Indoor smokeless grill and air fryer combination device

Abstract

The present technology provides a multi-purpose cooking apparatus that provides simultaneous smokeless grilling for food products and air frying for food products utilizing the same fan and heating elements. A lower portion of the apparatus includes an enclosed air fryer cooking chamber with a closable door. The air fryer cooking chamber is heated with heating elements and a fan for blowing heated air through the cooking chamber. The upper portion of the apparatus utilizes the same upper heating elements as the air fryer chamber and includes a grilling surface, such as a grilling plate, in an enclosed interior cooking environment. The fan pulls air from the upper portion, filters smoke from the air, and returns the air to the lower portion of the apparatus. The heated, smokeless, circulated air from the fan is used to air fry in the lower portion.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method to cook food items on a two-tier cooking apparatus, comprising:
 placing food items in an upper chamber and a lower chamber of an apparatus body;   engaging at least one heating element controlled by the apparatus, wherein the at least one heating element is positioned between the upper chamber and the lower chamber and provides heat to both the upper chamber and the lower chamber simultaneously; and   engaging a fan to circulate air from the upper chamber and to the lower chamber and back to the upper chamber.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the upper chamber comprises a grilling plate that grills food products. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein lower chamber comprises an air frying crisper basket in which food products are air fried by heated air circulated in the lower chamber by the fan. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a filter is positioned before the fan to remove smoke from the circulated air. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein when a lid is placed on the upper chamber, an upper chamber cooking environment is substantially sealed such that the air leaves the cooking environment primarily via vent inlet holes when drawn by the fan.