Customer Reviews

Ronco Inventions ST4000 Showtime Indoor Rotisserie and BBQ

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

Great product! I have to admit, I'm addicted to kitchen appliances. I love 'em! What separates the Ronco Rotisserie from the others is that I actually use it and use it often.

I purchased mine after seeing the infomercial. To my delight and surprise, it was presented accurately. This makes roasting a breeze, clean up a snap and the results are mouth watering.

For a while, I used it to only roast chicken. As a single, working mother, I'd roast two at a time, intending to use the cooked chicken for chicken salads, Cordon Bleu, curries, sandwiches, etc. throughout the week. Since then, I've cooked just about everything, my favorite now being roast beef. (Marinate the roast in beer overnight, then make a rub with seasoned salt and rosemary, apply liberally. Delicious!)

My included flavor injector doesn't work well, so I don't use it. I've tried injecting lime juice under my chicken's skins and the juice pours out of the injector before I have inserted it into the meat. This may be a defective injector, but I thought it worth mentioning to other consumers.

Also, I have attempted to use the "steamer" located on top of the Rotisserie. The "steamer", in actuality is just a pan which is warmed solely from the heat that the unit emits. Thus, I cannot control its heat and my vegetables have come out too soft for my preference.

Having mentioned heat, I must state that this unit gets HOT. PLEASE use with caution! Unlike the slogan repeated on the informercial, you really cannot "set it and forget it". You MUST monitor your Showtime Rotisserie. There is even a warning upon the window to this effect.

As pleased as I was with my Rotisserie, I recommended it to my sister. We'd both used ours to cook Thanksgiving turkeys. Apparently, she had not trimmed down or tied her wings tightly (you do not have to buy extra meat ties [over priced] from Ronco or inexpensively from your meat market. I use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss with wonderful results). This, combined with the fact that the fat really does copiously drip into the pan at the base of the unit, resulted in a grease fire. The unit and the turkey were salvaged however.

Finally, I share that one of our local news stations (Washington, D.C.) did an in depth investigation on infomercials. Its purpose was to report if products that the infomercials introduced were as easy, practical and effective as they claimed. Its findings were that the ONLY product that was tested and worked as introduced was the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie.

If you follow directions, monitor your unit and do not become careless because of the ease of its use, you will have excellent results.

After reading all the reviews, I decided to take the plunge. I have used my machine for chops, chicken, ham, roast, and vegetables. To make this an easy to clean appliance, you simply line the drip tray with foil, and spray the grate with non stick spray. I also add water to the drip tray and this eliminates all smoke and adds moisture to the meat. After I finish cooking, I just empty the water out, wipe off the foil lined tray and clean the grate which is very easy to do.The foil lasts through several cookings and cleans up in a snap. I have found this machine to be as easy to clean as a roaster from the conventional oven.As for the inside of the machine, I just wipe it down each time. I can completely clean the Showtime in about 5 minutes. If you like the taste of rotisserie cooked foods, this is certainly a good investment.

I bought my Showtime a year ago on the recommendation of my sister, who loved hers. I had one of the little vertical Sunbeam rotisseries (about (dollar amount ...)) that I'd used for dozens of chickens. Being vertical, though, makes doing other meats (e.g. hamburgers, fish steaks) impossible.

I must say initially that the packaging and unit are a new hallmark for Ron Popeil and his line of flimsy products. In quality of construction it appears to match most small appliances.

I discovered that rounded or cylindrical meats indeed cook well in the oven, browning beautifully. However, these didn't seem to be superior in any way to the ones I've baked in a conventional oven. Just messier to clean up in this unit.

Using the flat rack was more problematic. If you imagine the rack rotating in the oven, and follow the rack through its motions, you'll see that the meat closer to the rotational axis isn't exposed to the same level of heat as cuts on the outside of the axis. I've had this happen with hamburgers repeatedly, along with salmon steaks. Plus, again I saw no improvement over my broiled experiences.

My biggest problem with the machine is the difficulty cleaning. Grease will tend to spatter and accumulate on the big cogged wheels that go in the machine. The metal interior is not removable in any way, and there really is no way to completely clean. Situated only an inch or so from many meats, the door needs cleaning virtually every time the machine is used; the part of the door where the writing is, is a real mess.

I'm not Howard Hughes, but I can't abide a machine that you can't really clean. My little Sunbeam rotisserie has a metal liner all around the inside that slides out. I live near Houston, the roach capital of the world, and I try to keep all appliances and utensils clean.

I ended up giving this appliance away to an out-of-town friend about a month ago, and haven't missed it at all. . .

