Abstract:
A multi-purpose cooking apparatus includes a housing including a direct heat cooking area on one side and an indirect heat cooking area on the other side adjacent to the direct heat cooking area. A burner or burners are disposed beneath the direct heat cooking area. A removable cooking pan, having an open bottom formed by spaced rods, is located, in use, above the burners and below the direct heat cooking area. A removable water pan is interchangeable with the cooking pan and is selectively positionable within the housing in a first position beneath the indirect heat cooking area wherein heated water evaporating from the pan moistens the food, and a second position beneath the direct heat cooking area when the cooking pan is removed, wherein the water pan can be used for steaming as well as boiling and frying.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/382,030, filed on May 22, 2002. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to portable outdoor cooking devices of the type generally referred to as grills, and more particularly to an improved cooking device which, among other important features, provides both indirect and direct heat cooking of food. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   There are, of course, many different types of standalone, portable grills and cooking devices for use in the outdoor (and indoor) grilling and other cooking of food. These devices range form simple hibachis and other simple charcoal braziers to very elaborate gas grills. While, in general, these devices serve their intended purposes, they are of limited versatility insofar as providing different types of cooking in a single relatively inexpensive unit. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a cooking apparatus is provided which offers many features not found on traditional outdoor grills. Because of its unique removable and reversible twin cooking pan construction and its dual direct and indirect cooking areas described below, the cooking apparatus of the invention can grill and sear in common with conventional grills, and can also roast, smoke, steam, bake, boil and even fry without the addition of expensive accessories. 
   The cooking device of the invention cooks with the convenience of bottled or natural gas, and in accordance with one feature thereof, also provides flavor enhancements from wood or charcoal if desired. According to one preferred embodiment, the latter is achieved by adding a small amount of wood or charcoal to ceramic briquettes (e.g., lava rocks) in one removable cooking pan which has an open bottom formed by spaced parallel rods, and which is positioned, in use, directly over a burner or burners located on the direct heat cooking side of the apparatus. Ashes from the wood or charcoal will accumulate in a removable tray which is located beneath the burner and which slides out after cooking for easy cleaning. The amount of added flavor can be regulated by using more or less wood, charcoal or pellets. 
   The other side of the apparatus, i.e., the side adjacent to the burner or direct heat cooking side, is used for indirect heat cooking. Because the food is never exposed to a direct flame on this side of the apparatus, there is no problem with flame up. This arrangement also eliminates the need to constantly turn the food to prevent burning. Food cooked on the indirect heat cooking side of the apparatus will only need to be turned one time for complete browning on both sides of the food. One of the removable twin cooking pans, referred to as the liquid pan or water pan, can be placed on this side, and in accordance with a further important cooking feature, the drippings from the food are retained in this pan which becomes very hot when the apparatus is at operating temperatures. In this cooking mode, this pan is partially filled with water and drippings falling into the heated water in the pan to return flavor to the food as the water evaporates. This also provides moisture to the heated air inside the apparatus so that the food remains moist and juicy even if overcooked. By adding other liquid seasonings with the water under the food, the apparatus can also be used to baste and marinate the food as it cooks. 
   As indicated above, the two cooking pans are reversible or interchangeable, and by simply lifting out or otherwise removing the first, open bottom cooking pan and sliding in the second, water pan from one side of the apparatus to the other side so that the water pan is directly over the burner or burners, the apparatus can be converted into a steamer. Further, foods can be placed in boiling water in the water pan and the apparatus then used to boil and steam at the same time. In addition, instead of water, a small amount of cooking oil can be added to the water pan thereby allowing the user to stir-fry foods or, e.g., to prepare scrambled eggs and pancakes. After such use, the water pan lifts right out for a quick, easy clean up. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a portable multi-purpose cooking apparatus comprising: 
   a housing including a direct heat cooking area disposed on one side thereof and an indirect heat cooking area disposed on the other side thereof adjacent to the direct heat cooking area; 
   at least one burner disposed beneath the direct heat cooking area; 
   a removable cooking pan located, in use, above the at least one burner and below the direct heat cooking area; and 
   a removable liquid pan interchangeable with said cooking pan and selectively positionable within said housing in a first position beneath said indirect heat cooking area and a second position beneath said direct heat cooking area when said cooking pan is removed. 
   The cooking pan preferably has an open bottom defined by a plurality of spaced, parallel rods extending between opposite sides thereof on which solid heat-producing elements can be disposed. In one advantageous implementation, the heat-producing elements are ceramic briquettes, and the cooking pan includes side walls which, in cooperation with the open bottom thereof, are adapted to the retain the ceramic briquettes in place within the cooking pan. 
   Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a removable tray located within the housing beneath the at least one burner. As indicated above, additional ash-producing fuels, such as charcoal or wood, can be added to the ceramic briquettes, and the removable tray is positioned so as to catch ash from the ash-producing fuel. Advantageously, the removable tray is slidably mounted within the housing so as to permit sliding of the tray out of the housing to permit cleaning of the tray. 
   In an important embodiment, the liquid pan includes solid and side bottom walls for holding liquid therein so that, when the liquid pan is positioned in the first position thereof beneath the indirect heat cooking area, liquid contained in the liquid pan is heated and evaporates to provide moisture to food being cooked in the indirect heat cooking area, and drippings from the food are captured in the liquid pan and entrained in the evaporating liquid to help flavor the food, and so that, when the liquid pan is positioned in the second position thereof beneath the direct heat cooking area so as to be heated, in use, by the at least one burner, the liquid pan can hold water for steaming food in the direct heat cooking area and can also hold a cooking liquid for assisting in cooking food contained in the liquid pan. In one implementation, the cooking liquid comprises water and the liquid pan, when positioned in the second position thereof, is used for boiling food received therein. In an alternative implementation, the cooking liquid comprises a cooking oil, and the liquid pan, when disposed in the second position thereof, is used to fry food received therein. 
   Preferably, the housing includes a first side wall adjacent to the direct heat cooking area, a second side wall adjacent to the indirect heat cooking area, and a principal vent located in the second side wall so that air heated by the at least one burner passes through the indirect heat cooking area before exiting from the housing. The indirect heat cooking area advantageously includes a food rack, and, importantly, the principal vent is located in the second wall at a position below the food rack and above the liquid pan when the liquid pan is positioned in the indirect heat cooking area. 
   Advantageously, the housing further comprises a further vent located in the first side wall. Preferably, the direct heat cooking area comprises a food rack, and the further vent is located below the food rack of the direct heat cooking area and above the at least one burner. 
   In a beneficial embodiment, the food rack of the direct heat cooking area and the food rack of the indirect heat cooking area are part of a common food rack or grate removably mounted in said housing. 
   Preferably, the apparatus further comprises at least one air inlet located in the first side wall adjacent to the at least one burner, and at least one air outlet located in the second side wall at a level beneath that at which the liquid pan is positioned in the first position thereof. 
   In one advantageous implementation, the at least one burner comprises at least first and second burners disposed in side by side relation. 
   According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a portable multi-purpose cooking apparatus comprising: 
   a housing including a first, direct heat cooking area and a second, indirect heat cooking area adjacent to the direct heat cooking area; 
   at least one burner disposed in the direct heat cooking area; and 
   a vent in a side wall of the housing adjacent to the indirect heat cooking area so that air heated by said at least one burner in the direct heat cooking area passes through the indirect heat cooking area to provide indirect heating of food in the indirect heat cooking area before exiting from the housing. 
   Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a grill rack mounted in the housing so as to be disposed in both the direct heat cooking area and the indirect heat cooking area. 
   In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a multi-purpose cooking apparatus comprising: 
   a housing including a direct heat cooking area disposed on one side thereof and an indirect heat cooking area disposed on the other side thereof adjacent to the direct heat cooking area; 
   at least one burner disposed beneath the direct heat cooking area; and 
   a removable pan selectively positionable within said housing in (i) a first position beneath said indirect heat cooking area wherein the pan is adapted to receive a liquid which, when heated, evaporates to provide moistening of food being cooked in the indirect heat cooking area, and (ii) a second position beneath said direct heat cooking area and above the at least one burner wherein the pan is adapted to receive a cooking liquid for assisting in cooking food in the direct heat cooking area by heat from the at least one burner. 
   Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a removable pan located, in use thereof, above the at least one burner and below the direct heat cooking area when the first mentioned removable pan is removed, the further pan having an open bottom defined by a plurality of spaced, parallel rods extending between opposite sides thereof for, in use, receiving solid heat-producing elements. In one implementation, the solid heat-producing elements comprise ceramic briquettes, and the further pan includes side walls which, in cooperation with said open bottom, are adapted to retain the ceramic briquettes in place within the further pan. 
   Advantageously, the apparatus further comprises a removable tray slidably received within the housing beneath the at least one burner. Advantageously, additional ash-producing fuels (e.g., charcoal and/or wood) can be added to the ceramic briquettes and the removable tray is positioned so as to catch ash from the ash-producing fuel. 
   Further features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in, or apparent from, the detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which follows. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a partially broken away front perspective view of a cooking or grilling apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 2  is a partially broken away top plan view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  with the grill rack and hood raised. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the cooking apparatus or grill of the invention is generally denoted  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the grill  10  includes a housing  12  and within housing  12 , a direct heat cooking area or side  14  and an indirect heat cooking area or side  16 . A grill rack or grate  18  common to the two areas  14  and  16  extends completely across an open top portion of housing  12 . A hood or cover  20 , which is a conventional construction and may be pivotably mounted, as indicated by pivots  20   a  shown in  FIG. 2 , to the remainder of housing  12 , is adapted to fit over this open top portion. 
