Air-based fryer pan
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot air food preparation methods, such as air-based fryers, often result in suboptimal quality of cooked fish and other delicate foods in terms of taste and appearance, as current basket-like structures do not provide sufficient heat distribution for forming a crust and ensuring even cooking.
Innovation Solution
A pan for hot air food preparation with a bottom surface featuring a specific heat capacity per area of 10-75 JK−1 dm−2 and through-holes covering 3-50% of the surface area, combined with upwardly projecting ribs and secondary air passages, allowing for balanced heat transfer and air circulation to enhance cooking quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a basket-like structure is used for air-based frying, then the apparatus can handle various foods, but the quality of delicate food such as fish deteriorates due to insufficient heat distribution for crust formation
Solution Approach 1:
The pan bottom is designed with non-uniform heat distribution characteristics, creating zones of different thermal properties to simultaneously achieve crust formation in contact areas and gentle cooking in non-contact areas, thereby resolving the contradiction between versatility and quality for different food types
2Productivity
If hot air flow rate is increased to cook food faster, then productivity improves, but the quality deteriorates due to excessive heat causing uneven cooking and poor crust formation
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes the parameters of hot air flow rate, temperature, and pan bottom heat capacity to achieve an optimal balance between cooking speed and quality, where the specific heat capacity range (10-75 JK−1 dm−2) and through-hole coverage (3-50%) create ideal thermal conditions for both fast and even cooking
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The pan ensures optimal heat distribution for forming a crust on food while ensuring the inner sides are cooked appropriately, improving the quality of cooked fish and meat by providing a balanced heat transfer mechanism through convection and conduction.
Implementation Method 1
The heat capacity per area of the projected bottom surface of the pan bottom is between 10 and 75 JK−1 dm−2... the pan bottom is provided for providing a pan surface area for receiving food to be prepared
Implementation Method 2
The pan bottom is provided with a plurality of through-holes as a hot air passage... a stream or flow of hot air is moved passing the food to heat the food
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, pan and method for the preparation of food with hot air including a pan bottom providing a pan surface area for receiving food to be prepared, and side-walls at least partly surrounding the pan surface area, and a mounting connector for temporarily mounting the pan inside a food preparation chamber of an apparatus for preparing food. The pan bottom is provided with a plurality of through-holes as a hot air passage. The through-holes cover approximately 3 to 50% of the flat pan surface area and the heat capacity per area of a bottom surface of the pan bottom is between 10 and 75 JK−1 dm−2.