Patent ID: 8359970

Claim:
A method of cooking food with a dual-surface upper and lower cooking platen grill comprising: providing an upper cooking platen having an upper cooking surface on a lower portion thereof and a lower cooking platen having a lower cooking surface on an upper portion thereof, the platens being positionable in a cooking orientation wherein the lower cooking surface is at least generally opposed to the upper cooking surface, providing at least a first distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen when the platens are at least generally opposed to each other; prior to the start of a cooking cycle, positioning the first distance measuring sensor proximate to at least one of the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen; prior to the start of the cooking cycle causing relative movement between the upper cooking platen and lower cooking platen to a first cooking orientation position where the upper cooking platen is spaced from the lower cooking platen; prior to the start of the cooking cycle when the platens are in the first position, the first distance measuring sensor is positioned proximate to at least one of the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen, automatically measuring with the first distance measuring sensor a first distance between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen at a first location; prior to the start of the cooking cycle when the platens are in the first position, the first distance measuring sensor is positioned proximate to at least one of the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen, measuring a second distance between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen at a second location different from the first location; thereafter automatically determining prior to the start of a cooking cycle whether the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen are substantially parallel to each other when in the cooking orientation and at the first position by comparing the first distance to the second distance; if the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen are substantially parallel to each other, contacting food with the upper and lower cooking platens to cook the food; and if the upper and lower cooking platens are not substantially parallel to each other, adjusting at least one of the upper and lower cooking platens relative to the other platen so that the upper and lower cooking platens are at least substantially parallel to each other when in the cooking orientation and thereafter contacting food with the upper and lower cooking platens to cook the food.