# Roaster oven?



## giggler (Aug 5, 2017)

Have I missed out on this Roaster Oven deal? It looks like a crock pot that turns up to 450f?

It is so hot here in Tx. this time of year, I stop using my regular oven to cook like a whole Chicken or a pork loin roast. 

If I could cook a whole chicken with crispy skin out in my garage without heating up my little kitchen, that would be Great!

Eric, Austin Tx.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Aug 5, 2017)

It may look like a crock pot, but it is NOT a crock pot. There is nothing slow about the way it cooks, and you do not want to set it and go to work all day, or even leave it and run off to the store for something you forgot. Oh, and no peeking! Every time you lift that lid, all the heat escapes and you can add another 15 to 20 minutes to your roasting time. Get yourself one of those thermometers with the probe and cable to check the internal temperature as it cooks.

I use mine mainly for holiday cooking so I can roast the meat or poultry in the roaster and use the regular oven for an additional entree or for baking things: casseroles, rolls, pies, etc.


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## Roll_Bones (Aug 5, 2017)

We try to use the grill during the summer.  We can grill or bake in it.

As far as those portable oval ovens mostly used for turkeys.  Is that what you mean?  I don't like them and do not see crisp skin with them either.
I have only witnessed their use.  Never have I used one. So I could be wrong.


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## Kayelle (Aug 5, 2017)

I've had my 6qt. Nesco Roaster for over 20 years and it's my favorite small appliance. There are dozens of threads here singing it's praises. 

You won't get crispy skin on chicken or turkey but that's the only down side I can see.

Eric, get one...you won't be sorry and it won't cost you more than a one dimensional crockpot!


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## blissful (Aug 5, 2017)

What I NEED is a stainless steel insert in my 18 qt Nesco roaster. What I HAVE is a non stick insert which I've had to steel wool the finish off of it when I first started using it. I really like it now that none of the dark specs of finish come off anymore, in anything. I've used it over 50 times for making cheese this year, and each summer I use it about 10 times for cooking down tomatoes for about 24 hours from start to finish. 

I'm now convinced, absolutely, that I'll make a turkey in it this fall when the weather is cool. The only time the turkey skin is good, is fresh off the roasted turkey, then the rest gets sent away to the turkey broth pan. Whether I get browned turkey skin or not, that momentary pleasure, is still to be seen. It's not worth the trouble to eat something that is a moment on the lips and a lifetime on the hips. I can get that for $2 in a bag of chips.


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## albert01 (Aug 5, 2017)

Roaster ovens date back to the earlier 20 century. Were quite popular at one time and have seem to have made a comeback.

They usually come with a base that heats a removable liner or cookwell. The lids are usually fairly light and thin made from steel or aluminum.

These are not a true slow cooker. Most slow cookers have a ceramic bowl that doesn't fluctuate rapidly to temperature changes. Maintains a constant low, medium or high slow cooking temperatures. (low medium and high is what many slow cookers use as thermostat, usually there is no deg. F or C temp. settings)

A roaster oven is able to slow cook with some reservations as the cookwells and base are made from steel (some perhaps aluminum) which is more susceptible to rapid changes in temperature. More difficult to maintain  constant  temperatures.

However some roaster cookers are fairly good at maintaining certain cooking temperatures with their thermostat. My Nesco 18 quart does a good job of maintaining a cooking temperature which I check periodically with either with a laser or oven thermometer.

I'm able to set the Nesco roaster oven as low a ~100 deg. F. 

For slow cooking you really need a cooking temperature of around ~180 deg. F to ~280 deg. F. Depending on the slow cooker manufacture slow cookers usually are somewhere within this temperature range by a few or several degrees +/-.

When slow cooking I prefer to use a slow cooker. However most slow cookers are usually limited to a maximum of around ~7 quarts. 

If you have larger stews, soups, etc. and need to slow cook up to ~18 quarts. The roaster does ok when set to  lower slow cooking temperatures. Once set to the desired temperature (would need to be measured using an oven or laser thermometer) You could leave it slow cooking for several hours e.g. 4 to 8 hours possibly longer depending on the temperature.

However  at first check I would check on the roaster oven's slow cooking periodically until your  certain your roaster oven is slow cooking properly and maintaining a constant slow cooking temperature(s).

I'm uncertain but perhaps some slow cookers have better quality thermostats than others?


