Here are quick answers from founder, Blake Carson, to a variety of questions frequently asked by those interested in learning more about Carson Rotisseries.
1. Is there a warranty?Yes, there is a 2 year warranty. The Carson Rotisserie has been holistically designed to be easy to use in all aspects – from set up, to grilling, to clean up and breakdown, and even maintenance. The warranty covers any malfunctioning parts that could affect the performance of your grill. If for any reason a part should need to be replaced, outside your warranty, the replacement process is very simple and inexpensive. See your manual on troubleshooting for extra peace of mind.
2. Why is there no top on the grill?When cooking on a rotisserie, tops are unnecessary. “It’s not about the heat around the meat; it’s about the meat around the heat!” In other words, the key to the rotisserie’s effectiveness lies in the meat rotating over the fire while self-basting in its own juices, not in a method, like an oven, where you are trying to control the temperature surrounding the food, overall.
3. How do you control the temperature or know when the food is done?Per question 2, cooking on a rotisserie is unlike cooking on a conventional grill, which relies on trapping the heat. It is not important to control the temperature, as much as control the flame, which directly and indirectly cooks the food.
The Carson Rotisserie is ultra forgiving. Unlike conventional grills, Rotisserie grilling keeps food more nutritious, flavorful, and juicy, and even keeps the food ready to eat in some cases 10 times longer, since you can keep it rotating on the skewer without fear of overcooking or drying out the meat. Plus, the rotisserie style of cooking has been proven to be a healthier alternative over conventional grilling.
The rules of cooking Physics do not lie. When you have a stationary piece of food over a heat source, it does not matter if you have stainless steel, ceramic, aircraft aluminum, or any other space age material to keep the heat and moisture in to cook the food, because you are already at a loss with gravity working against you. So, when cooking with a conventional grill, you need to know the exact temperature because there is a small window of time when the food is at its optimal cooking temperature to eat, not to mention the need of a drip pan a lot of the time to control flare ups.
See our innovations page for a 60second example of this.
Rotisserie grilling makes the hassle of controlling temperatures and the need for drip pans almost irrelevant! If the food is cooking too fast on the bottom row, simply place it on the top row and go back to enjoying precious time with your company. You barbecue to get to enjoy your company and entertain, not to be a slave to your grill.
For example, imagine cooking 140 chicken wings or 100 sausages on a conventional grill. How long would it take, at what temp, and how many times would you be obsessing about flipping all those wings? Not sure what this answer is for you? Well I do know that if you own a Carson Rotisserie it would take roughly 30 to 40 minutes to evenly cook that many wings and about 20 minutes to evenly cook that many sausages and you don’t have to worry about any, “Flip or Exact Temp. Anxiety!”
4. How do you get your fire right?Start off by lighting 1 to 2 pounds of Lump charcoal (http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag43.htm) with a starter stick. (http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Strike-a-fire-Starters/dp/B001OLU6HG). In about 10 to 20 minutes you base fire should be just right! Sprinkle on a few bigger chunks of the lump charcoal a few minutes before you place your food on the grill. This will give you that perfect camp fire flame for best results!
5. Are the skewers dishwasher safe?The skewer handles are made out of treated aluminum. Aluminum dissipates heat very fast compared to other metals and keeps it cooler to the touch, which is why it was selected as the metal of choice. Unfortunately, dishwasher detergent messes up the finish of the aluminum, yet the skewers are dishwasher safe if you are ok with loosing that hand polish shine. The detergent discolors the skewer handles. The skewer itself is made out of stainless steel, so the good news is that all it takes is a few wipes with some soap and steel wool and your skewer is clean!
6. What do I do if the grill stops rotating?The fact that the grill is portable and that the three (3) wires in the back are connected via tongue and groove, it is possible that a wire could come loose and cause the grill not to rotate. The beautiful thing about a Carson Rotisserie is that it is a conventional grill and a rotisserie grill in one. When this question is asked, it always reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg joke about escalators: “The cool thing about escalators is that they never can temporarily become out of order, they just temporarily become stairs. Thank you for the convenience!” If your grill ever stops rotating when in use, it is going to be because of a very minor reason. Be sure to finish cooking what you have on the grill, in the conventional manner, then look to fix the grill later. See the section on troubleshooting in the manual in order to see how easy it is to fix anything that might go wrong with the grill.
