A cooking appliance, comprising: a base for supporting the cooking appliance on a horizontal surface; a pair of cooking plates (4a, 4b) pivotally mounted on said base to various angular positions including a substantially vertical position wherein the two plates (4a, 4b) are disposed in a substantially parallel spaced relationship to each other for receiving therebetween the food article to be cooked, and with one of the edges of the plates, constituting the upper edges, located vertically above the edges at the opposite sides of the plates, constituting the lower edges; said cooking plates (4a, 4b) being formed centrally of said lower edges with a ribbed formation defining a drain channel for draining from the plates fluids emanating from the food article during the cooking thereof between said plates (4a, 4b); and a food holder formed with a compartment for holding the food article during the cooking thereof between said cooking plates (4a, 4b), characterized in that said food holder is disposable, made of a flexible heat-resistant sheet material and includes a pair of flexible panels (11, 12) of heat-resistant material joined to each other at their side peripheral edges (13, 14) (13, 14) to define said compartment for holding the food article in a substantially vertical position during the heating thereof; the peripheral edges (13, 14) of the panels (11, 12) defining the top of the compartment, in the vertical position of the compartment, being non-joined to each other to define a large opening for introducing and removing the food article with respect to said compartment; the peripheral edges (13, 14) of the panels (11, 12) defining the bottom of the compartment, in the vertical position of the compartment, being joined to each other except for a small section in which the panels (11, 12) are non-joined to define a small drain opening aligned with said drain channel of the cooking plates (4a, 4b) for draining fluids emanating from the food article during the heating thereof in said compartment. a base for supporting the cooking appliance on a horizontal surface; a pair of cooking plates (4a, 4b) pivotally mounted on said base to various angular positions including a substantially vertical position wherein the two plates (4a, 4b) are disposed in a substantially parallel spaced relationship to each other for receiving therebetween the food article to be cooked, and with one of the edges of the plates, constituting the upper edges, located vertically above the edges at the opposite sides of the plates, constituting the lower edges; said cooking plates (4a, 4b) being formed centrally of said lower edges with a ribbed formation defining a drain channel for draining from the plates fluids emanating from the food article during the cooking thereof between said plates (4a, 4b); and a food holder formed with a compartment for holding the food article during the cooking thereof between said cooking plates (4a, 4b), characterized in that said food holder is disposable, made of a flexible heat-resistant sheet material and includes a pair of flexible panels (11, 12) of heat-resistant material joined to each other at their side peripheral edges (13, 14) (13, 14) to define said compartment for holding the food article in a substantially vertical position during the heating thereof; the peripheral edges (13, 14) of the panels (11, 12) defining the top of the compartment, in the vertical position of the compartment, being non-joined to each other to define a large opening for introducing and removing the food article with respect to said compartment; the peripheral edges (13, 14) of the panels (11, 12) defining the bottom of the compartment, in the vertical position of the compartment, being joined to each other except for a small section in which the panels (11, 12) are non-joined to define a small drain opening aligned with said drain channel of the cooking plates (4a, 4b) for draining fluids emanating from the food article during the heating thereof in said compartment.