Real Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Showtime Rotisserie Grill Reviews and Ratings
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Overall Rating 
Manufacturer
Ronco Inventions
Product Description
Cooking meat in a conventional oven can add unnecessary fat to your favorite meals. Now you can cut the fat with the Ronco ST4000 Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ. As the rotisserie rotates, the meat bastes itself and any excess fat falls of the meat and into the drip tray. Fresh, healthy food has never been easier to prepare! The Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ features a 3-hour automatic timer so you can just SET IT and FORGET IT! The Showtime does all the work, so you can spend less time cooking your food and more time enjoying it! The Ronco ST4000 Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ is so versatile. It can cook steaks, burgers, ribs, kabobs, chicken and vegetables - even a 15 lb. turkey - and yet it's no wider than a toaster oven.
Average Retail Value
$159.99 (prices may vary)
Comparisons
Black & Decker Infrawave Oven | Sonoma Express Cooker
Consumer Ratings
Sold it
11/17/2008 - tom of indiana, USA writes:
Bought mine from []. It was re-juvenated, so it was only 60 bucks. Used it once, and it sat on counter til a yard sale, then i got only 30 bucks for it!More trouble to clean than worth the hassle. If you like it, look around they do have some for less.
over 10 years
10/21/2008 - carl of iL, usa writes:
never a problem. best chickens ever. Do a 15 pound turkey every Thanksgiving in about under 3 hours. Tender and juicy every time. A+
Best roto chicken ever
9/22/2008 - ijk of New York, USA writes:
When I received this product initally, I thought it could not take a raw, seasoned 5 lbs. chicken and in less than 1 1/4 hours turn it into a roto-broiled dinner. I was wrong. This thing works better than I even hoped it would. I have used it for other items also and it has worked as they claim in each instance. Clean up is a snap and i highly recommend this product.
Dont Buy
4/6/2008 - Susie of Pennsylvania, USA writes:
DO NOT USE ALL CAPS. After less than a year the timer quit working. Not to mention the bottom fell off of it and the plastic that holds the door on came apart in my hands. No..I did not drop it. This is an over priced inferior product for short time usage only.
Well worth the money
3/30/2008 - wendy of Texas, USA writes:
I bought this product about 7 months ago and use it at least 5 times a week. If there is anything that can't be cooked in it, I haven't found it. We cook, ribs, hamburgers, chicken, hot dogs, fish, ham etc... in it. My children (teens) even love that they can use it without me and still get my "home cooked" meals when I work nights. It free's up time so I can make better sides and deserts. The only con is the clean up is a little bit of a pain. To help, make sure to use a cooking spray on your basket and top before cooking and clean up is much easier. Also, cleaning it while the parts are still warm seems to help. I aslo keep foil folded behind the heating element to catch any splatters and just change it once a week for easy clean up. I love this machine so much I bought my mom and daughter one as well and now they are in love too. WaRnInG: The unit does get Very hot so make sure you have clearance above and around it. Excellent product, Well woth the money.
Product Good Service BAD
2/21/2008 - James of Wisconsin, USA writes:
The Unit itself is great. I've used it to cook chicken, game hens and roasts, and they all turned out wonderfully. Hamburgers fell apart while turning non matter what: the basket itself rubs and breaks apart the burger. Mine arrived without the purchased optional larger basket and kabob rods. I've spent literally over nine hours on the phone over the last 70 days trying to get them to send missing items. They keep promising the missing items will arrive "in 7-10 days", but they never do. When I call back , usually spending over an hour on hold, I am told "there was a problem at the warehouse" and I "will receive them in 7-10 days". The website's listed customer service phone number AND phone number are invalid ( I found a working number by contacting the BBB; the lady there said the number they had was also invalid, but she managed to find a working number somehow ) In summery: The rotisserie itself is a great idea. A bit cheaply made, but works well. The customer service is non-existent. Shipping costs of $65 were excessive to say the least I'd give it a 2.5 stars, overall
8 Years and going strong!
2/10/2008 - Cam of British Columbia, Canada writes:
Our Rotisserie is a chipped,cracked,stained,battle-scarred veteran of a thousand campaigns. We've cooked everything we can cook in it and they all come out great. It really does Turkey and Ribs especially well. It looks like a truck hit it, but it still works and we'll get another when it finally kicks.
