Customer Reviews

Weber 6408 Style Poultry Roaster

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stable and safe, it holds the chicken proudly upright. That alone is a huge virtue. And, better yet, it actually produces a very excellent result for very little effort. It is easy to clean, too.

The idea is that you add beer to the container below the spikey thing, and also to the pan area. Fruit juice or any likeable liquid also works very well. So, you can finish off the beer and find something in the fridge that will work just as well. I also add garlic and some rosemary because we have a big bush of it outside the door.

You just slide the chicken on and put the little plug in the other end to trap the steam. Steam must be the secret because otherwise it is just heat like in any oven.

My wife makes a rub with some flour, cornmeal, red pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder in variable ratios. Rub some oil on the chicken and then the rub. It comes out very crispy on the outside and amazingly tender on the inside.

I use those Weber coal retainers that keep the coals to the sides of the kettle so there is a place in the middle for the chicken roaster. Keep the coals clear to the sides. If you use a chimney charcoal starter, filling it up will give you more than enough coals. The spikey thing rotates easily, so just give it a 1/4 turn every 15 minutes and you will find it is done in an hour at most.

Using it in an oven would work well also. You wouldn't have to rotate it. I would suggest a high enough heat to make the dry rub work.

This is not a cheap item, but is very much worth it because of the results, no nearly good enough alternative and it is so well made that it should pretty much last forever. It will be on Antique's Roadshow some day, so don't lose the plug.

This is my second purchase of this item--as a gift for my son. Beer can chicken seems too unsanitary to me--do you really want a beer can with all that paint in your chicken? This way you can also use wine and what ever spices or herbs you like, and you are able to collect the gravy from the chicken instead of having it spill all over your grill. Go to the Weber site for slightly different cooking instructions from those included with the product.

This product is excellent. It makes the best roast chicken I have ever had. I have cooked several chickens in the oven using the poultry roaster and they come out extremely moist and tender. The recipe in the manual for barbequed beer chicken is outstanding!!! I am thinking about buying several more. Clean up is a breeze. Way to go Weber!! Excellent product.

I've been using this beer can chicken cooker for about 5-6 years and it works fantastically. The chicken turns out tasty and moist all the time. I also stuff the bird with herbs and sometimes add 1/2 a citrus fruit onto the "rocket" to keep the bird from falling and for extra flavor.

My only complaint would be that the coating has worn off my cooker and cleaning it now is a pain. I use it at least 2x's a month and really do love it.

This is an excellent accessory. It cooks with the concept of "beer can chicken" except this thing is stable, has an integral drip pan and you don't have the toxic factor of burned beer can paint. I have cooked probably 15 chickens and never had a bad result.

You can use any of a number of liquids in the small cup section. I have tried beer, seasoned and salted water, plain water and fruit juice. While the aromatic steam has an affect on flavor, the biggest difference in chicken flavor is how the chicken is seasoned. A few times I have drizzling real maple syrup over the seasoned chicken when it is on upright position on this device, with good flavor results. The cooked chicken is fall-off-the-bone good stuff. In my family, we refer to chicken cooked on this Weber Poultry Roaster as "Isengard Chicken," because, well, this thing looks somewhat like the top of Isengard.

For months I kept thinking about getting this Weber Poultry Roaster, but thought it was an extravagance. In a weak moment I caved in and bought one. I would do it again.

Update 8/17/10: Just wanted to add that I've been using this roaster heavily since I bought it back in 2006 (took me a while to write the review, lol) and it's still in marvelous condition. So add durable to its list of attributes.

Original Review:

This is easily the best 'beer can' chicken roaster on the market, but if you're not using it during the off months in the oven, you're missing out!

The roaster is very stable, the liquid well is a little small, but I've had good luck with it. I fill the reservoir about halfway when I use beer because it will foam up when the spices are added. Be sure to use the plug provided in the neck opening, it helps to keep the bird moist. I have used a 6 pound bird with this roaster and it wasn't the least bit wobbly. I use it almost exclusively in the oven, even though it works very well on the grill. The bird will not stick to this roaster, not even a little, which is great when you're trying to lift a hot bird. It slides right off.

I use beer, wine or sometimes just broth in the holder, either my own rub mix or when I'm really feeling lazy, Tony's Cajun Seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 375* and roast for about an hour for a medium bird. The chicken comes out really moist and the skin is crispy and luscious. I rotate it 90* about halfway through the cooking time to achieve even browning.

This is my go-to method for cooking chicken. Friends are amazed at how wonderful and moist a chicken can be. We almost fight over the skin.

Tip: Dry the chicken with paper toweling before seasoning, that will help the skin crisp up. If you have the time, leave the seasoned bird in the fridge, uncovered, for a few hours to let it dry out more. Drier=Crispier skin.

I bought this a few months ago, more out of curiosity than anything else. I have a Weber 320 Q gas grill and it works great on this grill by turning the outside burner to medium/low and the middle burner off. This provides a 350 degree environment and the chicken is done done done in and hour and a half. No need to rotate it. We've tried various liquids (beer/wine) in the cup but I don't know that we can really taste the difference. The meat is incredibly moist and tender and falls off the bone. We have tried various 'rubs' and the skin is quite crispy. Cleanup is easy but I wish we could put it in the dishwasher. All in all, I'm glad we bought it. I may need to buy another for when we have company.

I have had one of these for a few years and just purchased another for my daughter. It makes the moistest best chicken ever. I have also used it in conjunction with our smoker and wow! what a great flavor. I highly reccommend it to anyone who grills or uses a smoker.

Works great just like others have said.
You can stop looking once you have this one.
I already ordered a second one.

Use the bottom plate to serve up cold steamed shrimp and center bowl for cocktail sauce.
Chill the aluminum bottom in the freezer first and then add the shrimp and sauce.

I read a recipe in Cook's Illustrated about Beer Can Chicken. I'd never heard of it before. Chicken cooked on the BBQ sitting upright on a beer can came out moist and tender. The only problem was getting the darn thing off the beer can. The heat would sear the fat to the can, which was full of boiling hot beer. You can't lie it down; you can't grip the beer can; it's simply a mess.

This Roaster does the same thing, using a teflon rack that catches juices if you want to make gravy. It's easy to transport without spilling all over the patio and kitchen floor, and the chicken comes off the roaster easily. I highly recommend it!