Toaster over with Rotiseree

chet said:

I am after a decent quality countertop oven with a Rotiseree built in, I
see the Ronco and the George Forman models, from what I read on the web
is the quality is not the best, so I am looking for opinions on which is
a good unit, I am mainly looking to do rotiseree chickens, so the
Rotiseree feature is a priority.

Here's something I wrote comparing these units.
In terms of quality of construction, I cannot
fault the Ronco. It is a very well-built machine.
The Foreman is more typical of cheap Chinese-made
appliances (Ronco is Korean), but it's held up okay,
except for the timer knob breaking off. You mention
an oven -- both of these units are strictly rotisseries,
not ovens. There was a unit which combined a rotisserie
with a toaster oven called the Roto-Broil, which was
sold during the 1950's and 1960's. They are frequently
available on eBay, often unused in the original box.
I've never used one myself, but I've read good reviews
of the machine. If you buy one, be sure it comes with
the two large skewers -- I've seen ones on eBay which
lacked the skewers. This unit was unique in having
a slot in the body to the right of the door, so that
the handle of the skewer would be outside of the oven
and stay cool. You can see the slot in this picture,
but this unit is missing its skewers:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/clt/338090093.html

And here is a web page with a picture of the cover
of the Roto-Broil cookbook, plus some historical
information:

http://www.astorialic.org/topics/industry/lirr/volume6/volume6_p.php

I have both a George Foreman and a Ronco Jr. rotisserie.
Both machines cost the same -- $99.95 plus tax at a discount
store.

Physically, they are both about the same size. The Ronco Jr.
has a door that swings out, so it requires extra space in front
of the unit. The George Foreman is shaped like a horizontal
cylinder, with a curved door that slides up like a roll-top desk,
so it doesn't require extra space for the door.

The George Foreman is a nicer-looking unit. The Ronco Jr.
is very functional-looking, like it was designed by an
engineer.

The Ronco Jr. rotates at about 8 RPM, as compared to the
George Foreman at 4 RPM. The Ronco Jr. always rotates
in the same direction, while the George Foreman seems to
randomly pick a direction of rotation. You can turn the unit
off and on to get the direction of rotation you want, which
doesn't matter for most purposes but does matter for mine.
(More about this later.)

Both units come with a flat basket. The Ronco Jr. basket
is about 8 x 8 x 1.5 inches. The George Foreman basket
is about 7 x 8 x 2 inches. Because I mainly do chicken
drumsticks in the Ronco Jr, and they fit well within 1.5 inches,
the Ronco Jr. is better in this regard. I usually have more
trouble fitting the chicken within the plane of the basket
rather than its thickness.

VERY IMPORTANT -- the Ronco Jr. has a non-stick
coating on the basket, spit rods, and drip pan cover.
The George Foreman doesn't have a non-stick coating
on any surfaces. Although the George Foreman has a
drip pan, it does not have a cover for the drip pan.

VERY IMPORTANT -- the George Foreman also comes
with a cylindrical basket for baking vegetables and french
fries. This is why I bought the George Foreman -- I thought
it could be used to roast nuts. It does this VERY WELL.
In about 15 minutes, it will roast a pound of almonds,
pecans, or hazelnuts very evenly. I am very pleased with
the machine for this reason. Unless it breaks down in the
near future, I consider it an excellent purchase just for this
purpose. I had been looking for a nut roaster, and all the
alternatives seemed to be much more expensive.

Note that there is also a Baby George rotisserie which I saw
at $59.95. That is a much smaller unit, and does not appear
to come with a cylindrical basket.

The Ronco has both a no-heat rotation mode and a heat-only,
no-rotation mode. The George Foreman only has heat+rotation.
I have no use for heat without rotation, but I use rotation
without heat all the time, to allow my chicken or ribs to cool down
and rest after cooking.

Also, for what it's worth, the Ronco is made in Korea, and the
George Foreman is made in China.

