PATENT DOCUMENT

Abstract:
A horizontal axis rotisserie oven with versatile electronic controls. The rotisserie further includes an improved spit for quick mounting of food, a door which hides blemishes due to normal use, easily referenced food cooking indexes, and added features that aid in keeping countertops clean.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/662,308 filed Sep. 15, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,972 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/436,614 filed Nov. 9, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,645); which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/217,944 filed Dec. 21, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,390). 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A rotisserie is defined by Webster&#39;s Dictionary as “an appliance fitted with a spit on which food is rotated before or over a source of heat”. 
     Rotisserie cooking, particularly on traditional horizontal spits, is considered to be among the healthiest ways of preparing foods. Unlike other cooking methods, unhealthy grease and oil are allowed to drip off all sides of the food while it is being cooked. Other cooking methods allow grease and oil to settle into the top of the foods. 
     Rotisserie cooking is also among the most tasty methods of cooking. Contrasted with other cooking methods, moisture while cooking doesn&#39;t settle to the bottom of the food, allowing the top to dry out. Taste is enhanced too because foods, and particularly meats, self-baste during the rotisserie cooking process. This self basting both seals in flavor and moisture, and simultaneously adds flavors to the outside of the food being cooked. 
     Rotisserie cooking is also among the easiest methods of cooking. Rotisserie foods require little or no seasonings to add flavor for reasons just mentioned. And, unlike many other methods of cooking, rotisserie cooking requires no, or virtually no, attention during the actual cooking process. 
     Among the most popular rotisseries in today&#39;s U.S. marketplace are those fitted to outdoor grills. Generally these have a gear reduced electric motor powering a single rod horizontal spit over a charcoal or gas fired heat source, with either an open-air or enclosed oven design. 
     These units have their shortcomings, particularly during inclement weather, or when it is very hot or very cold, or when flies, ants or yellow jackets are around, or when its windy, etc. 
     Models among these units which have enclosed ovens in which rotisserie cooking is performed, usually have no internal light and no window or only a small window to view the food while its being cooked. Such construction makes it difficult to check cooking progress. 
     And opening the doors on these enclosed oven units generally lets out the hot cooking air which in turn slows cooking and makes gaging cooking times even more difficult. 
     And cooking results can be unpredictable on these units, particularly on charcoal fired models due to variances in the heat source and outside air. 
     The exteriors of these units generally get very hot and thus present safety considerations which may require warning labels and extra caution on the part of the users. 
     Charcoal grills have additional inconveniences of having to start and maintain their hot coals. 
     Starting charcoal fires or using bottled or other forms of gas may also present safety hazards. 
     And hot grease dripping into glowing charcoal, gas flames or onto hot electric coils may flare up. 
     In addition, the single rod spits used on most of these rotisseries may be difficult to use and may not do an adequate job of supporting the food being cooked. 
     Another popular rotisserie type in the U.S. market is the enclosed countertop rotisserie having a vertically rotating spit. 
     These typically have limited capacity, such as being able to cook only a chicken weighing five pounds or less. Such capacity may be unsuitable for families or for use at parties. 
     Also, many of these units have small door openings and hot oven walls which make it difficult to insert and remove food. 
     And usually when the door is opened it swings to one side where it is still in the way of loading or unloading foods, especially when the door is hot. 
     And because these units rotate foods about a vertical axis, the top half of the food usually becomes dry even when the chef takes the inconvenient trouble to regularly baste. 
     And there are usually no provisions for putting smaller foods closer to the heat source where they might cook faster. 
     Typically these units have very hot exteriors which may present safety hazards requiring warning labels and extra user care. 
     Another rotisserie type becoming popular in the U.S. is the countertop toaster oven with horizontal rotisserie spit. 
     These typically have capacity limitations similar to those found on countertop rotisseries with vertical spits. They combine these limitations with the difficulty of use of outdoor rotisseries with their inadequate, awkward and limited use single rod spits. 
     Many of these countertop toaster ovens also present fire safety and smoke hazards from heat rods which are directly next to grease drip pans. 
     Most of these units have tight door openings and small oven cavities which make it difficult to insert and remove foods, particularly when the units are hot. 
     And many of these units have thermostatically controlled heating elements which cycle on and off and thus lengthen rotisserie cooking time. Rotisseries are most efficient when they have a constant radiant heat source. A constant source of heat, however, requires a method of efficiently removing heat from the cooking cavity which these units typically don&#39;t posses. Without efficiently removing heat, rotisserie oven interiors may overheat. 
     These units also typically have small door windows and little or no interior lighting which makes it difficult to view cooking progress. 
     And their spits are very difficult to maneuver into place and pull out of the oven, both due to the small oven cavities and because of poor mounting design. This is particularly true when the oven is hot. 
     In addition, when the doors open on these units, they generally swing down or swing to one side where they are in the way of loading and unloading food, particularly when the doors are hot. 
     And their doors are generally complicated in construction, typically having a small piece of glass framed with several pieces of metal, the entire assembly which is then permanently hinged to the cooking cavity. 
     These units too generally have no means to bring smaller foods closer to the heat source where they might cook faster. 
     Additionally, most rotisseries on the market today have several shortcomings in common. 
     They are usually limited as to what they can cook. Small foods or foods that can&#39;t be skewered may not be mountable for cooking. Even where baskets that fit on the spits are available, they are difficult to use and generally do a poor job of holding some types of food. 
     Next, cleanup is very difficult on most units. This is because few components can be removed for cleaning, and areas which require a lot of cleaning may be difficult to access, as an example, behind the heating elements. 
     Most rotisseries can only rotisserie cook. They can&#39;t steam or heat other foods simultaneously while rotisserie cooking. This is important because most people like vegetables or other side dishes to accompany their rotisserie cooked foods. 
     Most rotisseries occupy a large amount of space. This is particularly detrimental for indoor units where kitchen space may be at a premium. 
     And few current rotisseries adequately display the food being cooked which, with rotisserie cooking, can be a taste tempting show in itself. 
     Whereas the devices disclosed in the parent patent have been found to very capably rotisserie cook foods, several improvements have been found which enhance versatility and functionality. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present inventions showing phantom lines for various glass door positions. 
         FIG. 2  is a section view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  as indicated in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 3  is a broken out perspective view of the front lower right corner of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  showing in phantom lines how the glass door is mounted. 
         FIG. 4  is a broken out perspective view of the front lower left corner of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  showing in phantom lines how the glass door is mounted. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged section of  FIG. 1  showing details of the timer, control switch, heater indication light and the vents in the side wall. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the section shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 7  is the same perspective view shown in  FIG. 6  but with the spit plate removed and an alternative fan activated heat removal and cabinet cooling system installed. 
         FIG. 8  is a section taken through the alternative fan activated preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  as indicated in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed perspective view of the light used to illuminate the cooking interior of the preferred embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 through 6  with the translucent red lens shown in dotted lines. 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged detail of  FIG. 1  showing in greater detail the upper left corner of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a preferred spit assembly including a spit support platform. 
         FIG. 12  is a sectioned perspective view taken from below of the lid used on the warming/steaming tray unit showing ribbing used to prevent uncontrolled dripping of condensed liquids. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the spit assembly shown in  FIG. 11  mounting a rotary cooking container. 
         FIG. 13A  is a perspective view of an alternative rotary cooking container to the one shown in  FIG. 13  but which does not require a separate spit assembly in order to operate. 
         FIG. 14  is a broken perspective section of a kabob rod showing with phantom lines how it mounts into the spit plate. 
         FIG. 15  is a plan side view of the spit plate and kabob rod shown in  FIG. 14  showing how the kabob rod is turned by the drive gear when the spit plate rotates. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a food cooking basket showing in phantom lines how the lid for the basket is mounted. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the food cooking basket shown in  FIG. 16  with food contained within the basket and the basket mounted on the spit assembly. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of an alternative spit support platform. 
         FIG. 19  shows the alternative spit support platform shown in  FIG. 18  being used to support spit mounted food including use of gloves specifically designed for use in rotisseries. 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present inventions. 
         FIG. 21  is a side view section taken through  FIG. 20  as indicated in  FIG. 20 . 
         FIG. 22  is a side view of the control box of the preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view of the second spit plate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A preferred embodiment utilizing the present inventions comprises a metal enclosure  20  including an essentially horizontal metal floor  22  and metal roof  24 , a generally vertical metal back  26 , and two essentially vertical side walls including a double paneled right side wall  28  and a double paneled left side wall  30 , and an inclined glass front door  32 . A curved metal section  34  containing louver vents  238  joins the generally vertical metal back  26  to the essentially horizontal metal roof  24 . 
     Two horizontal front-to-back running rod-like side rails  38  and  40 , one located below the double paneled right side wall  28  and one disposed below the double paneled left side wall  30 , support the metal enclosure  20  and raise it off a countertop  42  or flat surface on which it might rest. Four rubber feet  44 ,  46  and  48  located on the bottom  52  of the side rails  38  and  40  keep the rails  38  and  40  from scratching countertops  42  and help prevent the embodiment from skidding. 
     The side rails  38  and  40  have lifting handles  54  and  56  projecting from their sides, one  54  projecting rightward from the right side rail  38 , and one  56  projecting leftward from the left side rail  40 . These lifting handles  54  and  56  allow the embodiment to be lifted and carried. 
     The side rails  38  and  40  also incorporate two cord winding projections  58   60  extending rearward, one  58  from the back of the right side rail  38  and one  60  from the back of the left side rail  40 . These cord winding projections  58  and  60  serve to wrap the cord for shortening its length, or for storing the cord while carrying the embodiment or during storage, or for other reasons. The cord winding projections  58  and  60  also keep the back  26  of the embodiment from directly contacting a vertical back wall. 
     The glass front door  32  is essentially a single flat panel of glass  64  with a round steel axle rod  66  held along its lower edge  68  by a “U” shaped channel  70  which is silicone glued to both the lower edge  68  of the panel of glass  64  and the axle rod. This axle rod extends outward  72  and  74  from both lower corners  76  and  78  of the panel of glass  64 . 
     The rails  38  and  40  provide tracks  81  and  83  which engage and support the two ends  80  and  82  of the round steel axle rod  66  which extend horizontally from each lower corner of the lower edge  68  of the glass front door  32 , and this engagement with these tracks  81  and  83  controls movement of the glass front door  32  to pivot downward  84  from the door&#39;s  32  closed position  85  and to slide under  87  the metal enclosure  20 . 
     In the upper right corner  86  of the panel of glass  64  and the upper left corner  88 , there are two handles  90  and  92 , one for each corner  86  and  88 , which have rod-like grips  94  and  96  which extend horizontally outward  72  and  74  in opposite directions. By making the grips extend horizontally instead of vertically, the overall height of the embodiment is minimized. This may be particularly advantageous in placing the embodiment below over counter cabinets or other overhead objects. The handle geometry is such that either handle  90  and  92  or both handles  90  and  92  may be easily used to grip and open or close the glass door  32 , or slide it  32  under  87  the metal enclosure  20  or hold the door for other reasons such as removal. 
     The inclined glass door  32  may be held closed  85  by gravity alone, requiring no other latching mechanism. Thus, when compared to cooking enclosures having latches, this preferred embodiment door construction generally: reduces required assembly parts, simplifies manufacturing, makes manufacturing tolerances wider, and makes user operation easier and more reliable. 
