Overview
They start the infomercial trying to appeal to the part of you that wishes you could cook whole chickens more quickly so they could fit into your busy lifestyle. For most people this part of them is very small, and is not really a pressing problem that is hindering their daily existence. But in order to make the sale they need to exaggerate the problem and get you on board. If they’ve done their job you’re likely wondering if it actually can save you time and money.
The Claim
The makers of the Turbo Roaster say that it can cook a chicken in half the time, and that it’s cooking both the inside of the chicken and the outside, which accounts for the time savings. They also say that your chicken won’t dry out because the unit is delivering both heat and moisture to the inside of it.
The Hype
The hype is in the fact that this is just an accessory, and not an entire device to roast your chicken. You’ll still be using your own roasting pan, so it’s not a complete system like some of the other things you see on TV, namely the Showtime Petite Rotisserie.
The Cost
The Turbo Roaster is $36, and don’t worry, they only send you one of them. The bonuses they include is the recipe guide, chef’s knife, and flavor infuser, which gets the purchase price from $20 to the $36 shipped to your door.
The Commitment
This should bring your cooking time for a whole chicken to 45 minutes. Depending on what you currently do to cook an entire chicken this will probably reduce the amount of time you have to spend waiting for it to cook. It’s
Evaluation
The Turbo Roaster isn’t going for style points, and it definitely chooses function over form. It looks like something out of a high school chemistry lab, and it’s clear to see what it’s doing, pumping steam through the elongated tube that goes into the chicken. Because of its oddball shape you’d be hard pressed to find another product like it, and in that regards it might be worth trying out. They don’t mention that you can cook a turkey with it, but it only makes sense that it’s the same shape and would benefit by the same design. They do mention that it’s OK if the bird is stuffed, so maybe that was their nod of approval to using this for the holidays.
Regardless, it may be wishful thinking on your part to believe that you’ll cook enough whole chickens to justify buying this. Even at 45 minutes it still makes for a dinner you have to plan ahead on, and with devices like a George Foreman able to make chicken breast in a matter of minutes, it’s a hard sell to heat up the whole house just to make a chicken. It might be fun for the winter months when it’s nice to have the smell of a roasting chicken in the oven, and the excess heat is welcome.
The Turbo Roaster gets our Thumbs Up rating in regards to it working, but only a Try rating based on the package and price point. It doesn’t really justify a $36 price point, even being able to do what it says it can do. It’s not
the easiest thing to use, since you need to transfer both the roasting pan and the Turbo Roaster at the same time. The recipe book should be included for free, and the chef’s knife and flavor infuser don’t really bring the total cost up to this amount. They were right on with the $20 original price, but by tacking on the shipping for free items they’ve made it an unattractive deal.Our Recommendation
This may do a good job of cooking your chicken faster, but for the amount of times you’d use it and for the price it doesn’t seem like a good deal. You may want to grab it if your family eats a lot of roasted chickens, but most times it’s quicker and easier just to buy a rotisserie chicken for a little more than what it costs to buy a whole raw roaster, and then you save yourself all of the time.
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View Comments
Does anyone know if you can use this product on a turkey that's cooked in a smoker rather than an oven? My dad's holiday turkeys are becoming more dry, and I want to help him out a bit.
I surprised myself with this gadget which I purchased on sale - its super simple to use and delivers on moist chicken as promised. Never seen a chicken breast on a whole chicken so moist and the thigh part was properly cooked too. Waiting to try it out for turkey.
I just bought one of these and have yet to try it, but I feel confident it will work as stated. My total cost was $3.40 tax included at a dollar store. Why would anyone in their right mind pay $20 or $36.00?
Is there anyway you could scan a copy of the directions to me or just tell me the times and temperature to cook chickens and turkeys…if u can I would really appreciate it…thank you
I purchased a Turbo Roaster today at a store called Dollarama in Toronto, Ontario Canada for $3.00 which included the recipe book. Have not used it yet - waiting for chickens to go on sale.
Is there anyway you could scan a copy of the directions to me or just tell me the times and temperature to cook chickens and turkeys...if u can I would really appreciate it...thank you
How is this different from cooking a chicken using a beer or soda can? Seems like the soda can approach would actually work better. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-surreal-gourmet/beer-can-chicken-recipe/index.html
I think adding spices and beer to it it would be awesome
This looks like a really great product! I have been cooking, and sadly producing dry meats, in the kitchen for over 10 years. The secret to the perfect, moist turkey has always evaded me and this looks like a fabulous answer to my prayers. I would image that cleaning the product would be fairly easy; not overly complicated or messy. I also am intrigued by the claim that it can cook the chicken in 45 minutes. That's impressive...are we sure it is safe? If it is, I feel like even if I only use it once a year for holidays it would be worth the investment.
This works like a charm. I've used it for 3 pound chickens up to 10 pound chickens and it does cook in half the time and the result is a tender, moist succulent bird. I bought mine at Dollarama in Canada for $3 a few years ago. I've even used it on the BBQ. I think it's a great product, simple and efficient. You must use HOT water in the jar for it work properly.
The reason you are coming out with a dry chicken is no doubt teperature and time, Try rubbing it with some olive oil and bake at 350 for about 2 hours it will never be dry and even better use a roaster bag and cut the time there and it most def will never be dry as long as you follow directions! Good luck!
I agree that this is probably another product that is good for either non-cooks or people that find meat to be a challenge. I have even known really good cooks to have a dry bird emerge once and a while and it depends on what kind of bird you buy too. But turkey is always a real challenge to keep moist after the fact when everyone is talking at the table and the bird is being passed from person to person. After about an hour it is stiff as a board. So in relation to something actually steaming it, I would say to sear it under the broiler first to sear the skin and initial juices then use the gadget.
I think this actually sounds pretty good. The concept is simple, and beyond the quicker cooking time, I think the key is that the meat will definitely be juicier. Part of the reason it gets dry is from being in the oven for so long, so by cooking it quicker and spraying the inside with vapor, it is a win-win. The price is hefty, but if you make one roasted chicken a month, and obviously you cook for the holidays, then this product will eventually pay for itself. It does seem like it would be tricky to take the bird and the vaporizer out at the same time, but maybe you can disconnect it while it is still in the oven?