The problem of evenly cooking a food item so that all sides cook and brown evenly is solved by the use of a roasting platform that raises above rendered substances that can cause a steam and wetness to the surface of a food item. The roasting platform can be foldable or compressed, so that it takes up minimal storage space and can be deployed for use. Drain holes allow rendered substances to be more quickly separated from the surface of a food item. The same drain holes can be used as visual indicators when deploying the roasting platform to show when he folds of a roasting platform are sufficiently separated for maximum usable area and support for a weight placed thereon.

A stove includes a base seat, and a top seat disposed on the base seat. The top seat has a surrounding wall extending upwardly, a support member, and a grill grate. The surrounding wall has opposite first and second wall portions. The first wall portion defines a first groove. The second wall portion defines a second groove and a retaining groove below the second groove. The support member is disposed on the first wall portion below the first groove. The grill grate is disposed at one of a first position, where opposite lateral ends of the grill grate are respectively retained in the first and second grooves, and a second position, where one lateral end is placed on the support member while the other lateral end is retained in the retaining groove.

An oven for performing a rotisserie cooking operation includes an oven cavity having a door for selectively accessing the oven cavity, at least one heating element for heating the oven cavity and a rotisserie arm adapted to support a food product within the oven cavity. A motor is operatively coupled to the rotisserie arm for rotating the rotisserie arm and a food product. The oven also includes a control interface having a rotisserie cooking mode input and a control system for controlling the rotisserie motor and the heating element. In addition to other functions, the control system automatically causes the rotisserie motor to cycle on and off to allow for intermittent rotation of the food product supported on the rotisserie arm when the oven door is opened.

Embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods for a grill with hinged containers, wherein if the grill is opened then the hinged containers may be opened, and if the grill is closed then hinged containers may not be opened.

A gyratable grilling device allows attached food to be rotated about two different axes and the height between attached food and a heat source to be adjusted for desired cooking results. The gyratable grilling device includes an extension arm, a support lever, a support sleeve, a plurality of food-attaching assemblies, an anchoring fulcrum, and a locking mechanism. The extension arm, through connection to the support lever, allows attached food to be rotated about one axis. The support lever, through connection to the support sleeve and the anchoring fulcrum, allows attached food to be rotated about another axis. The plurality of food-attaching assemblies allows food to be attached to the extension arm. The anchoring fulcrum allows the gyratable grilling device to be mounted to a structure. The locking mechanism holds the support sleeve at a specific angle to achieve a desired height between the attached food and the heat source.

A rotisserie device including a support ring for use in a partially opened hinged covered ceramic or metal grill or in a partially opened unhinged covered metal kettle charcoal grill having a front-mounted cover handle. The device has a generally wedge-shaped or trapezoidally-shaped external side profile that tapers from a maximum height nearest the handle to a minimum height furthest from the handle. The device includes at least one motor mounted outside the ring the drives a removable, rotatable rotisserie spit. The device facilitates rotisserie grilling of large meat cuts above accessories installed in the top of the grill base.

A turkey cooking apparatus provides a pot and a specially configured insert (e.g., basket) that rests upon the pot bottom. A lower funnel shaped section and upper tube shaped section are provided inside the pot. The insert (e.g., basket) sits upon funnel shaped portion. The insert has a central opening that is receptive of the tubed portion. Both the insert and the tube section can have openings that enable steam to travel upwardly to cook the turkey carcass.

An appliance for cooking a food item comprises a bottom housing, a top housing, and a cooking assembly. The cooking assembly comprises a top heated plate, a bottom heated plate, and a center ring therebetween. The top heated plate is selectively movable between (i) an open position and (ii) a closed position in which a top cooking cavity is selectively formed by the top heated plate and the top housing when the top housing is in a closed position. The bottom heated plate is selectively movable between (i) an open position and (ii) a closed position in which a bottom cooking cavity is selectively formed by the bottom housing and the bottom heated plate. A center cooking cavity is selectively formed by the top heated plate, the center ring, and the bottom heated plate when the top and bottom heated plates are in their respective closed positions.

Food preparation apparatus and associated appliance modules and methods. Appliances modules can be selectively docked at docks of an appliance interface of a base. An appliance module includes a food container support surface movable between cooking and holding positions. An appliance module includes a receptacle having a holding well that can be selectively configured in a generally horizontal position or an inclined position.

A wood burning grill includes a cabinet that defines a coal support platform for supporting burning wood during a grilling process. A grate is positioned above the coal support platform and a grate positioning assembly mechanically couples the grate to the cabinet. The grate positioning assembly includes two four-bar linkage systems positioned on opposite sides of the grate for suspending the grate in cantilevered manner from the cabinet. Each four-bar linkage system includes a drive arm that is mechanically coupled to the drive gear and a support arm that maintains the grate in a substantially horizontal orientation while moving between the raised position and the lowered position. A hand wheel is rotatably mounted to the cabinet and is coupled to the drive gear through a rotating shaft and a worm gear such that rotating the hand wheel moves the grate between the raised position and the lowered position.