Stove with selectively interchangeable cooking apparatus

Claim 1

A cooking stove or range for receiving different types of heat sources in the top thereof for accommodating different types of cooking comprising: a housing including at least one burner box having disposed therein a pan shaped member forming an upwardly facing recess in the top thereof defined by walls including a bottom wall having a portion provided in communication with grease collecting means, said recess being provided with electrical outlet means accessibly adjacent thereto, one type of heat source comprising a unitized cartridge type cooking unit including an upper cooking surface heated by electrical resistance means having terminals, another type of heat source comprising open spaced-apart electrical resistance means having terminals and defining a cooking unit for open-air broiling thereover, either of said cooking units adapted to be removably received in said recess with the terminals of its electrical resistance means in removable electrical engagement with said accessible outlet means, said cartridge type cooking unit when removably inserted into said recess having its upper cooking surface substantially closing the throat across said recess and providing a support for cooking utensils resting thereon in heat conducting relation therewith and said cartridge being spaced above the bottom wall of the recess to provide a cooling air space, said open broiling cooking unit when removably inserted into said recess for radiant cooking of meats supported thereover being spaced above the bottom wall of the recess to provide a cooling air space, greases emitted from the meats falling through the openings between the resistance means and onto said bottom wall of the recess for collection in said grease collecting means, and air moving means for forcibly moving air through said cooling air space.