The George Foreman has a heat reflector behind the heating
element which can be removed for cleaning. The Ronco
doesn't have anything behind the heating element, except
the back wall of the cooking chamber. In either case,
if you're cooking meat, it's probably hopeless to try to keep
the machine clean. I look at the Ronco commercials and
laugh -- they're using brand new, unseasoned machines,
totally unrealistic.

Although some Ronco machines come with kebab skewers,
my $99.95 (retail) unit did not. The George Foreman comes
with skewers and a big tong-like tool for removing the
spit rod or basket from the machine while it's still hot.

The spit rod device for the George Foreman is secured
by a setscrew, while the Ronco spit rods fit into holes on
the opposing plate. The Ronco device is much simpler,
and works fine, even after "seasoning" (i.e. after developing
a coat of brown crud).

The axis of the spit rod device for the Ronco rotates in
two depressions pressed into the sheet metal in the sides
of the cooking chamber. These areas must be lubricated
occasionally with fat, otherwise the machine makes a
groaning sound as the device rotates. The George Foreman
has two strips of metal bolted to the sides of the cooking
chamber to hold the rotating food holder, and seems to
require no lubrication at all. In this respect, the George
Foreman machine is a superior design. It can be annoying
when the Ronco starts groaning during the middle of
cooking something, when everything is too hot to remove
from the machine just so you can lubricate it. [It has
been suggested that you can use a bamboo skewer to apply
a bit of fat to the rotation point while the machine is
running.]

BOTTOM LINE: for cooking meat the Ronco Jr. is
clearly the best. The heavier construction and no heat
rotation mode make it the winner. For roasting nuts,
only the George Foreman will do, because it is the
only one with a cylindrical basket. Internal paddles
in the basket redistribute the nuts as it rotates, for
even roasting.

BOTTOM LINE 2: since writing above, I have
received unsolicited e-mail spam selling the Ronco.
For this reason, I do not recommend the Ronco.
When you buy a Ronco, you are supporting spam
which is a rip-off of the time and ISP fees spent
by the people who receive spam. This is a
completely dishonest form of advertising, because
it forces the receiver of the spam to pay for it.
Please DO NOT buy a Ronco.

Mark Thorson said:

chet said:

I am after a decent quality countertop oven with a Rotiseree built in, I
see the Ronco and the George Forman models, from what I read on the web
is the quality is not the best, so I am looking for opinions on which is
a good unit, I am mainly looking to do rotiseree chickens, so the
Rotiseree feature is a priority.

Here's something I wrote comparing these units.
In terms of quality of construction, I cannot
fault the Ronco. It is a very well-built machine.
The Foreman is more typical of cheap Chinese-made
appliances (Ronco is Korean), but it's held up okay,
except for the timer knob breaking off. You mention
an oven -- both of these units are strictly rotisseries,
not ovens. There was a unit which combined a rotisserie
with a toaster oven called the Roto-Broil, which was
sold during the 1950's and 1960's. They are frequently
available on eBay, often unused in the original box.
I've never used one myself, but I've read good reviews
of the machine. If you buy one, be sure it comes with
the two large skewers -- I've seen ones on eBay which
lacked the skewers. This unit was unique in having
a slot in the body to the right of the door, so that
the handle of the skewer would be outside of the oven
and stay cool. You can see the slot in this picture,
but this unit is missing its skewers:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/clt/338090093.html

And here is a web page with a picture of the cover
of the Roto-Broil cookbook, plus some historical
information:

http://www.astorialic.org/topics/industry/lirr/volume6/volume6_p.php

I have both a George Foreman and a Ronco Jr. rotisserie.
Both machines cost the same -- $99.95 plus tax at a discount
store.

Physically, they are both about the same size. The Ronco Jr.
has a door that swings out, so it requires extra space in front
of the unit. The George Foreman is shaped like a horizontal
cylinder, with a curved door that slides up like a roll-top desk,
so it doesn't require extra space for the door.