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## GotGarlic (Aug 5, 2017)

albert01 said:


> I'm uncertain but perhaps some slow cookers have better quality thermostats than others?



According to Cooks Illustrated, some have better insulation and temperature sensors that maintain a simmer rather than a boil. That makes them perform better.


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## bakechef (Aug 5, 2017)

We've used one at work to cook a whole turkey and they work really well for that.  They just don't get the intensity of heat to crisp the skin, it's also a more moist cooking environment than a traditional oven.

They also work great for large batches of chili or spaghetti sauce. The one that I have experience with is a cheapo that my boss owns.


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## albert01 (Aug 5, 2017)

I  have an older 18 quart Nesco with convection fan that does quite well at maintain from low to high temperatures.

However for smaller meals where the pan is only an inch or two full. The bottom doesn't get hot very quickly as the heat is from the sides instead of bottom. I don't recommend a large 18 quart roaster oven for small meals with 2 - 3 cups of liquid that requires to be brought to a boil.

Below is a pic of the one I have, but an electric pot such as steam cooker, etc. works better for smaller meals.


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## skilletlicker (Aug 5, 2017)

I have an 18 qt. Nesco for turkeys and hams.  Cooking for one, I mostly can get away with roasting with an 8 x 8" casserole dish in the toaster oven.  Have thought about one of those smaller ones but I like the brown bits on meats and vegetables you get from roasting in an oven.


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## albert01 (Aug 5, 2017)

I cooked up some frozen chicken breasts from a wire grate on the bottom of the cookwell with thermostat set to around 375 and the chicken cooked up perfectly within  approx. an ~hour +/-.

However when I cooked a chicken mix it must have taken over 2 - 3 hours to cook. I added 3 cups water and milk,  the pasta and spices which your suppose to bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 12 mins.

However it actually took a long amount of time where there was some simmering in the bottom of the 18 quart cookwell after a couple of hours. The chicken pasta and mix with approx. 3 cup of liquid would only low simmer and not produce a rapid boil Eventually cooked up  well but took a long time because temperatures in the bottom of the cookwell stay low at around 150 deg. F with temperatures at the top of the cookwell around 300 deg F. This is with the thermostat set to 450.

 I think when only around an ~inch of liquid on the bottom cookwell isn't high enough to reach the hot areas from the cookwell sides, perhaps requires to be another inch or two higher.

I think the frozen chicken breasts did ok as hot air produced higher in the cookwell was able to permeate the chicken found from the rack at the bottom.

I don't think a roaster oven is able to adequately boil liquid when there is only around of inch or so from the bottom.

 Liquid  usually requires direct contact from a cooking vessel to bring to a boil within several mins. (approx. same time required to boil water, etc.)


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## Kayelle (Aug 6, 2017)

albert01 said:


> I cooked up some frozen chicken breasts from a wire grate on the bottom of the cookwell with thermostat set to around 375 and the chicken cooked up perfectly within  approx. an ~hour +/-.
> 
> However when I cooked a chicken mix it must have taken over 2 - 3 hours to cook. I added 3 cups water and milk,  the pasta and spices which your suppose to bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 12 mins.
> 
> ...



My 6qt. Nesco did fine cooking 8oz. of Penne pasta in 4qt. of water. I prepared it first before doing a Chicken Cacciatore  in the cookwell.


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## albert01 (Aug 6, 2017)

My stove isn't working and because of expense not really worth trying to fix. So I normally use an electric rice cooker to cook up small meals. I also have a convection microwave with large fold down door like a regular oven. Also a 12 quart electric pressure cooker but it doesn't slow cook very well so I use a ~4 - ~5 quart slow cooker with ceramic bowl.

These appliances work ok but not like a regular stove so I've been thinking of building a brick oven with gas cooktop. There are plans available or you can create you own plan.

Where I grew up I use to know people with brick ovens. Cooked all the time from them. Standard metal oven with all their controls are good but not quite the same as cooking from a brick, rock or masonry oven.

Here's a site with information and plans for building and designing brick ovens. Some are built for the outdoors while other are designed to be used indoors. Can be built as a gas oven, wood burning oven or combination gas and wood burning.

Wood pizza oven Building wood burning brick bread ovens


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Aug 6, 2017)

Take advantage of the New Wave Induction Cooktop 2 fer 1 sale and you will never go back to a gas cook top again. I am still kicking myself in the butt for not choosing induction when I bought my new stove.


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