Air fry cooking method and apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air frying methods require significant counter space and lack versatility, as they typically involve dedicated countertop units that do not offer the flexibility to perform other cooking methods like baking or broiling, and they often require pre-coating food with oil to achieve a crispy exterior similar to traditional frying.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen range with a dedicated air fry mode that uses hot air as the cooking medium, employing a convection system and multiple heating elements controlled by a processor to execute a predetermined cooking algorithm, allowing for sequential heating stages with different target temperatures and offsets to achieve crispy exterior results without oil, thereby saving counter space and enhancing versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated countertop air fryer unit is used, then air frying function is achieved, but counter space is consumed and versatility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air frying function with a conventional oven by integrating a convection fan and control algorithm into the oven cavity. This merging allows the oven to perform both traditional baking/roasting and air frying functions, eliminating the need for a separate countertop air fryer device and thus saving counter space while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The oven is designed with multi-functionality to perform various cooking methods including baking, broiling, and air frying. By making the oven universal, the patent eliminates the need for dedicated single-function devices, thereby saving counter space while providing cooking method versatility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional oil frying is used, then crispy exterior is achieved, but fat content increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cooking medium from oil to hot air by using a convection system that circulates heated air at controlled temperatures and velocities. This parameter change allows the food to develop a crispy exterior through hot air circulation rather than oil immersion, thereby reducing fat content while maintaining the desired texture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a convection fan to create forced air circulation within the oven cavity, employing pneumatic principles to move hot air across the food surface. This air flow creates the crispy exterior effect traditionally achieved by oil frying, but without the harmful fat absorption.
3Measurement precision
If simple heating control is used, then device complexity is reduced, but temperature precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a control algorithm that uses feedback from temperature sensors to adjust the heating elements and fan operation. This feedback mechanism maintains precise temperature control during air frying, ensuring consistent cooking results while managing the complexity through automated control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts heating element power and fan speed based on real-time temperature measurements and cooking stage requirements. This dynamic control achieves precise temperature management throughout the cooking process, adapting to changing thermal conditions without requiring overly complex static control mechanisms.
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 solution enables healthier, cleaner, and more efficient food frying by using hot air, allowing for air frying without oil and integrating with other cooking methods like baking and broiling, thus saving counter space and offering a versatile cooking solution.
Implementation Method 1
a convection fan, a convection heating element and at least one of a bake heating element or a broil heating element is operated according to a post-heat duty cycle
Implementation Method 2
an associated fan to provide a generally uniform convective air-temperature throughout the oven cavity
Implementation Method 3
heating an oven cavity of the kitchen range during a first pre-heat stage of the plurality of sequential heating stages targeting a first target temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for cooking food in an oven cavity, where air is the cooking medium. Using a predetermined cooking algorithm, a temperature of the oven cavity is adjusted in a plurality of temperature and/or time regulated cooking stages. An initial pre-heat stage targets a first target temperature including a user-selected oven cavity temperature plus a first offset. A subsequent post-heat stage targets a second target temperature including the user-selected temperature plus a second offset different from the first offset. Two or more heating elements and a fan are operated during the post-heat stage according to a duty cycle controlled via a hysteresis temperature control algorithm or a PID temperature control algorithm.