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Rotisserie Tools

Rotisserie Tools

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Grill Recommendations

I’m a Weber fanatic. My first love is the Weber kettle with the rotisserie ring attachment. (Shh…don’t tell my wife.) That said, I’m not a charcoal snob – I also a fan of the huge, expensive Weber Summit gas grills – the infrared rotisserie burner is worth the extra cost. If you want a gas grill, but can’t bring yourself to spend the extra money, the Weber Gensis with the add on rotisserie kit works OK for rotisserie grilling, but it’s a little weak, especially when compared to the Summit’s IR burner.

If you own a different brand of grill, check if there is a rotisserie kit from the manufacturer – it’s better to get one built for your grill than to try to make a generic unit fit.

Charcoal grill: Weber Performer kettle grill

…with the add on Rotisserie ring

Gas grill: Weber Summit 670 with Infrared burner (and integrated rotisserie)

Mandatory Accessories

Here are the tools you need: Trussing twine, gloves (to handle the hot spit), drip pans, a thermometer (to check if the food is done), a timer (to make sure I remember to check with the thermometer) and scissors (to help with the twine.)

Trussing twine (or butcher’s twine) can be any brand, as long as it is heavy duty and made out of cotton. No nylon, please – melted nylon is not good eats.

Drip pans: For my kettle, I love Weber’s extra-large pans – long and narrow, they fit perfectly between the charcoal baskets. On the gas grill, I use cheap, half size steam table pans (which you should try to find locally – they’re more expensive online). After years of throwing away aluminum foil pans, I bought a heavy enameled steel roasting pan that I only use in my grill – it’s still going strong as a drip pan five years later.

Weber 6454 Extra-large drip pans

Aluminum foil half size steam table pans

Crow Canyon enameled steel large roasting pan

Thermometer: The Thermoworks Thermapen is, by far, the best thermometer out there. Fast, accurate – buy the best and only cry once. If the price gives you pause, Thermowork’s cheaper Thermopop is a good value. Both are available in a rainbow of colors.

Thermoworks Thermapen Mk. 4

Thermoworks ThermoPop

Timer: This Polder timer lives on my range hood – it has a magnet in the back – I pull it off and take it with me when I need a countdown.

Gloves: To protect your hands from the hot spit. I buy welding gloves – they’re easy to slip on and off, and cheaper than official “grilling” gloves.

Kitchen scissors: For the trussing twine. You can use a knife, but cutting with kitchen scissors is much easier.

Nice to have

Here are the cooking tools that I don’t HAVE to have to cook rotisserie…but I find myself reaching for them more often than not.

Spring loaded tongs: My hands in the kitchen, especially when trying to twist blazing hot knobs on the spit forks or slide hot roasts off of the spit. I prefer 12 inch tongs – not too short, not too long.

Basting brushes: For applying sauces and glazes. Some people recommend cheap, natural bristle paint brushes, but I can never clean them, and they wind up being good for a single use. I prefer silicone brushes – toss them in the dishwasher and they’re ready to go.

Chef’s knife: My kitchen workhorse. 90% of the time, I reach for my 8 inch chef’s knife.

Slicing knife: Sure, I can use my chef’s knife for carving, but an extra-long slicing knife gives me cleaner cuts.

Boning knife: When I’m working with a raw piece of meat, this curved, semi-stiff boning knife slips around bones and through joints with ease.

Carving board: I prefer wood boards for carving. Wood boards have deeper juice grooves, so I don’t have juices running all over my kitchen counter while I’m carving.

Serving Platter: I am fascinated by the rainbow of Fiesta Ware colors; the 13 inch platter is perfect for a couple of rotisserie chickens or a regular sized roast; the 19 inch platter is for turkey and jumbo roasts.

Half sheet pan and cooling rack: 18×13 professional half sheet pans are another workhorse in my kitchen. I use them for dry brining, with a matching cooling rack to keep air flowing around the meat.

For the rotisserie fanatic

If you’re really in to rotisserie, here are a few extras for you.

A battery powered rotisserie motor is convenient. It’s not as powerful as a wired motor, but it handles loads up to 25 pounds, and there is no wrestling with the cord.