   As indicated above, among the many important features of the invention concerns the provision of a removable or interchangeable briquette cooking pan indicated at  22  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The removable pan  10 , which is preferably made of stainless steel, is open at the bottom and, in a preferred embodiment, is lined with ¼ diameter stainless steel rods  24  which extend between opposite sides to provide the open bottom. Advantageously, as shown in  FIG. 2 , ceramic briquettes  25  are placed on the rods  24  so as to be disposed directly over two burners  26  (see  FIG. 1 ). It will be appreciated that although two burners  26  are shown in  FIG. 1 , a single, larger burner or, e.g., two pairs of burners, can also be used. 
   By placing the cooking or briquette pan  22  directly over the burners  26 , other fuels such as charcoal or wood can be placed in the briquette pan  22  and can be ignited by the burners  26  instead of using a starter fluid. The grill  10  can thus cook using different fuels at the same time. 
   As can perhaps be best seen in  FIG. 2 , cooking pan  22  is mounted on the open top of housing  12  and includes flanges or lips  22   a  at opposite ends thereof which rest on corresponding positions of housing walls (not shown) that define the open top. Handles  22   b  help enable pan  22  to be lifted out of housing  12  while side walls  22   b  of pan  22  assist in confining briquettes in place with pan  22 . 
   A slidable tray  28  is located below burners  26  which is slidably mounted within housing  10  by conventional means such as opposing rails (not shown) on which tray  28  rides, and which slides out from one side of housing  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . As fuels such as wood or charcoal burn to ash, the ash falls into the bottom of the grill  10  and accumulates in the tray  28  which slides out for easy cleaning. Further, because tray  28  is located under the burners  26 , wood chips can be placed in tray  28  prior to lighting, and since most of the heat produced rises, the chips will burn slowly to provide a smoke flavor to the food being cooked. The ashes from these chips will remain in the tray  28  which, again, slides out for easy cleaning after use. 
   An interchangeable liquid or water pan is indicated at  30 . Similarly to pan  22 , pan  30  is also removable by lifting the pan  30  out of housing  12  when grill rack  18  is moved out of the way. Pan  30  is preferably a stainless steel pan having a solid bottom and sides which are welded together or otherwise joined in a watertight manner so as to hold liquids. In the cooking mode illustrated, the pan  30  is on the indirect heat side  16  of the grill  10  and used for indirect heat cooking, i.e., cooking that is indirect because the food in area  16  is not directly over the burners  26 . 
   Food that is to be cooked indirectly is placed on grill rack or grate  18  over the interchangeable water pan  26 . Prior to lighting the grill  10  by turning on burners  26 , water is first added to the interchangeable water pan  30 . When the burners  26  are on, heat rises and fills the entire cooking chamber defined by housing  12  and hood or cover  20 . The heat is directed completely around the food and exhausts out through vents  32  and  34  which are described below. One set of vents, the primary vents  32 , is located in a side wall  12   b  of housing  12 , under and to one side of the water pan  30 , heat flow to vents  32  helps to heat the water in pan  30 . As the water becomes heated and evaporates, the evaporating water provides moisture to the food being cooked so the food does not dry out while cooking. 
   Drippings from the food being cooked fall into the water pan  30  and as these drippings evaporate, they help add flavor to the food. Thus, as food cooks, it is self-basting. The pan  30  can also provide a marinating effect through the addition of other liquids, such as wine or apple cider vinegar, to the water and food drippings in the pan  30 . 
   Similarly, to pan  22 , the interchangeable water pan  30  is mounted within the open top of housing  12  by, referring to  FIG. 2 , flanges or lips  30   a  at opposite ends thereof that rest on corresponding portions of the end walls of housing  12 . As is also shown in  FIG. 2 , handles  30   b  at the opposite ends of pan  30  assist in enabling pan  30  to be lifted out for easy cleaning. 
   The interchangeable cooking or briquette pan  22  and the interchangeable water pan  30  are the same size so that pans  22  and  30  can be rotated or interchanged in the grill  10  for other cooking functions to be carried out. More specifically, by lifting out the interchangeable briquette pan  22  and placing the interchangeable water pan  30  on the direct heat cooking side  14  of the grill  10  (i.e., the side which, as explained above, is directly over the burners  26 ), the entire grill  10  can be converted to a steamer by adding water to the water pan  30 . This water in pan  30  will boil rapidly during operation of grill  10  to produce steam. 
