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What is a Hot Dog Roller?
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Hot dog rollers are handy utensils that are designed for use on an outdoor grill. Essentially composed of a cooking surface that is composed of a half dozen stainless steel rollers, this tool makes it easy to prepare hot dogs and sausages with a great deal of ease.
The typical hot dog roller is made completely of stainless steel. The main body or platform is a series of round cylinders that are used to turn the wieners during the cooking process. Coated handles allow the utensil to be easily loaded onto most grills and removed once the cooking is complete. Some models allow the individual cylinders to be removed for cleaning, while others are permanently affixed to the frame.
Using a hot dog roller is very simple. Placing the roller on the grill, the cook can load each hot dog in the “valley” created between two rollers that are lined up next to each other. Most versions will have up to six cylinders, which makes it possible to cook as many as five hot dogs at one time. The stainless steel construction of the rollers absorbs the heat from the grill and evenly cooks the sausages.
Part of the genius of this device is that, when one roller is turned, all the rollers turn. This allows the cook to effectively turn all the hot dogs at one time, rather than individually. The result is a more uniform look to the hot dogs, as well as ensuring all of them receive the same level of heat and cooking time.
The hot dog roller can be purchased at many kitchen boutiques, as well as at a number of restaurant supply stores. Routine care through hand washing or cleaning in a dishwasher is really all that is needed to keep it in top condition. With a sturdy construction and easy to follow care instructions, the roller can provide tasty hot dogs and sausages that are cooked to perfection. While there are some inexpensive models, investing in a high quality type will typically provide cooks with the best return for the money over the long term. Good quality devices will last for many years, which translates into a lot of great fun with the backyard grill.
Malcolm Tatum
After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.
Learn more...
Malcolm Tatum
After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.
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Discussion Comments
How much would it cost to buy a cheap hot dog roller from a used restaurant equipment company or something like that? I would like to have one but I don't want to spend a lot of money.
I have four sons and they can eat a ton of hot dogs. If I had a hot dog roller we could make more dogs than they could eat and save ourselves the mess of cooking them another way.
I used to live right by this 24 hour convenience store. I would go in sometimes in the middle of the night and I can remember several times when I passed by the hot dog rollers and the jumbo dogs had been reduced down to what looked like slim jims.
They must have been on the rollers for the better part of a day, maybe more. I couldn't believe how dried out they were and that no one had taken the time to remove them. Seriously, it made you never want to eat another hot dog again.
A few years back there was a big box store that was going out of business. They had a little snack bar in the store and when they closed they sold off all the kitchen equipment. I just happened to be there for the sale and I ended up buying their hot dog roller.
It is not a top of the line model by any means but it is big and it works. I like to bust it out when I am having parties or BBQs. I can cook a lot of dogs at once and keep them warm for the whole length of the event. They taste better than boiled hot dogs and require less hassle than grilling them.
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