Customer Reviews

Tumbleweed Pottery Original Chicken Cooker

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Excellent cooker - wonderful chicken. Put a little cranberry juice in the well, rub the bird down with Konriko Greek seasoning and you're all set. In my oven, a 5# chicken needs about 2 hours at 375.

The only negative is that the bowl developed a hairline crack across the bottom after about 10 uses. To be fair, this was after cooking at a slighty higher temp than the instructions say (they recommend 350). So far, the crack has not seemed to affect performance.

UPDATE, Oct 2007: A year later, the bowl with the hairline crack is still working fine.

Love it! Love it! Love it! Owned one before and dropped it, breaking it to pieces. Reordered from the same magazine and get a crummy lightweight one. Spent some time on the internet looking for this exact one, it's heavy duty, beautifully made and really works well. Cleans up easily also.

I received this as a gift and have liked it so much I purchased one for my son-in-law. The chicken turns out with a crisp crust and is as flavorful as the seasoning you choose to put on it. I cook mine for 1 1/2 hours at 350. If you like baked chicken this is for you!!

My Mom gave this to my wife and I about 4 years ago and I cannot even fathom how many we've cooked on it. Honestly, this cooker puts out a perfect chicken EVERY SINGLE TIME. We've gotten the little $3 chickens and the big $11 (2hr cook time) ones(sorry I don't remember the weights and I realize the relevance of weight here) but regardless of size they are always moist, EVEN the white meat is juicy. But alas! ours cracked several uses ago, and it leaks through the crack a little tiny bit but we're still using it.

Because these particular cookers are so prone to cracking as several of us here prove, I am looking hard at the Emeril Cast Iron Vertical Poultry Roaster. Man, if ya break Cast Iron, I can't help ya. We LOVE cast iron for all kinds of cooking, and it would be a perfect addition.
Too bad everyone wants $50 for it, but after a couple of $25 ceramic ones, kinda pays for itself now doesn't it? plus, ya can't beat the thorough cooking of cast iron either. Not that this ceramic one doesn't do a thorough job, it DOES, and a great one too. :)

But cast iron... What else needs said? Emeril Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Vertical Poultry Roaster How Great Thou Art? :)
Even if we DID pay for ours a few years ago though, it would have paid for itself many many many times over.

A little inconsistency I just noticed about the Emeril roaster though: The dimensions are different between vendors. some state 13 1/2" and others state 14 1/2" (both including the handles). hmmmm. interesting... But with the ceramic one only being 11", who cares? Even this 11 incher is perfect for any reasonable sized bird, but oh, imagine the leftovers from a bigger one! :) Ha!

Oh, and one more thing about the Emeril one, it is NOT listed on EmerilWare's site - http://www.emerilware.com/collection.php?pageID=castiron

Whatever you do, you can't go wrong with this cooker though. I'll update here if I get a cast iron one, and review it on its Amazon product page too. :)

Good luck, and happy cooking! :)
Chuck

The bowl is beautiful and looks functional. However, the cylinder in the middle is not long enough for the chicken. The chicken drooped over and didn't stand straight. Going back to our old stand-up roaster, even though it's not pretty.

The easiest main course you've ever done with NO cleanup!!! The chicken comes out so tender, moist and full of flavor. Brown and crispy and beautiful all the way around! The pottery is attractive - I bring it directly to the table and we carve and listen to this - actually just pour gravy-juice from the container. And the bottom line - with just some water and soap, it cleans up without any effort. I have tried a Bud for the liquid - outstanding. I'm sure my favorite white wine will do same!! Shipped to my daughter's pronto - am so happy with this purchase!

Fantastic tasting chicken...put white wine, chopped rosemary and lemon grass, salt & pepper in well and it was one of the most moist chickens ever with a nice brown crust. Only problem was that it cracked (I had oven at 425 which I now realize is hotter than they advise) after the one use and I had to throw it out. I love the theory and method of cooking but next time will buy one made of stainless steel or iron.

This is fabulous. It's a cinch to use and the chicken is wonderful. As an added plus, the piece of pottery is lovely; it is an unbelievable value.

Having used it twice, I'd say -- chicken came out slightly dry the first time, even though well was filled with recommended white wine; was OK the second time. Chicken cooks unevenly. The top half of the chicken gets medium-brown and crispy, while the bottom gets "yellowish." None of the chicken gets brown like the photo on display. A half-decent roaster would do just as well, if not better.

I also had mine crack, it did eventually fall apart. But I loved it so much I want another. I was intending to buy some as gifts but after seeing mine was not the only one to crack I`m doubtful.