Picked up a Char Broil Infra-Red Oilless Fryer yesterday and decided to try it out. I was never satisfied with the skin before, even finishing on the oven.
Brined with some spices Morton TQ and brown sugar for 12 hours and into the Bradly for 3 hours of Apple
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00596.jpg)
Crammed into the basket
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00597.jpg)
Into the Big Easy, This thing is fast and hot!
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00598.jpg)
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00599.jpg)
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00601.jpg)
The skin was like deep fried. Amazing!
Those look great. I never heard of an IR frier. May need to look at them a little more. :)
I was so happy with the turkey legs I did the same routine with some wings. No brining, an hour and a half of Apple smoke and into the Big Easy.
The basket has a Bradley rack I chopped to fit. The top layer I used 2 bacon hooks and and let the wings cook at a nice upwards angle
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00602.jpg)
Once again, this thing is hot and fast. I had fully cooked browned crispy wings in about 30 minutes after the smoke. Must use a ton of propane!
Ready for sauce
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00604-2.jpg)
Sauced up his & hers, hot and not so much.....
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00605.jpg)
The pile on the right is the fire side.......pounding my chest now!
Smoking Soon... Those look fantastic! 8)
I was wondering how those oil-less deepfryer worked.
Mike
Dang SS that looks great! I see another tool to put on my wish list!
C
I am also intrigued by the oiless fryer...do tell more...as well as that $50 bill!!! :D Can ya tell I'm a reformed accountant? ;D Grub looks awesome...well done!! :)
La Quinta, the wifey returned from a Vegas junket and returned with shirt intact! The 50 spot was borrowed from me as well as my camera. She saw the mess I was making and retreated!
The Big Easy does what it is supposed to do, and very fast. It seems they have increased the size of the unit as the ones in Costco will do a 24 lb turkey, but this is the original unit that maxes out with
a 16 pounder. Their websight does not state this but I suspect mine is soon to be discontinued, I found it local for 85.00. The Costo unit is 159.00 I think. Gotta try some more stuff, but really pleased with it so far.
I like it...gotta go on-line and Costco and take a peak at it!! Gonna check Home Depot and Lowes too. Neighbor is a Home Depot Manager...may make him do some stealth research on a sale item!!! My brother has the oil turkey fryer and I gotta tell ya...I'm too nervous...flame+oil=BAD...just my opinion...my brother loves that damn thing!!
Thanks for the post!!
I have heard so much about good taste results with oil fryers I always wanted one but never would buy one because of the hastle of dealing with the left over oil (and cost of purchasing). This may be the answer to that issue but the big question is how does it taste in comparison to an oil fryer?
It may have been you or another member who has one and posted some information. I was very intrigued but forgot about them. At that time there were no accessories. I was checking on line yesterday and learned they now have baskets or shelves that can go in them. Each basket will hold one chicken horizontally, or what ever you want to put in them.
Looking good smoking soon. I have a spot for one of those on my patio.....
Before work I went on the internet to research the fryer and all the reviews were positive. I may have a place for one also. Just think, in winter I could cook a turkey and heat my garage at the same time.
Brad
It would be great for the winter...we're still just laying the turkey on a sheet pan outside...the skin gets nice and crispy!!! :D Oh I'm just kiddin!! ;D
Giz, I cannot compare to a fryer, as I never had one. I have done a lot of chicken in my time and never got the uniform golden color without oil that this produces. I think it s a perfect complement for a Bradley.
Give it the smoke, blast it crisp and cooked with the pot. One other thing, the amount of fat removed while cooking is twice the volume you have seen before. Gotta be some benefit for that.
How hard are they to clean?
About cleaning: After seasoning the slide out pot, basket and lid with cooking oil, the thing looks like you had it for a year or so. There is no grease in the pot, it all goes through a hole in the bottom to a slide out drawer. Pretty easy. There is a small forum getting started for these.
http://sizzleonthegrill.com/user-forums/index.php?board=24.0 (http://sizzleonthegrill.com/user-forums/index.php?board=24.0)
Smokin Soon,
Thanks for posting this with the wings. I have been looking into the oil-less fryers but I thought they couldn't do small pieces of meat like a wing. After seeing your post, I think I may have to buy one!