Outstanding
1/12/2008 - James of California, USA writes:
Are you kidding? My family loves Showtime. My wife cooks the best chicken and ribs from it. We have never eaten so many ribs until now. It's too easy. This product, for once, is just as good as they say it is. "Set it & forget it" is exactly what you do. After you season your food, the cooking part is what you really worry about. Will it retain all the seasoning or marinating you put into it? Will it be crispy or moist enough? Lets talk! Over the last three years or so I've made a roasts for the family holiday dinners and people are still talking about & requesting me to bring one every year. To be honest the first one was mine (conventional oven didn't have ST) but every one after that has been Showtime. They are even better!! More moist, more flavor, less time, no tending to, less mess and worry. If you are a good cook you will absolutely love Showtime. If you are not a good cook you absolutely NEED Showtime. Thanks for making something that actually helps everyday family living.
SHOWTIME--SHOWSTOPPER!
10/27/2007 - Janelle of Texas, USA writes:
My husband and I got this from my mom and dad when they moved, they used it a couple of times but it was just too much machine for them, so they gave it to us. We've been using it for 7 years now and the poor thing is falling apart--but we won't get rid of it. WE LOVE IT! We use it almost every sunday for chicken (never cooked anything else in it) the kids love the crispy skin (fight over it more like it) and the gears squeak, missing the knob for the timer (we use a knife to start it) Like I said we love love love this product and are asking for a new one for Christmas this year as we've worn this one out! OH! when the gears started to squeak we called the number to find out what to do...awesome customer service!! they picked up almost right away and said to rub some oil on the nipples of the spinner and that should solve the problem, but it's a short-term fix...we just live with the squeak instead of rubbing oil on it all the time...it doesen't affect the cooking process..it's just a little annoying but easily tuned out. Would (and have) recommend this to everyone! (oh and my parents never did pass on the injector) a nice rub of your choice of seasonings works great too! LOVE IT!
Popeil's Best Product Yet
10/24/2007 - Noel of British Columbia, Canada writes:
I bought my Platinum Showtime about five years ago and five years later I can say it's the best infomercial product I've ever purchased, though I bought it at a store, not on T.V. It's worth every penny if you just use it (together with the injector) for chicken alone. Clean up takes me five minutes max. You can even wash the gloves by just wearing them when you wash the rest of the parts. Here's a cool secret - overcook the chicken (1.5 hours for a fryer) and keep injecting the chicken at 30 min. intervals with beer - it's better than beer can chicken, the meat falls off the bone but is still juicy.
Cooks great, falls apart soon
9/26/2007 - Jeff of Maryland, USA writes:
I bought one and loved it, particularly good for chicken of course, and also for a two or three bone-in rib roast. I used it a lot, but after about a month, the plastic "nubs" on the base of the door deteriorated, and cracked completely through. I thought that I was just unlucky, and bought another one (I REALLY did like the way it cooked) only to have the same problem develop, PLUS the exterior began warping, and eventually (about three months later) it too was in the trash. I have replaced it with a much higher end rotisserie from a well known company, and unfortunately it doesn't cook as well as the Showtime, but I'm not buying a third one just to throw it away after three months.
Terrific Rotisserie
6/15/2007 - Viva of Virginia, USA writes:
I have had my Ronco Rotisserie for a little over 7 years and it is still working very well. I used it to prepare a 12 pound turkey for Thanksgiving one year and it came out great. The skin was crisp and the breasts were tender and juicy. I have used to for boneless leg of lamb (comes out great), venison roasts and cornish hens. I have never tried hamburgers or sausages, but for the larger cuts of meat, it is fine. When the gears squeak, a little bit of oil quiets them down. I'm very pleased with this product and plan on purchasing a second one to be on hand if the first one ever breaks down. I'd give it 5 stars, except it's a bit of a nuisance to clean, but worth the effort.
Works Great
5/30/2007 - Dave of Connecticut, USA writes:
I got one of these rotisseries as a Christmas present about five years ago, and it does a great for roasts and chickens. The gears do squeak a little sometimes, but a drop of oil on the hub quiets it right away. I don't like to use it for ribs, meat loaf, burgers, or sausage - I don't think the results are very good for that kind of cooking. But for roasts, it can't be beat.
