Customer Reviews

Ronco ST5000PLGEN Showtime Rotisserie Platinum Edition

5 star:		(113)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

My family has used my mom's wedding rotisserie for years, but after fifty years it finally died. We were in a panic, what shall we do, after all it lasted fifty years, made of shiny steel. We searched all the rotisseries out there, read the comments on the different products, even looked at eBay, noticed comments about the white plastic discoloring eventually from the heat. Then in our shopping we saw the Showtime Platinum with its fine unpainted steel exterior and solid construction. Everyone was selling the thing for $160 plus sales tax, so buying from amazon with free shipping was a no-brainer, especially since the day we placed our order the amazon webpage had a surprise $29 savings certificate. Well, I must say that in just one week we have done one to two chickens a day for our family of six, a marinated pork roast, salmon in the basket, and everything comes out absolutely perfect and delicious. Some think Ronco means cheap construction, but this thing is well and thoughtfully put together, and the video is really quite informative. Even the elastic chicken ties are a great idea, I now must go go a sewing store and buy more of this elastic thread and make my own. There is a reflector that goes down inside the back behind the heating coils that comes out for the dishwasher, and everything removable works in the dishwasher too, with very little cleanup inside and out with a sponge. Great food, easy care, great instructions, thoughtful and quality design, this thing is great. I would (and have) strongly recommend this specific unit to those I know and those reading this review.

Thanksgiving Turkey... WOW.... my family was so impressed with the turkey we cooked in our new Ronco Showtime Rotisserie. I bought a 12 pound turkey and it fit perfectly onto this rotisserie. However, I personally would not go bigger on this. After washing the turkey, I dried it and rubbed it with salt/pepper/lawrys poultry seasoning before putting it into the Ronco. I let the turkey cook for 4 hours as stated in the guide. The results: the most amazing, tender, fall of the bone, delicious, crispy skin turkey my family and I have ever had. I will never go back to bags, roasting pans, and eating Thanksgiving out again.

I have also cooked 4 chickens on this and they all came out excellent, but the turkey was really over the top in flavor!

I tried to do hamburgers but the meat started falling apart and out of the baskets so I just took them out and pan fried them. So far, that has been the most disapointing part of the Ronco.

I can't wait to try the skewers!

Clean up hint: Line the drip pan with foil including the grate, and also line the shiny reflective insert with foil. Spray the inside down lightly with any spray oil and also spray the part the skewers the chicken. Clean up will be almost non-existent. It will smoke for about the first 5 minutes due to the oil hitting the heating element, but just place it next to the stove or on top of the stove and turn the vent fan on until the smoking stops.

When I purchased this Ronco Showtime Rotisserie Platinum Edition I applied the $25 discount plus the free Super Saver Shipping that was offered which made it quite a steal at about 50% less then the Ronco site.

I read a review of the product in Slate of all places, where they bought all the late nite products and tried them out. They said all the other products (veggie slicer, haircut thingy, etc) were crap but that this rotisserie was awesome. I knew then that I had to have one.

Man, it makes amazing roast chicken! Crispy skin -- all the way around, not just (maybe) on the top as when you do it in the oven. And delicious, tender meat... just the best. I make one a week and use the leftovers throughout the week, chopped in a salad, sliced on sandwiches, or cold with mustard, etc. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

This is a decent machine, but it is not without it's faults. If you're thinking of buying one let me give you a few words of advice.

1. Any kind of poultry you cook in this machine will turn out excellent. For me that was reason enough to buy it because I always overcook my poultry in the oven. When it comes to beef and pork, i can't recomend using this machine. It gives the food a funny taste, and you're better off cooking beef and pork on the barbecue.

2. The commercial claims that it is easy to clean. Maybe so, but I don't own a dishwasher and it is a pain to clean. There are several parts that require furious scrubbing, taking some time and effort to clean. For those of you with a dishwasher it may be easier, but you would still have to scrub off the grease remenants before loading it in the washer.

Overall I do enjoy this machine because it allows me to cook a quality whole bird. If you have mastered cooking poultry, this machine will be a waste of money.

