Outdoor cooking system
View Patent ↗An outdoor cooking apparatus includes a base heating unit and at least one cooking chamber adapted to interlockingly engage the heating unit so that the heating unit and cooking chamber can be carried separately or as a unit. The base heating unit includes a housing adapted to support burning charcoal, and at least one air opening above and below the support, respectively, that are closeable to control air flow. Several different cooking chambers are provided that nest against the heating unit and/or nest into each other and/or stack on each other. The heating unit includes a funnel to direct food grease to a collection place, and a seasoning pan that both shields the funnel from heat and that holds seasoning for flavoring food being cooked.
1. An outdoor cooking apparatus comprising:
a base heating unit including a housing and including a support in the housing adapted to support burning charcoal, the housing having at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet above and below the support, respectively; and
at least one cooking chamber with a bottom shaped to removably interlockingly engage the housing for secure positioning on the heating unit when cooking food, whereby the heating unit and cooking chamber can be carried separately or as a unit, wherein the heating unit includes at least one closeable door covering at least one of the air inlets and air outlets.
2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the housing defines an oven chamber below the support and also an access opening to the oven chamber so that food can be cooked below the support as well as above the support.
3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooking chamber includes a first cooking chamber shaped to fit within a second cooking chamber, with the first and second cooking chambers defining an air gap therebetween.
4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooking chamber includes a first cooking chamber with a top section and a second cooking chamber with a bottom shaped and constructed to mateably telescopingly engage and nest into the top section in a stacked arrangement.
5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooking chamber includes ring-shaped food holders fixed within the cooking chamber.
6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the heating unit includes telescopingly extendable adjustable legs.
7. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooking chamber includes a first chamber having a diameter matching a shape of the housing of the heating unit, a second chamber shaped to fit within the first chamber for insulated oven-simulating cooking, and a low-height third chamber for warming, the first, second, and third chambers being adapted for stacked nested interconnection.
8. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one chamber includes an inner and outer chamber combination forming a cylindrically-shaped uniform gap beginning near a top of the heating unit and extending to a top of the at least one chamber.
9. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , including a removable handle shaped and configured to engage mating features on the at least one cooking chamber for lifting the at least one cooking chamber and heating unit as a single assembly.
10. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the heating unit includes at least one door on each of the air inlets and air outlets.
11. The apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the heating unit and the at least one cooking chamber have releasable interlocking lock members that interlockingly engage by rotation of the cooking chamber relative to the heating unit.
12. An outdoor cooking apparatus comprising:
a base heating unit including a housing and including a support in the housing adapted to support burning charcoal, the housing having at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet above and below the support, respectively; and
at least one cooking chamber with a bottom shaped to removably interlockingly engage the housing for secure positioning on the heating unit when cooking food, whereby the heating unit and cooking chamber can be carried separately or as a unit, wherein the at least one cooking chamber includes first and second opposing ends, each constructed to fit telescopingly and mateably into a top of the heating unit, whereby the at least one cooking chamber can be selectively inverted and used as a soup heating unit or as a bottom-open oven-simulating unit.
13. An outdoor cooking apparatus comprising:
a base heating unit including a housing and including a support in the housing adapted to support burning charcoal, the housing having at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet above and below the support, respectively; and
at least one cooking chamber with a bottom shaped to removably interlockingly engage the housing for secure positioning on the heating unit when cooking food, whereby the heating unit and cooking chamber can be carried separately or as a unit, and
an upper grating with vertically and horizontally adjustable holders.
14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 , wherein the at least one cooking chamber includes an adjustable air vent.
15. An outdoor cooking apparatus comprising:
a base heating unit including a housing and including a support in the housing adapted to support burning charcoal, the housing having at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet above and below the support, respectively; and
at least one cooking chamber with a bottom shaped to removably interlockingly engage the housing for secure positioning on the heating unit when cooking food, whereby the heating unit and cooking chamber can be carried separately or as a unit, wherein the heating unit includes a grease funnel having an angled grease-catching section and a down tube section for funneling grease from the grease-catching section down past the support and burning charcoal to a location under the support.
16. The apparatus defined in claim 15 , wherein the heating unit includes a pan constructed to sit under the funnel and between the funnel and the support so that burning hot charcoal on the support does not emit heat directly onto the funnel, causing the grease to potentially catch fire.
17. An outdoor cooking apparatus comprising:
a base heating unit including a housing and including a support in the housing adapted to support burning charcoal, the housing having at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet above and below the support, respectively; and
at least one cooking chamber with a bottom shaped to removably interlockingly engage the housing for secure positioning on the heating unit when cooking food, whereby the heating unit and cooking chamber can be carried separately or as a unit, wherein the heating unit includes a pan constructed to set above the support, the pan defining a recess for holding seasoning and smoke-generating material, such that burning hot charcoal on the support causes smoke to be generated and emitted up into the at least one cooking chamber for flavoring foods being cooked.
18. An outdoor cooking apparatus comprising:
a base heating unit including a housing, a grill adapted to support food being cooked in the housing, and a support below the grill for supporting burning charcoal, the housing having at least one air inlet below the support;
a funnel-shaped grease catcher adapted to catch grease dripping from the food on the grill, the grease catcher having a funnel member adapted to direct the grease to a location below the support and below the burning charcoal for collection; and
a pan shaped to hold seasoning, the pan being shaped to receive the funnel member while at least partially protecting the funnel member from direct heat from the burning charcoal so that the grease does not burn and start a fire, the pan including a bottom and a sidewall defining a recess to hold the seasoning, but the sidewall having an upper lip defining a gap to the funnel member so that flavorful vapors rising from the pan flow up and around funnel member to flavor the food being cooked.