I just looked at my Target ad from the Sunday paper. That is a good deal. I'm sure it is a price leader that they are selling below cost.

$25-$30 is pretty common pricing for the discount store brands. Last year they had the Rival (or was it Oster?) for $17 on clearance. I debated for hours then figured I just didn't need one that big.

I don't remember the brand my mother had but it was a great roaster, 1950s vintage, and it was not a Nesco. Nesco is well built but that doesn't mean others are no good. If you have a use for it, hey, the price is certainly right and if it doesn't work, you're not out much and who knows, many people have more than one roaster oven. Keep us posted if you get it and how you like it. I'm sure it'd be fine.

It is now near Christmas and I need a roaster. My oven went out. HELP Anything near the price of 30 dollars on sale????

Depends on where you live and what kinds of stores you have near you....

I made my hams and turkeys for years in an 18 qt Nesco, since my oven was awful. I bought it at Sam's Club for about $35, but that was years ago. Being so close to Christmas and really, really needing it, you may be out of luck and have to actually pay more than the sale price for it, but I do hope you can get lucky! Check your local Craigslist--you might hit the jackpot there if the stars are aligned just right.

Good luck to you,
Cj

Did you find one? Check the clearance racks now if you haven't. Check places like Menards, Home Depot, Target, Kmart, Walmart, etc. I've seen them advertised a lot. I saw quite a few on Craigslist but most of those were above new price. They're wonderful appliances.

Amanda's is a Rival, I think, and it's several years old and works fine. My Nesco has been perking along for several years, and I want the small one now, but Amanda's Rival works just as well, I think.

I've baked brownies in mine, done Thanksgiving turkeys, Christmas hams, simmered batches of broth and apple butter, it's a great device and when it's hot in the kitchen and you have no air conditioning like my old house, you can stick it outside on the deck and cook on the porch. Oh, and you can also put it outside on the deck when you're roasting lamb at Easter and the smell is so horrible you don't want it inside, LOL. I use mine for baked beans and sloppy joes and scalloped potatoes for family parties too, and it'll keep pans of lasagna warm if you just put the rack in the bottom and set the pans on the rack. it works great if you need the oven for something else and still need to keep other things warm that have already been cooked or baked.

Merry Christmas, Terry, I hope you got your roaster, it can be used for a lot of things.

Annie

Hi Annie, I got an 18 qt NESCO for Christmas and we are actually cooking our Christmas dinner today and I have a quick question if you don't mind me asking , how long did you roast your turkeys in your NESCO ? ... the instruction booklet says 13 - 18 minutes per lb ? We have a 21 lb turkey here , I figured after 3 1/2 hours I would check the turkey with the meat thermometer and see where it stands ... I did research on google and found several posts about how great the NESCO is but also read a few comments that it can be easy to overcook ??? Thanks for any advice .

Iris

Iris, I haven't had any problems with overcooking because if my turkey is getting done too quickly, I just turn down the heat.

I do turkey in the Nesco for the same amount of time I do turkey in the oven, so I'd do that 21 pounder for 4-5 hours, I figure about 15 minutes per pound but I start checking for about an hour before I figure it's done to make sure it's not cooking too fast. That's at 350F for an unstuffed bird. I check with a meat thermometer, those pop up things they give you in the turkeys aren't so reliable. It's easy to overcook in a Nesco because the skin doesn't brown as crisply as it does in an oven and so people figure it isn't done, I think.

I've never had a overdone or dried out turkey in the Nesco, though, as long as I'm careful to check the temps.

Annie

Thanks Annie ! I love my new NESCO roaster, had wanted one for many years ... the turkey turned out so moist and full of flavor ... approx 4.5 hrs later, thank God for meat thermometers ! The skin wasn't as brown and crispy as an oven roasted turkey but the moistness and flavor more than made up for it ... I might try some of that Kitchen Bouquet next time ... I've never used it though . Thanks again for your help . I am looking forward to making beef and pork roasts in it as well as other things .

Iris

I always use a thermometer probe with the alarm and set it for 150ð. Once it hits 150ð I turn the temp way down and start getting ready because residual heat will continue to cook. I call a turkey breast done at 160ð. The unit keeps so much moisture it's a moist heat, rather than a dry heat, which they claim will prevent cheesecake cracking but I don't eat cheesecake so I don't know about that. To brown the skin more you have to keep the skin dry. Dry it well when you put it in there, pull out juices as you're cooking, pat it with a towel or paper towels a you go, and Kitchen Bouquet, soy sauce or the like are tricks to brown it but I don't eat the skin anymore so I don't really care. I do occasionally put the RoastAir fan on and THAT will crisp it up!

I used to cook the turkey breast to 180ð per some recommendations and it was fine in my Nesco. Not dried out like in an oven. But there's no need to cook it that much but it doesn't matter if it goes a little over. Use a thermometer and turn it down to 150ð and it'll stay hot and moist.

Don't limit your use to just turkey or ham. Soups, stews, meatloaf, pot roast, chicken, ribs, casseroles, sausage, and virtually anything you'd put in a regular oven, since that's what it is! :) Great for baking potatoes, au-gratin, roasting cauliflower, steaming veggies and the like too. I've baked bread in mine and some of the best lasagna I've ever made came out of that Nesco.

Iris, I'm glad your turkey came out so well, I always get a nice juicy turkey in that roaster!

Like Cynic, I use it for a lot of things, it's a great appliance and my "second oven".

Annie

Thanks for all of the follow-ups. I did see the sale in the Target flyer and thought it was a good deal. Then I started researching "roasters" and wondered if there were major differences in brands. I'm going to give the Oster a try, especially sine the "price is right"!

I really like my Nesco roaster, too. I think I'm going to cook our turkey from frozen state in it this year following the directions in the link below. The hard part about a turkey for me is the thawing process.

Another thing I like I like that I added to the roaster is the triple buffet pan inserts. It makes family gatherings much easier. This summer we had a large gathering and had brats and hotdogs (along with fried fish we'd caught) and I used the inserts to hold grilled onions, sauerkraut, and chili for topping the meats.

Judi

Here is a link that might be useful: How to cook a frozen turkey

You all have convinced me and I broke down and bought the 18 qt Red Nesco that was posted a few topics ago.

Annie, does the roaster cook the bird similarly to an oven bag? Does it actually steam the bird versus roasting like in an oven? I usually use an oven bag for my birds, as I think they actually do turn out better and we don't eat the skin anyway.

Kathy, the roaster does make a moist bird, similar to a cooking bag, but the skin is crisper than a cooking bag.

And, for those interested, I saw that Menard's has the Nesco for $38.99 and Meijer has a 16 quart Oster for $24.99.

Annie

Awesome, thanks Annie! I have a 23 lb. bird chillin' in the freezer...I hope it fits! :-)

It'll fit, Kathy, shove it in there. (grin) Happy Thanksgiving.

Annie

I just noticed this thread is a year old! Duane, where are you? And Judi, I don't think I've seen you in a while; nice to see you back! In case you've missed it the couple times I posted it, I LOVE the Spanish rice recipe that's attributed to you. Thanks!

Ok, sorry folks...back to roasters...

FOAS, I do post occasionally; I don't know why I don't post more, because I read the forum several times a week.

I did miss your posts: glad you like the rice. I worked with it for a bit before coming up with a recipe we felt fit the bill. Thank you,

Judi