I looked around today on the internet and man...you got a deal...looks like your unit is $129 now...the bigger one is $159 (or more). Have been chatting with the hubby about buying one...figure if I donate my old Brinkman Smoker and the Old gas grill...the tax break may just pay for this little sucker!!! :D :D :D
Lq, If your gonna go with the bigger one that will handle a 24 pounder, there is a coupon inside that gives a discount on the optional upper basket. Ya gotta have that unless you want to improvise like I did for doing wings and such. Check the websight I posted for optional racks that fit the thing. I did some leg quarters since my first post the same way as the turkey legs and they were fantastic! Granted, gotta do some McGyver routines to arrange in the basket, but it all works. Basket in smoker bottom shelf for a smoke, into the pot for a great crispy finnished product. The place I bought it from had 8 units in stock and me and my employees bought them all. Interesting, they had shipping labels from the Home Shopping Network.
OMG...the Home Shopping Network....eeeeekkkk! I was gonna go with the smaller unit...just me and Bob and the puppies...and the dogs just get dog food...so...don't need the big sucker. Interesting tho...HSN...whoda thunk it?
I was on the Charbroil site and they only have one size that does up to 16 pounds. The one's at Costco must have been a special order to the manufacture. I wish I had Costco closer to me.
Habs,
If you are already a member of Costco why don't you just have it mailed to you. I looked into a memmbership and it would cost me $50.00.
Brad
Quote from: car54 on September 25, 2008, 03:05:14 AM
Habs,
If you are already a member of Costco why don't you just have it mailed to you. I looked into a memmbership and it would cost me $50.00.
Brad
That's a good idea but I'm not a member. The closest one is too far away, and in a direction I don't normally travel to make a membership cost effective. I'm going to check it out on their website, if the capacity is larger in the units they sell, I may just use your suggestion.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on September 25, 2008, 01:59:34 PM
Quote from: car54 on September 25, 2008, 03:05:14 AM
Habs,
If you are already a member of Costco why don't you just have it mailed to you. I looked into a memmbership and it would cost me $50.00.
Brad
That's a good idea but I'm not a member. The closest one is too far away, and in a direction I don't normally travel to make a membership cost effective. I'm going to check it out on their website, if the capacity is larger in the units they sell, I may just use your suggestion.
Habs,
I think that Costco lets you buy online without a membership.
Deb
Thanks Deb.
I was checking it out on line today, and Costco wants $159. I quickly checked the dimenstions with the one at Lowes for $139, and I can not find any differences in the one Costco is advertising as being able to cook a 25 pound turkey, and the one at Lowes that states it will cook up to a 16 pound turkey. I'll have to compare them more closely to see if I'm missing something.
I just won the large Costco unit on Ebay for $107.00. It was the only one listed.
Brad
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on September 26, 2008, 02:07:07 PM
Thanks Deb.
I was checking it out on line today, and Costco wants $159. I quickly checked the dimenstions with the one at Lowes for $139, and I can not find any differences in the one Costco is advertising as being able to cook a 25 pound turkey, and the one at Lowes that states it will cook up to a 16 pound turkey. I'll have to compare them more closely to see if I'm missing something.
Habs,
If I get to Costco this weekend I'll check out the price in the store. I keep looking at this thread and telling myself that I don't need another appliance......
Deb
One thing I may have forgot is the easy way to tell if it is the bigger costco unit is the color of the pot. The original is black, the 16 lb unit, and the costco unit that claims 25 lb is navy grey. Might help on folks checking ebay and such.
Just looking at my stand-up rib racks, and how they would hold some smoked cured chops, prop the extras on the top of the basket on my bacon hooks like the wings. Yes! News at 11!
Quote from: Smokin Soon on September 26, 2008, 06:36:28 PM
One thing I may have forgot is the easy way to tell if it is the bigger costco unit is the color of the pot. The original is black, the 16 lb unit, and the costco unit that claims 25 lb is navy grey. Might help on folks checking ebay and such.
Just looking at my stand-up rib racks, and how they would hold some smoked cured chops, prop the extras on the top of the basket on my bacon hooks like the wings. Yes! News at 11!
S.S. thanks for the additional information. I'm close to getting one, but would like to get the larger unit. With the same outside dimensions of both units, I don't see how one can have such a huge difference in capacity. Maybe Costco is posting the wrong specifications for it's unit.
Deb;
If you do go to Costco, could you also possibly note the btu's, width and height of the unit. Both as listed as 21 (21.1) in. W by 24.5 in. H, 16,000 BTU's. Like you I don't need another appliance, but this would come in handy. As I read more about this unit it will roast vegetables, and with the small basket inserts it should be able to roast corn on the cob.
PS
I was just on the Big Easy Forum, and according to the forum the one at Costco is a larger limited addition.
Habs, I think the Costco unit would me the one for veggies, as it has a high and low heat setting.
Costco report -- when you walk into Costco's lobby they have pictures of featured items -- the fryer was pictured with a price of $148.99 -- I never pay attention to these pictures so I'm not sure if it is a special price for a limited amount of time or regular instore price.
Model #08101472. The box didn't have that much information on it but they had one on display. 18,000 btu. Grey. The box did say that it could do a turkey up to 25lbs. I couldn't find dimensions on the box or the unit or in the instruction booklet and I didn't think to bring a tape measure with me.
I think a 25lb turkey would fit - a tight fit. They don't sell turkeys so I couldn't go grab one to see if it would fit.
I restrained myself from buying one but think it's in the future.
Smokin Soon posted while I was writing -- the one I saw at Costco had a dial like setting from Low to High -- I should have looked closer but I don't think it was just low or high - that maybe it has a range.
I just noticed Canadiantire here in Canada has the same thing. The only difference is it is made by Thermos and called Infrared Turkey Fryer. It doesn't say what size turkey will fit but it does say it's 18,000 BTUs. It looks identical to the Big Easy and I'm sure it is but if it is 18,000 BTUs, I wonder if it is the larger version. Here is a link.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443303544&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396676181&bmUID=1222554099753&deptid=1408474396672561&ctgrid=1408474396672562&subctgrid=1408474396676181
Mike
The one from Canadian Tire is the standard model that will do a 16 pounder.
Deb, Smoking Soon and Mike;
Thanks for the follow up and additional information. I broke down and ordered myself an early Christmas gift. The higher Costco online price included the shipping and handling, plus I had to pay an additional 5% for not being a member, and of course the great state of New York needed to collect its sale taxes. It should arrive within 10 business days.
Habs, Merry early xmas. ;D
I think I'm going to get one but not for a little while. I'm swamped workwise until October 15th and don't need any more distractions. I figure I'll get it after that and have time to test a turkey or two before Thanksgiving.
I have been procrastinating getting some type of stand for my OBS and now I know why -- It needs to be big enough to put the fryer on also :)
Deb
Quote from: Smokin Soon on September 27, 2008, 06:02:26 PM
The one from Canadian Tire is the standard model that will do a 16 pounder.
That's what I thought but I noticed that the standard model is 16,000 btu's, the larger Costco model is 18,000 btu's and the CanadianTire model is also 18,000 btu's.
Mike
Habs. I'm really happy you decided to go for it because I know you will come up with with stuff I never thought of and share with us! I have a couple a yardbirds in the soup for a smoke-fry tomorrow.
New cooking toys, recipes, spices,sauces, brines are the things that keep us old guys young! My wife has even forgiven me for buying the expensive Thermopen quick read thermometer after trying the goods!
I often don't get a chance to buy new toys, but I couldn't control myself on this one. I'm glad you informed us of the larger unit; that was the deal breaker. :)
A couple of birds just finished in the Big Easy.
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00618.jpg)
The chickens look good. Did you make the self from an extra Bradley rack, or does that come with the Big Easy?
Thats a chopped Bradley rack, good eyes. When you get yours from Costco, make sure you find your discount for a upper basket and cover. I ordered mine.
Smokin Soon
Looking at the basket I don't see why you couldn't figure out a way to make 4 racks for it. That way you would have a total of 5 levels for doing things like wings.....
Ok... I gotta quit thinkin' 'bout this or I'll have one ordered too! ::)
Mike
Mr Walleye, It would be a proud addition to your smoking kingdom. I am really suprised that this beast does not smoke at all. I would not hesitate to us this in a well ventilated garage. And as another member stated, it would probably heat your garage too. Oh, silly me....with the hi-tech setup you have, I'm sure your garage is heated!
Gotta say - GREAT LOOKIN RESULTS!!!
Picked up a Big Easy myself on Amazon.com for <$100 (w/ free shipping) about 1 month ago.
It's not the big Costco (25lb) version but the original CharBoil (16lb) version.
Made a few chickens and then used the bones to make a stock. EVERYONE loved that stock!
