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Post by pattyhunny on Mar 15, 2017 9:17:12 GMT -5
So I just started looking at roasters on eBay. Some of them have a tray and some do not, what is the tray for? Do I need one?
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Post by cinnabar on Mar 15, 2017 10:26:09 GMT -5
You really need the tray for it to roast properly. The tray allows air under it to evenly roast the meats. Also easy-peasy to lift the tray out for resting the meat and making the gravy, if desired. We us the roaster with out the tray for chex mix, caramel corn etc. mostly because it is such a nice large pan.
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Post by pooka on Mar 15, 2017 11:26:19 GMT -5
The tray is what sets Lisk & Reed roasters apart from regular Drip Top style roasters. It acts as a diffuser to soften the heat penitrating the bottom of the pan. Plus it makes it easier to lift things out of the main pan.
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Post by pattyhunny on Mar 15, 2017 14:59:05 GMT -5
Is there any other brand that is as good? Or does it definitely need to be a lisk?
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Post by nana on Mar 15, 2017 16:50:04 GMT -5
The Lisks are pretty cool, because of the vents, you can really fine tune how much roast vs steam you want. And the handles are on the side, not the top, which really only matters when you start getting into the big ones that may be too tall to use with the racks. But any good pan will work. I've got my eyes peeled for a giant #5 for the Thanksgiving turkey, but I did find a giant rectangular roaster of unknown age or make at a tag sale that will fit a 25 pounder and fits in the oven as well, and it made a superlative turkey this past year. It had no insert, but my turkey rack fits in it, so I was able to lift it out no problem. Actually, to be fair, I had my young strong nephew lift it out for me!
I have an extra size zero or one insert (I'd have to check) so if you get a deal on a roaster with no insert I would be happy to send it to you for the price of shipping. I'd be happy to have the chance to pay it forward--I've been the recipient of great kindness from the folks here!
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Post by pooka on Mar 15, 2017 18:12:28 GMT -5
Lisk was the brand name they were sold as. There were also Reed roasters that are the same design. I don't know what the connection was. The Reed brand were frequently a robins egg blue, but both have been made in a number of colors. The dark blue with white speckles is what most of them are. The design was patented in 1911, & were made up til the 50's when the company that made them went out of business. There's really no substitute that will perform as well. There are plenty of them out there. Some have one vent, while others have two. The same company sold a lesser design called a drip top, but they aren't as good. I'll post more on them later, but I've got to run off for now.
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Post by pooka on Mar 17, 2017 2:21:31 GMT -5
pattyhunny, Here's a bit more info. This is from a thread were we discuses Lisk & Savory roasters. Chambers didn't recommend Lisk roasters until quite late. I know they sold them in the 50s, because I've seen pics of an old order form that listed pots & pans with prices. Chambers used to sell an aluminum roaster that was probably made by WearEver, although I'm not sure. It was pod shaped like Savory roasters. They are shown in a catalog from around 1930. Later, when they did sell Lisk pans at dealer, they offered the #1, #3 & #5 sizes. As shown in the chart bellow. Lisk & Savory both made six different sizes. The Lisk #5 will only fit by removing all the racks & sliding it in at an angle right on top of the baffle plate or cast iron bottom. This is when the air space between the inner tray & the pans bottom acts as a heat diffuser, so as not to scorch the bottom of whatever you're roasting. I think the Savory roaster, not having vents tend to braze more than roast. They came out about 1898 if I remember correctly. Back then, the fowl & cridders they roasted were probably a lot leaner & tougher, so brazing was more advantageous. Lisk was first patented in 1911. That's the date that's stamped on most of them. Below, I show my #0 & #1 Lisks. I live alone, so I have no need of anything larger. I do have bigger Savory pans if need be. The biggest one, a Hotel Oval, is so large, it wont fit in my oven. You could bath a baby in it. I bought it because I'd never seen one before. Plus it was only $15 at the thrift store. I also show my Savory Jr. for comparison with the Lisk #0. The other thing that's distinctive of Savorys is the bottom is pod shaped like the top half. It has a ring around it to stabilize it. When you use it, you can slide a cookie sheet under it, & get the same air gap you get with a Lisk or Reed. Both The Lisk & the Savory are excellent pans, but the Lisk is what Chambers recommended & sold for use in the model Cs. I'm foggy on what kind of roaster the may have sold through the 30s & 40s. I have no documentation of that period except for stoves. Nothing for cook ware. Here's my Savory JR & my Lisk #0 side by side for comparison. The Savorys are lower slung & more shapely than the Lisks. Here's a chart I made to compare Lisk & Savory roasters. Lisk seems to have a more regular spacing of sizes than Savory. Believe it or not Savory bought out Lisk & Reed in about 1943, but continued making all the same stye roasters until the went out of business in 1966. In catalogs from 1944 on show Lisk, Driptop & Savory roasters right next to one another. Here's a link to a piece called "Why a Lisk Roaster Is A Great Vintage Oven Roaster" posted on the blog named "Penn Polly Vintage" . It gives some history, & shows some pics comparing Lisk with the lesser Drip Top, which was their cheaper design. Penn Polly VintageIf you want to read further, Here's a link to an article in the Messenger Post of Canandaigua, NY It's a brief history from beginning to end of the ins & out of the company that made Lisk Enamel Ware. They first started custom making tin ware for customers of their store where they sold hardware and agricultural products from 1870. The company folded in 1965. HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY: Lisk — a big company with a big impact in Canandaigua
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Post by vaporvac on Mar 17, 2017 10:14:08 GMT -5
I could really see myself using one of these smaller roaster more the my Thanksgiving sized one. Thanks for the wonderful links.
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Post by mach12 on Mar 17, 2017 11:47:23 GMT -5
Excellent, excellent info Pooka!
The roasters I've come across seem to always have the buildup and adhesive residue like your do in the photos. If you haven't already removed it, 99% of the time carburetor cleaner will take it off. It's pretty harsh, smelly stuff as you're surely aware. When I use it I wear eye protection (learned that the hard way - even a slight bit of that stuff BURNS in the eyes) and I put on those blue nitrile gloves that come in a box. They seem to hold up to the carburetor cleaner, though I don't soak them with it. And I do the cleaning outside and don't let it get on anything but the wood workbench on the outside of my shop. If I need to soak it to loosen the adhesive or buildup I wet a paper towel with the cleaner and lay it on the area that needs cleaning. It dries fairly fast but also works fast. A lot of the time it just loosens it enough to finish with a scrubby but the scrubby seems to take it right off after it has been softened. After cleaning with the carburetor cleaner I give it a good wash and it cleans up fine with no residual odors, etc. It's my last resort when nothing else works (like WD-40 to remove fresher adhesive and so on) but sure does the trick when you need it.
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Post by pattyhunny on Mar 17, 2017 19:05:02 GMT -5
Thank you so much!!!!!
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