| The People vs. Ronco's Showtime BBQ and Rotisserie. The Charges: "The Ronco Inventions ST4000 Showtime Indoor Rotisserie & BBQ can cook everything from vegetables to a full turkey! It produces the best tasting food you've ever had because it allows the food to cook in it seals in the food's natural juices as it cooks! Just "set it and forget it" and let the Showtime do all the work! Isn't it time you spent less time cooking your food and more time enjoying it?" The Evidence: One of my first gadget purchases, the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie is the gadget I use most often. I've cooked turkeys, hams, steaks, ribs, chickens, kabobs, vegetables, sausages, hot dogs, just about everything Ron cooks on the infomercial I've cooked. Comparing it to a BBQ is stretching it a bit though - it's a rotisserie, a very good one, but it's not a grill. Being a rotisserie, it's hard to keep BBQ sauce on the food as all the fats dripping off take the yummy goodness with it. The Showtime excels with chickens, sprinkle generously with lemon-pepper and you're in for a treat. I'm not a great fan of chicken, but can't resist them made in the Showtime. Small roasts and steaks tend to be a little dry, maybe this is a case where having all the juices drip off is not such a good idea. However, Rib roasts are the exact opposite. At 18 minutes a pound, the roast is well done on the outside, the way my wife likes it and medium rare in the middle - just for me! The food baskets included are very handy for cooking leg quarters, burgers and such but vegetables cause a problem. As the vegetables ( and hamburgers for that matter ) lose moisture, they shrink and slide back and forth inside the basket; sometimes falling out - irksome. The Showtime I have has the gloves, flavor injector, chicken ties, two food baskets, cook book, kabob rods (tomatoes fall off these) but no steaming tray. Quite a bit of value for the price. The Verdict As stated, the Showtime is the gadget I use most and the first choice when baking chickens and Prime Rib roasts. TV Gadget Judge awards the top honors to the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie. UPDATE Reports have been coming in from Showtime owners that the plastic rails which hold the glass door in place crack and break off. I've not had trouble with the rails but one of the tabs on the door that snaps into the side rail did snap off soon after purchase. I suspect that the heat from the rotisserie affects the plastic rails; weakening them. I recommend not removing the glass door for cleaning, instead attempt to clean the door while attached to the unit. |
TV Gadget Judge: Showtime Rotisserie
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