Quote from: Smokin Soon on September 29, 2008, 04:13:34 PM
Mr Walleye, It would be a proud addition to your smoking kingdom. I am really suprised that this beast does not smoke at all. I would not hesitate to us this in a well ventilated garage. And as another member stated, it would probably heat your garage too. Oh, silly me....with the hi-tech setup you have, I'm sure your garage is heated!
What can I say!... I walk into Canadian Tire this morning and of course I have go and "cruise" through the BBQ stuff... low and behold!... They have them on sale!... Wouldn't ya know it... One followed me home!... It's true!... I'm not lying! :D :D :D ;D ;D
Anyway, I took 4 10" x 14" cooling racks and a pair of wire cutters and went to work. It now has five (counting the bottom) removable racks for doing wings. In the pictures you should be able to see how I bent the centre 2 parts of the rack to form sort of a clip so the racks can't slide out. I haven't tried it out yet but I will let you know how I make out with it.
Click to enlarge....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/th_IMGP0510.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0510.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/th_IMGP0511.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0511.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/th_IMGP0512.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0512.jpg)
Mike
PS
This unit, Thermos Infrared Turkey Fryer - (HeatWave) does have a 18,000 BTU burner in it. I'd be interested to know what the diameter of the basket is in the Costco version and in the regular Big Easy. This one has a 10" diameter basket in it.
Well as luck would have it the wife had to go out of town to her niece's shower so I thought what the hell and fired 3 or 4 lbs of wings in this baby. Now, in the deep fryer I've always done wings from frozen and they turn out fantastic. Because it's only me eating I thought I would give it a whirl....
I started them out on the low setting for about 30 minutes. I did this mainly because they were frozen and I didn't want them crispy on the outside and raw on the inside. At about 30 minutes I cranked it up to high. Now that I have done a batch I think you could do them on high from the beginning and save the time because after 30 minutes I checked the IT and they were done but I wanted them more golden.
Just for the heck of it I stuck a temp prob into the unit (through the lid, so about 3 inches down from the top) and on low the temp was about 400 F. On high it was about 490 F.
Click on pictures to enlarge them...
Here's a picture of the wings loaded... Ya can even see the frost on them!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/th_IMGP0513.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0513.jpg)
Here's a picture of them just as I removed them...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/th_IMGP0514.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0514.jpg)
Here's a picture of them with a little lemon pepper...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/th_IMGP0515.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0515.jpg)
Wow!... Beer and Wings... Life's good!... I didn't even come up for air!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/th_IMGP0516.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0516.jpg)
Mike
Mr Walleye, I am very happy you like your new toy!! I was a little bit worried that some forum members would buy these and be disgruntled because it is not what they expected. I am luvin mine for anything I want to smoke first and then put the crisp on. Just did some chic leg quarters on the bottom, 2 monster baked spuds on the top......Yum! Hate to say this one had no smoke involved, but great.
I like it...a lot!!!! :)
If the unit you have has a high - low control, that means it is the newer one only available at Costco in the US. The standard unit sold here has a 9" basket and is a dark charcoal grey. The Thermous unit you have with the 10" basket is probably a lighter colored navy grey and will handle a larger bird. Fun stuff!
Quote from: Smokin Soon on October 04, 2008, 10:44:40 PM
If the unit you have has a high - low control, that means it is the newer one only available at Costco in the US. The standard unit sold here has a 9" basket and is a dark charcoal grey. The Thermous unit you have with the 10" basket is probably a lighter colored navy grey and will handle a larger bird. Fun stuff!
Smokin Soon
That's all correct except mine is black in color, I should have posted a picture of it I guess. I was so hung up on gettin it ready for wings I must of forgot.
Mike
Mike;
I envy you. Mine has be sitting at a UPS location in Ontario, CA (USA) since last Monday. My delivery date is suppose to be on the 7th but I don't see how that can be.
After Smoking Soon's innovative idea of making a shelf, I am planning on doing what you did.
Habs - so sad :(, nothing worse than waiting for a new toy especially with the pics these guys are posting.
Mike & Smokin soon --NO! no more pics ;D, just kidding - I'm just jealous - I'm in deadline mode & lucky to get dinner on the table - the crockpot is my friend these days(blech). No more pulled pork in the freezer - I took the last package of both Hab's canadian bacon & bacon out of the freezer today -- I did not plan well >:(
I hope Costco still has some on Oct 17th when I come up from under the mountain of paper on my desk. Unforunately, they have them they are at the end of the aisle and have one on display and I read somewhere they are a limited edition.