The first weeks after I got the showtime rotisserie, I cooked everything in it that I could think of. Turkey, ham, chickens, fish, pork chops, vegetables, burgers, steaks, hot dogs, etc. I kept thinking that it couldn't be as good as they say it is. But everytime, it exceeded my expectations. It makes the moistest, most flavorful meats, vegetables, fish and poulty that I have ever seen. I even took it to my office for our holiday potluck and cooked the ham right in the office. Everyone loved it. If you like great food that is super easy to cook, get this item. The only thing I had to adjust is on larger meats, I check it with a meat thermometer and have had to cook it a little longer but it still turns out great.

My Mother ordered a Ronco Rotisserie for my wife and I for last Christmas. We had seen the infomercials but never had an intention of purchasing the ShowTime rotisserie.

To our amazement, every word Ron says is true. It's all true, from how easy it is to prepare a delicious meal in a very short period of time to how easy it is to clean and keep. We have used our ShowTime rotisserie many times to cook roast, prime rid, ribs, chicken pork tenderloin and hamburgers. Each and every meal was wonderfully delicious. The machine is very easy to clean and take care of, and it certainly is not one of the gifts we have received over the years which just sits in a closet waiting for a garage sale.

I have recommended the machine to several of our friends, however, they like we were are very skeptical until they taste the dishes we have prepared on the ShowTime Rotisserie.

It truely sells itself.

Having read through the many reviews of this product, I thought I would weigh in with my two cents. I purchased the Showtime the first time I saw it on an infomercial over five years ago. I have made a ten pound prime rib roast, a fifteen pound turkey, whole chickens and countless chicken parts. I have never had a meal turn out less than perfect. I have had to replace the bulb for the interior light so this should tell you how often I have used the rotisserie. To be sure, the unit looks used, with paint chips and burn marks around the exterior where the glass door meets the metal but this is a testament to its reliability throughout the years. I use this product more than any other appliance in the kitchen and when it ceases to function, I will replace it immediately! I have read complaints about smoke and fumes and I have to say that this has never occured when I have used my Showtime. If I was to complain at all about the unit, it would concern the cleanup. The non-stick drip tray isn't all that easy to clean and you really have to spray the interior of the unit (I use Simple Green) each time to avoid unpleasant odors. One hint for cleaning the drip tray, reflective pan and the glass door: spray them with oven cleaner and let them set for a couple of hours and then rinse them off. This has worked well for me and especially keeps the glass from discoloring due to the buildup of splattered grease. But cleanup aside, I unequivocally endorse the Showtime Rotisserie. It has been a valued companion in the kitchen.

Before I bought my Ronco rotisserie (an upgraded version) I wish I had asked myself (and had good answers for) those two questions. Prospective buyers would do well to give some thought to them before buying. And BTW, you can purchase a better version of the equivalent of their "injection kit" from Amazon or any well-stocked local kitchen or restaurant supply store.

Retail price for any of the Ronco products is exorbitant, IMHO. For not much more than what the folks at Ronco propose as retail price, you can purchase a new stove! That said--and having answered those two key questions--you are ready to evaluate whether this is a good use of your money, your counter/storage space, and the time you will spend in cleaning it.

ON THE PLUS SIDE:
* This does a truly great job of making rotisserie chicken! (But if you already have a stove, a vertical roaster stores in a lot less space, costs a lot less, and cleans up far more easily.)
* The basket and kebob accessories (not included with this particular model) extend its usefulness.

ON THE MINUS SIDE:

* There is absolutely NO heat shielding--which has two consequences to consider.

* First, if you expect to be using this indoors in warm weather, be forewarned that your indoors will become a LOT warmer when this thing is cooking. There is a single heat setting, which translates to medium high heat; the result is equivalent to turning on a 1250 watt radiant space heater. (It will also tie up an entire electrical circuit, a real consideration if your wiring is more than 10 to 15 years old, when fewer circuits were routed to the kitchen.)

* Second, you cannot safely use this on a counter if the counter has kitchen cabinets above. The bottom of the cabinet will get too hot for safety very quickly. Depending on the cabinet's materials and construction, this may result in buckling, blistering or even fire.

* Despite the famed phrase-- "set it and forget it"--repeated periodically on cue by the audience during their infomercial, this appliance cannot be set and forgotten, as the directions clearly state. Personally, I would not leave the kitchen with this appliance on--not even for a VERY short time--if my young child/grandchild/dog would be unattended in my absence.

* Loading/unloading food is clumsy, in my experience--and you had better not misplace the small plastic stand on which the rotisserie rests, or you will be hard pressed to load and/or unload!

