Char Broil Big Easy

Looking at options to "fry" a turkey without the fuss and mess of frying in oil, a buddy suggested the Big Easy propane cooker from Char Broil. He seems sold on his, and says the results are quite similar to actual frying w/o the expense of oil or the cleanup hassle. Any thoughts or feedback before I head to Home Depot and drop a hundred for something I may regret?

I'm willing to be convinced. Have him send me a sample.

Personally I'd pass on this unit. Infared cooking is not frying. If you've had fried turkey before and that's what you're after, then you need to deep fry. Is this really that different than roasting in an oven, grill or smoker? A traditional fryer set up (stock pot, stove, regulator) would seem more flexible to me in that you could do boils with it and use the stock pot inside as well. That's my 2 cents.

Paul

I have only cooked one turkey in mine and it was pretty good. It was the first thing I cooked in the Big Easy. I have cooked 4-5 half hams in it and it is the best ham I ever had. I don't add a thing to the ham, just take it out of the package and put it in the cooker.Can't get any more simple than that.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I have cooked 4-5 half hams in it and it is the best ham I ever had. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

John, I'm curious. Does this produce a ham that would be different than can be produced from your oven? I'm not familiar with the unit so I don't know what the attraction/benefits of it are.

Paul

Thats good feedback from an owner, thanks John. Versatility is another factor in the plus column for the Big Easy...it cooks other meats/foods besides a turkey as well.
I have fried turkeys in the traditional manner for many years and simply looking for other alternatives for the expensive oils, mess and hassles.

I have cooked turkeys, whole chickens, half hams, chicken wings, french fries, pork loins, etc. in my Big Easy and pretty much everything has come out very good. It requires a bit of adjustment compared to regular grilling/frying, and I found that I wanted to babysit it more than other outdoor cookers at first. Once I got used to cooking in it, I liked how it made food. It is a quick and easy cooker to use once you have used it a time or two.

I like to use it alongside my kettle, especially in the summertime. I can make burgers, dogs & fries in two outdoor cookers and not heat up the kitchen when it is hot outside.

Jim,

From the feedback I got from you and John who own one of the Big Easy units, I am thinking it won't be a waste of money. I am now more inclined to go thru with this purchase. By doing hams and chickens along with turkey, it seems versatile enough to make it pay off.

Morrey -

Two of my favorite things to cook in the Big Easy are chicken leg quarters and wings. Both cook fast, have a crispy skin and are good practice to get a feel for how the Big Easy cooks before Turkey Day.

Thanks for bringing the infrared "fryer" up, Morrey.

While I was a huge skeptic at first, I've heard nothing but good things about it. Guess my only queastion is how healthy it is to cook something so hot in such a non-traditional manner.

Fried turkey is a huge tradition in our family, but it's no surprise that due to all the trouble my father-in-law only goes to all the trouble once a year.

Dave, I think if we put a probe type thermometer in the breast meat near where the wing joins in, we should be good to pull the bird at 165 degrees internal. That area seems to be the last part done. This Big Easy machine seems foolproof to me, so I am going to pull the trigger on it. Good advice to do a couple of practice runs on leg quarters to get the feel, plus it helps to season in the unit prior to the holidays.

I am entering the 3rd season with my Big Easy. I have fryed many turkeys for years in peanut oil. Not any more.The turkey from TBE is as good as any fryed I've had.

Simple to use and much less clean up.

Here are some pic's of a cook last Christmas:







Here's a short video of how it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWCmhrQapXI

It will cook many foods but can't be beat for turkey and chickens IMHO.

It paid for itself the 1st 2 times I used it in peanut oil savings.

Thanks so much for the pics and testimonial, Mike David P! I was telling my father-in-law, the turkey fryer of the family, about it just last night. He's really interested, and a link to your post just might send him down to Lowes.

Dave, I don't think he will regret it. Let us know !

He's been checking them out online and I suspect he'll pick up one as soon as he sees this fall's price of peanut oil. Dont' know about the oil yet, but a jar of Jiff cost us almost $7 the other day.

Darn Mike,

Thats about the best looking "fried" turkey I have seen not to have been submerged in oil. It looks absoultely delicious.
I think Dave and I have been sold on this unit, and as Dave mentions, peanut oil is bound to skyrocket with the soaring price of peanuts. I have just gotten tired of messing around with all that expensive oil and the cleanup afterwards. I always say that I'm going to re-use the oil so it wont go bad, but after it gets cleaned up, I hesitate to fool with it again.
My guess is that this propane "fryer" will put a dent in the traditional fried turkey market.
Thanks for the great pictures!

Mike,

One more question........what about the cleanup after the cook? I know it is not going to be nearly as bad as fooling with the old oil way. Does the inside of the unit need to be scrubbed clean? I know it needs to be seasoned in, but will gunk form and keep the heat from radiating properly?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Morrey Thomas:
Mike,

One more question........what about the cleanup after the cook? I know it is not going to be nearly as bad as fooling with the old oil way. Does the inside of the unit need to be scrubbed clean? I know it needs to be seasoned in, but will gunk form and keep the heat from radiating properly? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Morrey,

Clean up is about 1/10th that of oil. The SS cooking chamber lifts out (see pic, it's the dark part):



It lifts out. The bottom is a shallow cone with a hole in the middle. Everything drains to the center and into the drip pan which is easily removed too. There will be a small amount left in the bottom. You have the option to leave unit on with reflector lid when empty to burn off any residual. I don't do it. I remove the chamber, wipe it with a warm soapy rag and rinse. That's just me. Some folks line the bottom with foil and leave it open at the drain hole. I don't do that either. I think it might disrupt the infrared energy. You can put a small foil pan in the drip tray or line it with foil for gravy and such. No clean up there. The last thing is the basket. I found out after my 1st cook that it is much better to spray the basket with PAM or the like for easy removal of the bird. If you do that, the dishwasher can do the rest.

As for seasoning, none required. The chamber turns darker with each cook. This is said to help the cooking process. (See pic again).

There is a space between the cooking basket and cooking chamber. No gunk build up at all.

On a safety note, The burner is not exposed but the unit does get hot. Since most of the heat is released through the top, be careful to use a mit or the like when handling the reflector lid. That's one of the reasons the birds are so good. No hot air to dry the meat. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

Prep your bird as you would for oil:



I may have done over a hundred oil fried turkeys and chickens over the years but I will put this up against any of them.

Any questions, just let me know. Good Luck!

Mike,

I got the Big Easy as we discussed and did a test cook on a 5 lb roaster hen. Man o' man....I mean that thing was GOOD! Since the bird was a bit small to stand upright in the rack, I put it on a beer can chicken holder. I made an injection of butter, beer and spices, then rubbed the outside with a light coat of oil and cajun rub.
It cooked quickly, and within an hour or so, I had the best roast chicken ever. It was moist and juicy with a great crispy, golden brown skin. My wife was on the phone telling our parents and friends about the new cooker, and all the while she had previously told me that it was something we really DID NOT need...LOL
Cleanup was easy like you described it to be. I was surprised at the lack of effort it was start to finish to "oil less fry" this chicken. I call this unit a huge winner and can't wait to impress family with "fried" turkey this week.

Since my father-n-law wants to cook two birds, looks like we'll get a side X side comparison Thursday.