The present disclosure provides a grill having a movable upper platen and a lower platen, the latter of which holds food products that are cooked by between the platens. The upper platen has a platen arm, locking drive, and locking pin connected thereto. An actuator, drive shaft, and drive shaft head are operably connected to the platen arm. During operation of the grill, the locking drive drives the locking pin into the drive shaft head, holding the upper platen parallel to the lower platen, even when greater downward pressure is applied by the actuator than the weight of the upper platen. In prior art devices, applying this kind of pressure would cause the upper platen to become nonparallel to the lower platen, causing uneven cooking. Locking the upper platen horizontally ensures that the upper platen will not go out of horizontal level when it comes into contact with food products on the lower platen.

An appliance for cooking food including an upper heating plate and a lower heating plate provided with surfaces facing each other. The upper plate being movable between a closed position in which the upper and the lower plates are in contact with each other and an open position in which the upper and the lower heating plates are spaced apart. The appliance further includes parallelogram linkage constrained to the upper plate and to the lower plate to allow the upper plate to be lifted from or to approach in a parallel manner the lower plate. The appliance further includes one or more cavities for housing food to be cooked at least at one of said surfaces and at least one vent channel to put one or more cavities in fluid communication with an environment external to the appliance when plates are in the closed position.

Disclosed is sandwich maker comprising top and bottom conveyor belts which transport a sandwich, or other food item suitable for simultaneous heating and compression inserted in one end of the apparatus to the other end of the apparatus. As the sandwich travels on the conveyor belts, the apparatus simultaneously compresses the sandwich and applies heat to both the top and the bottom sides of the sandwich so that it emerges from the sandwich maker fully cooked and ready to serve.

A grill is provided including a base structure. An upper platen assembly is connected to the base structure and includes an upper grilling surface. A lower platen assembly is connected to the base structure and includes a lower grilling surface. A plurality of leveling mechanisms is mounted to the base structure with a mounting bracket. A portion of each leveling mechanism is arranged in contact with the lower platen assembly. The leveling mechanisms are configured to automatically level the lower grilling surface relative to the upper grilling surface. Each of the plurality of leveling mechanisms is configured to independently move a portion of the lower grilling surface about a different axis.

A grilling appliance with a grilling surface for placing food to be cooked, with a heat source located below the grilling surface for heating a food item on the grilling surface and with a second heat source located above the grilling surface. The second heat source is adjustable in such a way that it can be used to heat a food item located on the grilling surface from the side and/or from above, depending on the position of the second heat source, in that the second heat source is retained on a rear wall of the grilling appliance that extends beyond the top of the grilling surface so as to be translationally height-adjustable, and in that the second heat source can be pivoted about a pivot axis, in order to adjust the direction of the desired heat radiation downward between a position for releasing heat in a horizontal direction and a position for releasing heat in a vertical direction.

An apparatus for heating food includes a base and a lid coupled to one another by a hinged handle. Two fluid-filled thermal fluid vessels with flexible surfaces are installed in the lid and base to form a chamber for holding a food item in a low temperature cooking container f. The thermal fluid vessels may be replaced with high temperature cooking plates to sear or brown the food items. A user of the appliance is protected from exposure to hot thermal fluid retained in the vessels during low temperature cooking.

A griddle system includes one or more of a variety of performance-enhancing structures and functions. For example, the griddle system may include a set of sensors and a latch mechanism to provide a closed and locked platen configuration which can be controlled according to a cooking routine controlled by a controller. A counterbalance assembly may be provided to minimize the effort required to pivot a base frame and cooking attachment between their open and closed configurations. A pullback linkage may be provided to draw a pivotable cooking attachment up at its distal portion when the base frame is pivoted open, creating extra space for placement of food items at the distal portion of the cooking surface. The cooking attachment may include provisions for self-leveling when closed, in order to apply even pressure to food items having varying thicknesses. Height adjusters may be provided to expand or contract the cooking space.

A grill including a first platen assembly, an second platen assembly movable with respect to the first platen assembly, a motor operable to move the second platen assembly with respect to the first platen assembly, and a control operable to measure movement of the second platen assembly with respect to the first platen assembly while the motor is off.

Devices and methods for automating the process of making flatbread, such as roti. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a housing, an ingredient metering assembly, a mixing bowl assembly, a mixing actuator assembly, a cooking assembly, and an electronic assembly. The housing defines an interior volume and has several access openings with corresponding lids and/or covers. The ingredient metering assembly includes a flour container assembly, a flour delivery system, a water reservoir, and an oil reservoir. The mixing bowl assembly includes two bowls and a measurement system. The mixing actuator assembly includes a mixing mount, a mixing motor, a mixing paddle assembly, and a lower motor. The cooking assembly includes two platens and an actuator assembly. The electronic assembly includes a power source, a control module, and a LCD input/output screen. All components are integrated within the housing such that the apparatus is a consumer grade countertop appliance.

A cooking appliance such as a grill or a sandwich press that includes an upper housing and a lower housing assembly. The housing assemblies are connected by hinge assemblies that provide for angular movement of the upper housing between a first position which is adjacent the housing, and a second position at which the upper housing is spaced upwardly of the lower housing. Each hinge assembly includes a spring that applies a torque urging the upper housing assembly to the second position.