     When compared to a vertical glass door, the inclined glass door  32  also typically permits more ambient light to enter the cooking cavity and allows viewing of food being cooked from a broader range of vertical angles, thus making viewing of the food being cooked easier and more convenient. This in turn makes it easier to determine cooking progress and turns cooking of rotisserie food into an entertaining and taste tantalizing show. 
     A light  98  mounted between the panels  99  and  101  of the double paneled right side wall  28  introduces additional light into the cooking cavity  104  and further adds to the food viewing advantages just stated. This light  98  has a frosted translucent glass cover  100  which is in a contiguous plane with the interior wall  101  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . This cover  100  separates the light bulb  98  from the cooking cavity  104 . The light bulb  98  has a shiny metal reflector  106  behind it which backs onto the outside wall  99  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . The light  98  is wired to come on any time the embodiment&#39;s heat coil  110  is on. 
     A translucent red colored lens  112  penetrates the reflector  106  located behind the light bulb  98  and penetrates the outside panel  99  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . Light shines through this red colored lens from the light  98  whenever the light bulb  98  and thus the heat coil  110  is on. This red colored lens  112  is visible on the outside of the right side wall  99  and gives a clear visible indication of when the heat coil  110  is operating. Using a single light  98  to both illuminate the interior of the cooking cavity  104 , as well as give indication on the outside of the embodiment of when the heat coil  110  is operating, cuts down on required parts, simplifies embodiment construction, and increases embodiment reliability. Such a operation warning light may also meet the requirements for an “on” indicator as set by safety regulatory bodies such as Underwriters Laboratories. The lens color may also be changed, as an example to green, to match foreign safety standards such as those established by TUV in Germany. 
     The glass door  32  is silk printed  114  and  118  with trademark, decoration and safety markings. Such markings  114  may be printed in translucent inks which may be back lit by illumination from the light  98  mounted into the double paneled right side wall  28 . Such glowing back lit markings  114  may be thus made to be much more visible and dramatic, especially in dark rooms, than similar common unlit markings. 
     Markings  114  on the panel of glass  64  may by placed to block glare from light  98  mounted into the double paneled right side wall  28  from shining into viewer&#39;s eyes thus making the embodiment more pleasant to look at due to less emitted light glare. 
     Markings  118  on the door  32  may match the color of the enclosure door  32  frame  116  which backs portions of the glass door  32  when the door  32  is closed  85 . Such markings  118  when viewed against the background of the like colored enclosure frame  116  when the door  32  is closed  85 , may be virtually invisible. When the glass door  32  is lowered  84 , however, the markings  118  may become very visible. Thus a warning marking such as “Caution—Hot Surface”  118  may be printed to appear mirror imaged and upside down over when it is virtually invisible while the door  32  is closed  85  and the marking  118  is displayed against the like colored frame  116  background. When the door  32  is lowered  84  and opened  134  and  87 , however, the marking  118  may become clearly visible and appear in proper orientation, that is right side up and not mirror imaged, reading correctly “Caution—Hot Surface”. 
     Any inclination past vertical may be used for the glass front door  32 , but an angle between five and twenty-five degrees has been found to be most advantageous for producing satisfactory door latching and food viewing, as well as for conserving valuable countertop space. Too flat a glass angle stretches out the bottom of the enclosure and consumes an unacceptable amount of countertop space. Too steep a glass angle won&#39;t allow proper door latching and provides a poor view of foods being cooked. Inclining the front of the enclosure increases the enclosure&#39;s footprint on a countertop and thus increases its stability and decreases any tendency to tip over or be accidentally moved. 
     The preferred embodiment may be constructed at any scale. However, two sizes have been found to be particularly advantageous. For large families, or for parties and entertaining, an enclosure with cooking cavity  104  interior dimensions between eleven and thirteen inches wide side to side, ten to twelve inches from the cooking cavity ceiling  142  to the top of the drip pan  120 , as explained later herein, and ten to twelve inches deep from the inside of the glass door  32  to the front of the heating rods  110 , as explained later, as measured horizontally midway between the ceiling  142  and the top of the drip pan  120 . When constructed at this scale, the embodiment can cook a fifteen pound turkey, or two six pound chickens. Fifteen pound turkeys are considered among the largest turkeys commonly sold around Thanksgiving and Christmas. And six pound chickens are among the largest commonly sold popular chickens sold in US supermarkets. Thus such a size meets the needs of most large families or people who entertain. 
     A second advantageous size meets the needs of smaller families, people who live alone, or people with very small kitchens. For these markets, a cooking cavity  104  with interior dimensions between nine and eleven inches wide, seven to nine inches from the cooking cavity ceiling to the top of the drip pan, and seven to nine inches deep from the inside of the glass door  32  to the front of the heating rods is particularly advantageous. When constructed at this scale, the embodiment can cook a six pound chicken, or two three pound chickens. Three pound chickens are among the smallest commonly sold chickens. This size thus meets the needs of most smaller families or people who live alone. 
     The inclined glass front door  32  may rotate downward  84  and following such rotation to an essentially horizontal position  85 , slide under  87  the metal enclosure  20  with glass front door&#39;s  32  axles  80  and  82  engaging into the tracks  81  and  83  in the two front-to-back side rails  38  and  40 . In this slid-under position  87 , the top  126  of the glass door  32  is held off the countertop  42  by flat horizontal ribs  91   93  in the side rails  38  and  40 . Also in the slid-under position  87 , the glass door  32  is out of the way of foods being loaded into or removed from the cooking cavity  104 . This is particularly advantageous when the door  32  is hot and user contact with it might cause burns. 
     Alternatively, the enclosure  20  may be placed on the edge  30  of a countertop  42  and the glass door  32  may be rotated below the countertop  42  level  132  where it will also be out of the way of food loading and unloading. 
     As a third alternative, the glass door  32  may be opened  134  onto a countertop by being rotated down  84  from its closed position  85  to the countertop. 
     The glass front door  32  is also removable for cleaning, food loading, or other purposes. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , this removal is accomplished by moving the door&#39;s  32  left axle  82  out of engagement with the track  83  in the left side rail  40  by sliding the axle  82  through a slot  138  located in the front of the left side rail  40 . After this, the right axle  80  is pulled out of engagement with the track  81  in the right side rail  38  by moving the glass door  32  and the attached right axle  80  to the left  140 , away from the right rail  38 . Reinstalling the glass door  32  is done by reversing the above procedure. 
     Several advantages come from using what is essentially a single panel of glass  64  for the front door  32 . First, unlike most other framed glass constructions, the door  32  may be washed in a dishwasher, or sink, or immersed in liquid. 
     Second, when compared to doors which have framed glass, construction is generally: simpler, has fewer parts, is less expensive, and is lighter in weight for comparable transparent viewing area. Appearance is also typically cleaner. And the viewing area is unsurpassed compared to most other constructions. 
     On top  142  of the metal enclosure  20  may rest a warming/steaming tray unit  144  comprising a lower heating pan  146 , an intermediate steaming tray  148  with holes  149  in its floor which rests down into the lower heating pan  146 , and a warming tray lid  150  which caps and encloses both the lower heating pan  146  and the intermediate steaming tray  148 . 
     This unit is supported by four frustum conical feet  152  projecting from near each of the four corners of the bottom of the lower heating pan  146 , each of the feet  152  which rests into its own two level inverted wedding cake shaped support indention  154  located near each of the corners of the roof  24  of the metal enclosure  20 . Each foot  152  may rest in the lower most level of each such indention  154  allowing direct contact between the roof  24  of the metal enclosure  20  and the floor  156  of the lower heating pan  146 ; or each foot  152  may rest at the next level up of each indention  154  providing an air space  158  between the roof  24  of the metal enclosure  20  and the floor of the lower heating pan  146 , thus lowering the temperature of the floor  156  of the lower heating pan  146  and the temperature inside the warming/steaming tray unit  144 . Such temperature control may be used in warming, cooking or steaming foods or in any combination of these functions or other functions—i.e. steaming vegetables and then keeping them warm. 
     The warming/steaming tray unit  144  may be used to warm, cook or steam foods, either simultaneous with rotisserie cooking or independent of it. And it may perform these functions either with or without the intermediate steaming tray  148  in place, and either with or without the warming tray lid  150  in place. 
     Handles  160  on either side of the heating pan  146  make it easy to lift the entire warming/steaming tray unit  144 , with or without the intermediate streaming tray  148 , and with or without the warming tray lid  150  in place. As an extra measure of convenience, the placement of the warming/steaming tray feet  152  is symmetrical both front to back and side to side thus allowing the user to place it  144  on top of the metal enclosure  20  with a given heating pan handle  160  on the right side or on the left side of the metal enclosure  20 . 
     Water may be placed in the lower heating pan  146 . and the intermediate steaming tray  148  put in place to facilitate the steaming of vegetables or other foods. 
     When foods are being steamed or when moist foods are being heated in the warming/steaming tray unit  144 , droplets of water generally condense on the warming tray lid  150 . These droplets may present a safety hazard when the user lifts off the lid because the droplets may be hot and tend to run to the side of the lid  150  and drop onto the user when the lid is lifted and tilted. As shown in  FIG. 12 , to help prevent this from happening, the lid  150  has several concentric “V” shaped ribs  151  on the underside of its top surface. When the lid  150  is lifted and tilted, water droplets on this surface begin to run to the side of the lid  150 . En route to the side of the lid  150 , most of the water droplets cross the concentric “V” shaped ribs  151  and drop safely back into the intermediate steaming tray  148  or lower heating pan  146 , thus preventing burns which might occur if the “V” shaped ribs  151  were not present and the hot water droplets dripped onto the embodiment user. 
     The warming tray lid  150  may be constructed of any of many suitable materials. It would be advantageous for it  150  to be translucent or transparent so cooking or steaming progress as well as the food being cooked could be observed without removing the lid  150 . Glass or plastics such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, or Ultem™ from GE Plastics might be suitable for use in constructing the lid  150  as examples. 
     The warming tray lid  150  has a handle  153  in the center of its outside top surface to help in its use. This handle  153  is textured to help prevent slippage. 
     Within the metal enclosure  20 , resting on its floor  22 , is a drip pan  120  which mounts inside it, and is covered by, a grate cover  162 . The drip pan  120  collects grease, oil, and liquid which come from the food being rotisserie cooked. 
     The grate cover  162  is a metal cover perforated with slots  163  which reduces splashing, and smoke, and flares from liquids from the rotisserie cooked foods splashing and hitting heat coils  110  and other hot surfaces, and diminishes the risk fire from hot grease and oil inside which has dripped from rotisserie cooking food into the drip pan  120  becoming overheated and igniting. 
     The drip pan  120  and capping grate cover  162  may be pulled out  164  to facilitate their own cleaning, or the embodiment&#39;s interior cleaning, or for other purposes. 
     The grate cover  162  and underlying drip pan  120  both tend to get dirty during rotisserie cooking. In the preferred embodiment, both are covered on their upper sides with a nonstick coating similar to that used in nonstick fry pans. Such coating greatly reduces cleanup, particularly on the grate cover  162  which may get grease, oil and residue dripped on it while simultaneously being exposed to high heat from the heat coil  110  which bakes the drippings on. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the drip pan  120  may be pulled out part way  166  to prevent grease and oil from dripping onto counter tops or the glass front door  32  when food is being prepared for cooking in the spit track rest position  168 , as explained later, or when food is being removed from the metal enclosure  20  after cooking. 
