1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a culinary tool, and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a tool that allows the user to quickly, safely, and easily apply oil to the cooking elements of a grill.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many people enjoy cooking on a grill, and prefer to eat food that has been cooked on a grill. Grills come in various forms, including propane gas grills, natural gas grills, and charcoal grills. One frequent problem with grilling is that food can stick to the grill cooking elements, such as grates or griddles.
To prevent food from sticking, the grill cooking elements must be cleaned and oiled. Cleaning typically entails scraping the cooking elements with a wire brush. Oiling the cooking elements typically entails brushing the cooking elements with a rag made of cloth or paper that has been saturated with cooking oil. Oiling the grill also adds the attractive “grill marks” desired from barbecue grilling. The grill should be oiled while it is hot, shortly before the food is placed on the grill. This typically entails soaking a towel (paper or cloth) in cooking oil, then brushing the towel over the grill bars with a fork or tongs.
Problems are inherent with this typical method of oiling the grill. For example, oil may drip from the saturated cloth onto the coals or flame(s), which can lead to a fire. The rag or towel used to apply the oil may also slip or fall through the grates and catch fire. Furthermore, using a towel or rag to transfer oil to the grill can result in wasting a significant amount of oil.
Another known method of oiling a grill entails spraying them with non-stick cooking oil. The spray method disperses cooking oil with the assistance of aerosol. However, the problems discussed above also apply to this method. The spray technique causes the oil to flash off when spraying into the fire or coals. If sprayed on a cold grill, the concentration of oil is insufficient to stay adhered when the grill comes up to cooking temperature. The cooking oils being used are very limited to those that come in an aerosol can, and do not have the gourmet qualities associated with olive, corn, or canola.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds