsequent dissolution of nutrients. For example, it denatures the proteins in meat, preparing them for the breakdown into umami substances such as amino acids.

[0060] The T3 time corresponds to the cyclic extraction stage: After maintaining a high pressure of 70 kPa for 8-15 minutes, the heating device is stopped, and the water-cooling and air-cooling devices are activated to rapidly reduce the temperature inside the cooking chamber by more than 4°C, and the pressure drops to 50 kPa. Optionally, the pressure here can also be a range, such as 30 kPa-70 kPa. Then, the air-cooling and water-cooling devices are stopped, and the heating device is activated again, causing the pressure inside the cooking chamber to rise to 90 kPa and be maintained for 1-2 minutes. Afterward, the water-cooling and air-cooling devices are activated again to rapidly reduce the temperature by more than 4°C, and the pressure drops to 70 kPa before the air-cooling and water-cooling devices are stopped. Then, the heating device is activated again, causing the pressure inside the cooking chamber to rise again to 110 kPa and be maintained for 1-2 minutes. This cooling cycle is repeated n times.

[0061] During this stage, cooling devices such as air cooling and water cooling rapidly lower the temperature inside the cooking chamber by about 4-5°C, bringing the broth to a boil and allowing for better extraction of nutrients from the ingredients. The temperature difference also causes the cell walls of the ingredients to break down, further releasing the active ingredients trapped within the cell structure. Additionally, the rapid cooling from air and water cooling devices causes condensation and reflux of volatile components. This continuous circulation ensures that nutrients with different boiling points are effectively extracted. For example, in the case of a nourishing soup, this stage allows for greater extraction of the active ingredients from medicinal herbs, as well as more protein, amino acids, and flavor components from the meat, resulting in a more nutritious soup.

[0062] The T4 time corresponds to the air-cooling depressurization stage: After the circulation extraction stage is completed, the heating device is stopped, and the cooling device such as the fan is turned on. Under the effect of air cooling, the pressure in the cooking cavity drops rapidly to a state where the lid can be opened.

[0063] This stage uses air cooling to lower blood pressure slowly and gently, allowing medicinal ingredients such as ginsenosides, astragalus polysaccharides, and wolfberry polysaccharides, as well as nutrients such as phospholipids, proteins, peptides, collagen, and calcium, to be released further. These ingredients "clump together" in the soup to form nanoparticles, so small that they can only be seen with a microscope. These tiny particles can be naturally "swallowed" by macrophages on the oral mucosa, thereby improving immunity, relieving stress and fatigue, and enhancing the nutritional value of soups.

[0064] The table below shows the nutritional content of white fungus cooked using the cooking method in this example, and compares it with the nutritional content of white fungus cooked using other cooking methods.

[0065]

[0066] As can be seen from the table above, the food cooked using the cooking process described in this example contains higher levels of four nutrients—protein, amino acids, wolfberry polysaccharides, and ginsenosides—than food cooked using other cooking methods. This indicates that the pressure cooker method proposed in this application can effectively extract nutrients from the ingredients, thereby enhancing the nutritional value of the cooked soup.

[0067] For any parts not mentioned in this application, existing technologies may be used or referenced.

[0068] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0069] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method of cooking soup in a pressure cooker, said pressure cooker comprising a heating device and a cooling device, characterized in that, The method comprises: After maintaining the pressure maintaining pressure for a preset time length in the pressure maintaining stage, a circulating extraction stage is started, and the on-off state of the cooling device and / or the heating device is adjusted to make the cooking parameter in the cooking cavity first decrease by a first parameter value and then increase by a second parameter value, so that the nutrients in the pressure cooked health food are dissolved into the soup liquid, wherein the second parameter value is greater than the first parameter value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure cooker is a pressure cooker of claim 1. After the cooking parameter increases by the second parameter value, the on-off state of the heating device and / or the cooling device is controlled to maintain the current cooking parameter for a first preset time length.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure-cooking the soup is performed for a period of time ranging from 5 to 20 minutes. The cooling device at least comprises a water cooling device arranged in the pot cover, and in the circulating extraction stage, the water cooling device is started to cool the pot cover, so that the nutrients in the health food are condensed and flow back into the soup liquid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure cooker is a pressure cooker of claim 1. The cooking parameter at least comprises cooking pressure and / or cooking temperature, and the cooling device at least comprises a water cooling device and an air cooling device, and in the circulating extraction stage, the water cooling device and the air cooling device are started at the same time to make the cooking pressure and / or the cooking temperature in the cooking cavity decrease, form a pressure difference, destroy the cell structure of the nutrients in the health food, and make the nutrients dissolve into the soup liquid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure-cooking the soup is performed for a period of time ranging from 5 to 20 minutes. The pot cover is provided with a top temperature measuring device, and in the circulating extraction stage, the following alternating steps are cyclically executed: first, the cooling device is started until the temperature drop detected by the top temperature measuring device reaches a first parameter value, and then the heating device is started until the temperature rise detected by the top temperature measuring device reaches a second parameter value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pressure cooker is a pressure cooker of claim 1. The number of cycles of the alternating steps in the circulating extraction stage is determined according to the food category of the health food.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure-cooking the soup is performed for a period of time ranging from 5 to 20 minutes. In the circulating extraction stage, when the cooling device is started, the heating device is controlled to stop power, so that the soup liquid in the cooking cavity is in a boiling state, thereby promoting the nutrients in the health food to dissolve into the soup liquid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure cooker is a pressure cooker of claim 1. The cooling device at least comprises an air cooling device, and after the circulating extraction stage ends, the heating device is controlled to stop power, and the air cooling device is started to depressurize the cooking cavity, so that the nutrients in the health food are further released into the soup liquid.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure cooker is a pressure cooker of claim 1. The first parameter value is not less than 2℃ or not less than 10kPa, and the second parameter value is not less than 4℃ or not less than 20kPa.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure cooker is a pressure cooker of claim 1. The cooling device comprises an air cooling device and / or a water cooling device, the air cooling device at least comprises a top fan and / or a side fan, and the water cooling device at least comprises a cold water guide pipe.

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