7. How long does the battery last?Depending on various factors, the battery can last as long as 8 hours. We do offer a 16hr+ battery for those that know they will be traveling a lot with the grill.
8. How much weight can the grill handle?The grills have been tested to handle roughly 8 pounds per skewer. Please remember that whatever you skewer must be perfectly centered on the skewer in a cylinder shape in order to prevent the weight flopping around and adding unnecessary stress on the motor. The reality is, it’s not really the weight that is a problem it is the shape. Make sure the meat is centered evenly around the skewer! See pictures of the pineapples.
9. How do you clean the grill?Personally, I clean my grill with standard non-toxic grill cleaner. Since the grill is all flat surfaces, it makes the grill very easy to clean. Spray the non-toxic grill cleaner all over the grill, scrub with a brush that you might use to clean your car, rinse with a spray bottle full of water, then wipe the surface clean with a dry towel.
10. What can you cook on it?“If you can stick it you can grill it. If you can’t stick it, grill it in the basket!” The grill is not an oven, we recommend leaving that to the kitchen. We’re talking about grilling, not baking right? Therefore, anything you normally would barbeque on your grill you can cook on a Carson Rotisserie…and then some! As a quick reference on the variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits you can grill on your Carson Rotisserie, check out some of our recipes to help get you started.
11. What is Brazilian BBQ?Brazilian BBQ is all about the variety without the flip anxiety! Spit roasting is the most popular grilling method in the world, except in the U.S. and Canada! It was not until the arrival of the now very popular Brazilian Steakhouses, that Americans started to become more aware of the incredible benefits that rotisserie grilling brings to the table. The Carson Rotisserie is the only grill that offers the portability, style, grilling peace of mind, variety, excitement, and overall WOW-factor that embodies Brazilian BBQ to anyone who loves to grill out! If you can grill 14 different flavors at your next Carson Cookout, then we consider you a pro! At a Brazilian BBQ, you always want to keep your company full of anticipation of, “What’s Next?” The never-ending appetizer of entrees stimulates conversation like no other and the Carson Rotisserie is the only grill on the market that can create such a memorable barbequing experience!
12. Can I keep the grill outside?Yes, however keeping it in the garage or under a covered patio is highly recommended if you want your grill to last longer. The grill does have an electrical component to it, so it is best to make sure the grill is covered when not in use.
13. Why does it only come with 4 skewersGiven that you can grill up to 8 pounds per skewer says a lot about how much this grill can really cook. That’s like 10 steaks per skewer. You will know which skewers you are going to need over time as your Carson skill level improves. There are different varieties of skewers, including small, medium, large, 3-prong, and a basket for things like hamburgers, hotdogs, fish, vegetables, and fruits. The more you use your grill, the more you will get comfortable and know which skewers you need more than others. Soon you might even want to have a skewer artillery that could feed your entire block!
14. How much does it weigh?The grill weighs about 55 pounds.
15. Can I grill on a table top without the legs?Absolutely! Stone, marble etc. table tops work best, however you can grill on wooden table tops, too. Just be aware that the heat from the bottom of the grill can discolor the wood.
16. Can I check the grill on an airplane?Yes, but be sure to keep your box the grill came in though. Those airlines are ruthless with luggage so the box does a good job of protecting the grill.
17. My skewers don’t fit perfectly in the slots.Since the charcoal tray can move around and since the metal shields can bend over time, there is added room for error built in with the skewers. Make sure the skewer is all the way in and if the skewer is resting on the extended room for error spot, then this is completely fine.
18. Why is the word Rotisseries in your logo? No one can spell it!We tell people all the time, ‘You are right, it is a hard word to spell. All we really care about, though, is that you think “rotisserie” when you’re spelling Carson!’ When the name “Carson” becomes synonymous with “Rotisserie grilling,” then we will take the word rotisserie out of the logo. Until then, rotisseries is spelled R-O-T-I-S-S-E-R-I-E-S. Just think, you can help us on our mission to remove the word from our logo, by joining forces with us in spreading our Brazilian grilling gospel!
