I'm looking into buying one and just wanted to know what everyone thought about theirs -- any ideas, features I should look for, i.e., non-stick or porcelain.
Also, what size does everyone find the best, and what do you all cook in them, where did you buy it...
Pam, I have Nescos in 4 sizes: 4qt, 6qt with fan, 12qt with fan and 18qt with fan. All have nonstick cookwells.
I got my biggest and smallest from ebay. NOT necessarily the best way to go, because it's always a "Buyer beware" thing.
I got my 12qt with fan from QVC. They regularly sell them for less than the manufacturer's direct price. Right now they also have 18qt without fan at a good price. You can probably call the manufacturer direct and add the fan later for the 18qt size, if you decide you want one. That cannot be done for the 12qt since they are built differently. I had no problems ordering from QVC; the delivery was quick and the item in great shape.
I got my 6qt from Amazon when it was a "Friday deal" one time. Ordered the fan separately, from the manufacturer.
I have ordered direct from the manufacturer several times when I wanted to give Nescos as gifts.
I cook everything in these. Spaghetti sauce, chili, soups, stews, casseroles (either right in the cookwell of a small one or in a casserole dish on the rack of a big one), roast chicken, baked ham, roast beef, pot roast, boiled ham, roast turkey....they are also fabulous "warming dishes" for party serving. The food doesn't dry out.
I love mine for summer cooking and I wish I had gotten a bigger one. I think I will start looking around for one as I need a new electric frying pan also. Slow cookers are nice but with the nescos they taste more oven made. I like to bake a ham or make a big meat loaf in the summer for sandwiches and such and they just taste better in the Nesco.
__________________ Before you Act: Listen
Before you react: Think
Before you spend: Earn
Before you criticize: Wait
Before you pray: Forgive
Before you quit: Try
Wow, I didn't realize that you could just put a casserole in the roaster, to cook.
I guess you only use the fan lid when you want to "brown" stuff, otherwise the regular lid is fine?
Thanks for the info. I'm going to buy the 18-qt. one -- just need to figure out where to get the best price because I think I want the fan-lid with it.
Yes, the fan is for browning. It is actually detachable so you can use the same lid with or without the fan. I use the fan when roasting chicken or turkey, or when making a beef roast (not a pot roast where I put liquid in the pan too). I've never tried making bread in the Nesco but I think you would need the fan for that as well.
I had no idea what a "Nesco Cooker" was, so I googled. The Nesco website is offering a 12 qt with fan (convection) at a discount: $49.95 (instead of $79.95!). Go HERE to check it out and, perhaps, to order it!
As soon as theh ol' curmudgeon gets home, I'll hit him up about one for us!
Cheerio!
Elizabeth
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*
~*~ Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give you Happiness.
Bad days give you Experiences.
Both are essential to life.
Keep going...
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going! ~*~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*
Elizabeth, that is a great price! QVC is about $10 more for the same item. I have one of that size and it's wonderful. You can fit a chicken over 8 pounds in it; I have made chicken parm for a crowd in there; and it's the size I use to make spaghetti sauce when I'm making 10 dinners' worth at once.
I will caution all of you that these things do get hot on the outside so please place them where small children won't be touching them!
There is an excellent Yahoo email group that deals with recipes and tips for the roasters. The archives for this group are fantastic. Here's the link.
Pam, how many are in your household, and what do you plan to cook in this thing?
If you intend to do turkeys in it you will need the biggest one. BUT on Thanksgiving you COULD do some side dishes in the Nesco and make the turkey in the regular oven. A 12-qt holds a lot. That's 3 gallons. As I have said, I make enough spaghetti sauce and meatballs for 50 servings in my 12-qt. I can put the biggest Oven-Stuffer Roaster I can find in this thing and it cooks nicely in there.
I had a 12-qt before I had a bigger one, and I find it to be a very versatile size.
