Stainless Steel Rotisserie

Learn from our test kitchen how to get the best results when roasting a chicken in a rotisserie. Photo by by Edward O’Neil | IST.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ERIC DANTIS is a professional chef in residence at THE NIBBLE’s test kitchen.

April 2010

Appliance Review / Kitchenwares / Appliances

Stainless Steel Rotisserie

Page 4: Rotisseries Enable Healthier Cooking (Less Fat!)

This is Page 4 of a four-page review of the stainless steel Cuisinart Vertical Rotisserie, with tips for all rotisseries. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.

Avoiding Potential Pitfalls

Although the Cuisinart Vertical Rotisserie’s convenience and ease-of-use were definite pluses, we did find a slight design flaw:

Unless you truss the bird exactly per the instructions in the included recipe book, you will not get an even browning toward the base of the bird. This is due to the natural shape of the chicken’s breast—it curves slightly inward if stood upright, or vertically.

Many people don’t care about even browning; and it does not impact the flavor of the bird. So if this is for family dining, or you’re presenting the bird already sectioned, it may not mean as much to you as it does to this professional chef. So you may want to follow the trussing instructions to the letter, regardless of how many birds you’ve tied up in your life. Pulling the breast out slightly and gently at its bottom will also help that pesky lower half reach the heating element more evenly.

On the flip side, avoid following the exact cooking timetable. Learn what works for you. The first time we used the appliance, we set the timer for a little more than an hour and left the machine cooking our two-pound chicken at 400°F until the timer sounded. By that time, the chicken was nicely browned, except toward the base of the bird. The breast was also overcooked and dry and the skin was not crispy.

The second test yielded much better results. We trussed the second two-pound chicken per the instructions in order to prop the breast up a little higher for much better browning. We cooked the chicken at 400°F for far less time than the instruction booklet called for: just 45 minutes. We knew the chicken was at a safe eating temperature by using a probe thermometer.

The result was a much moister chicken breast and evenly cooked thighs. And if the skin is not as brown or crispy as you would like, simply break the chicken down into is main eating parts: two breasts, two drumsticks and two thighs, and brown them in a pan. If you are worried about proper browning, you can also brown the bird in a pan first, then place it on the rotisserie and continue cooking it that way.

Some of the delicious chicken produced by our trials. Photo by Jerry Deutsch | THE NIBBLE.

An unforeseen challenge was removing the chicken from the appliance. To avoid spilling the drained fat that collected in the drip tray, we first tried removing the bird by itself. This didn’t work as well as we hoped, as the chicken was still draining and hot to handle.

We then tried to remove the drip pan along with the poultry stand and attached chicken, but that too was challenging when the appliance was still hot.

We found the best method for removal was to let the chicken rest in the rotisserie oven for about 15 to 20 minutes so all the parts had an opportunity to cool down while the chicken rested. We then carefully removed the entire drip pan and chicken together. You may still want to wear gloves while doing this, although, the parts should be cool enough to touch in this amount of time.

Summary

Overall, the rotisserie is a good overall appliance if you have the counter space to spare. Otherwise, it becomes a special-occasion appliance that is kept with your grill and the deep fryer you use a few times a year.

Cuisinart Vertical Rotisserie Oven

Brushed Stainless Steel
$199.00

Purchase online* at Amazon.com

*Prices and product availability are verified at publication but are subject to change. Shipping is additional. These items are offered by a third party and THE NIBBLE has no relationship with them. Purchase information is provided as a reader convenience.

If you have the space for it, this is a good buy. Photo courtesy Cuisinart.

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