Although I cannot answer your question, a big welcome to the CF!

Teresa

Thanks Teresa, as my name implies I'm mostly on the sewing/quilting forums and the kitchen remodel forum (as a someday hopeful).

You can fit a larger turkey into the 18 qt (which is primarily what I use mine for.) When I lived in Oklahoma, I used the Nesco to bake cakes in the summer. Hauled it outdoors or into the garage to keep the heat out of the house. A 9 x 13 pan fits nicely into the 18 qt. Also have a 6 qt Nesco--actually, I have 3 or 4 of them. Keep finding them for cheap at rummage sales so I have a spare if mine gives up the ghost & to give DS's when they move away. I've never had a convection model so can't advise you on that.

Welcome to the forum, too!

Thanks for your thoughts on these. I am sold on getting one, just darned hard to decide if the Convection will help. Also has the cleaning been?

Well.....I found that Nesco was selling the 18-quart pretty Red color w/Porcelain cookwell for $49 today, so I just ordered one. Can't wait to get it cured and make something yummy! (:

It seems to me that at least for a while they had a convection (aka Roast Air) kit for the 18 qt too. I have the 6 qt and bought the Roast Air kit for it. I like it and especially like the extra high lid for it. I'll often use that without the fan when I use the higher rack or a couple racks in it.

Oh it definitely browns and crisps skin and things. The one thing is the fan blows the moisture out of the unit so it's more of a dry air rather than the moist, which of course is why it can brown and crisp. WIth something like a turkey breast, I usually cook without the fan for most of the cooking and then put the fan on for the last 1/2 hr or so. Remember, you don't have to use the fan, it's your choice.

I wasn't aware of a stainless steel cookwell option for the Nescos. But I haven't followed them too closely. I knew they had a stainless exterior but the stainless cookwell could be interesting. I wound up damaging the porcelain cookwell on mine so stuff really sticks to it now. When I use that one I line it with foil now. But I mostly use the non-stick well. I have a new one that I bought for the extra cookwell. Bought several and gave a couple as gifts. Cleaning wasn't a big thing. Season it a few times and the more you use it the better it'll get. If you know you're going to have something extremely crusty or sticky, line it with heavy duty foil or something. I bought some of the crockpot liners to try out, but never think of it when I use it.

BTW, when you season the cookwell, do not use cooking sprays. Use oil, shortening or something like that. That cooking spray is nasty stuff. I've ruined a lot of bakeware with that junk.

Enjoy your roaster. They're really fantastic appliances. And don't get in the rut of only using it for cooking turkey. It's a fully functional oven - use it as one. Take it on the patio, in the garage, with you camping or to a party. Bake pies in there, cakes, and many people say that because of the moist heat it's great for cheesecakes and they won't crack. I'm not a cheesecake fan so I can't attest to the accuracy on that but I know they make great baked potatoes, stew, soup, meatloaf, etc.

Thank you so much for the info, especially the seasoning of it.

I could not find a Roast Air kit for the 18-qt. It seems that the only thing Nesco has is the 12-qt model with a built in fan. The fan, which can be turned on or off, is on one side of the lid. It seems like a great idea, however one reviewer said that the fan easily hit the turkey legs on whole birds she roasted.

Since my primary reason for buying the roaster is that we cook for our dogs. I am very excited though to read about how many things can be done with it. I opted for the larger model because we need to cook large batches for our herd of boxers. A couple times a week we cook up about 5 pounds of beef roast along with 5 pounds mixed veggies. We cook whole brown rice, but in a rice cooker. Everything then has to be pureed in a food processor. We have been cooking this in a 7-qt crock pot and are looking forward to making larger batches with the roaster.

It would be really huge bonus if we could somehow do the rice in the same pot...I just don't know if that's possible yet.

Of course, we'll be using it for ourselves, my hubby loves to make cheesecakes, so this will be fun for that. And, with summer coming on a big batch of slow baked ribs sounds great! (:

Get a big pressure cooker to cook for your dogs! I do brown rice, ground turkey and veggies in mine in about 15 minutes. 'Course, mine is a mini poodle and loves his food, but doesn't eat as much as a herd of boxers. ;o)

Teresa

You sure can cook rice along with the meat and vegetables in your new Nesco. It is like cooking a jambalaya. First you cook your beef and veggies. Estimate the amount of liquid (water not oil) that is left in the roaster and to that add water to equal the amount of water you would normally use for cooking your rice by itself. Let this mixture come to a boil (it is OK to raise temp to high or max).....then after it comes back to a boil add your rice. Stir well and reduce the temperature setting to 350 degrees. Cover and continue to bake with the lid on and do not use the convection fan.

Extra long grain rice will be done in an hour to an hour & a half. Brown rice may take longer to cook. You will know when it is done....there will be no crunch left in the rice kernels. There is no such thing as al dente in rice cooking. While cooking, "gently" stir/lift the rice every half hour....until it is done. By gentle I mean to just lift the rice that is on the bottom of the well and move it to the top. It is sort of how you stir or mix a meringue so as to not lose any of the entrapped air. The intent of this gentle stir/lifting it to open up some "holes" in the mixture to allow for better steaming of the rice and to move it from off the sides of the cook-well where the heating element lies. If the consistency does not come out to your satisfaction (pups may care less if it tastes good!!).....the next time raise the temperature to 400 and/or adjust the amount of water.

I have 6 quart and two 12 quarts each with the convection fan. They will produce THE BEST crispy skin possible on a chicken......a type of parchment like skin that really holds in all of those great tasting juices.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Add me to the list of fans of the Nesco roasters. I have a big 18 quart with a porcelain cookwell and a 6 quart with the non-stick. Love that non-stick, it's way easier to clean than the porcelain.

Like cynic, I've baked brownies and muffins in the Nesco, it makes awesome baked potatoes, I simmer broth in the big one for canning and use it to cook down huge batches of apple butter, also for canning. A chicken fits nicely in the 6 quart, a turkey in the 18 quart. The 6 quart has a "slow cook" setting and I use it in place of the crockpot, although sometimes I use both!

It's nearly as good as the crockpot for a pot of beans too.

I don't have the convection on either one, but the 6 quart can give me some seriously crispy chicken skin.

Annie

I was looking at the Nesco site. So the 6 Qt with the non stick is the way to go Annie?

Teresa

I don't know when mine is going to arrive, but gee whiz you guys are making me hungry!! (: