Baking chicken in oven vs. rotisserie

[Lisa Lynn]

Hi,

I'm a new cook and I'm trying to make the decision to buy a rotisserie or not. My husband and I live in the Southwest and it gets really hot here in the summer. Our apartment is small, so I try to grill out on our patio as much as possible so as not to turn on the oven and run up the power bill. (Turning on the oven heats up our entire apartment.)

I have recently learned to make a whole chicken in the oven, but I was thinking that I might save money on the electric bill and come out with a juicer chicken if I used a rotisserie.

Can anyone give me some information about the differences in cooking a chicken in an oven vs. using a rotisserie? Also, I was going to set my rotisserie outside to use it, in order to keep the cooling costs down. How hot do they get when you are using them?

I have my eye on a Cuisinart rotisserie that gets good reviews, but if anyone has used one by that company I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it. It's a rather pricy item, that's for sure. The staff in our local Williams-Sonoma had one going the other day and I asked hot it got while using it and the lady just said "pretty hot", but that doesn't tell me much.

Also, we don't eat the chicken skin, so is the rotisserie primarily just for making a crispy skin? Forgive me for my ignorance on these things, I'm just new to cooking in general.

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give me!

 

[Scotch]

They do give off quite a bit of heat since the heating element is exposed and there's no "box" around the whole thing to contain the heat. It's like having a room heater going.

Rotisserie chicken comes out a little different from oven-roasted, both in taste and looks. It's juicer but usually less well-browned, at least on the stand-alone rotisseries such as you have (I have a Farberware, which works well, but I prefer the rotisserie in my gas grill).

I've used my Farberware rotisserie inside only, but I think it would be fine outside. Just find a place where it's out of the wind and away from falling leaves, etc. What about insects? If they're a problem where you live, that may make it undoable.

In any case, you should have an instant-read thermometer to be sure the chicken is done as it's hard to judge from looks, and the timing may vary depending on several factors.

 

[Wyogal]

How about a slow cooker? I find that they don't heat up the kitchen so badly.

 

[Andy M.]

Rotisserie cooked chickens are self basting. I just watched a show on PBS of Julia Child roasting a chicken on a rotisserie. It came out great of course. She commented that rotisserie chickens always seem to be juicier.

This method is NOT just to make the skin crispy. If you don;t eat the skin, at least leave it on until it's through cooking so the breast meat doesn't dry out.

 

[Scotch]

I agree with Andy. As I said, the skin comes out less brown -- and less evenly browned since different parts of the chicken are farther from the heating element. Parts may get crispy, but most of it doesn't. Leave it on to protect the meat, which will be very juicy and flavorful, and then discard it when you carve it, which is what we do, too.

 

[Andy M.]

The skin is the best part IMHO.

 

[Scotch]

Yeah, but not when my wife is watching.

 

[Andy M.]

Yeah, but not when my wife is watching.

I feel your pain, man.

 

[Scotch]

I feel your pain, man.

"What did you have for lunch today."
"A salad."
"Just a salad? Do you expect me to believe that? Did it happen to have a cheeseburger sitting on by any chance?"

Geez, a little cholesterol, a little BP, and suddenly you're a criminal!

 

[Andy M.]

"What did you have for lunch today."
"A salad."
"Just a salad? Do you expect me to believe that? Did it happen to have a cheeseburger sitting on by any chance?"

Geez, a little cholesterol, a little BP, and suddenly you're a criminal!

No appreciation for the finer things...

 

[Chef Munky]

Hi,

I'm a new cook and I'm trying to make the decision to buy a rotisserie or not. My husband and I live in the Southwest and it gets really hot here in the summer. Our apartment is small, so I try to grill out on our patio as much as possible so as not to turn on the oven and run up the power bill. (Turning on the oven heats up our entire apartment.)

I have recently learned to make a whole chicken in the oven, but I was thinking that I might save money on the electric bill and come out with a juicer chicken if I used a rotisserie.

