Nesco 18-Quart Roaster Oven Review
The one that browns most evenly, in the smallest footprint here. It still takes a 22-pound bird.
By Mike M. · Published · Last updated
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The verdict: buy it if your kitchen is tight and your bird is 22 pounds or under. The wrap-around element is a real design advantage — heat comes at the cookwell from the sides as well as below, which is why it browns more evenly than its price suggests. You give up four quarts of headroom and, on the base models, the self-basting lid.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Nesco 18-Quart Roaster OvenWrap-around 1,450 W element, 18 qt, takes a 22 lb bird. | The one being reviewed | 8.9 | |
| 2 |  Oster 22-Quart Roaster Oven with Self-Basting LidFour more quarts and a lid that bastes for you. | The alternative worth considering | 9.1 |
Scores are our own editorial rubric, explained on how we pick. They are not customer ratings and we do not publish star ratings for products we have not handled.
The heating design, and why it matters
Most roaster ovens put a heating element in the base of the outer body. Heat rises past the cookwell and circulates. It works, and it produces a well that is hottest at the bottom.
Nesco wraps the element around the outside of the well instead. Heat arrives from the sides as well as below, which means the chamber comes to temperature more evenly and the part of the bird nearest the back does not lag behind the part nearest the front.
At 1,450 watts it is also a substantial element for an 18-quart chamber, so recovery after you open the lid is quicker than the size suggests.
Eighteen quarts, in practice
Eighteen quarts takes a turkey up to about 22 pounds — more than any indoor electric fryer, and more than most households cook. Our sizing guide covers the guest-count math.
Where you notice the difference against a 22-quart is when you want to roast vegetables under the bird. There is room for the turkey; there is not much room for the turkey and a bed of potatoes. If cooking sides in the roaster is part of the plan, go bigger.
The lid, and the trade-off
The domed lid gives good headroom and circulation. What the base models do not have is the dimpled self-basting underside that the Oster is built around.
In practice that means either basting the bird yourself two or three times — each time costing you chamber heat — or brining it beforehand so it does not need the help. We would brine. It is the better result either way, and our brining guide covers the method.
What we did not assess
We have not bench-tested this roaster, mapped its temperature distribution, or run it across seasons. Claims about even browning here are based on the published design and on the pattern of owner feedback, not on measurements we took.
The full basis for our recommendations is on how we pick, and we would rather you knew the limits of it than assumed a lab behind it.
Honest alternatives
Cooking above 22 pounds, or want sides in the well? The Oster 22-quart takes a 26-pound bird and bastes it for you.
Want to hold food warm afterward? The Hamilton Beach 32215 goes down to 125F, which none of the others here matches.
The two Nesco-versus-Oster questions are worked through properly in our head-to-head comparison.
The products, in detail
#1 · The one being reviewed
Nesco 18-Quart Roaster Oven
Heat wraps the cookwell rather than sitting under it, which is why it browns more evenly than the price suggests. Eighteen quarts still swallows a 22-pound turkey.
- Capacity
- 18 qt
- Max bird
- Up to 22 lb
- Element
- Wrap-around, 1,450 W
- Cookwell
- Removable
What’s good
- Heat wraps the well rather than sitting under it, so browning is more even
- Eighteen quarts still takes a 22 lb turkey
- Smaller footprint than 22 qt models
- Removable cookwell
What’s not
- Less headroom for a bird plus vegetables
- Base models lack a self-basting lid
- Still browns less than a conventional oven
Capacity
8.6
Ease of use
8.8
Evenness
9.2
Value
9.0
#2 · The alternative worth considering
Oster 22-Quart Roaster Oven with Self-Basting Lid
The default answer for most first-time hosts. Twenty-two quarts takes a 26-pound bird, and the dimpled self-basting lid drips condensation back down so you are not opening it every 30 minutes.
- Capacity
- 22 qt
- Max bird
- Up to 26 lb
- Lid
- Self-basting
- Insert
- Removable enamel pan
What’s good
- 26 lb capacity
- Self-basting lid
- Room for sides underneath
What’s not
- Larger to store
- Slightly less even at the back
Capacity
9.4
Ease of use
9.2
Evenness
8.6
Value
9.0
Frequently asked questions
Up to about 22 pounds. That covers roughly 17 guests at the standard 1.25 pounds of bone-in turkey per person, which is more than most tables.
The base models do not. Either baste two or three times yourself, or brine the bird beforehand so it does not need it. Brining is the better result and less work on the day.
It browns a little more evenly and takes less space. The Oster takes a bigger bird and bastes itself. Which is better depends entirely on your kitchen and your guest list.
Preheat 15 to 20 minutes with the lid on, set 325F, put the bird on a rack in the well, and cook to 165F internal — roughly 13 to 15 minutes per pound. Full method in our roaster guide.
Sources
Related reading
- Oster vs Nesco Roaster OvenCapacity and self-basting against even heat and a smaller footprint, compared attribute by attribute.
- The Best Electric Roaster Ovens of 2026Five roaster ovens ranked, plus the two accessories that make the difference. No oil, no flame, and your oven stays free.
- How to Use a Roaster OvenThe whole method from preheat to holding the sides warm afterward, with times by weight.
- What Size Roaster Oven Do I Need?Roaster capacity to bird weight to guest count, in one table — plus when 28 quarts is genuinely too much.
- How to Brine a TurkeyThe ratio, the timing by weight, and the dry-brine method for when your fridge is already full.