Community Chat

[patbz]

Around this time of year, Wal-Mart and all big box stores have table top roasters ( some Nesco, some Crock pot, etc) and many are ridiculously cheap.  We own several and use them for turkey, duck, chili etc.  They first came out in the 1930s when farmhouses began to get electricity.  I still frequently give them as wedding gifts and even gave one to my niece when she graduated from college ( she's been married 18 years and still occasionally thanks me for that gift).

[patbz]

@SoonerLater : a sorry to disagree about the chicken but a Spanek does the best chicken; tastes just like Weinerwald chicken from Germany and Austria.  Amazon sells them.

[SoonerLater]

@patbz I had to look that one up!  Yes, we have those for chickens  on the grill.  So how big a turkey have you done on one?  In the oven or outside?

[patbz]

There is a Spanek for small turkeys ( I did it in my oven).  Over the years we've done turkeys a multitude of ways ( including bar B Q spit, split in half and grilled outside, microwaved in a brown paper bag) but our favorite is in a Nestco style appliance and doing stuffing outside bird in the oven.

[Kachina624]

Ive cooked a turkey breast in my 6qt Nesco.  I make a shallow pan of aluminum foil, fill it with dressing and put it under the bird.  Drippings from the bird drain into the stuffing and it's tastes just like dressing cooked in a whole turkey.  Very good. 

[aroc3435]

@Kachina624   Genius!  That's such a great idea that it should be shared more widely.

Best,

aroc3435

Washington, DC

[wagirl]

I had the monster 18 qt, a 4 qt and a 6 qt oval--used them all the time too. You could not use the rack --just put lots of veggies on the bottom and set the bird ontop. the rack does lift it up a bit so the heat will circulate better---and you'd get all those yummy juices for gravy easier. I have cooked both ways and came out great. 

[Katcat1]

@petepetey    You need to have a pan under the turkey to catch any drippingsj otherwise you will have a mess to clean up.  It is best to have your turkey in a pan and cover with tin foil to keep the turkey moist.  The last 45 minutes take the foil off to brown the turkey.

[ECBG]

I bake other things while the turkey is resting.  It will be hot enough that carving will burn your fingers, believe me!

[Mominohio]

As long as you have the removable insert pan, just put the turkey on the rack. I've never seen a roaster without that removable insert pan, but maybe some people don't have that, and I don't think it is safe to cook directly into the well of the roaster without it. 

I always just use the rack and the removable insert that came with the roaster.