Customer Reviews

Grizzly Spit Rotisserie

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The concept is absolutely fabulous but the manufacturing is substandard.1.) For a device that is supposed to be in close proximity to a fire, its heat resistance is miserable. I was cooking a whole chicken over the old campfire this summer when the noise from the motor stopped. It turns out that the heat from the campfire melted the internal soldering that connected the power wire to the rotisserie motor. It also melted the plastic (yes plastic) battery cover right off. I had to play MacGyver and use a steak knife and some aluminum foil to fix it. 2.) Not only is the motor susceptible to heat but the batteries have a problem staying connected. The two D Cell batteries balance on top of two metal prongs which provide the positive connection point. The weight of the batteries actually bends these prongs, causing the circuit to break and the motor to shut off. I had to once again play MacGyver and use wads of aluminum foil as structural supports for the battery connectors.3.) Other areas that need improvement are the spit forks that come with the set. They are very small and only two pronged. If you want to cook a chicken, for example, you have to manually bend the spit fork prongs outward to fit in the chicken properly. I would recommend creating a bigger spit fork with more prongs. 4.) The spit itself is susceptible to corrosion in storage and is a bit on the thin side, in my opinion. So, I guess, in summary, I would say that the idea is great but the follow through needs some work. I wouldn't mind paying up to $80 a set for a campfire spit that is constructed well and takes the problems identified above into account.But, for what is out there on the market, this is the coolest thing you can buy if you want to cook caveman style when you go camping. How many people can roast whole animals over the fire without paying an arm and a leg?

I have had my Grizzly Spit for years now and haven't had any problems with it! I've cooked my Thanksgiving turkey on it for the last 4 years and it's been the best turkey I've ever had. I do agree the first spit forks needed to be upgraded, but now it does comes with the 4 prong variety which is a huge improvement! I have since bought another set of spit forks so I can rotisserie 2 chickens or 2 tri-tips with no problem. As far as the motor melting, I haven't encountered that problem, maybe my fire wasn't as big or I probably had my uprights spread further apart. Overall, I would recommend this product to everybody who loves to cook outside!

This spit was really disappointing. The mechanism that turns the metal rod (where the batteries are held) is not even fire resistant! The PLASTIC MELTED and started dripping into our fire ring!! We had to remove the device and turn the meat by hand -- a set up we could have put together with sticks and a metal rod. Really not worth the money AT ALL.

I've used mine now for several years to cook chicken over the camp fire. I've discovered my Weber rotisserie motor fits perfectly with the Grizzly parts, so when I'm in a campground with power I just plug in. I've cooked up to four Cornish game hens on the rig with the battery motor and four roaster sized chickens with the Weber motor. I think I may modify mine with a heat shield to protect the motor box as it did get warm while cooking. The chicken comes out great BTW. All in all, mine has worked flawlessly and my friends all want one.

I was hesitant to buy this after reading the reviews on it.
After about 3 months of contemplating, I bought it.
I took it on a weekend camping trip.
I cooked "3" chickens, all on the spit together, for 2 hours, and 45 minutes.
The motor never showed ANY sings of slowing at all.
Everyone agreed, it was the best chicken ever. Left the chicken with a very crispy skin, and super moist inside.
I'm adopting it to my home BBQ now. And all my friends that went to that camping trip have ordered their own.

Good rotisserie. Seems to work fine. I also got some brackets to mount it to my charcoal grill, which was pretty easy since the slot on the motor housing is three inches wide (that seems to be the pretty much universal size). The spit rod could be a little thicker, but I put two, five pound, chickens on it, and it didn't bend or break or put excess strain on the motor. I bought a couple extra spit forks to do more than one thing at a time. All in all I am very pleased.

This thing is perfect for dry camping (without electricity). It is entertainment and a meal in one. We have cooked 10 hours total on the 2 D batteries and they are still going strong. If they went dead right now I would be more than happy with how long they lasted. The food slowly turns basting itself, but you can also baste with a little beer if you happen to have one handy. The motor box is steel, but we thread a pie pan on to the end facing inward to protect it even more. We made a 4 lb BBQ pork shoulder cooked to slice in 5 1/2 hours. It was perfect. Next we will do a prime rib roast. It comes with a bag to hold everything also.