* You will need a place to store the gloves, which admittedly do help in unloading.

* Cleanup of the rotisserie is no fun, even for the high end version with reflector shield. (The gloves are a pain to clean, too.) Without the shield, I can only imagine; what fun--and clean it, you must; the spattered grease makes a "roach buffet" that will attract any roach whose antennae are on the lookout for food.

BEST FIT: If you plan to eat a LOT of rotisserie chicken, AND have a covered patio/lanai/porch with a convenient electrical outlet, AND room for a sturdy small table--NOT plastic!--on which to use this appliance, AND a place to store it between uses, then purchasing this may work out well. (This is especially likely to be true if you and the other adults in the household agree about who will be responsible for cleanup--preferably the same day.)

WORST FIT: If you plan to use this exclusively indoors, have limited kitchen counter space, have multiple small children underfoot, live in a condo with no balcony or electrical outlet or are charging this on a credit card that you don't pay off in full each month, think twice and then think again.

SUMMARY: This is an impulse purchase you can live very well without.

At my request, I was given the Showtime Rotisserie for Christmas.

I did not realize that where you purchased your rotisserie has a lot to do with its color - I wanted white to go with my kitchen and erroneously believed they were all white, based on watching the TV video several times. Not So. Mine is a steel color - called Platinum. Insert with my rotisserie reads that the white is only available when ordered from TV. Insert states Black is also available.

I'd like to share my first cooking experience with new owners who have not tried it yet. When you see white smoke steaming from the appliance, something is burning, even if you see no flames. My first rotisserie meat was a pork loin. It was a neat loin, small on both ends and fat in the middle - and it fit great on the 2 prongs - between the ends. Because it fit so compactly - nothing sticking out - I did not bind it with the cords that came with the accessory kit. Big mistake - when you cook, you should try to make your meat size as uniform as possible. I should have bound that piece of meat into a fat chunk rather than allowing the ends to taper off naturally. The narrow ends burned while the center was roasting nicely. I'm sure you would not make this mistake.

I have enjoyed using the rotisserie several times since my first experience and no smoke except when something is burning. I recognize the white distress signal now. DO NOT PUT IT ON AND FORGET IT - conditions may change in a matter of minutes.

What I like about the rotisserie is that it cleans up very easily and does not really take up as much space on my counter as I feared.

I have enjoyed cooking on the rotisserie and am glad to have it.
Edited to add UPDATE:
Returned Rotisserie to store - engine that turned rotisserie broke on 5th use - started making a very loud noise and turning slower. I believe the timer was off also because I used exact time and my chicken could be used as football-very tough...

I got my rotisserie as a gift to myself, I had the George Forman grill and I just didn't like it I decided to return it for the rotisserie, and on thanksgiving day I cooked a 12 pound turkey in it. It took only 3 hours, and it was perfect golden brown and the meat falling off the bone,and you can cook anything in it. It comes out perfect, chicken, ribs, rump roast, porkchops anything, I love it. If I could rate it more than 5 stars I would cause it should get a 10 star rating.

You can't go wrong. Really. I've had my rotisserie oven for only two weeks now and can't imagine how I've ever lived without it. Yesterday I cooked the best pork roast I've ever tasted in my life! It was incredibly easy too. All I did was sprinkle on some garlic salt and throw it in for an hour (about 15 min per pound). Even the worst cook in the world couldn't mess anything up in this oven. Here are some useful tips (some which I learned by reading other reviews here- thanks) - 1)line the back on the unit behind the heating element with uluminum foil. 2)put water in the drip tray instead of lining with foil. Also throw some chopped onions, celery, etc into water to make an awesome gravy afterwards. 3)allow food to cool for a while to let juices settle. Don't just pull food out and begin cutting immediately, you will lose flavor. I leave food turning in the rotisserie without the heat on for at least 15 minutes and then let stand on countertop for about 30 minutes. 4)Clean up right away! Wash all rotisserie parts in sink while your roast is cooling on countertop. I find that everything cleans up very quick & easy. And the inside of the oven barely gets dirty at all. Clean up is a breeze if you do it right away. 5)put a little oil on the gear wheel where it meets the sides of the oven to prevent squeaking. I just spray a little Pam. That's about it! I absolutely love this thing, it will not be leaving my countertop anytime soon. My only concern is whether or not it will hold up well over time. So far so good... looks like it's pretty sturdy. Bottom line to me is that the food tastes incredible. You won't believe it until you try it for yourself. If this oven breaks down I will buy another one. It's money well spent.