Can anyone give me some information about the differences in cooking a chicken in an oven vs. using a rotisserie? Also, I was going to set my rotisserie outside to use it, in order to keep the cooling costs down. How hot do they get when you are using them?

I have my eye on a Cuisinart rotisserie that gets good reviews, but if anyone has used one by that company I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it. It's a rather pricy item, that's for sure. The staff in our local Williams-Sonoma had one going the other day and I asked hot it got while using it and the lady just said "pretty hot", but that doesn't tell me much.

Also, we don't eat the chicken skin, so is the rotisserie primarily just for making a crispy skin? Forgive me for my ignorance on these things, I'm just new to cooking in general.

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give me!

I have the Ronco Brand Rotisserie..It's just awesome.
https://www.ronco.com
They don't show the model I have,It's the Platinum Edition.Bought mine at Macy's for around $140.00.That was many years ago. Seven I believe,and it's still working as well as it did the day I bought it.
Ronco does have newer models.If the unit needs a good cleaning or replacement parts they can take care of it for you.I don't see that offer very often.
Just wish I had bought the additional trays that can be placed at the top to steam cook veggies.It's a very versatile unit.
It will heat up a small kitchen.It's tolerable here.But if the weather is too hot I take it outside and cook an entire meal with it.
Clean up is a breeze.
My unit lets me set the time.When it's done and I'm slacking behind with other things.It allows you to keep the unit turning,but shuts off the heating element.
It really is a great addition to my kitchen arsenal..It's not just for chicken.
Ham.Prime Ribs.Roasts,Turkey's cook evenly in it.Cooking seafood doesn't sound appealing to me.But I'm sure it can be done.

Good luck.

Munky.

 

[ambimom]

Lisa Lynn, while you're still learning to cook, I think a rotisserie is probably not a good idea. An oven roasted chicken done properly is a joy. All the rotisserie does is slowly turn the chicken around a heating element. You can achieve almost the same effect by placing a whole chicken over an empty soda can and placing that inside a roasting pan. A roasting rack is another way to achieve that all-important crispy skin. Good equipment is certainly important, but the secret to good cooking is the quality of your ingredients. A rotisserie is an expensive gadget with limited use. Wait until you have a few more recipes under your belt before investing in one.

Check youtube for cooking videos. I'm sure someone has posted one on how to roast a chicken.

Keep cooking!

 

[Scotch]

Yeah, Lisa -- just drag your oven out into the backyard and you'll be all set. What's the problem?

 

[BreezyCooking]

I FULLY AGREE with Munky (& disagree with Ambimom) - the Ronco "Showtime" Rotisserie is the best thing to happen to poultry cooking. I can't remember the last time I roasted a chicken or duck in my regular oven. The Ronco rotisserie turns out such a perfect crisp-skinned juicy bird every time - & with the duck - NO SMOKING FAT!! In addition, it also does NOT have "limited use", as Ambimom feels. I've done whole fish, fish steaks, turkey drumsticks, whole turkey tenderloins, etc. - all of which have turned out wonderfully. It truly is a durable, amazing, & versatile product that's worth every penny.

Hubby bought it for me about 10 years ago as a sort of "joke" gift (due to the ever-present Ronco "infomercials" we were always seeing on tv), & from Day 1 it's earned a permanent place on my way too small counterspace because I use it so often. And it definitely does NOT give off a lot of heat. Much less than roasting in my regular oven. And is super easy to clean to boot. I believe the model we have (the regular-size basic model - no bells & whistles) was around $129 way back when. Certainly not very expensive. And after 10 years of very regular use, it's still going strong - never a problem.

Obviously, I highly recommend it. And Ronco isn't even giving me a commission - lol!!!

 

[Scotch]

High praise, indeed! Sounds better than my old Farberware "Open Hearth" Rotisserie, which is not enclosed like a small oven and does give off a lot of heat. Makes good chicken, though!

 

[mike in brooklyn]

I know that many of the countertop electric convection ovens
now have a rotisserie feature - these could easilly be brought outdoors.
I have a 20 year old Toastmaster and do 95% of oven cooking in it - it is
1 cubic foot capacity and everything except a large Turkey fits in it.
No rotisserie but chicken comes out wonderfully.

 

[Guywhocooks]

I agree with Ambimom. While rotisserie chicken may cut down on the indoor heat, in order to perfect slow cooked chicken, one must first look inside. Start in the oven. Once you have that down rotisserie, which is harder to judge doneness, will be much easier. Additionally oven baked chicken is usually easier to control basting since you have but to turn on your light to see if its starting to dry out.

 

[CharlieD]

Lisa, if you were on this board as I have you'd know that Breeze and I never agree, well almost never, this post would be the second time we agree. Rotisserie is a very good way to cook a chicken especially if you are only learning to cook.

If you can find a good rotisserie unit the chicken comes out tender, juicy, something that a novice cook cannot always achieve in the oven. It takes practice to get to that point. So I am all for rotisserie, but you should do your home work on which one to get. I'm sorry I cannot recommend one as mine is a commercial one.

 

[Chef Munky]

I agree with Ambimom. While rotisserie chicken may cut down on the indoor heat, in order to perfect slow cooked chicken, one must first look inside. Start in the oven. Once you have that down rotisserie, which is harder to judge doneness, will be much easier. Additionally oven baked chicken is usually easier to control basting since you have but to turn on your light to see if its starting to dry out.

I'm sorry but I still disagree with cooking a chicken in the oven vs the rotisserie.It's my own opinion that a rotisserie would be a benefit to her and her needs.More so than an oven would be at this time.I'll explain the pro's and con's of using each one.

Cooking a chicken in the oven is more work.You have to open the oven door and expose yourself to the heat,hot pans,while your basting it.Lets tack on a few more cooking minutes for opening the door while it was cooking.
Also after it's done she would have the clean up.Racks,large pans.Larger area (oven) to clean up all the splatters.

It's not harder to test the meat for doneness with a rotisserie.
You have to know the weight of the meat your cooking.As well as what type of meat.Cook according to a weight chart,and have a good meat thermometer on hand.Set the timer.Much simpler then using the oven.
"Set it and forget it!" is the motto,but they don't really mean that.

Their is no opening the door to baste,or check for the correct cooking temp.You use the chart,check for doneness after ward's.The meat bastes itself while cooking.You can baste it if you want.It's not always necessary.It's easier to control then cooking something in the oven.I have yet to dry out a chicken.You can at anytime with a rotisseries pause and sear.Ovens don't allow you to do that.

Most rotisseries like mine have a light that automatically comes on when the unit is turned on.A huge front window allows you to look inside to see how it's doing. Mesmerizing!
Most times the clean up is just a piece of foil removed,the spit,and wipe down the interior. (smaller area)

I think she can do more with a rotisserie,then she ever could with an oven.Perfect deli style meats every time.It's also a much healthier way to cook.

Munky.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Thanks for the confirmations guys! I'd also like to add that in addition to the little booklet that came with my rotisserie, there's a time chart for commonly cooked items printed right on the appliance. And better than that - it's actually spot-on correct for the appliance. After the first couple of times, I've never had to bother checking the internal temp on my poultry. When the timer "dings", I know it's done perfectly & I've yet to be proven wrong. In addition, if you have to hold the bird for awhile before serving, the rotisserie can be set to turn without heat & will keep the bird warm for a good 45 minutes if necessary, & all that continuous turning keeps the juices where they belong - in the bird.

Again - while it may sound funny that I keep promoting the Ronco rotisserie, it's really turned out such excellent care-free meals for us (whole chickens, ducks, & cornish hens have truly been the standouts), that I just can't help myself - lol!!