If you own a convenience store, restaurant, catering business or even an equipment rental business, consider adding to your product line with commercial rotisseries. As a new business idea, perhaps you've considered supplying homemade rotisserie creations to local grocery stores and restaurants and now need to buy a rotisserie commercial oven. Because of its convenience and great taste, rotisserie chicken has surged in popularity during the last several years. With more than 750 million sold each year, primarily in grocery stores and club stores, you could operate a pretty healthy business by incorporating chicken rotisserie equipment into your inventory.

You’ll find rotisseries for sale in all shapes and sizes. Depending on your needs, you can buy pig rotisseries and chicken rotisseries, in-ground rotisseries, table top rotisseries, electric, gas or even a commercial charcoal rotisserie. If you're wondering how to make the most of commercial rotisseries, keep in mind the benefits rotisserie cooking will provide you and your customers:

1. A rotisserie oven cooks off most of the fat while rotating on a spit.

2. Commercial chicken rotisseries make basting a breeze.

3. Poultry prepared in chicken rotisseries stays moist because rotisseries cook the meat evenly and allow it to maintain its own juices.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare commercial rotisserie cookers and rotisserie equipment before buying

Pay attention to the descriptions of the rotisseries that interest you to make sure you're getting what you need. Besides the rotisserie itself, you also need to consider any supplies or accessories you might need.

I recommend: Look for in-depth product descriptions like the one at Tamco Food Equipment that will make your decision to purchase a little easier. Compare different types of rotisseries available through companies like Hobart and Central Restaurant Products. Get an idea about which tools and accessories will help you most at SpitJack.

Arm yourself with tips and recipes for roasting with commercial rotisseries

Not only does chicken cooked in a rotisserie commercial oven taste good by itself (seasoned, injected or marinated), but the same chicken works extremely well in recipes calling for cooked/roasted chicken.

I recommend: Find tips for cajun cooking on a rotisserie at Cajun Rotisserie. You'll read helpful hints and recipes for marinades, sauces and rubs for rotisserie cooking at Spice of Life Gourmet Peppercorns. Use the many rotisserie chicken recipes at the Betty Crocker website to spark your creative flair and create your own signature recipes.

Increase your commercial rotisserie business - buy a towable rotisserie commercial oven

Take your catering business, convenience store or restaurant to the next step with a towable rotisserie. You can draw customers in with the mouth-watering aroma while cooking in your parking lot, at a catered event or at a cooking competition.

I recommend: Imagine what you can do with the commercial rotisserie smoker from BBQ Bonanza or the combination rotisserie/grill from Big John Grills & Rotisseries.

Share nutritional data for poultry prepared in commercial rotisserie cookers with customers

Regardless of whether you lease rotisseries to customers or use them to roast your own chicken for sale or as a menu item, you'll better serve your customers if you understand the nutritional value of poultry roasted in a rotisserie oven.

I recommend: Visit websites like the USDA Agriculture Research Service to learn what types of research focus on the nutrient value of commercial rotisserie prepared poultry. At Nutrition Data, you'll find all the nutrition data you could possibly want for deli-cut rotisserie turkey.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you own a restaurant or catering business, look for recipes that let you prepare your meat, poultry or pork in your rotisserie ovens ahead of time. You can shred the meat after it cools and then freeze it for when you need it.
• •  For making the most of commercial rotisseries, ensure you shape or position the meat or poultry uniformly on all sides to ensure even cooking. Truss a turkey or chicken to prevent the wings from hanging freely.

Chicken prepared in a rotisserie oven is one of America's most popular ready-to-eat family food choices. It's a quick, easy, lowfat solution to "What's for dinner?" Recipes for using ready-to-eat rotisserie chickens abound, and by having commercial chicken rotisseries revolving at point-of-purchase you'll inspire tasty impulse purchases.

Not limited to chicken, commercial rotisserie barbecuing has gone mobile, with freestanding portable and trailer mounted pig rotisseries adding a down-home southern touch to catering for home parties and tailgates. Even upscale ethnic restaurants have gotten into the rotisserie oven craze, bringing grills to the front-of-house so customers can savor their meal with all their senses.

When you're checking out rotisseries for sale, make your choice based on these factors:

1. Primary use—Do you want your commercial rotisserie equipment for cooking, display or a combination of both?

2. Fuel source—What works best for your rotisserie needs and your budget? Don't spend extra money for charcoal grilling if you'll be using your rotisserie as a display warmer.