After reading several reviews I was hesitant to get this item. I have now owned it for a year and have used it multiple times. I have even adapted it to my home smoker. I love it and it works great. I haven't had any problems with it not be able to turn the meat I'm cooking. I even did the Thanksgiving turkey with it. Also I have not had any problems with the motor getting to hot because of the fire. I always plan my campouts with this in mind and what I'm going to cook using it. Wouldn't do a campout with out it. My one and only thought is it would be nice if the battery cover was metal like the rest of the motor body instead of plastic. But that is not a big enough deal or concern to dock it stars. Five stars all the way!

After reading a couple of the other reviews I was hesitant to purchase this rotisserie. I purchased it anyway because it was the only reasonably priced one I found. Very happy I took the risk! Used it over the 4th of July weekend Roasting a whole chicken the first night camping and a duck the second night. Both birds turned out amazing! (I definitely recommend buying a bird with the Pop Timer).

The total cook time between both uses was just shy of 7 hrs and the Grizzly Rotisserie showed no signs of wearing out the battery life. In fact, after the second use I needed the batteries for my air pump and they were like brand new.

Not getting that 5th star because I would like the Skewer to be longer and I did use a make-shift heat shield to prevent what other reviewers experienced. I just poked a hole in a pie tin (at first in the very center and then at the top for better protection)and put it on the skewer right in front of the motor.

I would give 4.5 stars though. Can't wait to use it again!

This past summer I went backpacking on a simple overnighter with a few friends. As I'm used to longer, more exhausting trips I decided this would be a good chance to have some fun. Instead of carrying a weeks worth of serious backpacking gear I decided to go ultra light and take only the bare necessities, then to make up the lack of weight with super ultra luxury food and drink. The Grizzly Spit was my my primary luxury item.

Weighing roughly 5 lb with batteries it was an acceptable weight. I then added a 5 lb roast in a vacuum sealed bag, several frozen water bottles (cold retention, drinking water, and ice for mixed drinks all in one!) and placed them into a mylar refrigerator bag. This kept the roast cold for the 5 hour hike (even in 95F weather).

We made it to camp early afternoon, immediately started a fire, and as soon as we had enough coals setup the Grizzly Spit. Setup was quick and easy. Stick the two supporting spikes in the ground, attach the motor, skewer the roast, and go! The only attention needed is to make sure the flame doesn't get too close to the meat, and that there are always enough coals. Basic attention to your fire is all that is necessary (never leave any fire unattended!).

The Grizzly spit is a very simple design. Which is good for light weight and simplicity. The motor box is a bit cheap (made in Tiawan), but of acceptable quality (it gets the job done). Mostly of metal construction it does have some plastic parts. So I advise keeping it as far away from the fire as possible (others have suggested an aluminium pie pan as a heat shield). For my setup I put one of the ceramic coated supporting spikes in the fire ring, and the supporting spike with the motor outside the fire ring. This kept the motor adequately cool. Make sure that the spike with the motor is lower than the other. The only thing that holds the skewer to the motor box is gravity. I would recommend the manufacturer (or handy man customer) fix this with a simple cotter pin.

The motor is a bit noisy, but tolerable. Upon disassembly you will see the reason for this is a small motor and a step down gear assembly. This is what allows such a small motor the torque to turn such a large piece of meat. You will also notice that the gears are a combination of metal and plastic. Not good for longevity, especially in a high heat environment. To increase it's life span, and decrease noise I lubricated the gears with some silicone/teflon lubricant (do not use petroleum oil on plastic!).

So after roughly 2-3 hours of roasting I tested the internal temperature of our beef, 160F, medium, mmmmm... With a makeshift heat glove we removed the roast and immediately sliced off slivers with our knives. The natural basting of the rotisserie had kept the roast moist, the slow cooking made it tender, and the open flame caramelized the exterrior. Perfect open pit roast beef on the trail.

Recipe:
5 lb Beef Roast (any kind) (next time I'm going to try lamb)
1 Head Garlic (make small slices in the roast and insert individual cloves)
Olive Oil (gently coat the roast, this helps the spices to penetrate the meat)
Salt (sprinkle to taste)
Black Pepper (sprinkle to taste)
1 Grizzly Spit

A final word of advise, when cooking with a fire made from gathered wood. The quality of your wood will affect the flavor of your food. If you use rotten wood you won't like the results.