We had a rotisserie for years that finally broke for good after being knocked off the counter.  I loved making roasts and things that way instead of cooking them in the oven, so I knew I wouldn’t be without a rotisserie for long.  As I looked around I found the Ronco ST3001 Compact Rotisserie. There were a few differences between this and my old rotisserie, but it was also quite a bit less expensive.

When it arrived and I unpacked it, the first thing I noticed was the size.  The Ronco ST3001 Compact Rotisserie is quite a bit smaller than my old rotisserie.  It won’t hold as much, but at this stage of our life I don’t know that it will be an issue.  It measures 12-1/2 by 14 by 11 inches and weighs just 17 pounds.  It’s really something I wouldn’t mind keeping on my counter-top as I use it often enough and it doesn’t take up the space that the old rotisserie did.  It also looks nice with a stainless steel and matted black plastic finish.

There are plenty of accessories that accompany the Ronco ST3001 Compact Rotisserie including the spit, a basket for items that can’t go through the spit, a carving base for people who want to carve meat while it’s still on the spit, some butcher’s string, and gloves.  The spit and basket are non-stick as is the drip tray and grate that slide in the bottom of the rotisserie.  This makes for easy clean-up that’s safe to go into the dishwasher.

One thing our old rotisserie had that the Ronco ST3001 Compact Rotisserie doesn’t is a heat shield.  This kept the outside cool while the food was cooking.    Without it, the outside of this rotisserie does get hot.  I have to pay close attention to what’s around the rotisserie when it’s cooking and make sure there’s nothing touching it or that it doesn’t bump up against anything by mistake.

There’s an instruction booklet with it, but I’ve used a rotisserie for years so I had no problems working with it right from the start.  My first dish was a pork roast.  I sprinkled some spicy garlic out of a grinder on the outside and threaded it onto the spit.  It went on quite easy.  The other end goes on easy without a screw to hold it in place like my old one had.  This makes it easy to get the food off later too.  When the spit sits in the rotisserie, there are different places it can sit.  One puts it closer to the heat and gets the outside quite browned.  I like this when doing pork and others meats where it’s nice to eat the outer part.  The other position sits further back from the heat and provides a more even cooking experience.

The timer sits on the side of the rotisserie.  I set it to the suggested cooking time and go away.  I have found after a few meals, though, that it seems to cook a bit faster than the timer would indicate, probably by about 15 minutes or so for a 3 pound roast.  Even with the extra time, my food didn’t get dried out.  The outside just came out more burned than crispy.  It can be used for up to 2 hours.  There’s no temperature adjustment, so it’s just watching the timer for how long the food takes to cook.

I’ve had no problems using this for rotisserie chicken.  The smaller ones from the supermarket I can fit 2 in the Ronco ST3001 Compact Rotisserie even with the smaller size.  If I’m doing the oven-stuffer roaster type, there’s only enough room for one.  The booklet states that up to a 10 pound turkey can go in here.  That’s not nearly enough for our family but I have tried the hotel-style turkey breasts and it came out moist and delicious, not dried out.  I haven’t used the basket yet since it’s barbecue season, but it would be a nice way to do seasoned potatoes, hamburgers, sausage, bratwurst, kielbasa, and so much more.

Cleaning this up is easy.  The tray is similar to a roasting tray in the oven.  It slides out and can go in the dishwasher.  The inside does get splattered and there’s a small window when it’s pretty easy to clean; when the unit is still warm it’s easy to wipe off any grease that’s accumulated.  It’s a bit harder once it’s completely cool.  Since you can’t submerge it, the only way it with a cloth as hot as you can bear it to get any splatters off.  This includes the front window which is glass.

So far I am quite happy with the Ronco ST3001 Compact Rotisserie.  For the price I got a small rotisseries that fits nicely on my counter-top and cooks up food well.  Cleaning it is easier than it was with my old rotisseries due to the non-stick coating.  With little kids in the home, not having a heat shield can be an issue, but other than that I have no problems recommending it.



© 2012 Patti Aliventi

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