What Is a Universal Rotisserie?

A universal rotisserie is a cooking implement designed with a rotating spit that can be installed on an outdoor grill by using one or more universal mounting brackets. Such a rotisserie kit contains several components that can be combined in whatever way is necessary to install the rotisserie on the desired grill. Some kits include a motor, spit, brackets and spiked braces to hold food in place on the spit as it rotates. Other kits may include different attachments — such as a roasting basket — that are placed on the spit, or pieces such as a counterweight for the end of the spit. There are a variety of universal rotisserie kits available, with the main difference being the length of the spit, although the strength of the motor, the size of the brackets, and the mechanism used to hold food on the spit also can be different.

At its most basic level, a universal rotisserie kit will include a spit and a pair of mounting brackets. Motorized versions will have a small motor that can be placed on the side of the grill, away from any side-mounted heating elements. Most of the time, the spit will come with some type of clamp or a pair of forks that attach to the spit to secure the food in place while it rotates. Depending on the manufacturer, a number of attachments may be available so the universal rotisserie can be used for other functions, such as roasting vegetables.

Basic universal rotisserie spits can be made from stainless steel or aluminum. Higher-end models may include a spit made from heavy cast iron, anodized aluminum or even coated with a non-stick material so it can be more easily cleaned. The remaining parts vary from one design to the next and can include items such as bamboo handles that resist heating and special hooks that can be used to lift the spit off the grill.

The universal aspect of a universal rotisserie comes mainly from the design of the mounting brackets. The brackets usually are made in a way that there are multiple holes that can be used to attach the brackets to the side of a grill. The holes are positioned in such a way that they match up with a number of popular grill designs, allowing for a single type of universal bracket to be used across a number of grills without the need to bore holes in the brackets or the grill, although not all grills come with pre-drilled holes for a rotisserie.