The George Foreman is a nicer-looking unit. The Ronco Jr.
is very functional-looking, like it was designed by an
engineer.

The Ronco Jr. rotates at about 8 RPM, as compared to the
George Foreman at 4 RPM. The Ronco Jr. always rotates
in the same direction, while the George Foreman seems to
randomly pick a direction of rotation. You can turn the unit
off and on to get the direction of rotation you want, which
doesn't matter for most purposes but does matter for mine.
(More about this later.)

Both units come with a flat basket. The Ronco Jr. basket
is about 8 x 8 x 1.5 inches. The George Foreman basket
is about 7 x 8 x 2 inches. Because I mainly do chicken
drumsticks in the Ronco Jr, and they fit well within 1.5 inches,
the Ronco Jr. is better in this regard. I usually have more
trouble fitting the chicken within the plane of the basket
rather than its thickness.

VERY IMPORTANT -- the Ronco Jr. has a non-stick
coating on the basket, spit rods, and drip pan cover.
The George Foreman doesn't have a non-stick coating
on any surfaces. Although the George Foreman has a
drip pan, it does not have a cover for the drip pan.

VERY IMPORTANT -- the George Foreman also comes
with a cylindrical basket for baking vegetables and french
fries. This is why I bought the George Foreman -- I thought
it could be used to roast nuts. It does this VERY WELL.
In about 15 minutes, it will roast a pound of almonds,
pecans, or hazelnuts very evenly. I am very pleased with
the machine for this reason. Unless it breaks down in the
near future, I consider it an excellent purchase just for this
purpose. I had been looking for a nut roaster, and all the
alternatives seemed to be much more expensive.

Note that there is also a Baby George rotisserie which I saw
at $59.95. That is a much smaller unit, and does not appear
to come with a cylindrical basket.

The Ronco has both a no-heat rotation mode and a heat-only,
no-rotation mode. The George Foreman only has heat+rotation.
I have no use for heat without rotation, but I use rotation
without heat all the time, to allow my chicken or ribs to cool down
and rest after cooking.

Also, for what it's worth, the Ronco is made in Korea, and the
George Foreman is made in China.

The George Foreman has a heat reflector behind the heating
element which can be removed for cleaning. The Ronco
doesn't have anything behind the heating element, except
the back wall of the cooking chamber. In either case,
if you're cooking meat, it's probably hopeless to try to keep
the machine clean. I look at the Ronco commercials and
laugh -- they're using brand new, unseasoned machines,
totally unrealistic.

Although some Ronco machines come with kebab skewers,
my $99.95 (retail) unit did not. The George Foreman comes
with skewers and a big tong-like tool for removing the
spit rod or basket from the machine while it's still hot.

The spit rod device for the George Foreman is secured
by a setscrew, while the Ronco spit rods fit into holes on
the opposing plate. The Ronco device is much simpler,
and works fine, even after "seasoning" (i.e. after developing
a coat of brown crud).

The axis of the spit rod device for the Ronco rotates in
two depressions pressed into the sheet metal in the sides
of the cooking chamber. These areas must be lubricated
occasionally with fat, otherwise the machine makes a
groaning sound as the device rotates. The George Foreman
has two strips of metal bolted to the sides of the cooking
chamber to hold the rotating food holder, and seems to
require no lubrication at all. In this respect, the George
Foreman machine is a superior design. It can be annoying
when the Ronco starts groaning during the middle of
cooking something, when everything is too hot to remove
from the machine just so you can lubricate it. [It has
been suggested that you can use a bamboo skewer to apply
a bit of fat to the rotation point while the machine is
running.]

BOTTOM LINE: for cooking meat the Ronco Jr. is
clearly the best. The heavier construction and no heat
rotation mode make it the winner. For roasting nuts,
only the George Foreman will do, because it is the
only one with a cylindrical basket. Internal paddles
in the basket redistribute the nuts as it rotates, for
even roasting.