     Adding to user convenience, the grate cover  162  and drip pan  120  are each square, thus allowing the user to place the grate cover  162  in the drip pan  120  with any given corner of the grate cover  162  resting in any corner of the drip pan  120 , and allowing the drip pan  120  to be placed in the metal enclosure  20  with any of its four corners resting in any corner of the metal enclosure  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the embodiment&#39;s spit assembly  170  comprises a first metal spit plate  172  and a second metal spit plate  174 . The first metal spit plate  172  has two sharpened cylindrical spit rods  176   178  attached at right angles to it. This first metal spit plate  172  is circular in outline with gear teeth  180  on its periphery and eight evenly spaced essentially round kabob holes  182  penetrating it just inside of and adjacent to the gear teeth  180 . These kabob holes  182  are for supporting kabob rods  184  as explained later. 
     The center of the first metal plate  172  is frustum conically indented away from the projecting attached spit rods with a stub axle.  186  projecting from the back bottom center of the plate&#39;s  172  frustum conical indent. 
     The stub axle  186  has circular grooves  188  cut into its cylindrical periphery. These grooves  188  help to prevent squeaking from the stub axles rubbing against their support tracks  198  and  200 , described later, when the spit assembly  170  is rotating. 
     The second metal spit plate  174  is the mirror image of the first metal spit plate  172  except in place of the two attached spit rods  176  and  178  it has two short spit rod support tubes  192  attached. These tubes  192  receive, and hold by an overlapping friction fit, the sharpened ends of the two spit rods  176  and  178 . 
     Foods are secured to the spit simply by running one or both of the two sharpened spit rods  176  and  178  through the food and then capping the rods by pushing the tubes  192  in the second spit plate  174  over the sharpened ends of the spit rods  176  and  178  projecting from the first spit plate  172 . The food is then easily inserted into the embodiment as explained later. 
     The spit assembly  170  of the preferred embodiment has several advantages over other available spit assemblies. It is compact and efficient in the use of space both inside and outside the cooking cavity  104 . Because the spit assembly  170  is placed straight into the cooking cavity without angling or sliding into a drive socket, and because no drive forks or other space robbing mechanisms are required to hold even large and heavy pieces of food, almost the entire length of the spit rods  176  and  178 , which run almost the full width of the cooking cavity  104  from the interior left oven wall  103  to the interior right oven wall  101 , may be used to cook food. Other available spit rods, because they must be angled into place and slid into a drive socket are far less efficient in cooking space utilization. 
     Also, with the spit rods  176  and  178  on the preferred embodiment there is no loss of space outside the cooking cavity  104  while foods are being loaded into or are being cooked in the cooking cavity  104 . Other available spit rods have handles which project beyond their cooking enclosure and waste valuable counter space. 
     The spit assembly  170  on the preferred embodiment, as explained earlier, with its dual spit rod  176  and  178  design, holds foods more firmly than other single spit rod designs. This advantage means that even heavy and large foods rotate solidly with the spit assembly  170  and don&#39;t become loose and flop or fall off the rods  176  and  178 . On other spit rod designs, foods tend to shift while rotating and become loose and fall off the spit rods when this looseness bores a hole through the food being cooked. 
     The spit assembly  170  on the preferred embodiment, as explained in more detail later herein, also integrates the mounting of self-rotating kabob rods into its design. Many other spit rod designs don&#39;t even plan for the mounting of non-rotating kabob rods. 
     And the spit assembly  170  on the preferred embodiment, as also explained in more detail later herein, also allows for the easy and solid mounting of other cooking accessories such as cooking baskets  270 . Other spit rods designs may make no such provisions. 
     The spit assembly  170  on the preferred embodiment makes food mounting easy. The food is simply pushed onto the two relatively skinny and sharp spit rods  176  and  178 , the second spit plate  174  slid into place, and the assembly, food and all, is placed directly into the cooking cavity  104 . Other designs have thicker spit rods which are more difficult to shove through foods, and these designs may require hard to use accessories, such as mounting forks, to secure the foods from rotating independently of the spit while cooking, and placing foods into their cooking enclosures is more difficult, as explained in the next paragraph. 
     The spit assembly  170  on the preferred embodiment is easy and intuitive to load into the cooking cavity  104 . The assembly  170  is simply shoved directly into the cooking cavity without angling or having to align its end with and slide it into a drive socket. Other designs with drive sockets or other complicated drive means are far more difficult to use. 
     And foods are easy to unload from the preferred embodiment&#39;s spit assembly  170 . The assembly  170  is simply slide straight out of the cooking cavity  104 , the second spit plate  174  easily removed, and the foods slid off the two rods  176  and  178 . Other spit rods are difficult to remove from their cooking enclosures, some requiring the attachment of handles or lifting devices, and/or angling to uncouple drive mechanisms, and may require the additional steps of removal of accessories, such as food mounting forks. 
     The spit assembly  170  on the preferred embodiment may be mounted closer to the cooking heat source  110  to speed cooking of smaller foods. Other spit rod designs don&#39;t offer this feature. 
     Cleaning of the spit rods  176  and  178  is enhanced by nonstick coating, similar to that used in nonstick fry pans, covering their surfaces which contact food during cooking. The ends of the spit rods may be left uncoated to facilitate the easy insertion of the rods  176  and  178  into the spit rod support tubes  192 . 
     To facilitate food loading onto the spit assembly, a spit support base  194  is supplied with the preferred embodiment. This spit support base  194  can hold the first spit plate  172  with its spit rods  176  and  178  projecting directly upward. In this position, foods can be easily loaded onto the spit rods  176  and  178  by lowering the foods onto the pointed ends of the rods  176  and  178 . 
     In addition, the spit support base  194  can be used to help in serving. In this capacity, the support base  194 , possibly after being placed on top of a plate, can hold foods skewered on the vertically disposed spit rods  176  and  178  while the food is being removed from the spit rods  176  and  178  or while the food is being carved. 
     A variant  196  of the spit support base  194  shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19  expands the diameter of the support base  194  and allows the expanded diameter support base  196  to be used for all of the original  194  support base&#39;s functions plus it may be used as a serving plate for foods either not skewered or positioned on vertically supported spit rods  176  and  178 . In addition, this larger variant  196  may eliminate any need for a plate when the support base is used as a serving platform holding the spit assembly  170  with its rods  176  and  178  disposed vertically. 
     As shown in  FIG. 19 , this spit support base variant  196  may also be used to help load and unload foods into and from the embodiment. Here, the support base  196  is placed under the food, and the support base  196  along with the food which it supports is lifted and moved to load the food into, or remove the food from, the enclosure  20 . 
     Similarly, any dish shaped device might be used to help load and unload food to and from the enclosure  20 . Such a shape is enhanced for this use if its perimeter is raised in a manner similar to that found on a soup bowl. Such a raised perimeter helps better support the foods being inserted into or removed from the enclosure  20  and more reliably holds liquids which may drip form such foods. 
     Either the original  194  or the variant  196  spit support base may be used to keep the spit assembly  170  from rolling on a countertop. Here, one of the spit plates  172  and  174  is placed into either an upright or inverted spit support base  194  and  196  resting on the countertop which thus prevents the spit assembly  170  from rolling by providing a stable indention, i.e. either the top face or bottom face of the support base  194  and  196  resting flat on the counter, in which one of the round spit plates  172  and  174  may rest. 
     Because there are two spit rods  176  and  178 , foods may be penetrated by both rods  176  and  178  and thus the foods may be securely held and prevented from spinning independent of the spit assembly&#39;s  170  rotation, or prevented from dropping off the spit assembly  170 . This compares to conventional single rod spit designs which tear holes in food because all the food&#39;s weight is supported on a single rod. Foods supported on such single rods may break loose and fail to turn as the spit turns because of inadequate tortional support engagement between the spit and the food. Foods may also fall off of single spit rods due to inadequate weight distribution and support, and because food movement not synchronized with the spit tends to tear holes in the foods which results in the foods tearing loose of the spit. 
     In addition, many single spit rods use clamped-on support forks positioned at each end of the spit rod supported food to compensate for food tearing and spinning independently of the spit assembly. These support forks frequently cause further problems by being difficult and inconvenient to install and remove as well as by shortening the length of food that can fit on the spit rods because of the space the support forks consume. 
     Once the spit  170  is fully assembled with the food skewered on the spit rods  176  and  178  and the tubes  192  projecting from the second metal spit plate slid over and capping the pointed ends of the spit rods  176  and  178  orthogonally projecting from the first metal spit plate  172 , the spit assembly  170  is ready to be loaded into the embodiment enclosure  20 . 
     The double paneled right side wall  28  and the double paneled left side wall  30  each contain an indented spit support track  198   200  on their interior panels  101  and  103 . In the preferred embodiment, the spit support track  200  on the interior panel  103  of the left double paneled side wall  30  is a mirror image of the spit support track  198  on the interior panel  101  of the right double paneled side wall  28 . 
     These two spit support tracks  198  and  200  engage the stub axles  186  on the spit plates  172  and  174  when the spit assembly  170  is slid into the enclosure  20 . The tracks  198  and  200  allow the spit assembly  170 , including any spit accessories or any food thereon, to slide in and out of the enclosure  20 . In addition, each track  198  and  200  has three axle positioning indents  168 ,  122  and  202  which can support and hold the stub axles  186 , and thus the spit assembly  170 . in specific track  198   200  locations. 
     The first  168  of these axle positioning indents  168 ,  122  and  202  is located on each track  198  and  200  adjacent to the door  32  opening. This indent  168  is referred to as the rest position and has several functions. First, when loading or unloading food from the embodiment, it may be first rested in this position  168  where a better grip may be obtained on the food or where it simply may be rested. It also serves as the first location to catch the spit assembly  170  as it is being loaded into the embodiment, and the last location to catch the spit assembly  170  before it leaves. 
     It also serves as an area to prepare food. As an example, in the rest position  168  foods can be centered on the spit rod, or ties to secure the wings and legs on a chicken might be readjusted, or barbecue sauce can be brushed on a chicken or baby back ribs, or seasonings applied to other foods. 
     When the rest position  168  is being used for food preparation, it may be advantageous to pull the drip pan  120  and attached grate cover  162  to their part way out position  166 , as explained earlier, to keep foods and preparations from dripping or dropping onto the countertop or glass door. 
     The rest position  168  on each spit support track  198  and  200  is backed by an upwardly inclined track portion  204 . This inclined track  204 , combined with the large open front throat of the track and rest position  168 , makes it easy to catch the spit assembly  170  and hold it in the rest position  168  when it is inserted into the enclosure  20 , and it makes it obvious that the spit assembly  170  has been caught in the rest position  168  when it is being removed from the enclosure  20 . 
     The tracks&#39;  198  and  200  lowered front portions allows foods to duck under the enclosure&#39;s roof  24  front overhang  206 , thus allowing larger foods to be loaded into the enclosure  20 . The roof  24  front overhang  206  is necessary to give strength to the front of the roof  24 , and without lowering the front of the track, the size of the foods which might be loaded into the enclosure  20  could be reduced and be smaller than the capacity of the enclosure  20  itself. 
