Oven appliance and methods for high-heat cooking

Abstract

An oven appliance may include a cabinet, a plurality of chamber walls, a top heating element, and a cooking plate. The plurality of chamber walls may be mounted within the cabinet and define a cooking chamber. The plurality of chamber walls may include a back wall, a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a bottom wall. The top heating element may be mounted within the cabinet to heat the cooking chamber. The top heating element may define a horizontal heating profile within the cooking chamber. The cooking plate may be disposed within the cooking chamber below the top heating element. The cooking plate may define a cooking surface having a horizontal cooking profile. The horizontal cooking profile may be matched to the horizontal heating profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the oven appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a plurality of chamber walls mounted within the cabinet, the plurality of chamber walls defining a cooking chamber, the plurality of chamber walls comprising a back wall, a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a bottom wall;   a top heating element mounted within the cabinet to heat the cooking chamber, the top heating element defining a horizontal heating profile within the cooking chamber; and   a cooking plate disposed within the cooking chamber below the top heating element, the cooking plate defining a cooking surface having a horizontal cooking profile, the horizontal cooking profile being matched to the horizontal heating profile.   
     
     
         2 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the top heating element comprises an electric heating element. 
     
     
         3 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the top heating element comprises a gas burner. 
     
     
         4 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a circular element perimeter, and wherein the horizontal cooking profile defines a circular plate perimeter matched to the circular element perimeter and concentric thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a rectangular element perimeter, and wherein the horizontal profile defines a rectangular plate perimeter matched to the rectangular element perimeter and vertically aligned therewith. 
     
     
         6 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a planar element area, and wherein the horizontal cooking profile defines a planar plate area less than or equal to 110% of the planar element area. 
     
     
         7 . The oven appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the planar plate area is greater than or equal to 90% of the planar element area. 
     
     
         8 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a planar element area, and wherein the horizontal cooking profile defines a planar plate area greater than or equal to 80% of the planar element area. 
     
     
         9 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking plate comprises a ceramic, aluminum, or steel material. 
     
     
         10 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor mounted to the cooking plate. 
     
     
         11 . An oven appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the oven appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a plurality of chamber walls mounted within the cabinet, the plurality of chamber walls defining a cooking chamber, the plurality of chamber walls comprising a back wall, a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a bottom wall;   a rack disposed within the cooking chamber;   a top heating element mounted within the cabinet above the rack to heat the cooking chamber, the top heating element defining a horizontal heating profile within the cooking chamber; and   a cooking plate removably disposed on the rack below the top heating element, the cooking plate defining a cooking surface having a horizontal cooking profile, the horizontal cooking profile being matched to the horizontal heating profile, the cooking plate being a nonpermeable plate comprising a ceramic, aluminum, or steel material.   
     
     
         12 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the top heating element comprises an electric heating element. 
     
     
         13 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the top heating element comprises a gas burner. 
     
     
         14 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a circular element perimeter, and wherein the horizontal cooking profile defines a circular plate perimeter matched to the circular element perimeter and concentric thereto. 
     
     
         15 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a rectangular element perimeter, and wherein the horizontal profile defines a rectangular plate perimeter matched to the rectangular element perimeter and vertically aligned therewith. 
     
     
         16 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a planar element area, and wherein the horizontal cooking profile defines a planar plate area less than or equal to 110% of the planar element area. 
     
     
         17 . The oven appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the planar plate area is greater than or equal to 90% of the planar element area. 
     
     
         18 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the horizontal heating profile defines a planar element area, and wherein the horizontal cooking profile defines a planar plate area greater than or equal to 80% of the planar element area. 
     
     
         19 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a temperature sensor mounted to the cooking plate.