3. Cooking style—Do you need self-basting chicken rotisseries for fat-free grilling, or will your spit be turning a whole pig drenched in smoky southern BBQ sauce? There are commercial rotisserie cookers for Mexican, Brazilian and Jamaican style grilling, too.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find commercial chicken rotisserie equipment

Whether you want commercial chicken rotisseries for back-of-house food preparation or for customer display and point-of-purchase in delis and grocery stores, rotisserie equipment manufacturers have what you need. Look for models in a variety of sizes, fired by gas, electricity, charcoal, infrared heating or a combination of sources. For more efficient cooking of chicken, commercial rotisserie oven manufacturers often include convection options.

I recommend: Henny Penny manufactures chicken rotisseries guaranteed to draw traffic. Resfab calls its corporate mission "the quest to develop world-class chicken rotisseries"; their LM series is the result. BKI offers several models of chicken rotisserie oven that incorporate convection for quicker cooking.

Go upscale with designer rotisserie equipment for restaurant display

Diners love watching their food sizzling in a rotisserie oven right before their eyes. Specialty manufacturers create commercial rotisserie cookers that are a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

I recommend: Rotisol will custom design sleek, sophisticated rotisserie ovens and displays for your food service needs. See J&R Manufacturing's gallery of rotisseries based on international cuisines, including the tiled Milano and the Churrasco, a commercial charcoal rotisserie reminiscent of Brazilian grills. Remco Rotisseries offers commercial chicken rotisseries that combine infrared heat and flickering wood fires to produce succulent meats in full view of diners.

Don't play chicken-find pig rotisseries and hot dog rotisseries, too

Commercial rotisseries aren't just for chickens. Pick up on the growing popularity of southern pig roasts by buying or renting a mobile rotisserie grill to cater parties and tailgates. Or find commercial rotisserie cookers for hot dogs and other concession or convenience foods.

I recommend: Holstein Manufacturing and Southern Yankee Barbecue Smokers offer pig rotisseries, mobile or freestanding, in a variety of sizes. The Easy Access Rotisserie from Gold Medal Products displays hot dogs, tacos or burritos. Find several models of hot dog rotisseries for sale at BigTray.

Save money with a discount, used or reconditioned rotisserie commercial oven

Add discount-priced, used or refurbished commercial rotisseries to your kitchen or deli display, and roll the savings back into your business.

I recommend: ACityDiscount.com carries chicken rotisserie equipment from leading manufacturers at substantial discounts. Don't forget to check the site for the availability of used commercial rotisseries, too. Check the constantly updated catalog at Atlanta Fixture & Sales Co. for discounted or used rotisseries for sale.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget to keep plenty of rotisserie supplies on hand. Depending on your model and use, you'll need insulated bags for grilled foods, basting brushes, marinades and charcoal or various woods for smoking. Get extra spits, baskets and replacement parts for your rotisserie commercial oven from the manufacturer or a restaurant supply house.

Within the past two decades, more restaurants than ever before have been using commercial rotisseries to prepare chicken, hot dogs, pigs and turkeys. While cooking foods in a rotisserie does not require the same amount of preparation time or culinary skill as stovetop or oven cooking requires, rotisseries are still far from being self-operating machines. Foods cooked in a rotisserie must be prepared, loaded and unloaded in a way that requires some training.

Fortunately, rotisserie manufacturers provide operator's manuals, demo videos and product specification charts that are readily available on the Internet for anyone interested. As you search for Internet sites devoted to commercial rotisseries education and training, take the following points into account:

1. Learn about the product specifications of your rotisserie.

2. Check out the operator's manuals that rotisserie equipment manufacturers provide on their websites.

3. Watch videos demonstrating how food service workers use a commercial rotisserie.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get acquainted with the product specifications of your rotisserie

You'll want to know about the product's power supply, its dimensions--such as height, depth and width--as well as its total load capacity. For example, while the rotisserie may be able to cook nine chickens at once to an evenly browned exterior, it might be necessary to cook fewer than the total capacity in order to obtain a crispier crust.

