Cooking grates and grills incorporating such cooking grates are provided. A representative cooking grate includes: a plurality of elongate elements of heat resistant material, the elements being V-shaped in transverse cross-section, each of the elements having a first lower edge, a second lower edge and a vertex, the first lower edge and the second lower edge being spaced from each other with the vertex being located therebetween, the vertex being operative as a cooking surface to support food during cooking on the cooking grate; corresponding adjacent lower edges of adjacent ones of the elements being oriented to define gaps therebetween such that a first of the gaps, defined by a first lower edge of a first element and a second lower edge of a second element, exhibits a width of between approximately 5% and approximately 18% of a distance between the first lower edge and the second lower edge of the first element.