7 yrs going strong
4/14/2007 - Anonymous of Arizona, USA writes:
We actually prefer to use this for Tri-tips rather than barbequing. Love turkey breasts and chicken & have also used it on other beef roasts, a couple of hams, ribs & kabobs. Cooking for the two, I prefer to cook the smaller meat in the baskets. Negatives: (1) (Cooking) Hamburgers shrink & break during the rotation. Ribs were a pain until the new attachment. (2) (Construction) The gear squeaking is worth the taste! Most times I can stop it by a spray of PAM on the gear. Sometimes it's the imbalance of the meat towards one side too. Switching the side you loaded it on also helps. I was never able to successfully put foil on the back spatter shield and wish for a non-stick to make it easier to clean. I foil the drip pan & don't use the top. Or without the foil I make Au Jus with the drippings & water and stirring it together over the stove. Gave 3 for Xmas.
Worth every penny
4/13/2007 - Scott of New Jersey, USA writes:
It has seen more use than our stove. The food comes out with great flavor and little fat content. I have a stomach condition that has given me a lot of trouble with different foods. This has helped me stay healthy, off medications and out of the hospital. No, the machine isn't the cure, but an effective tool. The reduced fat and good flavor of the foods have made it easier to maintain a healthy diet. We have used the steam tray, but it just doesn't have the capacity for the amount of vegetables that we consume. We had to replace one of the plastic tracks that broke during a move, but the replacement part was easy to obtain through the manufacturer. After six years this one is still going strong and we will replace it for either of two reasons: 1) Our current one finally wears out, or 2) We upgrade to a larger model as our kids grow.
Like it a lot!
3/28/2007 - Dana of Illinois, USA writes:
I got the Rotisserie as gift from a friend (used and with no instructions) and even though I had to experiment to get things right, I must say I like it a lot. So far, I have roasted whole chicken, turkey breast, ribs and even steaks. Everything I roasted was really good - juicy on the inside with a nice crispy skin on the outside. And not because of any real effort on my part. "Set it and forget it" is right! The only challenge I do have is with poultry - trying to skewer it in a such a way that legs and wings are not coming apart and flap around inside the rotisserie. Cleaning is not any worse than cleaning any other oven or roaster. I was eyeing the informercials on TV and if I didn't get this from my friend (who incidentally did not like it), I would have bought it for myself and not regret it.
Pretty good!
3/27/2007 - Antoinette of Hawaii, USA writes:
After years of resisting to purchase, finally found one at a garage sale. Cooked a cheap pork tenderloin in it and was pretty impressed with the results! Not too good for cooking sausages, seems like the outside got burnt before the inside really got cooked. If you cook too long, the steaks can get burnt and dry though. Only obnoxious thing is this squeaking noise, but I spray olive oil on the suspect areas and it quiets it down.
Comes in different sizes
3/22/2007 - Anonymous of Georgia, USA writes:
Friends of ours bought this product and loved it. They had us over for dinner and the chicken was fantastic. My husband and I looked into buying one and found there are different sizes available. We bought a larger one, for less than this one sells through the informercial and we got many of the accessories with it. We have yet to use the accessories though I know we will. The one we bought cooks I think a 23 lb turkey. We have only cooked chicken, with one we had to keep it in 15 minutes longer. Cooking two, it was ready about half an hour earlier than it was supposed to be. Clean up was ok. All the pieces went into the dishwasher and came out great. The inside of the rotisserie though gets splashed with a little grease and has to be wiped down each time. Better than cleaning my oven though and the chicken came out much better too!
Good Product
2/10/2007 - Romulus of California, USA writes:
Other than a little work to clean, this machine cooks the best frozen Salmon you will ever taste! Better than 5 star restaurants & even the ones served at the 7 day Alaskan Cruise !!!
Works great, no problems
2/9/2007 - Anonymous of Wisconsin, USA writes:
My wife and I use this often to make small turkey or chicken dinners. It works great, but as you would expect cleaning it is not fun. But, it's easy to use, has been very reliable for us and is better for cooking smaller sized meals than heating up the entire oven and wasting money that way. I would recommend this to those looking to cook for 1 or 2 people at a time (no more than that).