     When the spit assembly  170  is being loaded into the enclosure  20 , the assembly  170  first passes the rest position  168 , then the inclined track portion  204 , and next it comes to the low heat position  122  where its stub axles  186  can be engaged by gravity into a detent  168 ,  122  and  202  and rotate. In the low heat position  122  the gear teeth  180  on the perimeter of the spit plate closest to the right side inner side wall  101  engage a motor driven drive gear  208  which penetrates into the enclosure through the right side inner side wall  101 . The spit assembly  170  and any spit accessories or food thereon, may be rotated by this motor driven drive gear  208  in front of the embodiment&#39;s rear heating element  110 , which is described later herein. 
     A quick and easy method of tying up loose parts of foods to be rotisserie cooked has been found using the spit support track  200 , timer  222  and control switch  224 . As an example wings and legs on chickens, ducks and turkeys can be easily secured using this method. First, the end of a length of string is secured to a wing, leg or other part of the fowl using a simple wrap or a slip knot as examples. In the alternative, the end of the string might be indirectly secured to the fowl by securing the string to the spit assembly  170 . This might be done while the fowl is supported on the spit assembly  170  in the spit support track  200  rest position  168  or while the fowl is outside the embodiment. Next, the spit assemble is moved back to either the low heat  122  or high heat  202  spit support track  200  position. The control switch  224  is then turned to the “no heat rotation”  252  position and the timer turned on. As the fowl rotates, the string automatically wraps around the fowl&#39;s loose parts thus securing them. Once secured, the timer is turned off, the string is cut, and its end tied or wrapped or otherwise secured to the fowl on a wing, leg or other part. In the alternative again, the cut end of the string might be indirectly secured to the fowl by securing the end to the spit assembly  170 . 
     The direction of spit assembly  170  rotation is important in producing satisfactory cooking results. The embodiment&#39;s heating element  110  is located half way up, and directly adjacent to, the back  26  wall of the enclosure  20 . The drive gear  208  rotates the spit assembly  170  so food rotate  175  from the top of the enclosure  20  down to directly in front of the heating element  110  and then down to the bottom of the enclosure where the food rotates  175  back to the top of the enclosure  20  while the food faces away from the heating element  110 . Reversing this rotation  175  has been found to result in smoke, small flare-ups and less tasty food. 
     The speed of spit assembly rotation has also been found to be important in producing rotisserie cooked foods with generally superior taste and texture. The preferred embodiment has a spit assembly  170  rotation speed of between 3.5 and 5 rpm. This is typically faster than most home rotisseries operate The low heat position  122  may support large foods up to the capacity of the enclosure  20 . However, it may also support foods of any size including smaller sized foods. In some cases the low heat position  122  may be desirable to cook smaller foods slower as an example. 
     Rotisserie cooking in the preferred embodiment differs in several ways from conventional oven cooking. First, in conventional oven cooking the food remains stationary and is cooked by hot air. In the preferred embodiment, food is rotated about a horizontal axis and is cooked by a combination of both radiant energy coming directly from the heat coil  110  and air heated by the heat coil  110 . Radiant energy is generally more efficient than hot air in conveying cooking energy to food and thus typically gets foods hotter quicker. 
     However without food rotation, radiant energy tends to dry out and burn foods as is the case in most conventional oven broilers. Also, without food rotation, radiant energy tends to cook grease and oil into foods, and particularly into meats. 
     Rotisserie cooking in the preferred embodiment is generally quicker than conventional oven cooking. This is partly due to the efficiency of radiant energy heating and also due to food movement which helps break the air boundary layer around foods being cooked and thus speeds hot air heat transfer to foods in a similar manner to fan driven home convection bake ovens. 
     Cooking speed is also increased because foods are alternately super heated on their surfaces as they pass directly in front of the heating coil and then the heat is allowed to soak into the foods as they rotate away from the heating coil. 
     Natural expansion and contraction as foods heat and cool during rotation also helps speed the cooking process and lower cooking times. 
     Directly behind and above the low heat track position  122 , is the high heat track position  202 . Again, the stub axles  186  of the spit assembly  170  may be pushed back, raised and rested into this position. In this position the gear teeth  180  in the perimeter of the spit plate closest to the right side inner side wall  101  may engage the drive gear  208  and the spit assembly  170  may be thus power rotated. Smaller foods may be rotated closer to the heating element  110  in the high heat track position  202  which may greatly reduce such smaller foods&#39; cooking times. 
     Inserting the spit assembly  170  into the preferred embodiment requires only resting it on the left and right spit support tracks  200  and  198  and lifting and pushing it back into the enclosure  20  to the desired use position  168 ,  122  and  202 , be it the rest position  168 , the low heat position  122  or the high heat position  202 . 
     Removing the spit assembly  170  from the high heat track position  202 , the low heat track position  122 , or from the rest track position  168 , requires only lifting and pulling the spit assembly  170  toward the front of the enclosure  20 . 
     This easy insertion of the spit assembly  170  into, and simple removal of the spit assembly  170  from, the embodiment enclosure  20  is in marked contrast to most other rotisseries which typically require angling the spit rod assembly into its cooking position and carefully fitting one of the spit assembly&#39;s ends into a drive socket. 
     Use of the relatively large diameter spit plates  172  and  174  as the final reduction gear in the motor rotational speed reducing gear train driving the spit assembly  170  has several advantages when compared with typical rotisserie drives which use a gear box terminated by a drive socket directly coupled to the spit rod. 
     The spit plate&#39;s  172  and  174  large outer diameter gear  180  greatly reduces the play and backlash in the motor speed reduction gear drive train caused when off-center weighted foods are rotated. In this situation the motor pushes off-center foods uphill until the off-center weight swings over the top of center and then moves downhill constrained by the drag of the motor. The shift from the motor pulling the food uphill to the motor constraining the food&#39;s movement downhill causes a shock load on all the gears in the gear reduction train, and particularly on the final drive gears, as any free movement, or play, between the gears in the gear train shifts with the full power of the off-center weighted foods behind it. 
     Typical final drive gears found in rotisserie drive trains are one-tenth or less of the diameter of the spit plate&#39;s outer gear teeth  180  and thus generally are far less durable, have far more play, and put far more load on both the spit and attached food, and on the rest of the reduction drive gear train itself. This in turn may result in shorter motor and gear life, food disengaging from and falling off of the spit rod, and unacceptable levels of noise and vibration. 
     The speed reduction between the drive gear  208  and the gear teeth  180  on the spit plate  172  and  174  is ten-to-one in the preferred embodiment but may be greater or less depending on the desired diameter of the spit plate and the coarseness needed in the gear teeth. In the preferred embodiment, such a high gear reduction outside of the gear transmission  210  attached to the gear reduced motor  212  means that fewer and less durable, which may translate to less expensive, gears may be used inside the gear transmission  210  attached to the gear reduced motor  212 . 
     And by eliminating the drive socket which is generally used to attach the spit assembly to the final drive gear of the motor speed reducing gear transmission, any play in the socket engagement with the spit assembly or any binding in inserting or removing the spit assembly into and from the drive socket are eliminated 
     Both the first  172  and the second spit plates  174  each have eight evenly spaced kabob holes  182  penetrating their structure just inside their perimeter gear teeth  180 . These holes  182  are designed to hold the ends of self rotating kabob rods  184 . Each kabob hole  182  is essentially circular hole passing through the spit plate  172  and  174  with four evenly spaced semicircular lobes  214  carved into its perimeter. 
     Engaging these kabob holes  182  are self-rotating kabob rods  184 . Each kabob rod  184  has a pointed end  216 , and an end with a drive cam  218  and retaining spring  220 . The kabob rods  184  work by the spit assembly  170  first being put together with the spit rod holding tubes  192  on the second spit plate  174  being pushed over the pointed ends of the two spit rods  176  and  178  projecting from the first spit plate  172 . 
     Each kabob rod  184  to be used is then loaded with food by skewering the food onto the kabob rod  184  using its pointed end  216 . Any number of kabob rods  184  may be used at any one time, from one up to the spit assembly&#39;s  170  capacity of eight. 
     To insert a kabob rod  184  onto the spit assembly  170 , the pointed end  216  of the kabob rod  184  is inserted through a kabob hole  182  in the spit plate  172  and  174  which will be closest to the inner panel  103  of double paneled left wall  30 . Then the rod  184  is backed into an opposing hole  182  in the other spit plate  172  and  174  where the retaining spring  220 , as its widest  183  part passes through the kabob hole, snaps and retains the kabob rod  184  from side to side movement away from or toward either spit plate  172  and  174  similar to the way a clothing snap works. This insertion process is easy and intuitive and is repeated for each kabob rod  184  to be used. 
     Insertion of the kabob rods  184  onto the spit assembly  170  may be done while the spit assembly  170  is outside of the enclosure  20  or while it is placed in a track position inside the enclosure  20 , such, as an example, as being placed in the rest position  168 . 
     The spit assembly  170  with attached kabob rods  184  is then inserted into the low heat track position  122 , and the embodiment turned on by setting the cooking time on the timer  222  and turning the control switch  224  to the “Normal Heat Rotation” position. 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 , each 360 degree rotation  175  of the spit assembly  170  causes each kabob rod  184  to be rotated  177  one-quarter turn by the kabob rod&#39;s  184  drive cam  218  being rotated by the spit plate  172   174  into the drive gear  208  which forces one of the kabob rod&#39;s cam  218  arms striking the drive gear  208  to move and consequently causes the one-quarter turn rotation of the kabob rod  184 . 
     The four lobes  214  in each of the spit plate  172  and  174  kabob holes  182  help stop each kabob rod  184  at even one-quarter turn intervals, and also help prevent a kabob rod  184  from rotating in its kabob hole  182  when it is not being driven by the drive gear  208  pushing on the kabob rod cam  218 . 
     This kabob rod  184  automatic rotation results in all sides of the kabob rod cooked food being cooked evenly, unlike in most rotisserie kabob cooking where one side of the kabob food gets cooked more than the opposite side. 
     The kabob rods  184  on the preferred embodiment are better than others commonly available for several reasons. First, they  184  may automatically rotate, as explained above, which cooks kabob foods more evenly on all sides than non-rotating rods. 
     Second, one, or up to the spit wheel&#39;s capacity of eight kabob rods, can be in use at any time. Some kabob rods require the entire transport wheel to be loaded with kabob rods in order to operate. 
     Third, the rods  184  can be inserted or removed while the rods  184  are inside the cooking cavity  104 . Many kabob rods require a lot of space to be inserted or removed from their transport wheel, and thus they could not be inserted and removed from inside a confined cooking space. 
     Next, the rods  184  are very efficient in space utilization and allow foods to be placed along most of the rod&#39;s  184  entire length. Along with this, the rod&#39;s  184  means of attaching to their transport wheels  172  and  174  is compact and therefor allows more room for cooking foods with less wasted space for attachment to the transport wheels  172  and  174 . Many kabob rods use a substantial portion of their length for coupling which limits their cooking space. 
     And the kabob rods  184  intuitively snap into place which makes them easy to use. This also generally removes the need for user instructions. Many kabob rods have complicated coupling mechanisms which are both difficult to use and require detailed user instructions. 
     The rods  184  offer the ability for each rod  184  to automatically rotate or remain stationary at the user&#39;s discretion and in any combination (i.e. 3 rotating and 2 remaining stationary all simultaneously) simply by the user facing the rod&#39;s cam  218  toward or away from the drive gear  208  side of the cooking-cavity  104 . This feature is not found on other kabob rod designs. 
