Lovinflame, a decorative fireplace company specializing in clean-burning flames, has introduced a portable and versatile grilling machine it says can make for a healthier, tastier mealtime. Its new OvenPlus cooker promises a smoke-free outdoor dining experience, and with a relatively compact form, can be packed up and carted around for grilling on the go.
The OvenPlus is claimed to be an all-in-one portable kitchen, consisting of a stainless steel box measuring 19 x 16 x 13 in (50 x 40 x 33 cm) with a few crucial moving parts. A cast-iron grilling platform slides out from the body to host your steaks and other cuts of meat, while a ceramic tray up top adds the ability to cook up other culinary delights, such as pizzas or risottos, with the lid open or closed to create an oven.
Sandwiched in between these grilling plates is a butterfly burner that hooks up to a gas supply and provides heat to both the upper ceramic tray and down toward the cast iron grill. By grilling from the top down, Lovinflame is looking to avoid the kind of flareups created by fats dripping onto a heat source and, hopefully, the burnt and ruined meals that can result.
The company also points to the potential for carcinogens to enter the food as a result of it coming into contact with flames and smoke, as they would on a regular grill. But it should be pointed out that the science on this beyond animal models is very much inconclusive. Populations studies have been unable to establish a definitive link between chemicals from smoked meats and cancer in humans so far, according to the National Cancer Institute.
But there will be some that like to play it safe, and will prefer the sight of the fats instead dripping down onto a removable tray for easy cleaning. In fact, all of the OvenPlus’ parts are able to be disassembled and put through the dishwasher if need be.
On the cooking side of things, Lovinflame says it placed a lot of emphasis on energy efficiency when designing the OvenPlus. The purpose-built butterfly burner combines with carefully placed ventilation to create even cooking temperatures throughout, and apparently means the device uses just a third of the gas compared to a regular grill.
The company has taken to Indiegogo to get the OvenPlus into production, where early pledges of US$189 will have one shipped your way in November if everything goes to plan.
Portable OvenPlus cooker takes a topdown approach for smoke-free grilling [New Atlas]