BOTTOM LINE 2: since writing above, I have
received unsolicited e-mail spam selling the Ronco.
For this reason, I do not recommend the Ronco.
When you buy a Ronco, you are supporting spam
which is a rip-off of the time and ISP fees spent
by the people who receive spam. This is a
completely dishonest form of advertising, because
it forces the receiver of the spam to pay for it.
Please DO NOT buy a Ronco.

One of my sisters bought another the Ronco as a gift. It broke early
on, but Ronco replaced it w/o a problem. She's had it for over 3
years now and wouldn't use anything else to roast a chicken or prime
rib. (or any type of roast). She says the food comes out perfect
every time and she doesn't have to watch it. ("Set it and forget it"
seems to work).

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Mark Thorson said:

chet said:

I am after a decent quality countertop oven with a Rotiseree built
in, I see the Ronco and the George Forman models, from what I read
on the web is the quality is not the best, so I am looking for
opinions on which is a good unit, I am mainly looking to do
rotiseree chickens, so the Rotiseree feature is a priority.

I'm quite happy with my George F rotissire...except for one thing the
skewers are not non atick and a pain to clean by hand. You would be
surprised how sincere chicken bits are at sticking to the skewers and due
to the overall shape and pointiness of the skewers how hard they are to
clean properly.

Most of the other parts that require cleaning on the unit are removable
and fairly easily cleaned via dishwasher or spray on oven
cleaner...except those damn skewers.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

"chet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am after a decent quality countertop oven with a Rotiseree built in, I
see the Ronco and the George Forman models, from what I read on the web is
the quality is not the best, so I am looking for opinions on which is a
good unit, I am mainly looking to do rotiseree chickens, so the Rotiseree
feature is a priority.

thanks
Chet

===========

I have the Ronco (Showtime 5000) and LOVE it. It does great chicken, pork
chops, and even meat loaf (seriously, the meat loaf is AMAZING!)!

Cyndi

On Jun 10, 11:45 pm, "Rick Hackett" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"chet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...>I am after a decent quality countertop oven with a Rotiseree built in, I

Quoted message said:

see the Ronco and the George Forman models, from what I read on the web is
the quality is not the best, so I am looking for opinions on which is a
good unit, I am mainly looking to do rotiseree chickens, so the Rotiseree
feature is a priority.

Quoted message said:

thanks
Chet

===========

I have the Ronco (Showtime 5000) and LOVE it. It does great chicken, pork
chops, and even meat loaf (seriously, the meat loaf is AMAZING!)!

Cyndi

I don't own a rotisserie but now I'm getting interested.
How do you do a meatloaf in one? It seems it would fall apart,
especially my recipe, which is different from most and produces a lot
of juice.

Quoted message said:

On Jun 10, 11:45 pm, "Rick Hackett" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"chet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...>I am after a decent quality countertop oven with a Rotiseree built in, I

Quoted message said:

see the Ronco and the George Forman models, from what I read on the web is
the quality is not the best, so I am looking for opinions on which is a
good unit, I am mainly looking to do rotiseree chickens, so the Rotiseree
feature is a priority.
thanks
Chet

===========

I have the Ronco (Showtime 5000) and LOVE it. It does great chicken, pork
chops, and even meat loaf (seriously, the meat loaf is AMAZING!)!

Cyndi

I don't own a rotisserie but now I'm getting interested.
How do you do a meatloaf in one? It seems it would fall apart,
especially my recipe, which is different from most and produces a lot
of juice.

How about baked potatoes, and yes Cindi tell us your recipe on
the meatloaf, Do you do it in the rack ???? I did pick up a Platinum
5000 last night, my wife did a chicken tiday with just salt & pepper for
seasoning, came out great, looking forward to the next one, any
seasoning tips for chicken

Chet

Chet

Quoted message said: