 Want more company than usual??? |
| Review Date: December 3, 2000 |
| Reviewer: , |
| If you want extreme flexibility using your Weber charcoal grill then this rotisserie unit is a must. The advantages to owning this rotisserie are as follows: 1) Size does not matter. I've cooked a 20 pound turkey, 10 pound rib roast, 8 pound roast beef, 16 chop pork loin, etc. all to perfection on the rotisserie. 2) The time it takes to cook the above is reduced because of the convection type heat in the kettle. Your 3 pound chicken or 12 pound capon will cook precisely to your liking without your standing over the barbeque for large amounts of time. 3) Clean up is a cinch. The electric motor slips off a bracket on the rotisserie, and the skewers and rotisserie rod can be cleaned with a regular sponge in minutes. Nothing burns or sticks to these items. The rotisserie unit itself is simply hung on a hook for future use. There is no cleaning necessary. Enjoy it! |
Better chickens and turkeys
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| Review Date: July 4, 2001 |
| Reviewer: FordLover37, Rocklin, CA USA |
| We have owned Weber barbques for years and the rotisserie is an important accessory if you are doing chickens and turkeys. They are so much more juicy with the rotisserie than just sitting in the rack. Two chickens at a time (actually you can to three) should be about the same size for cooking time. Bigger are better, at least 4 lbs each. They will take about an hour and 20 minutes. Turkeys can be up to about 12 lbs. A pop-out timer is recommended, you can buy them separately if the turkey doesn't come with one. Hickory chips for smoke are good. Use lots of salt on the skin so the smoke will flavor the meat (and don't eat the skin:-) Be sure to catch the drippings in a Weber pan for the gravey. |
The best BBQ toy I have ever bought!
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| Review Date: July 2, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Constantine, Belmont, MA USA |
| I love this thing. I just got it, put two chickens on, and 1.5 hours later was eating the juiciest, tastiest chickens I have ever had. No comparison with my smoker or beercan style...the rotisserie beats either method hands down. I had debated the purchase, thinking that this was just going to be another gadget I would use once and then never again. I had been told that the meat comes out no differently than if you just lay it on the grill, and that the motors on rotisseries are loud and obnoxious. Neither statement could be further from the truth. The meat is juicier due to the self-basting aspect, and the motor on this unit is virtually silent. Also, having the counterweight is a great plus for irregularly shaped items. This is a great purchase, and very well built in typical Weber fashion. Highly recommended. |
More than just for the food
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| Review Date: March 9, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Carlgo, Carmel Valley, CA |
The other reviews are correct. This unit works very well in every way, a basket mesh kind of food holder would be a good option, use a drip pan and keep the coals off to the sides, the ring riser/extension is useful for smoking and cooking big things, etc. It is all good, but there is more:
Who do you know who actually has a charcoal grill and a rotisserie? Nobody. If you get one, your guests will be entertained on several levels and you will be the Master. A rotisseries is professional looking, produces unmatched taste and an exciting demonstration-style cooking experience for everyone. Those that utilize them are seen as proficient and competent. Not a bad label for you, eh? Might get you somewhere.
The best meal I ever had was a rotisserie turkey that saved me from starvation after a Hike of Death. Perhaps it can save you or a loved one.
Rotisserie cooking lends itself to the acclaimed high heat, short cooking time technique. Hot coals and the self-basting action work well here. One of the major gourmet magazines cooked turkeys every way known and strongly recommended the high heat way. This is also the suggested method for cooking heritage meats and wild game.
Starting out at 500+ degrees and ending at something short of US government temperature recommendations is the secret. A turkey, for example, is best taken out of the heat at around 170, or less, and allowed to rest. It will go up around 10 degrees after that.
I tie bacon strips onto the breast and add wet smoking wood chips to the coals. Stuff the cavity with an orange and some garlic. Other things could be used, too. I have rotisseried heritage, free range, organic, kosher and regular good quality supermart turkeys with this high-heat method and they have all been good.
Governments and institutions have to recommend a heat guaranteed to kill off any and everything, and prevent lawsuits of course. However, fresh good quality meat does not have to be nuked to the point where you could make furniture out of it. Use a separate thermometer, not the supplied pop-out sensor. I am no professional, but I can say it produces the best tasting food.
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UPDATE: Years later, it still works. Here are some things that will help you if you get one of these. First, for a turkey, get two oranges and stick them in the cavities. Then, stick the skewer through them. This keeps the turkey from wobbling around so much as the oranges act like bearings. Also, get some meat wrapping string and spend the time it takes to tie the legs, tail and wings up to the skewer so that the turkey is more like a ball without all sorts of dangling things flopping around. Use lots of string. It is cheap. Know that all the energy of the universe will try to circumvent your efforts, so over-do it with the string. Cut it off with scissors before serving.
Coat the turkey with olive oil. Don't baste it again.
Obviously, don't stuff it!
I don't use the bacon anymore. If you use the temperature recommendations, you won't miss the bacon. It was a pain to tie on and was kind of a waste.
The Polder remote thermometer is nice because the probe is thin and doesn't create a big hole.
I stop at 160 degrees now. That's just me. Remember, you can cook it more, but you can't remove the overcooking.
Learn how to cut the breast meat off. Don't slice it off while it is on the turkey. Instead, cut down right alongside that breastbone. Then cut in from the side, about half-way down the side, straight in. This gives you a big chunk from that one side. On a plate, cut it in slices, across it, across the grain. So much more professional and better in every way. And it is easier. If you are having trouble visualizing this, you can google up a demo video or illustration.
I saw a TV show where it was demonstrated that soaking the chips makes no difference, so I don't anymore. A couple of handfuls gives a nice, not overwhelming little smoke flavor. You may want more, or none.
The Weber a fine device and one that surely will make you the rockstar of turkey cooking. Imagine how pathetic your relatives will seem when they take their sad turkeys out of the oven after hours of worthless basting. There will be murmuring and eye-rolling from those who remember yours. Make sure you tell the others, loudly, how you just sit around drinking while your turkey rotates effortlessly around, cooking perfectly. By the time the hosts are finished with excuses as to why their turkey sucks, again, you will be elevated to near rock-god status. Humiliation is an essential part of any family holiday and you want to be the one doing the humiliation.
See the review of the Weber chimney charcoal starter for a good tip on that. |
A great tool
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| Review Date: May 27, 2003 |
| Reviewer: D. Levy, New York, NY USA |
| Weber's rotisserie couldn't be easier to install and to master. Instructions are very clear. So far I've spitroasted a leg of lamb, a pork shoulder and a chicken, and all came out juicy, crispy and flavorful. The motor works very well. Only weird thing is the very short length of the powercord, a decision only a lawyer could have made. This way, if you trip on your extension cord, Weber won't be liable. I can't see how you could possibly use this rotisserie with the included cord alone. If you happened to have an outlet close enough to your ideal grilling spot, the grill would be way too close to your house! |
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