A sandwich press or food holder for use with a cooking appliance, such as a toaster or oven. Sidewalls of the press that define a space in which a food item is received can have one or more ridges that define a convex surface inside the cavity and a concave surface on an exterior of the sidewall. The concave surface can be positioned adjacent a heating element when the press is received in a cooking cavity of the appliance. One or more openings can be provided in the sidewall, e.g., to allow radiant energy to pass and/or steam to escape. A handle can permit two-handed manipulation of the press and can have a gripping portion that is offset from an area directly above the press.

A toaster with a steam system comprises a casing and a chassis. A slot for a bread slice is defined by the chassis. A pop-up mechanism is within the casing and supported by the chassis, the pop-up mechanism configured for supporting a bread slice received via the at least one slot, and for raising the bread slice to project partially out of the slot at an end of a toasting/steaming process. Heating element(s) in the casing are for generating toasting heat. A steam system within the casing is configured for producing steam and feeding the steam to a steam vessel in the chassis during the toasting/steaming process. A closing system has flap(s) to close the at least one slot during the toasting/steaming process, and to open the at least one slot at completion of the toasting/steaming process.

A cooking accessory insert for a cooking grill includes a heat distribution duct that, installed, extends from a burner proximate to the bottom of the grill's fire box generally to a cooking level near the top of the fire box. The heat distribution duct is defined by a plurality of side walls extending from a top end of the heat distribution duct to a bottom end, tapering inward, or narrowing, from top to bottom. A top surface substantially covers the top end of the heat distribution duct, while the bottom is open. A cover is provided to cover the top surface, defining a baking chamber between the cover and the top surface. A cooking surface element such as a pizza stone is removably disposed on the top surface, spaced apart from the top surface by a plurality of spacers.

A toaster release material configured to at least partially cover a platen in a toaster oven and to provide a nonstick cooking surface is provided. The toaster release material includes a base layer substrate supporting one or more nonstick layers. The one or more nonstick layers include a nonstick warning layer for cooking coated on the base layer and a nonstick exterior layer for cooking coated on the warning layer. During use in a toaster over where the toaster release material is subjected to heat, the exterior layer deteriorates such that at least a portion of the warning layer having a different color than the exterior layer is exposed to provide a visual indication of the remaining lifespan of the toaster release material.

A sandwich press or food holder for use with a cooking appliance, such as a toaster or oven. Sidewalls of the press that define a space in which a food item is received can have one or more ridges that define a convex surface inside the cavity and a concave surface on an exterior of the sidewall. The concave surface can be positioned adjacent a heating element when the press is received in a cooking cavity of the appliance. One or more openings can be provided in the sidewall, e.g., to allow radiant energy to pass and/or steam to escape. A handle can permit two-handed manipulation of the press and can have a gripping portion that is offset from an area directly above the press.

A cooking accessory insert for a cooking grill includes a heat distribution duct that, installed, extends from a burner proximate to the bottom of the grill's fire box generally to a cooking level near the top of the fire box. The heat distribution duct is defined by a plurality of side walls extending from a top end of the heat distribution duct to a bottom end, tapering inward, or narrowing, from top to bottom. A top surface substantially covers the top end of the heat distribution duct, while the bottom is open. A cover is provided to cover the top surface, defining a baking chamber between the cover and the top surface. A cooking surface element such as a pizza stone is removably disposed on the top surface, spaced apart from the top surface by a plurality of spacers.

A containing assembly for a food product for use as a culinary tool to assist in preventing thermal injury to a user while inserting and retrieving the food product from a toaster slot, the assembly including a support assembly defining a basket for receiving and retaining the food product, and having a support frame with a u-shaped bar with two side bars and a base bar and two articulating side walls coupled to the bottom of the support frame, the rotatable side wall rotates about an axis proximate the bottom of the support frame. A stop restricts the outward rotation of the rotatable side wall at a predefined open position. A handle is fixedly coupled to one of the two side bars of the support frame and configured for inserting and retrieving the support assembly from the toaster slot with a single user hand.

A food holder for use with a cooking appliance, such as a toaster or oven. Sidewalls of the holder that define a space in which a food item is received. The sidewalls may be secured by engagement features, e.g., components that can be plastically deformed to secure portions of the sidewall relative to each other. A handle attached to the sidewalls may have a grip portion that is movable relative to a sidewall to which the handle is attached, e.g., by bending a portion of the handle. Lateral end walls and/or a bottom wall can be pleated or otherwise arranged to accommodate movement of the sidewalls towards each other, e.g., when compressing a food item between the sidewalls.

A cooking accessory insert for a cooking grill includes a heat distribution duct that, installed, extends from a burner proximate to the bottom of the grill's fire box generally to a cooking level near the top of the fire box. The heat distribution duct is defined by a plurality of side walls extending from a top end of the heat distribution duct to a bottom end, tapering inward, or narrowing, from top to bottom. A top surface substantially covers the top end of the heat distribution duct, while the bottom is open. A cover is provided to cover the top surface, defining a baking chamber between the cover and the top surface. A cooking surface element such as a pizza stone is removably disposed on the top surface, spaced apart from the top surface by a plurality of spacers.

A sandwich press or food holder for use with a cooking appliance, such as a toaster or oven. Sidewalls of the press that define a space in which a food item is received can have one or more ridges that define a convex surface inside the cavity and a concave surface on an exterior of the sidewall. The concave surface can be positioned adjacent a heating element when the press is received in a cooking cavity of the appliance. One or more openings can be provided in the sidewall, e.g., to allow radiant energy to pass and/or steam to escape. A handle can permit two-handed manipulation of the press and can have a gripping portion that is offset from an area directly above the press.