Deb;
The way things look, you will get yours before me. :)
I was looking around Char-broil's forum. There is a section dedicated to the Big Easy. A member on that forum stated they were a limited edition. I'm sure if they sell well, they will continue to make them; especially now that Thermos is making a larger model.
Habs
The Thermos unit is made by Char-Broil. It was probably a way to sell them in Canada or something like that. I went to some of the web sites that was on the literature that came with it and some of the sites are Char-Broil's.
Mike
That does it. Talked me into it, buying two of these, one for me and one for my mother. Dang, I love this forum!
I WANT ONE...Waaaaaaa...I WANT ONE... >:(
It does not really matter, but I am curious about the Canadian version rating the btu's when the Char-Broil site does not? And why would they change the name to Thermos?
Some kind of patent or trade thing?
Did some brined Cod today, smoked and breaded in spiced cornmeal, If you do this one be prepared for a 15 minute cook. I underestimated the Big Easy and jabbered on the phone too long
and had some cod jerky! Second batch was great, did not get any pics.
Quote from: Smokin Soon on October 05, 2008, 09:43:49 PM
It does not really matter, but I am curious about the Canadian version rating the btu's when the Char-Broil site does not? And why would they change the name to Thermos?
Some kind of patent or trade thing?
The last time I checked the Char-broil site, they did not mention anything about the larger unit.
Mine is still in California, but it states it's on schedule for delivery on the 7th. It doesn't seem likely.
I bought one, on sale for 125.00 Canadian dollars, from Canadian Tire.
Here is what I did with it yesterday. I could not find any cooling racks to make basket racks so made a makeshift rack out of skewers.
Put together, set up and ready to go!
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1109.jpg)
I made this makeshift rack from skewers.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1114.jpg)
Two birds with one cooker.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1117.jpg)
Almost done, cooked one hour less than my oven.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1127.jpg)
Cut up, served with twice fried fries, tossed salad, and chalet sauce.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1131.jpg)
Son, hungry after spending entire day painting baby's room.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1134.jpg)
Great pics Geo, did you notice the top chik got done quite a bit before the bottom one? Also does the Thermos model come with a discount code for the cover and the top basket?
Hab's when you get your Big Easy, please report the proper smoke times to transfer to the Big Easy. I have just pulled poultry out before the skin begins to brown, having no clue what would be best, but happy with the results. My last brined quarters had to go until I saw little black pimples before I pulled them, 200 degree at the thigh, much higher than usual. Could be the brine, not sure.
I used the Big easy for the 1st time on Sunday. I did a whole chicken and it took over 4 hours to finish. I think that I may have a regulator problem not allowing enough gas to burn . The flame on the burner are only about 3/16 of an inch long. Can someone check the length of their flame.
Thanks, Brad
Car54 is yours the one with the high-low setting? If it is the standard model that's way too long of a cook time. I can do 2 birds in 1 hour and a half, top one finishing less than that. Do you feel heat right away after igniting? You should. You also have a sizzle sound of cooking after 20 min or so. We need to get you cooking! Let me know.
Brad
Most propane regulators including the one on the Big Easy has a excessive flow valve built into them. If for some reason it is tripped you will need to shut the appliance off, shut the tank off and disconnect the propane line from the tank. This should reset it. Over the years I have had this happen on propane heaters I use for ice fishing. I'm not sure if this is your problem but it's worth a shot.
Mike
Mine left the UPS location in Syracuse at 3:17 AM; if it gets to Hudson by 6 AM then I know it will go out for delivery today. But still its bad timing, I may not get to do any thing with if for a few days.
When I get it set up I report back on flame size, and cooking times.
Wow!!! Another new toy to look forward to. :D
Mine arrived today about 45 minutes ago. They shipped it in the original packaging so the cooking pot got jammed inside the inner body. That took awhile to get undone. No noticeable damage.
I haven't had time to put it together other then get the legs on. Documentation on the specs. is poor, but I finally found the BTU output on one of the legs of the unit. It is rated at 18,000 BTU's, and it has a high/low setting. It appears they are using the same basket as the smaller unit, because there seems to be a lot of space between the basket and the wall. I will take measurements later, but a quick measurement of the outer diameter is about 18.5".
I can't wait to try this unit out, but it looks like I won't be able to use it until Saturday.