   In addition, with the pan  30  moved to the direct heat side  14 , foods can also be boiled when placed directly in water contained in the water pan  30 . Further, by adding cooking oil instead of water to pan  30 , the grill  10  can be used for frying. 
   The primary exhaust for grill  10  is provided by vents  32  which were mentioned above, i.e., the majority of the heat and smoke escapes from the grill  10  through vents  32 . The location and size of vents  32  are important to the operation of the grill  10 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the vents  32  are positioned in housing wall  12   b  on the side of the grill  10  that is farthest away from the burners  26 . This arrangement requires the heat to pass over and under the food in order to escape through vents  32 . Vents  32  must be vertically positioned above the burners  26  and below the food on rack  18  to achieve the desired results. Positioning vents  32  below the food allows the food to cook evenly without constant turning. Locating the vents  32  higher than the burners  26  is also important. Heated air must escape the grill  10  before back pressure is exerted on the burners  26 . This allows for a more efficient burning flame and eliminates the possibility of air in the grill  10  putting out the flame from burners  26  due to excessive back pressure. 
   Further, water heating vents  34  are also provided as was also mentioned above. These vents  34  are located in the side wall  12   b  of housing  12  below the interchangeable water pan  30 . Part of the heat from the burners  26  passes under the interchangeable water pan  30  thereby helping to evaporate the water in the pan  30 . This keeps the food moist and also provides a marinating effect when other liquids are combined with the water. 
   The burners  26  are preferably stainless steel, gas burners and, as indicated above, are located on the direct heat cooking side  14  of the grill  10 . No burners are located on the other, indirect heat cooking side  16  of the grill  10 . Direct heat cooking accounts for approximately 50% of the cooking grate or rack area and indirect heat cooking also accounts for approximately 50%. As indicated above, the burners  26  must be located below the primary exhaust vents  32  and below the food that is placed on the cooking grate or rack  18  in order to provide effective, efficient cooking. 
   Further, air intake vents  36  are located in side wall  12   a  of housing  12  adjacent to the burners  26  and serve as a source of fresh outside air. Vents  36  also begin the cycle of the air being heated, with the air passing across, under and around the food being cooked prior to its exit at the primary exhaust provided by vents  32 . 
   Secondary exhaust vents  38  are located in side wall  12   a  of housing  12  on the same side of grill  10  as intake vents  36 , and are disposed above the latter. Vents  38  regulate the speed at which air passes through the grill  10 . When cooking at higher temperatures, with maximum demand on the burners  26 , vents  38  allow excessive heated air to escape before back pressure can affect the incoming air flow which can, in turn, affect the efficiency of burners  26 . 
   Grill  10  further includes oppositely extending platforms or cooling stations  40  on which food can be placed before or after cooking. Platforms  40  are each spaced from housing  12  at the top thereof so as to create exhaust areas  42  through which heated air and smoke from vents  32  and  38  are exhausted. 
   Grill  10  is otherwise generally conventional and, as shown in  FIG. 2 , includes various controls  44  on a front panel  46 , a support stand or pedestal  48 , as well as other conventional constructional features which are common to gas grills and which will not be described here because of their conventional nature. 
   Briefly considering the operation of the grill  10 , as indicated above and is shown in  FIG. 1 , the cooking area (as viewed in  FIG. 1 ) has a left, direct side  14  and a right, indirect side  16 . On the left, direct side  14  of the grill  10  all foods are exposed to a direct flame from burners  26  which are located directly under the food on grate or rack  18 . The flame from burners  26  is semi-shielded by the ceramic briquettes, e.g., lava rocks, that are contained in the interchangeable briquette pan  30 . 
   As indicated previously, charcoal or wood can also be used in the briquette pan  30  as alternative or additional fuel choices. As was set forth above, tray  28 , located at the base of grill  10 , will catch and hold ashes from alternative fuel choices, and slides out for easy cleaning. 
   On the right or indirect side  16  of the grill  10 , there is no direct flame and thus the indirect side  16  relies on hot air being drafted from the burners  26 , passing by and across the food and exiting through the primary exhaust  32 . Because foods placed on the indirect side of the grill  10  are not located over a direct flame, there is never a chance for a flare up. Further, large items such as whole chickens and turkeys can be cooked without burning or turning. Since food is receiving heat from several directions on the indirect side  16  there is no need for a rotisserie. 
   As described previously, the water pan  30  catches the drippings from the foods that are being cooked indirectly and returns the flavor to the food by evaporating the drippings that are mixed with the water in the pan, together with any other liquids that are placed in the pan  30  to provide enhanced flavor, such as wine or apple cider vinegar. Any foods that tend to dry out when cooked, such as pork or chicken, greatly benefit from the ability of the grill  10  to cook indirectly and to provide added moisture while cooking. 
   Although the invention has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be effected in these preferred embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.