Cooking range

A range for cooking comprising:

• a) a combustion chamber having a bottom surrounded by sidewalls that extend upward to an upper rim;
• b) a gas burner positioned at the bottom of the combustion chamber;
• c) a platen positioned on the upper rim, the platen having an interior opening above the gas burner with a first flange;
• d) a removable outer plate positioned on the first flange of the platen, the removable outer plate having an interior opening above the gas burner with a second flange;
• e) a removable inner plate positioned on the second flange of the removable outer plate, the removable inner plate being circular;
• f) a perforated enclosure disposed to surround the gas burner and extend upward towards the platen, the perforated enclosure extending upward above at least a portion of a flame generated by the gas burner, the perforated enclosure having an upper rim disposed below but substantially aligned with at least one of the first and second flange;
• g) wherein the removable outer plate is configured to increase the thermal resistance between the removable inner plate and the platen by having at least one of a different composition and thickness than the platen;
• and
• h) wherein the combustion chamber has a flue for removal of gases flowing from the gas burner, wherein a gap between an upper rim of the perforated enclosure and a lower surface of the platen provides a passageway for the gases to flow from the gas burner to the flue, wherein the gap is less than approximately 2 inches.

A range for cooking comprising:

• a) a combustion chamber having a bottom surrounded by sidewalls that extend upward to an upper rim;
• b) at least one gas burner positioned at the bottom of the combustion chamber;
• c) a platen positioned on the upper rim, the platen having an interior opening above one of the at least one gas burner with a first flange;
• d) a removable outer plate positioned on the first flange of the platen, the removable outer plate having an interior opening above the one of the at least one gas burner with a second flange;
• e) a removable inner plate positioned on the second flange of the removable outer plate;
• f) a perforated enclosure disposed to surround the one of the at least one gas burner and that is operative to cause preferential heating of the removable inner plate, the perforated enclosure extending upward above at least a portion of a flame generated by the one of the at least one gas burner;
• g) wherein the platen has a first specific thermal conductivity (W/(m K), the removable outer plate has a second specific thermal conductivity (W/(m K), and the removable inner plate has a third specific thermal conductivity (W/(m K);
• h) wherein the first specific thermal conductivity of the platen is greater than the second specific thermal conductivity of the removable outer plate;
• and
• i) wherein the combustion chamber has a flue for removal of gases flowing from the at least one gas burner, wherein a gap between an upper rim of the perforated enclosure and a lower surface of the platen provides a passageway for the gases to flow from the at least one gas burner to the flue, wherein the gap is less than approximately 2 inches.