Abstract: A cooking grill having upper and lower cooking plates supported between first and second supports is disclosed. The upper and lower cooking plates are each hingedly connected to the supports at a rear hinge axis. The upper cooking plate may be manually tipped to a raised position. The lower cooking plate is automatically tipped downwardly to a food ejection position by means of an actuator. An ejector is provided for positively ejecting the cooked food at the end of the cooking cycle, onto a support or receiving tray, from which cooked food may be removed by hand.

Abstract: A double contact grill for cooking foods, the grill comprising: top and bottom cooking plates having heating elements; a pivotal connection between the bottom cooking plate and the top cooking plate wherein the top cooking plate is moveable between a lower position adjacent to the bottom cooking plate and a raised position; and a counterbalance disposed on an opposite side of the pivotal connection from the side of the pivotal connection on which the top plate is disposed, wherein the counterbalance is of a weight and a position to provide a seating force causing the top cooking plate to seat against the bottom cooking plate when the top cooking plate is in the lowered position and wherein when the top cooking plate is in the raised position the counterbalance provides a resisting force to maintain the top cooking plate in the upright position.