     And when the rods  184  are stationary, bacon, slabs of baby back ribs or other foods may be wrapped around and clipped to the rods in drum-like fashion for fast even cooking. 
     As most clearly shown in  FIG. 8 , directly adjacent to, and approximately half way up the back  26  of the enclosure  20  of the preferred embodiment, is a serpentine shaped electric heat coil  110 . This coil  110  winds back and forth across the back  26  of the enclosure  20  creating four straight heat rods  226  terminated by three “U” turns  228  and two rods passing through the enclosure&#39;s right side interior wall. The coil is supported on its right and left ends by support brackets  230  and  232  which slide over the “U” turns  228  in the coil and position it to allow for expansion and contraction as the coil heats and cools, while maintaining the coil&#39;s correct position. 
     This heat coil  110 , unlike heating elements in conventional ovens which turn on and off under thermostatic control, may remain constantly on during cooking. This minimizes cooking times and simplifies embodiment construction when compared to rotisseries which cycle on and off while cooking. Alternatively the heat coil  110  may be thermostatically controlled and forgo these advantages. 
     Through the constantly on heat coil  110 , the embodiment is continuously heating air inside the enclosure  20 , and is constantly radiating cooking energy. By being constructed to have a heating element  110  which remains constantly on and thus having no thermostat, the preferred embodiment obviates the need for safety devices such as safety thermostats and thermal fuses designed to protect the device if a user set thermostat should fail. This further simplifies construction of the embodiment when compared to most conventional oven constructions. 
     Some rotisseries place their heating elements or sources of heat below the spit. This may create safety problems from grease fires and flare ups. When grease, oil and residue collected in drip receptacles below the spit become overheated from a heating source located below the spit, smoke and fires can result. When grease, oil or other residue drip or splash onto heating elements, other heat sources, or other hot surfaces, fire and smoke can also result. Heat sources located below the spit also tend to raise the overall height of the rotisserie which may be a problem when it is used in kitchens with cabinets located over their countertops. 
     Some enclosed rotisseries place their heating source above the spit assembly. These elements, due to their locations, and because both radiant and convection heat given off by the elements tends to rise, are generally less efficient than heat sources placed lower in the cooking enclosure  20 . This high position also tends to raise the overall height of the rotisserie which may be a problem when they are used in kitchens with cabinets located over their countertops. This problem is compounded by top mounted heating sources superheating the top of the cooking enclosure  20  which in turn may cause heat damage to over-counter cabinets. Such superheating may also create heat and fire safety hazards. 
     Both low and roof mounted heating elements, because they may, have their heat sources located near the middle or front of the rotisserie, may create an increased potential for users burning their hands when inserting and removing foods from the rotisserie enclosure when compared to a back mounted heating element. 
     By the preferred embodiment placing its heating element in the back  26  of the enclosure  20 , risk is minimized that a user will burn themselves on the element  110  or element heated hot surfaces. 
     By the preferred embodiment placing its heating element mid way between the floor  22  and ceiling  24  of the embodiment enclosure  20 , problems of both low and high mounted heat sources are overcome. As an example, this mid way heating element  110  location helps minimize the overall height of the embodiment, and greatly reduces any chance of smoke and fires from the contents of the drip pan becoming overheated or from grease, oil or other residues splashing onto heat coil  110  or heat coil warmed hot surfaces. 
     When compared to roof mounted heat elements, this mid location also reduces the temperature of the roof  24  of the embodiment, thus reducing the risk of heat damage to over-counter cabinets and the risk of burning users on the roof  24   
     This mid location in the preferred embodiment is also generally more efficient in conveying cooking energy than heat coils mounted above the spit assembly  170 . 
     This mid location, when compared to heat elements located above or below the spit which generally are closer to the front of the enclosure, also tends to reduce the temperature on the outside of the front door  32 , including the front door  32  glass, which in turn reduces the risk a user will burn themselves on these surfaces. 
     The mid heat element  110  location in general, when compared to heat element locations above or below the spit assembly, reduces all temperatures on the forward exterior of the enclosure  20  where users are most likely to come in contact and potentially burn themselves. This in general reduces user safety hazards both directly from burning themselves on the enclosure  20  or from accidents, such as accidentally dropping hot food, after unintentional contact with such hot enclosure  20  surfaces. 
     Located directly behind the heating element  110 , and held in place by the left  230  and right  232  heater element support brackets, is a removable cleaning shield  234 . During rotisserie cooking, grease, oil and residue may be splattered off food as the food becomes heated in front of the heating element  110 . Thus the area behind and adjacent to the heating element  110  tends to get dirty. Heat from the heating element  110  bakes on the grease, oil and residue and makes cleanup difficult. 
     The cleaning shield  234  may be coated with a nonstick ceramic coating similar to that used in many of today&#39;s nonstick fry pans. This coating is medium gray in color and thus tends not to show when it is dirty. 
     However, when it becomes dirty, the cleaning shield  234  is easy to clean simply by gripping the shield  234  by its bent-over top edge  236  and pulling it up and forward  235  and out of the enclosure  20 . Once thus removed, the shield  234  may be washed in a sink or dishwasher. Reinserting the cleaning shield  234  is accomplished by reversing the removal process. 
     By being behind and adjacent to the heating element  110 , the cleaning shield  234  receives radiant heat from the element  110 . When compared to a shiny surface cleaning shield placed behind the heating element  110 , the medium gray ceramic coating on the cleaning shield  234  has been found to cook foods as fast or even faster than their shiny counterparts. 
     Although definitive tests have not been performed to prove the theory, it appears there are two reasons for this unexpected cooking efficiency. First, the medium gray ceramic nonstick coated cleaning shield  234  gets hotter than a similar shiny cleaning shield. This in turn raises the interior air temperature of the enclosure  20  which in turn reduces cooking times. 
     Second, radiant energy striking the medium gray ceramic nonstick coated cleaning shield is reradiated at a lower infrared frequency than radiant energy striking a shiny cleaning shield. This lower frequency tends to absorb quicker and deeper into foods which in turn results in shorter cooking times. 
     These same cook time reducing features can be found with other cleaning shield coatings. As an example, self-cleaning oven interior coatings similar to those found in the DeLonge Alfredo Toaster Oven which today is widely available in U.S. department stores such as Robinson-May and Macy&#39;s, show similar advantages and require even less cleanup than nonstick; ceramic coatings. 
     The nonstick ceramic coating on the cleaning shield  234 , by not readily showing when it is dirty, reduces the amount of cleaning that the cleaning shield  234  requires. This same coating, when compared to other surfaces, makes cleaning the shield much easier. Cleaning ease is also greatly enhanced by the cleaning shield  234  being easy to remove from and reinsert into the enclosure  20 . 
     As mentioned earlier, the heating element  110  in the preferred embodiment remains constantly on during rotisserie cooking which creates hot air which must be safely vented from the enclosure&#39;s  20  interior. 
     Directly behind the heat shield  234 , on the curved center wall section  34  connecting the back  26  of the enclosure  20  to the roof  24  of the enclosure  20 , are upward facing vents  238 . These vents  238  allow air heated by the constantly operating heating element to escape the enclosure&#39;s  20  interior. These louvered vents  238  are indented inward with their openings at the top of the indent. 
     This arrangement of upward facing louvers  238  reduces potential heat damage to overhead cabinets when compared to more conventional indented louvers with their openings at the bottom of the indent. This is because hot air must first rise above the louver  238  and then exit by dropping down into the louver  238  opening rather than simply rising directly through the louver opening. 
     Forcing the hot air to first rise and then drop, reduces its velocity and creates turbulence which breaks up potentially damaging concentrated streams of fast moving exiting hot air. 
     Placing the vents  238  on the curved wall section  34  connecting the back  26  of the enclosure  20  with the enclosure&#39;s roof  24 , when compared to placing the vents on the back  26  or the roof  24  of the enclosure  20 , helps hot air exit away from backing walls the embodiment might be placed against, or exit away from overhead cabinets the embodiment might be placed under. Exiting hot air also tends to follow along the curved wall section  34  breaking away slowly and this further disperses hot air concentration. 
     There are gaps  240 ,  242 ,  244  and  246  between the glass door  32  and the frame  116  it rests against on all four sides of the door  32 . The gaps on the lower side of the glass door  32  generally allow cool air to enter the enclosure&#39;s  20  interior, and the gaps around the upper section of the glass door  32  generally allow hot air to exit from inside the enclosure  20 . This air movement helps control interior enclosure  20  temperatures which might otherwise rise to unacceptable levels due to the heat element  110  remaining constantly on during rotisserie cooking. 
     The gaps  240  and  242  between the door frame  116  and the glass door  32  are exceptionally wide on both the left  242  and right  240  sides of the glass door  32 . Hot air exiting out these left  242  and right  240  side gaps is dispersed and broken up by these exceptionally wide gaps  240  and  242  being inclined with the glass door  32  which help form the side gaps  240  and  242 . Such dispersion and breakup of the hot air rising from the inclined side gaps  240  and  242  helps prevent heat damage to overhead cabinets which the embodiment might be placed under. 
     The interior temperature of the enclosure  20  is controlled by the venting already described both on the curved wall  34  connecting the back  26  wall of the enclosure  20  with the roof  24  of the enclosure  20  and the venting from the gaps  240 ,  242 ,  244  and  246  surrounding the door. An equilibrium is reached involving the cooking energy supplied by heating element  110 , a cooling affect from the cooler temperature of the food being cooked, the amount of venting, and the ambient air temperature of the room in which the embodiment is operating. In the final stages of food cooking the preferred embodiment is engineered to produce an air temperature measured near the center of the enclosure&#39;s  20  interior of around 250 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Such a temperature, when compared to both warmer and cooler cooking temperatures, has been found to produce exceptionally satisfactory results in rotisserie cooked food taste and texture. 
     An alternate form of controlling cooking temperatures is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Here the shaft of the gear reduced motor  212  is extended through the case of the gear transmission  210  and a radial fan  258  is attached to the end of the motor&#39;s shaft. This fan  258  pulls through it both cool air  260  from outside of the enclosure  20  as well as hot air  262  from inside the enclosure  20 . The cool air  260  and hot air  262  are mixed and the combined warm air move into the space between the interior wall  101  and outside wall  99  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . A long scoop shaped vent  264  adjacent to the right side of the glass door  32  directs warm air out  266  over the exterior of the glass door when the embodiment is on and cooking with the glass door  32  closed. This directed warm air  266  cools the exterior of the glass door to help lower its temperature and thus the chances of a user getting burned by touching its surface. 
     Other vents  268  at the top of the double paneled right side wall  28  direct  280  the warm air moved by the fan  258  out  280  over the metal roof  24  of the enclosure  20  thus cooling the roof  24  and lowering its temperature to reduce the risks of burns from users accidentally touching the roof  24  when it is hot. Air from these vents  268  is blocked when the warming/steaming tray unit  144  is placed on top  24  of the enclosure  20  thus increasing the heat on the metal roof  24  and allowing the warming/steaming tray unit  144  to function in its normal way. Other vents may be placed in other locations around the double paneled right side wall  28 , such as example adjacent to the curved metal section  34  or back  26  of the enclosure, to help vent the interior of the enclosure  20  and reduce the chances of accidental burns from a user touching that section  34  and  26  by mistake. 
