Reverse flow combination cooking apparatus
View Patent ↗A combination cooking apparatus that combines a reverse flow indirect-heat smoker with a pellet fuel heat grill in a single cooking chamber having a smoke tunnel, for smoke developed by the indirect smoker heat source on a first side of the cooking chamber to pass laterally to an opposing second side of the cooking chamber adjacent the pellet fuel heat source. A smokestack disposed on the second side communicates with the external environment, enabling reverse flow functionality of the smoke of the indirect smoker heat source as it is redirected back toward the smokestack. A movable chamber flap operatively associated with the smoke tunnel to be movable between an open condition and a closed condition so that a user can select an indirect heat associated with pellet fuel or an indirect heat associated with the indirect smoker heat source, respectively, within the cooking chamber.
1 . A cooking apparatus comprising:
a cooking chamber;
a grate disposed within the cooking chamber;
a first heat source disposed on a first side of the cooking chamber, offset from the grate;
a second heat source disposed on a second side of the cooking chamber, offset from the grate;
a drip tray extending between the first and second sides so as to define a smoke tunnel from the second heat source to the first side;
a chamber flap operatively associated with a first portion of the drip tray, wherein said first portion is disposed on the first side;
the chamber flap moveable between a closed condition and an open condition enabling a second heat and associated smoke to flow directly from the second heat source to the first side, wherein the first and second sides are spaced apart by at least two feet; and
a smokestack directly communicating the second side with an external environment, whereby said associated smoke must flow from the second heat source to the first side and then to the second side before flowing through the smokestack.
2 . The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an internal chimney housing the first heat source, wherein the internal chimney has an output disposed above the grate.
3 . The cooking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first heat source is a pellet fuel heat source.
4 . The cooking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second heat source is a wood split heat source.
5 . The cooking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the pellet fuel heat source comprises a pellet-fuel combustion device, and wherein a pellet hopper is disposed outside the cooking chamber.
6 . The cooking apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising an auger operatively associating the pellet-fuel combustion device and the pellet hopper.
7 . The cooking apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a top portion of the drip tray is disposed below the grate, and wherein the drip tray is removable.