One of the many great things about Weber BBQs, aside from their remarkable durability, is the range of devices and add-ons available. We tried the rotisserie attachment.

Our old Weber 57cm charcoal kettle has seen a bit of action over the last ten years or so, it’s had the lid dropped more than a few times and twice been bowled completely over by hurricane winds.

And yet it’s still relatively unscarred and more importantly works as well as ever. The Weber Rotisserie only fits the 57cm and is basically a collar that fits snugly between base and lid. Into the collar goes the rotisserie spit and at one end hangs the motor.

The collar is built to the same standard as the kettle; thick enamel that is highly resistant to chipping and therefore rust, while underneath is top quality steel.

It’s this build quality that marks Weber out; given even only half-hearted care your Weber kit will last just about forever. It is by the way worth buying Weber enamel cleaner though , it does a good job and a bottle will last for ages and keep your Weber sparkling.

The rotisserie spit is thick and heavy duty’ it can carry two chickens or a leg of lamb or side of beef with ease and has two big forks that are very strong and lock firmly into place to hold the meat securely.

This means the motor has to be strong too and the Weber one certainly is. It’s not battery, it needs mains power, but it is solid and gives the impression of being able to run forever. It’s smooth and reasonably quiet and chugs along in a reassuringly solid way.

Rotisserie meat is one up from meat roasted in a Weber; the meat does not sit in its own fat, which instead drops into a tray you put below, and you get a crispy exterior all the way around so no one misses out on the good stuff.

We cooked chicken using The Oxford Charcoal Company’s superior product and the sizzling sounds from inside were louder than the motor.  One load of charcoal from the Weber chimney starter (everyone should have one, they are foolproof) was enough for the whole cook with no need for a top up.

You have to use common sense taking the spit off; it is searingly hot at both ends when ready so you need protection, but armed with mitts you find the spit is so strong it’s easy to take away to be carved with no flexing or sense it might collapse on you en route.

The chicken was a beautiful colour all around and cooked perfectly evenly and basically a bit of a showstopper when served. The fact that we could have cooked two at the same time was a bonus and something to consider next time, a cold roasted chicken is always welcome in our fridge.

Weber have so many clever bits and pieces to enhance your BBQ experience and the rotisserie is definitely one of their winners.

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