     The enclosure  20  is generally symmetrical side to side when viewed from the front. However there a few exceptions to this. First, there is a control/motor housing  248  mounted to the outside panel  99  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . The control/motor housing  248  has a power cord  250  extending out its back and contains within it: a three hour mechanical timer  222 , a control switch  224 , and a gear reduced  210  motor  212  which powers the drive gear  208 , referred to earlier, projecting through the interior panel  101  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . The heat element  110 , as described earlier, also projects from the interior panel  101  of the double paneled right side wall  28  and is supported by brackets  230  and  232  attached to both the right interior side wall  101  and the left interior side wall  103 . There too is a light  98  and light reflector  106  mounted between the interior  101  and exterior  99  panels of the double paneled right side wall  28  which lights the interior of the enclosure  20  through a translucent glass cover  100  disposed on the interior wall  101  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . This light  98  has a red lens  112  which extends from the light  98  through the light reflector  106  and exterior right panel  99  to the outside of the double paneled right side wall  28 . 
     The control/motor housing  248 , as just described, is attached to the outer panel  99  of the double paneled right side wall  28 . Instead of mounting the controls  222  and  224  on the front face of the embodiment as most conventional ovens do, the preferred embodiment mounts its controls  222  and  224  more than one-third the way back on its right side. It also mounts the control/motor housing  248  above the bottom of the embodiment, so that more than one-eighth of the outer panel of the double paneled right side wall  28  is left exposed under the control/motor cover  248  to allow items on the countertop  42  on which the embodiment might rest to move and reside under the control/motor housing  248 . 
     Placing the controls  222  and  224  in a separate housing  248  and placing the housing  248  more than a third of the way back on the side and more than an eighth of the way up the side of the cooking enclosure  20  has been found to maximize valuable useable counter space while simultaneously not significantly impairing the accessibility, usability, or required visibility of the controls. 
     Adding to this accessibility, usability and required visibility of the controls  222  and  224 , the surface on which they are displayed is inclined, and inclined both in plan and side views. Such double inclination, by facing the controls  222  and  224  toward the user whose eyes and hands are generally disposed above and to the right side of the enclosure  20 , helps in both the viewing and the use of the controls  222  and  224 . 
     Two devices control the embodiment&#39;s operation. The first is a mechanical three hour count down timer  222 . This windup timer  222  allows the embodiment to operate for up to three hours without having to reset the timer  222 . An electronic digital can be substituted to perform the same function. Three hours is appropriate because a fifteen pound turkey takes about 12 minutes per pound to cook or about three hours in total. Thus three hours may accommodate such a large item without having excess time which might result in timer inaccuracies and loss of safety advantages. As an example, a four hour mechanical timer might have its time markings closer together on its dial and might have a mechanism which is inherently less accurate than a three hour timer. Both of these conditions would reduce the timing accuracy for the user. And safety might be reduced it the user could leave the embodiment for four, five, or six hours, instead of only three hours maximum. 
     The second control device is a control switch  224  which regulates the functions of the heat element  110 , the gear reduced motor  212 , and the light  98 . The control switch  224  is only functional when the timer  222  is set and running with time on it. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the control switch  224  has three positions  252 ,  254  and  256 . Starting from the left, the first position  252  called “No Heat Rotation” turns on the gear reduced motor  212 , causing the spit assembly  170 , if installed, to rotate, and turns off both the light  98  and the heat element  110 . The light  98  being off, along with no light shining through the red lens  112 , indicates to the user that the heating element  110  is off and is not receiving electricity. This first switch position  252  is generally used after foods have been rotisserie cooked to cool the foods down while continuing the rotational flow of juices in and around the foods. It  252  keeps foods moist while not allowing grease, oil and/or other liquids to settle into the foods. It  252  may be used with the glass door  32  open  132 ,  134  and  87  or closed  85  depending on whether it is desirable to cool the foods to serving temperature rapidly or slowly. If the first switch position  252  is used with an electronic timer, the heat element  110  might be run at lower wattage or cycled on and off during this cooling down period to keep the foods warm for a prolonged period of time. 
     The second control switch position  254 , titled “Normal Rotation”, is used for rotisserie cooking. In this control switch position  254  the gear reduced motor  212 , the heat element  110 , and the light  98  all remain on. The light  98  being on, along with light shining through the red lens  112 , indicates to the user that the heating element  110  is on and receiving electricity. In the second control switch position  254 , foods are rotisserie cooked for the amount of time set on the timer  222 . 
     The third control switch position  256 , titled “Pause to Sear”, is used to brown or sear the surfaces of foods. In this control switch position  256 , the gear reduced motor  212  is turned off, thus stopping the spit assembly  170  from rotating, but the heat element  110 , and the light  98  remain on. Using this switch position  256  involves rotating the food using either of the other two control switch positions  252  and  254  until the side of the food to be browned or seared faces the heating element  110 , and then turning the control switch  224  to the “Pause to Sear” position  256 . The food will brown or sear in this position  256  until the time set on the timer  222  expires. 
     Circuits to perform the functions described herein are well know to one knowledgeable in the art and thus are not described in this document. 
     Besides the countdown timer and control switch, the gear reduced motor is enclosed in the control/motor housing. Although many types of motors and gear transmissions might be suitable, a half inch stack shaded pole motor with spur and helical reduction has been found to produce particularly satisfactory results in the larger size embodiment whose dimensions have been described earlier 
     The smaller embodiment, whose dimensions were described earlier, might use a less powerful, and therefore less expensive motor, such as a gear reduced synchronous motor. Synchronous motors have an advantage in generally producing less noise than generally larger shaded pole motors and other motors commonly used in rotisseries. Use of the spit plate as an extra large and durable final drive gear allows use of synchronous motors which usually have less durable transmissions than those used on the more, expensive shaded pole motors. 
     Several accessories can fit on the spit assembly. As an example as shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , a metal wire basket  270  might be fitted. This wire basket  270  might have a metal wire framework covered with a nonstick coating to prevent foods from sticking to the basket. 
     The lid  272  of the basket  270  is fitted with a fixed wire tab  274  on one side and a finger retractable wire tab  276  on the opposite side. Each tab fits into one of several slots  278  and  280  defined by wires on each side of the dished out lower part  282  of the basket  270 . Thus the lid  272  may be adjusted to clamp onto and hold during rotisserie cooking several different thicknesses of foods. 
     There is a certain degree of springiness in the lid  272  and the lower part  282  of the basket  270 , and this springiness allows the food  284  being held in the basket  270  to be clamped under pressure between the lid  272  and the lower part  282  of the basket  270  so that the food  284  is prevented from shifting while cooking. The same springiness allows different thicknesses of food to be held securely at the same time. Helping this ability to accommodate different thickness food simultaneously, the fixed tab  274  and the finger retractable tab  276  may each be inserted at different heights above the floor  286  of the dished out lower part  282  of the basket  270 . 
     Securing food in the basket  270  is a simple process. The food  284  is first placed on the floor  286  of the dished out lower part  282  of the basket  270 . The fixed wire tab  274  on the lid  272  is slid into  283  one of the slots  278  on the side of the dished out lower part  282  of the basket  270 . The slot  278  chosen, and hence the height of the lid  272  above the floor  286  adjacent to the fixed wire tab  274 , should be slightly lower than the height of the food  284  directly adjacent to the slot  278 . 
     The finger retractable wire tab  276  is then retracted  288  by squeezing on the movable  290  and fixed  292  handles of the finger retractable wire tab  276 . The finger retractable wire tab  276  side of the lid  272  is then lowered  294  to clamp the food and the retractable wire tab  288  inserted into one of the slots  280  on the side of the dished out lower part  282  of the basket  270  by releasing finger pressure on the movable  290  and fixed  292  handles of the finger retractable wire tab  276 . 
     Attaching the basket to the spit assembly  170  is done by simply inserting the two spit rods  176  and  178  through four integral semicircular loops  296  which are part of the dished out lower part  282  of the basket  270 , and then placing the second spit plate  174  over the ends of the spit rods  176  and  178  and inserting the spit assembly  170  with the basket  270  in the normal manner into the cooking cavity  104 . 
     The basket  270  is centered on the spit assembly  170  and fits between the two spit rods  176  and  178 . This is different than most spit baskets which either have a spit rod running through their center or are placed off center to the spit assembly rotation axis. Those baskets with a spit rod through their center limit their capacity to cook large flat foods such a steaks and fish. Those baskets which are placed off center to the spit rotation axis cook one side of the foods they contain more thoroughly than the other. By contrast, compared to these alternative designs, the basket of the preferred embodiment cooks food more evenly on both sides and has the ability to hold foods up to the full size of the basket. In the real world, both of these are major advantages in rotisserie cooking. 
     The fixed  274  and finger retractable tab  276  lid  272  attachment design of the preferred embodiment also has major advantages over other lid latching designs. As an example, many designs adjust to only one thickness of food. The preferred embodiment, through use of two tabs  274  and  276  which fit into separate slots  278  and  280  which individually adjust their heights, not only allows adjustment to different thickness foods, but allows several different thickness foods to be held in the basket  270  simultaneously. 
     Likewise, in contrast to lid attachment designs which are rigid, the preferred embodiment is springy which allows it not only adjust to different thickness foods being simultaneously held, but allows it also to put clamping pressure on the foods, even foods of different thicknesses, being held in the basket so they won&#39;t shift during rotisserie cooking. Shifting foods tend to get damaged and to fall out of the basket. Rigid basket designs generally don&#39;t provide this spring loaded clamping pressure. 
     The finger latching mechanism used on the preferred embodiment is also superior in simplicity and ease of use compared to other basket designs. As an example, the basket on the preferred embodiment may be secured closed with food in it using only one hand. Many other designs require two hands to close and latch. 
     Such baskets may be made in several different sizes.  FIGS. 16 and 17  illustrate a relatively flat basket, perhaps as an example, one to one-and-a-half inches thick, which would be inserted with the spit assembly  170  in the low heat position  122  and hold such foods as steaks, fish and small vegetables. This basket&#39;s  270  perimeter is determined by the maximum size which will fit between the first  172  and second  174  spit plates and clear: the heat rods  110 , the glass door  32 , the cooking cavity ceiling  142 , and grate cover  162 . 
     A thicker basket, perhaps twice as thick as the previous basket  270  but otherwise similar in shape and dimensions to the previous basket, might be made to hold lobster tails, potatoes, and other larger vegetables and foods, as well as hold all the kinds of foods the previous basket  270  might hold. 
     Such a thick basket might also be made which would only extend out to the perimeters of the first  172  and second  174  spit plates. Such a basket might be used when it is mounted to the spit assembly  170  and the spit assembly  170  is supported in the high heat position  202 , closer to the heat coil  110  where the reduced size would now allow the basket to clear. It would hold all the same foods the previous two described baskets could, but in smaller amounts. In return for these smaller amounts due to its restricted size, this basket would cook foods faster when it was placed in the high heat position.  202  This basket could also be used in the low heat position  122  if slower cooking speeds were desirable. 
     A thinner version of this high heat basket might also be made for use where food thickness was not a factor. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , another accessory which might be included with the preferred embodiment is the rotary cooking container  298  which stir fries and rotary cooks foods such as meats, vegetables, popcorn, shrimp, seafoods, etc. 
