When I bake potatoes in the Nesco, I generally place them without the rack and against the side, then flip them around every 15 min or so. I like a crisp potato skin. If I have the fan attached I use the "Roast Air" feature, otherwise I go without. But because of the crisper skin from convection I sometimes use the convection oven if that's out and the Nesco is in the cupboard. Another thing you could do if you like them crisper is to put them in a pan. A bread pan fits nicely in a 6 qt unit. Turn them a time or two Although you do have to do some adjusting with a roaster oven I really don't find it any more confusing than the adjustments you need in other cooking, like a gas vs electric stove or oven, or a larger vs smaller frypan or large vs small potatoes, or humid or dry conditions for baking or whatever. Don't be afraid of the Nesco. It can truly be a great friend and helper! It's really one of the most forgiving appliances I've ever used and I heartily endorse and recommend a roaster oven. I happen to own Nesco brand and like the quality and have seen a difference in other brands although mine are probably 25 years old now so quality may have changed, I haven't looked closely. The electric roaster is really not the mystery many think. It's a portable oven with different options. The cookwell lets you cook in it without a pan, but you can use a pan and it'll be more like a regular oven. Because of the design you can use it in place of a slow cooker but have the ability to get the temperature you want and not be constantly boiling your chili or soup. You can also crank the heat up and really roast something with a higher heat. And when things are ready you can turn it down to 140ð and keep it warm if people or the rest of dinner isn't quite ready. Why someone would buy a slow cooker is beyond me. I threw mine out. Try it. I'm sure you'll like it.

A Nesco (as any electric roaster) makes heat so naturally it will give off heat. It will also add humidity to the air, as will a slow cooker. People who say they use a slow cooker because it "doesn't heat up the room" don't have it turned on or are fooling themselves. A light bulb gives off heat. A hair dryer gives off heat. So do all cooking appliances, even a microwave to a point. So yes, if you leave a hair dryer going for hours will it heat up a room? Sure. Will a Nesco? (Or a toaster, or an electric frypan or a space heater?) Of course it will. However, since it's probably smaller than your ovens, it likely would heat up less then a conventional oven. A 10-14# turkey should work fine in a 12 quart but if you want to put some potatoes around it or something you might want to get the 18 qt, or if you have occasional use for something larger, you might want to go with the 18 qt. Size-wise they're not much different. A guideline is 1#+ per quart size so a 12 qt would handle a 12# but they will take a little more. I've put 7.5# turkey breast in my 6 quart and it's fine. I believe the max recommended is 14# on a 12 qt. and 22# on a 18 qt. Many people put the roaster outside on a patio, porch or whatever for various reasons. Some don't like cooking odors, some don't want the heat and/or humidity, some want the extra room. For browned items, you need dry heat and electric roasters generally retain moisture, which is why things are so tender, juicy and tasty. If you must have browned skin on a turkey, the best way is to use the Roast-Air fan. Alternatives: Use a browning agent. (I never have) Cock the lid and let moisture out, but you'll lose heat. Frequently drain the juices out of the cookwell. Or, when you're pretty much done, pull all juices, pat the turkey dry and crank up the heat. What I do when I really want something browned, is to cook it normally without the fan and then the last 15 min or so, pull the juices and turn on the fan. I don't eat the skin anymore so it's not an issue with me anymore. The difference between a slow cooker and a roaster is an electric roaster is a portable oven with the cooking container. You can do everything you can do in a slow cooker and more and essentially you can do *most* everything you can do in a conventional oven but more. I have the nonstick and the conventional cookwells for both of my Nescos and the porcelain only gets used when I need the second one. Cleaning? I don't use abrasives. I soak it and the stuff comes off quite easily. Occasionally I need to use one of the plastic scrubbers. I would never use steel wool, SOS, and *definitely* not Scratchbrite pads. I'd be hesitant to use oven cleaner on a cooking surface. I wouldn't use cleanser although baking soda would probably be fine an Barkeeper's Friend is supposedly not abrasive. I'd still hesitate to use it *in* the cookwell though. Dawn Power Dissolver probably would work and the (relatively) new Dawn Power Clean dish detergent has been highly recommended by friends. If you have seasoned your cookwell and soak it a bit, you probably won't have trouble. I don't. Also, clean as you go instead of letting it crust up will help too. Frankly there's so much moisture in there you shouldn't have much trouble cleaning it right away or soak it right away. If you're getting a black crust you're probably letting the heat dry it out and bake it on there. That's a big mistake. Keep in mind that if you season your cookwells properly you won't have many cleanup issues. In that respect it's similar to cast iron. My porcelain cookwell for my 6 quart is damaged from using it for a humidifier on dry winter day. The minerals and stuff from the water clung to that thing and I made the mistake of using cleaning pads I shouldn't have used. So when I use that one now I line it with foil most of the time. As for uses, I've gone into detail in other threads, but suffice to say anything I'd put in a slow cooker or the oven I'll put in the electric roaster, including breads, baking potatoes, casseroles, soups, chili, stew, etc. As I said before, you won't get a good crusty meatloaf in it unless you use the fan. Occasionally I want that thick crust on meatloaf so it goes in the oven and of course it'll be dried out. (And no, I *still* won't bury it in 2 inches of ketchup! HA!)

I have an old Nesco Roaster I bought at a garage sale. It has the enamel porcelain and the inside is 11x15 inches. I think I could get a turkey in it. Do I have a 12 qt or an 18 qt? It doesn't say. Stamped on the bottom it says it was made in Granite City, Ill, and on the side is stamped the number 41E04044. The cord is rubber not braided. Any idea when it might have been made? It's white with a stainless top, bakelite handles, black porcelain, has a rack with sides you can lift and a little extra square tall pan with a lid for side vegetables, so I was told. Has the logo Nesco in script over a dial with numbers up to 400. I measured and I think I can even get my cast iron pan in there to bake cornbread. That's what I wanted it for, to bake. My regular oven is so big, why waste all that heat on that big space for a couple loaf pans. Can I use a silicone muffin pan in the Nesco or will it melt on the rack? Oh and I have seen people put water in the heatwell, under the cookwell, I was told it made for more even heating and to prevent damage to the enamel. But you don't want to do that, do you? If the water got through the heatwell seams it would get into the electrics.

I live in Wisconsin where the Nesco is a tradition. I believe it is made here or at least it was, who knows anymore, but it is a great device and I use it all the time. Just realize that it is not all things for everyone and you will be happy with your purchase. I first saw the Nesco in use at a friends house where Mom would cook with it a lot particularly game. So it has a lot of nostalgia for me. I make their chili recipe for the 6 qt a lot adapted a bit to my own tastes and people seem to enjoy it. It's great when it's too hot to use the oven. I own several 6 qt models and a 18 qt size which I use to cook for large family gatherings and for turkey. You'll want to experiment with it before you use it for an important family gathering or you may be disappointed. There is a technique for getting a turkey to brown correctly and if you don't do it right the turkey won't brown and may have a steamed taste. Still good but maybe not what you were looking for. On sale I have seen the 6 qt size selling for $25, buy one and support American industry and get a bargain to boot!