Cooking your bird in a countertop oven roaster will leave your regular oven free for other dishes.
Every year, more cooks discover the convenience of a roaster oven when they try one out or inherit one from a parent or grandparent. These countertop ovens can be used just like a regular oven to cook everything from casseroles to large roasts, but they really shine at holiday time when they cook the bird to a moist, buttery brown, leaving the oven and range completely free.
Identification
Turkey roasters consist of an insulated unit that heats an inset pan on five sides. They generally have aluminum covers (some older models have transparent windows on top for "peekers") and should have a rack on which to place the turkey. Like regular ovens, roaster ovens can heat up to 500 degrees but they have no broiler function. The small appliances are produced by several companies including Nesco, Hamilton Beach, Rival and GE.
History
The first roaster ovens, made by the National Enameling and Stamping Company (NESCO) in the 1930s, were simply high-resistance wire wrapped around a double boiler. The appliances became popular in rural areas as replacements for wood stoves as electricity was introduced. The little ovens gained wide popularity beginning in the 1980s when the Metal Ware Corporation acquired the company's assets and marketed the redesigned and accessorized "Nesco" roaster to community and church groups.
Size
Roaster ovens come in sizes ranging from 5- to 22-qt. capacities but an oven of at least 18-qt. size will be needed to roast a turkey. Any size will cook at about the same rate. The turkey can be any bird that fits in the roaster but the best birds are 12 to 14-lb. young toms.
Considerations
Turkeys should be completely thawed, a process that may take several days in the refrigerator. They should be washed and seasoned before roasting. Stuffing the bird will extend cooking time by 30 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size of the bird. The oven should be preheated to about 425 degrees.
Time Frame
The bird should be put into the oven and allowed to cook at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. The temperature should be lowered to 325 degrees and the bird should be cooked for 15 to 20 minutes per pound, or 3.5 to 4.5 hours for a 14-lb. bird without stuffing. Stuffing the bird will add another half hour to hour of cooking time.
Benefits
Roaster ovens tend to cook a bit more quickly than conventional ovens because the turkey is surrounded by heat instead of just sitting over it. They free up kitchen space--particularly if they have their own base with storage space for accessories.
Insight
Check the temperature of the bird with a "rapid-read" meat thermometer (not the kind you leave in the oven), available at better butchers and kitchen supply stores. The bird and dressing will continue cooking for as much as 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven, so remove it just before the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. The dressing should reach the same temperature before it is removed from the bird, which will start to cool it. Put the bird in a 400 degree conventional oven for 15 to 20 minutes to brown it just before presenting it--the roaster oven does not brown well because it keeps the bird so moist.
Tags: bird moist, bird should, bird will, cooking time, just before