     This container can also be used with or without rotation but without heat inside the embodiment to marinate meats and vegetables by simply putting the meats or vegetables into the container  298  along with a marinade or rub and leaving the timer  222  in the off position or turning on the timer and placing the switch into the “No Heat Rotation” position. The rotary movement, if used, helps the marinade penetrate all sides of the meats or vegetables or helps the rubs coat all sides of the meats or vegetables with little or no intervention on the part of the user. 
     This accessory comprises a spit assembly  170  mounted cylindrical tubular housing  300  with at least one opening on one end, such opening  302  which may be covered by a lid or door when cooking. Several agitation blades  304  project from the interior surfaces of the cylindrical housing  300 , and help move and direct food inside the housing  300  while the housing  300  is being rotated. 
     As shown in  FIG. 13 , in use, the cylindrical housing  300  is mounted onto the spit rods  176  and  178  through holes in the housing&#39;s ends  306  and  308 . 
     A shape other than cylindrical may be used for the tubular housing  300  of the rotary cooking container  298 . As examples, the tubular housing might be squarcle (cross between a square and a circle like an old television screen), square, pentagonal, hexagonal, irregular, or other shape in cross section. 
     To use this accessory  298 , the user mounts the tubular housing  300  onto the spit rods  176  and  178 , puts food and possibly cooking oil, spices, etc. inside the housing  300  though the hole  302  or holes  302  in the ends  306  and  308  of the housing  300 , caps the housing  300  if a cap or door is to be used, and places the spit assembly  170 , including the rotary cooking container  298  with its food contents, into the low  122  or high heat  202  spit mounting positions inside the enclosure  20 . 
     The cooking process which follows this is like normal rotisserie cooking, except foods can be tumbled as they cook inside the container, and if cooking oil is present, a form of stir frying may be performed. 
     The rotary cooking container  298  may be fabricated from stamped, rolled or cast metal, or from glass or from other appropriate materials well known in the art. 
     An alternative rotary cooking container  299  is shown in  FIG. 13A . This container  299  requires no spit assembly  170  to operate, but instead incorporates integral stub axles  301  and  303  and an attached spit plate  305  with gear teeth  307  to support and rotate the container  299  inside the cooking cavity  104 . Agitators  309  inside the container  299  help move and tumble the food during cooking, application of rubs, marination. 
     A liquid tight door  311  covers an opening  313  in the side of the container  299  through which the container  299  may be loaded and unloaded. Steam and expanding and contracting gasses are vented through a small vent hole  315  located adjacent to one of the integral stub axles  303 . 
     This alternative rotary container  299  has large useable capacity because there are no spit rods running through its center. It also may be very easy to load and unload due to the large opening  313  in its side. It also has the added advantage that no assembly is required, the container is complete and does not require a spit assembly  170  to be placed through its center to operate. And this container  299  may be used for all the same function of the rotary cooking container shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     Either the rotary cooking container shown in  FIG. 13  or the one shown in  FIG. 13A  add a convenient cooking feature of automatically agitating foods without user intervention. When cooking, this means that foods tend not to burn and may be cooked with little or no oil or fats. Either rotary cooking container may be nonstick coated on their interiors to help facilitate not using fats and oils during cooking. Such coatings are well known in the art and thus are not described in detail herein. 
     Inserting and removing foods into and from the cooking cavity  104  of the preferred embodiment is typically an easy process. However, the preferred embodiment includes a pair of gloves  310  shown in  FIG. 19  to simplify the process. These gloves  310  are different than normal kitchen gloves however. Their  310  outer surfaces  312  are coated with a flexible, water and grease tight material, like plastic or rubber, similar to a set of dishwashing gloves. This water and grease tight material covers an insulating layer of cotton fabric less than 1/16 of an inch thick which helps prevent hot foods from burning the user. The gloves  310  extend over the wrists and cover part of the user&#39;s lower arm. 
     A user may lift foods, such as chickens, turkeys, steaks, ribs or vegetables, which are either mounted or not mounted on the spit assembly, both into or out of the preferred embodiment&#39;s cooking cavity  104 , when the food is either hot or cold, using the gloves  310 . 
     The gloves  310  prevent the user&#39;s hands from getting dirty or greasy and help protect the user from getting burned when handling hot foods. 
     The gloves  310  also simplify handling cooked and uncooked foods in general, and make easier the mounting and releasing foods to and from the spit assembly by removing concerns the user might have of getting dirty and greasy, and getting burned when directly using his or her hands to help perform these tasks. The gloves  310  can also help protect the user from cuts which he might get using knives or other kitchen utensils, or from the spit rods  176  and  178  and other rotisseries parts and accessories. 
     The gloves  310  are washable simply by placing them under running water and possibly using a little soap or detergent to help remove grease. 
     The gloves  310  are formed as normal four finger one thumb gloves, however they may also be formed as mitts with only one separation between thumb and finger enclosure areas, or they may have separations for every two or three fingers etc. 
     Unlike the gloves  310  that come with the preferred embodiment, conventional cooking gloves and mitts can not protect a user from hot grease, liquids and oils when directly handing rotisserie cooked foods, nor can such gloves and mitts be easily cleaned. 
     Also, unlike the gloves  310  that come with the preferred embodiment, conventional cooking gloves and mitts generally do not extend over the user&#39;s wrists and lower arms and thus do not provide protection against burns in these areas which approach hot cooking cavity walls while the user is reaching into the rotisserie cooking cavity to mount or unmount the spit assembly and for other reasons. 
     What has been described herein is merely a preferred embodiment of the present inventions. It is not intended to show all possible applications for the inventions nor should it to be deemed as limiting the scope of protection afforded to the present inventions. Such scope is defined by the claims appended hereto and their legally interpreted protection. Many variations may be made which exhibit the present inventions but do not literally duplicate all or parts of the embodiments described herein. 
     As examples: scale and proportions may be changed to provide increase capacity or more efficient use of available space; materials may be changed such as use of cast or stamped metals, or use of glass or thermoset or thermoform plastics to form the enclosure  20  or parts therein such as the spit plates  172  and  174  and drip pan  120  or other parts; other types of motors might be used such as PM dc motors, universal motors, inductance motors, synchronous motors, etc.; pots, pans, fry pans etc. might be used for heating foods on top  24  of the enclosure  20  either to augment the warming/steaming tray unit  144  or in place of it; curved glass might be substituted for the single flat panel of glass  64  used in the inclined door  32 ; the control/motor housing  248  might be round, square or other shape in side view; the light  98  might be placed in other parts of the enclosure such as in the forward upper corner; electronics and possibly remote controlled electronics might be used to control the oven; bigger or smaller diameter spit plates  172  and  174  might be used to give more kabob locations and better mechanical drive advantages or make handling of the spit assembly  170  easier; other types of handles  90  might be used on the door  32  such as a more conventional center handle or handles extending from the sides of the door  32 , or a handle going the full width of the top of the door; materials other than glass might be used for the door  32  such as plastic or metal. 
     Such changes are in the spirit of the present inventions which are limited by the claims herein and their legal interpretations. 
     An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 20-23 . It consists essentially of oven cavity  500  having floor  502 , left side wall  504 , right side wall  506 , back wall  508 , front door  509  and roof  510 . Spit assembly  512  is mounted with a horizontal axis within oven cavity  500 . 
     Adjacent to back wall  508  and between back wall  508  and spit assembly  512 , is heat coil  514  which is essentially a sideways “M” shaped electric heat coil mounted to right side wall  506 . 
     Spit assembly  512  comprises first spit rod  516  and second spit rod  518  both rigidly mounted to first spit plate  520  and each extending to second spit plate  522  where the spit rods are each engaged, first spit rod  516  into tubular cavity shaped receptacle  524 , and second spit rod  518  into tubular cavity shaped receptacle  526 . 
     As described above, spit assembly  512  slides into and mounts to oven cavity  500 . When spit assembly  512  is mounted inside oven cavity  500 , motor driven gear  528  engages spit plate  520  or spit plate  522 , depending on how spit assembly  512  is mounted. That is, spit assembly  512  may be mounted with either spit plate  520  or spit plate  522  disposed adjacent to right side wall  506 . 
     When motor driven gear  528  is then rotationally driven  530 , spit assembly  512  rotates  532 , along with any food or food holding utensils mounted to spit assembly  512 , causing such food to be cooked by being moved in front of heat coil  514 . 
     A more detailed description of functions and construction of this embodiment is provided above with respect to other embodiments. 
     Drip tray  534  covered by perforated drip tray cover  536  is disposed directly above floor  502  and underneath spit assembly  512 . Four frustum conical feet, only two,  534  and  535 , of which are shown in  FIG. 21 , project from the bottom of drip tray  534 . Each frustum conical foot is mounted adjacent to a bottom corner of drip tray  534 . 
     Drip tray  534  is square and the four frustum conical feet are also disposed in a square pattern allowing drip tray  534  to be mounted with any of its four sides facing front door  509 . This is a convenience to the user because no special orientation of drip tray  534  is needed prior to inserting drip tray  534  into oven cavity  500 . Any of four possible drip tray orientations will work. 
     When drip tray  534  is inserted into oven cavity  500 , its four frustum conical feet,  534  and  535 , rest into four detents, only two,  538  and  540 , are shown in  FIG. 2 , formed in floor  502 . 
     When door  509  is fully closed, see  FIG. 21 , it presses against forward facing edge  542  of drip tray  534  causing the four frustum conical feet  534  and  535  to be pushed back and up,  544 , and be partially lifted from the bottom of detents  538  and  549 . This, through gravity, biases forward facing edge  542  against door  509 . 
     During rotisserie cooking, grease and oil may collect on the inside of door  509 . With nothing to prevent it, this grease and oil, by gravity, might run down the inside of door  509  and drip onto the countertop supporting the embodiment. Forward facing edge  542  pressing against door  509  provides a barrier to help prevent grease and oil from reaching the bottom of door  509  and thus reaching a supporting countertop. 
     Another form of preventing grease and oil from running down the inside of door  509  and onto a supporting countertop is provided by gutter  546  formed in the top of channel  548 . Channel  548  secures axle  550  to the bottom of door  509 . Axle  550  in turn mounts and pivots door  509  to oven cavity  500 . 
     Gutter  546 , as shown in  FIG. 21 , is simply formed by bending the top of one leg of “U” shaped channel  548  outward along the entire width of channel  548 . This also may be done to the top of both legs of “U” shaped channel  548  to make door  509  symmetrical and able to be mounted with either of its faces disposed outward. This again would be a convenience to the user because no special orientation of door  509  would be necessary prior to mounting door  509  to oven cavity  500 . 
     Channel  548  covers the bottom of door  509  and obscures the forward edge of floor  502  when door  509  is closed. Door  509  is essentially a single pane of tempered glass. Opaque printed frame  552  is printed onto the left, right and top periphery of this pane of glass. When door  509  is closed, frame  552  helps obscure viewing of the front edges of roof  510  and side walls  504  and  506 . Over time, these front edges may become dirty or stained. Opaque frame  552  helps cosmetically hide such imperfections. Opaque frame  552  costs virtually nothing to manufacture because it is added simultaneously to the printing of logo  554  onto door  509 . Warning  556  may be dropped out of opaque printed frame  552 , that is, it may be printed in negative with no ink voids forming the letters of warning  556 . 
     Opaque printed frame  552  may be printed in the same color as the outside of side walls  504  and  506  and the outside of roof  510 , making warning  556  virtually invisible when door  509  is closed. Warning  556  may be printed upside down and mirror imaged so it is both visible and readable when door  509  is open. 
