Barbecue Grill with Variably Positioned Food Basket

Abstract

A barbecue grill provides a top cooking level and a central cooking zone located below the top cooking level. Lateral heat panels warm the central cooking zone. A food basket is configured to be opened and loaded with foodstuff when in an approximately horizontal position at the top cooking level. An elevator mechanism lowers the filled food basket into the central cooking zone while converting the food basket to an approximately vertical position. The food cooks while the basket is vertical. The elevator mechanism raises the basket of cooked food to the top cooking level while converting the food basket to approximately horizontal position. A user-operated control selectively actuates the elevator mechanism to move the food basket in either direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using a food basket in a barbecue grill, comprising:
 providing a barbecue grill housing defining a top cooking level suitable for supporting a gridiron and defining central cooking zone below the top cooking level;   providing at least a pair of heat panels distributed at opposite sides of the central cooking zone;   providing an elevator mechanism for carrying a food basket and moving the food basket between said top cooking level and said space below the top cooking level;   providing a food basket carried by the elevator mechanism;   orienting said food basket in approximately horizontal position at the top cooking level;   opening the basket;   filling the basket with foodstuff;   closing the basket;   operating the elevator mechanism to lower the food basket into said central cooking zone while converting its orientation to approximately vertical;   cooking the foodstuff in the food basket while the food basket remains in approximately vertical position;   operating the elevator mechanism to raise the food basket to the top cooking level while converting its orientation to approximately horizontal;   opening the food basket; and   removing the cooking foodstuff from the food basket.   
     
     
         2 . A method of using a food basket in a barbecue grill, comprising:
 providing a barbecue grill housing defining a top cooling level suitable for supporting a gridiron and defining a central cooking zone below the top cooking level;   providing at least a pair of heat panels distributed at opposite sides of the central cooking zone;   providing an elevator mechanism carrying a food basket, selectively moving the food basket between said top cooking level and said space below the top cooking level and between a approximately horizontal position and an approximately vertical position, wherein in the approximately horizontal position the elevator mechanism locates the food basket near the top cooking level and in the approximately vertical position the elevator mechanism locates the food basket in the central cooking zone;   providing a user operated control selectively actuating the elevator mechanism to move the food basket toward a selected position   providing a food basket carried by the elevator mechanism;   operating said control to orient said food basket in approximately horizontal position at the top cooking level;   opening the basket;   filling the basket with foodstuff;   closing the basket;   operating the control to lower the food basket into said central cooking zone and convert its orientation to approximately vertical;   cooking the foodstuff in the food basket while the food basket remains in approximately vertical position;   operating the control to raise the food basket to the top cooking level and convert its orientation to approximately horizontal;   opening the food basket; and   removing the cooking foodstuff from the food basket.