I recommend: Tamco Food Equipment provides a chart for its commercial chicken rotisseries. The product description available from Instawares Restaurant Supply Superstore for its rotisserie-type hot dog broiler sets forth the product's voltage and the number of hot dogs that can cook in one hour. Resfab Equipment gives technical data on its rotisseries so that, when ordering, you'll know which side the doors open on and whether you want a programmable temperature control or mechanical thermostat.

Read user manuals of chicken rotisserie equipment that explain how to use the product

The user manuals take you step-by-step through the process of setting the clock, using manual or program mode and how to use the 'hold' feature if the food will not be served immediately after the cooking cycle.

I recommend: Companies like Henny Penny, since 1957, and BKI Americas, since 1954, have been leading the industry in providing high quality commercial cooking equipment. Both companies publish the operation manuals for their rotisseries right on their websites.

Find demonstration videos created by commercial rotisserie manufacturers

Sometimes it's easier to learn how to use a piece of equipment when you watch a professional do it. That's the benefit of watching videos in which food service workers demonstrate how they operate and care for commercial rotisseries.

I recommend: Watch the video demo on the Rotisol website that shows a cook loading a chicken commercial rotisserie, programming for manual operation and removing various parts for cleaning. The video presented by J&R Manufacturing shows how to use the rotisserie and presents some of its test kitchen's most popular recipes.

Ask rotisserie manufacturers for training

Rotisserie oven makers may train your staff in your kitchen or theirs.

I recommend: Foodservice equipment maker and marketer GBS gives clients rotisserie training on- and off-site while Rotisol trains 750 students a year in European rotisserie techniques at its Leon Labroche school.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Learn about the parts and attachments that go with your rotisserie commercial oven. Find out whether it comes equipped with all the tools you'll need for operation or whether you must purchase things like rod handlers, meat forks and motor mounting brackets separately.

Commercial rotisseries are used by restaurants, caterers, food marts and outdoor barbecues to cook up tasty versions of chicken, pork and other meats. There are several types of commercial rotisseries—including one for back of the kitchen and front of the kitchen cooking. The latter is an attractive rotisserie and the former is utilitarian in appearance. Some rotisseries are for whole pigs, others are for chickens. When buying a rotisserie size (how many chickens, for instance, do you need to cook at one time), choice of fuel (by gas, propane, electricity, wood) and the kind of business you are using it for will be part of your decision-making process.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

BTU

BTU is the measurement for heat--British Thermal Unit. One BTU will raise the temperature of a pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. The BTU measurement refers to the heat it will generate in one hour. It doesn't measure the heat of the rotisserie. You want a rotisserie that conserves BTUs but also the number of BTUs depends on the size of the rotisserie.

I recommend: For an example of the BTUs necessary determined by the type of fuel you use, Universo SRL created a chart of the BTU requirements for each type of fuel used in its rotisseries.

Free-standing rotisseries

Free-standing rotisseries are used in-doors and can cook chicken, ribs and hot dogs (usually). These come with approximately seven spits and are generally offered for gas or electric cooking.

I recommend: You might see these behind deli counters or in food courts for point of purchase buying. These are large and usually pricey. The Esquire FL-7E Rotisserie Oven is an example of a free standing rotisserie.

Pig rotisserie

Pig or other large animals such as lamb, boar and venison are usually cooked outdoors with a rotisserie. These are used at catered events and also you might see them used at state fairs, barbecue cook offs and other outdoor recreational events.

I recommend: E-Z Que's pig rotisserie is used for cooking pigs and other large animals. Note that these use charcoal as fuel although the spit is turned using electricity.

Wood-fired rotisseries

These rotisseries use wood as fuel. Wood-fired rotisseries are thought to give better flavor and they also put on a 'show' for customers.

I recommend: Wood Stone makes commercial wood-fired rotisseries and other conventional commercial rotisseries. Note their discussion on the design of its rotisseries and why they save on energy.

Rotisserie installations or facades

Rotisseries are basically metal things with spits--not really attractive. Restaurant owners who wish to make rotisseries a decorative part of the dining room can buy a rotisserie installation, also known as a facade.

I recommend: See an example of a rotisserie installation from Beech Ovens.

Convection ovens

Convection ovens cook food rapidly and evenly by circulating air around the food. Rotisseries with convection oven aptitude can cook food quicker than just by using a rotisserie.

I recommend: Ice and Wine makes a rotisserie convection oven and considers it multipurpose. Rotisserie purists might not feel this gives poultry and meat the same kind of tastes traditional rotisseries give.