     Rotisseries, and in particular rotisserie ovens, have a problem in that when food is mounted on their spits, it may not be possible, or it may be very difficult, to see whether the food is touching the side walls, heat coils, roofs, floors, or other parts of the rotisserie. This in turn may create a safety hazard by causing undetected collisions which may stop rotation of the spit or cause burning of the food. 
     The embodiment mounts spit assembly  512  asymmetrically within oven cavity.  500  biasing the axis forward of center. That is, the spit assembly is mounted closer to door  509  than to heat coil  514  or any other objects on the inside of oven cavity  500 . This means that door  509  will be hit by any oversize or mismounted food or other objects attached to spit assembly  512  before the food will hit heat coil  514  or any other objects inside oven cavity  500 . This in turn causes the user to see and hear the food hitting door  509 , warning the user of potential danger before it occurs. In the case of the embodiment, door  509  is partially pushed open if food or other objects are too large to safely fit into the embodiment or are mismounted. Pushing door  509  open and closed provides further visual and auditory indications to the user of food being too large or improperly mounted. 
     Dotted line  558  in  FIG. 21  traces the path of the outer perimeter of a marginally too large piece of food and shows how it pushed door  509  outward through dotted line trace  560  of door  509 . 
     Rotisseries in general have a problem in that when they are done cooking, people are not always ready to eat, or it is not convenient or possible for users to be there to remove and serve the food cooked. A timer, such as electronic timer  562  controlled by free rotating jog knob  564 , may solve part of this problem by turning off cooking heat at the end of a preset time and making an alert sound. However, depending on when a user returns, food may be cold and not optimal for serving or eating. 
     The embodiment offers a warming, feature which turns off cooking heat, but maintains spit rotation and warming heat for a preset time at the end of the cooking period. 
     To accomplish this, the user, before or after setting the cooking time, or during the cooking period, pushes “Keep Warm” button  566 . By default 1:00, one hour, flashes on display  568  for five seconds indicating that the keep warm feature will be on for one hour after the cooking period is completed. During the five seconds the one hour indication is flashing, the user may rotate knob  564  and change the flashing time to whatever new warming time is desired. This warming time may have limitations of, for example, 9 hours, for safety reasons. 
     Light  570  above “Keep Warm” button  566 , indicates whether the feature has been activated. Pushing button  566  any time light  570  is on, again flashes display  568  for 5 seconds and gives the user another chance to both view and change the warming time. Pressing button  566  a second time within two minutes turns off the warming feature, as does adjusting the warming time to zero using knob  564 . However, if button is pressed yet a third time within 2 minutes, it will again flash for 5 seconds with the preset warming time. 
     If button  566  is pressed prior to setting the cooking time, light  570  will remain on, and the warming feature time will be remembered for up to 2 minutes waiting for the cooking time to be entered. After that time, if the cooking time is not set during that time, the warming feature is turned off and everything resets. 
     The warming feature works by cycling the electricity going to heat coil  514  on and off. A cycle time between 1/60 second to 40 seconds has been found to work properly with a duty cycle of between 5% and 60% on. Both the cycle time and the duty cycle may be preset in the electronics and thus not be user controlled. Other forms of lowering heat, such as: lowering current, cutting the voltage sine wave, mechanically blocking or venting heat, may also be used to achieve food warming heat. Electronics and mechanics to accomplish all the above features are within practice of those with common knowledge of the art and thus are not detailed herein. 
     Rotisseries have had problems in the past with the inconvenience of setting cooking times and conditions. This takes several forms. First, cooking temperatures are sometimes variable, either because of the heat source, such as charcoal, or because the temperature itself may be set by the user. Cooking times are often difficult to calculate, because they vary with the amount of heat and the type of food being cooked and because they also vary with the weight of food being cooked. 
     Usually the user must find a cookbook, look up the cooking temperature and cooking time for the food being cooked, and calculate the overall cooking time using the food&#39;s weight. 
     The embodiment has simplified this process in several ways. First, it has no cooking temperature setting. Instead it runs heat coil  514  constantly on during the entire cooking period. This greatly simplifies the heat coil controls which in turn reduces manufacturing costs and complexity, and inherently increases device operating reliability. Cooking temperature is set by an equilibrium between oven cavity  500  venting and radiant and conduction heating supplied by heat coil  514 &#39;s constant on condition. 
     Having constantly on heat also minimizes cooking time by having the heat coil radiate heat continuously during the cooking period verses having the heat coil turn on and off its radiant energy in response to thermostatic control. Radiant energy, as opposed to cooking with hot air alone, is one of the secrets behind good and fast rotisserie cooking. Tests performed by the inventors herein have shown, having a constant source of radiant heat during the cooking period increases food quality and reduces cooking times. 
     The next way the embodiment simplifies setting up to cook food is by printing cooking times  572  for various types of food directly on the outside of oven cavity  500  and printing them adjacent to controls  568  and  564 . This means that a user doesn&#39;t need to find a cookbook to look up how many cooking minutes are needed per pound to cook a chicken. 
     Cooking chart  574  printed on the side of control box  576  carries this to the next level by having a grid chart with food weights in its left most column and cooking times for each weight arranged under columns headed at their tops by food types in columns to the right of the weight column.  FIG. 22  shows a detail of chart  574 . By being printed on the sides of control box  576 , chart  574  eliminates a need for a user to find a cookbook. And by having a precalculated grid, chart  574  eliminates having to calculate cooking times based on multiplication of per weight unit cooking times by food weights. 
     Thus instead of finding a cookbook, looking up the food being cooked, calculating the cooking time, setting the cooking time and setting the cooking temperature, the user simply looks at the side of the preferred embodiment and sets the cooking time two steps instead of five. 
     Controls on the embodiment are simple and intuitive to use. Setting cooking times using a knob is familiar to virtually everyone. Rotating knob  564  clockwise immediately turns on the embodiment for normal rotisserie cooking and adjusts the cooking time which is displayed in display  568 . Rotating knob  564  rapidly increments or decrements display  568  more minutes per degree of knob turning than rotating knob  564  slowly. As an example, rotating knob  564  ninety degrees clockwise rapidly might increase the cooking time by 20 minutes, whereas rotating knob  564  the same number of degrees in the same direction slowly might only increase the cooking time by 6 minutes. This allows both quick and accurate adjustment of cooking times. 
     Tactile bumpiness in the rotation of knob  564  as well as an audible beep for each minute incremented or decremented also helps make knob  564  use easier. When knob  564  is rotated slowly, there is one bump in the tactile bumpiness and one beep for each minute incremented or decremented. 
     Button  578  controls: whether both heat coil  514  is activated and spit assembly  512  is rotating, or whether only heat coil  514  is activated with no spit rotation, or if only spit assembly  512  is rotating without heat. Three lights  580  indicate which condition is selected through the sequential pressing of button  578 . If button  578  is pressed before the cooking time is set, its setting is indicated by lights  580  and remembered for two minutes during which time the embodiment may be turned on by setting the cooking time using knob  564 . If no cooking time is set during the two minutes, the embodiment resets. Audible beeps accompany all button pushes on the embodiment, and help make control settings more positive and predictable. Audible beeps also occur when any settings automatically change, such as when the embodiment turns itself off after the cooking period, or the embodiment automatically times out when button  578  is pressed and no cooking time is set in the following two minutes. 
     Button  578  allows foods, such as steaks or hamburgers, to be seared on one side by activating heat without spit assembly rotation. Button  578 , also allows foods to cool down without juices settling by rotating the food after cooking without using heat. Button may set any of its conditions for other purposes as well. 
     “Off” button  582  turns off the embodiment totally. Pushing button  582  when the embodiment is off causes spit assembly  512  to rotate while button  582  is being pushed. This feature allows spit assembly  512  to be rotated to tie or untie foods, to apply sauces or rubs, to sear foods, to rotate food to right side up for removal, or for other purposes. 
     First spit rod  516  and second spit rod  518  mount to first spit plate  520  by seating inside tubular receptacle members  588  and  590  respectively. Receptacle members  588  and  590  are rigidly secured to first spit plate  520  by rivet-like forging on their backs. First spit rod  516  and second spit rod  518  are respectively secured within first receptacle member  588  and second receptacle  590  by first set screw  584  and second set screw  586  respectively. These set screws each have finger flats on their heads which allow them to be hand tightened and loosened. Annular grooves, one near the end of each spit rod, help seat and secure set screws  584  and  586  into the spit rods and thus help to secure the spit rods in place. 
     Loosening set screws  584  and  586  allows spit rods  516  and  518  to be removed from first spit plate  520 . This may be convenient for storage, shipping or other purposes. Being able to do this by hand, without use of tools may make achieving this convenience even easier than if tools were required. 
     As shown in  FIG. 20 , set screws  584  and  586  are disposed with their shafts paralleling each other and coming out the respective sides of receptacle members  588  and  590 . This side positioning helps lower the possibility of spit rods  516  and  518  becoming unparallel due to torque while spit assembly  512  is being driven by motor driven gear  528 . The side positioning also makes turning the finger grips easier by positioning the grips within the frustum conical hollow in first spit plate  520 . 
     On the opposite ends from where they are mounted into receptacle members  588  and  590 , first spit rod  516  and second spit rod  518  mount to second spit plate  522  by sliding into tubular cavity shaped receptacles  524  and  526 . As shown in  FIG. 23 , receptacles  524  and  526  have conical lead-ins  600  and  602  capped on their outer perimeters by annular vertical walls  592  and  594 . When spit assembly  512  is being assembled, walls  592  and  594  help catch pointed ends  596  and  598  of spit rods  516  and  518  respectively and, along with conical lead-ins  600  and  602 , help guide pointed ends  596  and  598  into tubular cavity shaped receptacles  524  and  526 . This makes assembling of spit assembly  512  much easier. 
     Although many methods may be used to fabricate receptacles  524  and  526 , a combination of machining and forging has been found to produce favorable results and minimize binding between spit rods  516  and  518  and receptacles  524  and  526  during assembly and disassembly of spit assembly  512 . In the manufacturing process, receptacles  524  and  526  are first turned on a screw machine and then they are placed in a press where a finer finish is achieved, particularly within receptacle holes  604  and  606 , by forging receptacles  524  and  526  against dies. 
     The foregoing describes embodiments utilizing the present inventions. Many variations of, and modifications to, these embodiments will be obvious to those knowledgeable in the art. As examples: these embodiments can be made at any scale, embodiments can be made with stands so they don&#39;t need a counter to rest on, more than two spit rods might be used, as an example 3 spit rods might be employed or a single spit rod might be substituted for the dual rod design shown, spit rods might be square, hexagonal, triangular or other shape in cross section, spit rods might each on their own hold food rather than only holding food or utensils in cooperation with one another, spit assembly  512  might be directly rotationally driven through its axle rather than through a gear linked to its spit plate, door  509  might cover only a portion of the front of oven cavity  500 , door  509  might extend partially or totally where roof  510  is, the shape of oven cavity  500  might, be cylindrical or might be rectangular, or circular or elliptical or other shape in forward and/or sideways cross section, etc. Such changes, variation and modifications would be obvious to those knowledgeable in the art. Hence the legal coverage afforded this patent shall be limited only by the appended allowed claims and their legal equivalents.