Brad;
Do you have the original Big Easy, or the one that Costco sells. I'm hoping to be able to season it tomorrow and at that time I will check the flame height at both settings.
Haps,
I have the Costco model.
Brad
Mr Walleye,
There is a chance that my regulator was over pressurized. I will probably do another chicken this weekend depending upon what Habs says about the flame size.
Thanks all for your help.
Brad
Car54, I checked the flame with the inner pot removed, and had about a quarter inch flame, but strangely enough the flame did not make the full circle, it sort of danced around. Could be that it was getting too much air, cause it does vent from the bottom. I am not sure if this is a good check or not. I say call tech support. Mine does not really look proper, but it works great! The guys at work that bought these are reporting 13 pound turkeys in an hour, so your cook times are really off. Like I have said before, I dont really know how these things work but they do work.
Except for the legs mine looks exactly like the images Geofite posted. I'll post pictures later, but it seem there has been a design change. Two legs each are connected with a strip of metal that appears to be designed as a wind break. I'll post pictures later. I'm hoping to get mine seasoned today.
Geofite,
I'm glad you used string to tie you chickens. I was concerned with the high temperatures that the string would burn loose.
Still haven't seasoned mine yet. I have to refill my spare propane tank. Anyway here is a picture showing the rear legs, that appear to be a design change to act as a windbreaker.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/Formatted/Big%20Easy/th_IMG_0733.jpg) (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/Formatted/Big%20Easy/IMG_0733.jpg) Click to enlarge.
Rear Legs
Quote from: Smokin Soon on October 06, 2008, 07:14:58 AM
Great pics Geo, did you notice the top chik got done quite a bit before the bottom one? Also does the Thermos model come with a discount code for the cover and the top basket?
Thanks.
Yes, the chicken on the bottom was a bit less done than the top one, just a bit. So I think I will need to cook them for 15 minutes longer the next time I cook them, about 1 hour, 45 minutes total time, or so.
No, I don't think it came with any discount codes. I have not noticed any? I sure would like to know where to get a top basket in Canada. Can't find any accessories around Canada at all for this new toy.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on October 08, 2008, 02:33:14 AM
Geofite,
I'm glad you used string to tie you chickens. I was concerned with the high temperatures that the string would burn loose.
The strings did not burn at all, they were the same as they come out from the oven. The birds came already tied up so all I did was wash and dry the birds, pull the legs loose from the string, stuffed the birds with lemon wedges, garlic, onions and salt and pepper, then put the legs back to the way they were and that is it.
As for the discount coupon, there was no coupon included in my package, but there was a flyer about the accessories, and information about the new Easy-Out Clamshell Basket. The new basket opens in half to make it easy to load and unload, but it was not listed on their website.
At the bottom of that flyer there is a code you need to use at check out, but the flyer doesn't say what the code is for. I ordered my cover and basket yesterday, enter the code, but there was no discount noted. I sent and email asking them to explain what the code is for, and if it is a discount it was not applied to my order.
That happened to one of our guys that bought the Costco unit and he called Char-Broil and they said "sorry, too late for the discount, your order has been processed". Also this is the first I have heard about a clamshell basket. Post a pic when you get yours. You will like the cover, it looks durable.
I just seasoned mine and just turned it off. Looking through the viewing slots the whole burning was working fine. It seem to be about 1/16 of an inch difference from the low and high setting, but I not completely sure because I didn't check the flame settings until after the cooking pot was installed.
I didn't order the clamshell basket, they didn't have it on their web site. I read somewhere it will not be available until early November. They are trying to make it available early enough for people to use during Thanksgiving. I can scan the black and white picture on the flyer and post it. It looks like it would be good if you are only cooking one item, it may be difficult to open if you have homemade shelves.
Since mine is on back order until 11/03; I may have a legitimate argument. Or cancel the order, and call it in. What is the discount?
I'll have the picture posted in about 30 minutes of so.
Here is an image of the new clamshell basket:
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/Formatted/Big%20Easy/Clamshell_basket.jpg)
Habs,
Since you have the larger model your can use a 10.5 inch round steel grill grate that is used for a Weber Grill. A hardware store by us has a good supply of Weber parts and it sell for about $7.00. I just made a couple of cross braces to set it on like the pictures from Geofite.
What is also interesting is that this discussion is now 6 pages long.
