Cooking device with grease management system

Abstract

An indoor cooking range is provided. The indoor cooking range includes a main body, a control panel, a flat cooking surface, one or more heating elements, and a grease container. The main body has a plurality of walls. The control panel is disposed on the main body. The flat cooking surface is supported by the main body and defines a drain opening. The drain opening is configured to drain food byproduct from the flat cooking surface. The one or more heating elements are supported by the main body. At least one of the one or more heating elements is configured to heat the flat cooking surface. The grease container is positioned below the drain opening and slidably removable from an opening defined in a front side of the main body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An indoor cooking range comprising:
 a main body comprising a plurality of walls;   a control panel disposed on the main body;   a flat cooking surface supported by the main body and defining a drain opening therein, the drain opening configured to drain food byproduct from the flat cooking surface;   one or more heating elements supported by the main body, at least one of the one or more heating elements configured to heat the flat cooking surface; and   a grease container positioned below the drain opening and slidably removable from an opening defined in a front side of the main body.   
     
     
         2 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 1 , wherein a front surface of the grease container is coplanar with a front surface of the main body when the grease container is inserted into the main body. 
     
     
         3 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism associated with the grease container, the locking mechanism configured to move between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locked position configured to maintain the grease container in a fixed position below the drain opening. 
     
     
         4 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 3 , wherein the control panel includes a selective input configured to move the locking mechanism between the unlocked position and the locked position. 
     
     
         5 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 3 , further comprising a controller configured to disable at least one of the one or more heating elements when the locking mechanism is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position. 
     
     
         6 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 1 , further comprising a level sensor associated with the grease container and positioned to measure a level of food byproduct disposed in the grease container. 
     
     
         7 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 6 , further comprising a controller configured to disable at least one of the one or more heating elements when the level sensor measures a maximum level of the food byproduct disposed in the grease container. 
     
     
         8 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 1 , wherein the drain opening is positioned adjacent a front end of the flat cooking surface. 
     
     
         9 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 1 , further comprising a second cooking surface positioned along a side of the flat cooking surface, wherein one of the one or more heating elements is configured to heat the second cooking surface. 
     
     
         10 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 1 , wherein the main body defines a baking chamber, and wherein at least one of the one or more heating elements is positioned to heat the baking chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The indoor cooking range of  claim 1 , wherein the grease container comprises a first rail projecting from a first side, and a second rail projecting from a second side, the second side being opposite the first side; and
 wherein the main body comprises a first guide disposed in the opening defined in the front side of the main body, the first guide defining a first groove configured to slidably receive the first rail, and a second guide disposed in the opening defined in the front side of the main body, the second guide defining a second groove configured to slidably receive the second rail.   
     
     
         12 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a cook surface defining an aperture therethrough;   a heating element positioned to heat the cook surface;   a front panel removable from a front side of the cooking appliance; and   a container coupled to the front panel and positioned to collect food byproduct passed through the aperture.   
     
     
         13 . The cooking appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the front panel is coplanar with a portion of the front side of the cooking appliance when the container is inserted into the cooking appliance. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking appliance of  claim 12 , further comprising a latch configured to releasably retain the container within the cooking appliance. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the cooking appliance further comprises a controller configured to disable the heating element when the latch is in an unlatched position. 
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the aperture is an elongated trough proximate a front end of the cook surface. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 12 , further comprising a second heating element positioned proximate a side of the cook surface. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking appliance of  claim 12 , further comprising a main body supporting the cook surface thereon, the main body defining an oven volume, and a second heating element disposed within the oven volume. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking appliance of  claim 12 , further comprising a sensor configured to output data indicative of a level of food byproduct in the container. 
     
     
         20 . The cooking appliance of  claim 19 . further comprising a controller configured to:
 receive data from the sensor indicative of the level of food byproduct in the container; and   disable the heating clement when the level of food byproduct in the container exceeds a threshold level.