Adjustable overhead cooking unit

A cooking unit, comprising:

• a rear housing;
• a horizontal heating chamber coupled to the rear housing, the horizontal heating chamber being operable to direct heat downward;
• one or more vertical tracks coupled to the rear housing;
• a horizontal support shelf coupled to the one or more vertical tracks and positioned below the horizontal heating chamber, the horizontal support shelf being operable to be moved vertically along the one or more vertical tracks;
• a horizontal sliding tray coupled to the horizontal support shelf and positioned above the horizontal support shelf, the horizontal sliding tray being operable to be moved horizontally with respect to the rear housing;
• a handle coupled to a front surface of the horizontal sliding tray;
• and
• an actuator positioned adjacent to the handle so as to allow both the handle to be grasped and the actuator engaged by a single hand of a user, the actuator being operable, when engaged, to unlock the horizontal support shelf so as to allow the horizontal support shelf to be moved vertically upward and downward along the one or more vertical tracks using the handle and the single hand of the user, the actuator being further operable, when not engaged, to lock the horizontal support shelf so as to prevent the horizontal support shelf from being moved vertically upward and downward along the one or more vertical tracks.

A method, comprising:

• providing a cooking unit, the cooking unit comprising:
• a rear housing;
• a horizontal heating chamber coupled to the rear housing, the horizontal heating chamber being operable to direct heat downward;
• one or more vertical tracks coupled to the rear housing;
• a horizontal support shelf coupled to the one or more vertical tracks and positioned below the horizontal heating chamber;
• a horizontal sliding tray coupled to the horizontal support shelf and positioned above the horizontal support shelf;
• a handle coupled to a front surface of the horizontal sliding tray;
• and
• an actuator positioned adjacent to the handle;
• grasping the handle with a first hand;
• engaging the actuator with the first hand so as to unlock the horizontal support shelf;
• moving the horizontal support shelf vertically upward or downward along the one or more vertical tracks using the handle;
• and
• disengaging the actuator so as to lock the horizontal support shelf to prevent the horizontal support shelf from being moved vertically upward and downward along the one or more vertical tracks.