Here is a link for the Charboil Big Easy forum.
http://sizzleonthegrill.com/user-forums/ (http://sizzleonthegrill.com/user-forums/)
The clamshell basket does make some sense, when I did my 2 whole chiks, the bottom one was stuck just a little and took some wrestling to get it out. The basket opening is a good idea for whole birds but would not be practical for our makeshift grills. The top basket that they sell is nice, but I want to maximize my wing count as you have seen here. Now that Habs has one, let the creativity begin!!
Car54;
Thanks for the information on the Weber grill grates. I believe the baskets for both models are the same size, so those grills grates should work in the original model also. I am going to Lowes and Home Depot today so I'll check if they have any in stock.
I've been checking the forum out and notice you, Smokin Soon and a few other Bradley member there. I'll join later today.
Smokin Soon;
Adding extra grills maximizes the cooking capacity, and one that I will be using often. I will still need the accessory basket. That will be handy for items that require less cooking time than the meat; such as vegetables, and it will make easier to load and remove the items quickly.
On Sunday I did make a successful chicken. My regulator must have been over pressurized.
Brad
I finally had a chance to use mine today. It took 3.5 hours for a 3 pound chicken. Average ambient temperature was 65°F, and not wind.
I can only see the flame through the view slot. Even though it is over casted today, it is impossible to see the flame while the cooking pot is removed. With the cooking pot in place and looking through the view holes the flame looks good both on high and low settings. When it gets darker I view the flame with the cooking pot removed.
Car 54;
How long did it take to roast your chicken on Sunday, and what size was it.
Habs,
It took about an hour and it was 4 to 5 lbs.
Brad
looks good none the less... delicious
This thing is the bomb for wings!!! Did a variation of Nepa's sauce, Thanks nepa! 1 hour of Maple and into the pot.
I could only rescue a few stragglers for a poc.
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/DSC00626.jpg)
hab's, I dont think anything should take 3.5 hours. Our guys are doing 12 pound turkeys in a little more that one hour. Somethings not right there. I have done 2 chickens in 1 hour, they wer small but filled the basket. I did about 20 wings today in 45 minutes, granted they had about 60 minutes of smoke first.
For me, the jury is still out on the quality of this unit. The variation in times sounds like there is an issue or learning curve to over come. I am looking forward to further reports on this unit. Think I will stick with the convection house oven as the times there seem to be faster than what you guys are experiencing so far.
Car 54;
Thanks. I took the chicken out at 5 PM; which was the 3.5 hours. I checked the internal temperature with my thermapen, and the thermapen registered 215°F at the thigh. The probe I was using was not functioning correctly. Cooking with this unit is going to be a learning curve. It doesn't brown the same as it would if it was in an oven. So a good probe is essential. Looks like I will be eating a lot of chicken salad.
When it got dark enough I was able to check the flame. On the high setting the length looked about 1/2" or a little higher, and fairly even all around. At low setting the flame was about 1/16" lower.
Car 54 & Smokin Soon;
I forgot to ask earlier; did you use the cover at all during the cooking time.
Cover stays on until the browning is done and dark spots appear like my wing pics, then removed. There is some reflective action from the cover.
I used the infrared cooker to make a 16 pound turkey yesterday for Canadian thanksgiving. The turkey was fantastic! The best I've ever made. It was juicy, tender, crispy and delicious! Totally fantastic tasting and I did not heat up the house from having the oven on for 5 hours! The drip pan needs to be emptied a couple of times because it will over flow as the drippings were twice the volume of the pan.
The turkey, 16 pounds.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1262.jpg)
Into the fryer.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1263.jpg)
Half way done.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1272.jpg)
Finished! So fantastic and delicious! I did not use the lid at all during the cooking of this turkey. The lid causes the skin to brown too quickly. The temperature at the deep breast was 180 degress farenheit. It took 5 hours to cook at half time high heat and half time low heat. This turkey was perfect. I can't think of anything that I would change.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1282.jpg)
Cut up and served with other homemade traditional thanksgiving fixings. Yum!
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii103/geofite/IMG_1284.jpg)
Great Job Geofite!
Awesome job! ;)
Mike
I have not done a Turkey. That is one big pretty bird!!
Geofite,
Great looking turkey.
Habs,
The top was on.
Brad
Thanks.
I left mine off. Next time I will use the top, and monitor the browning.
Went to Costco & bought myself a new toy today ;D. I don't think I'm going to get to use it until next weekend though :(.
good going Deb... like the rest of us we have a life and family as well