I have had my Showtime Rotisserie for two years now. A lot of reviews are from people who use an item once and either have a great experience or got a faulty unit, so you never see the true perfomance of an item.
A roommate of mine moved in and brought his beloved Rotisserie. At first look you could tell that this was not an appliance that sat and collected dust. He had used it for ribs primarily, but also used it for steaks and chicken. He lived by his Showtime Rotisserie. He boasted about how great his rotisserie was, and even cooked a Thanksgiving Turkey in it! I was impressed, a kitchen appliance that a guy raves about, well that's not common! Well, after a year of being spoiled by his mouth watering ribs, the day came when the rotisserie had to move out. And I decided then, that my kitchen would not be complete without it!
It was the best purchase I've ever made. It works great with any meat. Does a wonderful job on potatos and veggies. I love using it for Johnsonville Brats- you don't have to worry about burning them buy forgetting to turn them over!

I only wish there was a temp control so I could slow roast my ribs! This is by far the best appliance I have in my kithcen- and I continue to use it at least 3 times a month.

I have purchased 3 Showtime Rottisseries. They are not durable, and Ronco does not honor their warranty. I've been waiting a year for a replacement oven under the extended warranty I purchased. Yes, it cooks wonderful chicken and even turkey, but it won't last for long if you use it.

Many of Ronco's products are certifiable junk, but this rotisserie does everything they claim. I use it mostly for chicken and turkey, but it is good for ribs and roasts as well. I have had mine 2 years and never had any problem. Just a couple of tips: put a dab of cooking oil on the pivot rests every time before you cook to avoid squeaks. To avoid having to clean the heat reflector (the hardest part to clean) cover it tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil, pressing the foil to conform with the shape of the reflector and tucking the overlap over the back. Then just use a new piece of foil every time. It takes about 30 seconds and makes the oven much nicer to use. As for the reviewer who complained about the feet disintegrating, at least on my unit the feet are just thin rubber strips. I have had no such problem, but if the feet did go bad, you could cut strips from a thin rubber mat and use double-sided tape to stick them on. Come to think of it, I think I have seen similar non-skid strips at the hardware store with the stickum already on. Trim them down and maybe 2 bucks to fix. So don't let the one bad comment dissuade you from buying this unit. The negative reviewer may be a "kitchen pro," but he has no common sense when it comes to minor repairs if he spent 50 bucks to ship his unit back over something he could have fixed himself for next to nothing.

I am one of those people who believe little of what they see advertised on TV. I abhor those "Paid Programs" and "Informercials". Everytime I saw the Informercial with Ron Popeil and the 'Popepeil Showtime Rotisserie' I couldn't press the change channel button on the remote quick enough. Well I recently was put into a position where I had a gift certificate and had no clue of what I wanted to purchase with it. After talking to a friend and him telling me that he likes to make rotissereie chicken rather fireing up the grill, I decided to take a chance and purchase this unit. To say that I was pleasantly supprised with the great taste of whatever I cooked in it or that the construction and ease of use was more than I hoped for, are understatements. This unit has become one of the most used appliances I have next to the microwave. Between these two appliances I rarley heat up the house with the stove or oven. I am also eating much better tasting food and healthier food.

I would recommend this product to anyone that wants to eat healthier, eat better tasting food and make a meal with little effort. For me, this is a must have appliance in the home.

This product is incredible. I am a single parent, full time employed and a full time university student. I brought one about four years ago and cooked with it until it wore out. It is fast, precise and the quality of the food you can prepare with it is amazing. You will cook restaurant quality meats, fish and chicken with little or no preparation or guesswork. The fat that will come out of the food will really surprise you as it did me. This product really works. You just put whatever you are cooking in the machine turn it on and come back when you hear the beep. Again this is my second one the convenience, ease of use and time it saves you is incredible. People think that I am a great cook - anyone can cook with this product. I would recommend this product to anyone.

This is the second Showtime product I've used. The first one was perfect. This one performs OK in that it cooks like it is supposed to do, but it is very noisy and the cover plate keeps seperating from the machine. I still enjoy the quality and ease of cooking/cleaning on this second one and will continue to use it.