Planning ahead for Thanksgiving, I am hoping to solve my small-oven problem.
I have a small oven. I can roast a turkey in it, but then there is no room for anything else, and Thanksgiving calls for many other things to be in the oven.
Therefore I have been kicking around the idea of getting a turkey roaster. I’ve been looking at various models on Amazon and most have pretty mixed reviews. Then I remembered that I’ve always wanted a Ronco Rotisserie (Set it and Forget it!).
Questions:
Do you have a turkey roaster? Do you like it? What are its pros and cons? What model?
Do you have a Ronco Rotisserie? Have you ever made a turkey in it? Can you retrieve pan drippings and use them for gravy?
Cost is not much of an issue, though I’d like to spend less than $200 if I can.
I used to have a rotisserie a long time ago but I don’t remember the brand. It was nowhere big enough to cook a whole thanksgiving turkey in but it was big enough to cook a turkey breast. Do they make them big enough for a whole turkey?
Two of the best things we ever bought, specifically for Thanksgiving: one was a roaster oven, so we didn’t tie up the oven cooking the turkey. Specifically, ours is a GE 18 qt roaster oven.
The other was one of those electric buffet warmer trays (like this) which lets me get the cooked carrots and mashed potatoes out of the way early but keep them warm until dinner.
We rotisserie our turkey on our gas grill every year. We have a motor attachment and spit that works great. No drippings though. I use the neck, extra skin and cut off the wings to make a turkey stock before I stick the bird in the brine the night before. It turns out fabulously.
I had a Ronco several years ago that I did a turkey in once and it was OK. I hated the Ronco because it was so hard to clean. I ended up giving it away.
You can make a lot of side dishes in slow cookers, or make them in pots and pans as usual and then transfer them to slow cookers. This is an excellent use of the smaller cookers. It’s particularly nice for gravy or warm dips and sauces.
About 30 years ago, in our then brand new home, we decided to try cooking the turkey on our Weber charcoal grill.
We have not put a turkey in the oven since.
A couple of years ago, my sister hosted a combo Thanksgiving/birthday party for her husband. 35 people and a tiny kitchen. I did 2 20lb turkeys outside while everyone else fought over the stove.
It worked out just fine.
My sister bought me a Ronco rotisserie at a yard sale, and I think it was $25.00 well spent. I’ve never cooked a turkey in it, but I have done chickens and game hens. It is also my favorite method of cooking an eye of round roast. I have found that if you take the cover off of the drip tray and keep water in it, you can use the drippings to make gravy, and it takes away much of the work of cleaning it.
FWIW, I have an 18qt. Nesco roaster and I love it. Turkeys and large hams cook up nicely. I also use it to make big batches of chili, stew or ham and beans. It’s not something I’d use every day but it’s very nice to have around when I need it.
I have no direct experience with the ronco rotisseries but I’ve heard from several people that they are a bear to clean and don’t really do a good job on anything even though they can do a fair to half-assed job on most anything.
I’ll second the Nesco roaster or similar slow cooker/dutch oven type of cooker. I wouldn’t waste your time and money on the Ronco. It will be much smaller than you think, and probably will take a day and half to cook that turkey, if it doesn’t break before the turkey is done.
I fear you’re correct, but I am fascinated by the infomercials. Which is odd because I don’t think I’ve ever had the urge to buy anything else off an infomercial, but I’m mesmerized by the Ronco Rotisserie.
I was just browing the WalMart website looking for my roaster and they have all the Ronco Rotisseries listed as well (I searched on “roaster”) - the descriptions say how big a turkey will go in one on most of them. Me, I have a Hamilton Beach Electric Roaster and love it. It’s the 22 Quart one.
My Ronco does not seem to be made cheaply; it is good quality. I remembered I did a large boneless ham a couple of years ago at Thanksgiving, and I think it will do a turkey up to about 12 pounds.
The Ronco 4000 Showtime Standard Size Rotisserie and BBQ, Stainless Steel {$129) will do up to a 15 pound turkey. Just in case you really want to get you a Ronco, Motorgirl.
And be sure to update us cause we really, really want to know if you do! We thrive on this stuff! (Well I do - I don’t konw about everyone else.)
I have a rotisserie and I’ve done a turkey in it - a small one, but we’re a small family. It was one of the best birds I’ve ever made. It has a drip tray, but honestly I don’t recall how much my turkey dripped - it stayed very moist, and (brace yourselves) I just use canned gravy.
My biggest problem where I live now is finding a small enough turkey - they all seem to be beasts!
My husband and daughter vastly prefer duck, so sometimes we have a duck for them, and a pork chop or lamb chop for me, since I don’t like duck. Otherwise, I just get a turkey breast, and even a small breast is quite large enough for three people, with plenty left over for turkey pot pie.
If you’re in a part of the country where you can grill in November, you could use my Hubby’s method.
Each year at Thanksgiving time turkey goes on sale crazy-cheap and we put 4 or 5 into the chest freezer. This spring, we cut one up like a chicken, legs, thighs, wings, and breasts off the bone… Brined them with sugar, salt and a tablespoon of liquid smoke. Slap the thighs and breast on the grill, cook, then add the legs, cook and lastly the wings. whole thing took about an hour and a half, maybe 2. Easy-peasy and super YUMMY! Left over sandwiches were smoky and awesome. Best turkey ever!
