Ronco 5500 Series Rotisserie Oven

Overview

Ronco built the Showtime rotisserie as a modern take on its classic design: a spit or the included basket turns the food behind a curved tempered glass front while the heat browns the outside and the drippings fall into a tray below. Knobs select rotisserie, sear or a no-heat rotation, and the dropdown door opens the chamber for loading.

Continuous rotation is the reason to buy: fat bastes the meat as it turns, so the skin crisps evenly without the cook turning anything. Three modes cover roasting, browning and a cool-down spin. Expect a heavy, wide box on the counter, and note that the listing gives no wattage or temperature figures, so the heat level is whatever the knobs give you.

Who it's for

Weekly chicken dinners, holiday roasts and kebabs in the basket are the jobs a rotisserie oven of this capacity handles, and the glass front lets the cook check progress without opening the door. Apartment kitchens with little counter depth, or a cook who wants a general-purpose toaster oven, should not buy a single-purpose rotating oven.

Pros and cons

Performance notes

Browning depends on the rotation: the outside passes the heat source again and again while the rendered fat runs back over the surface, so a whole bird crisps on every side without basting. Capacity governs the result more than anything, because a cut that exceeds the rated weight will brush the glass and cook unevenly. The sear setting applies heat without the long roast, and the no-heat rotation lets a finished roast rest while fat continues to drip.

Specifications