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A manual grill is equipment that can be used to cook different foods and rotate them during heating. This is often designed in various ways, such as a crank that allows a large skewer to be turned. There are also smaller skewers that can be used as part of a manual grill, to flip individual portions or pieces of meat from time to time to heat them up. This is in contrast to an automatic or electric grill, which uses a motor to slowly rotate the skewer over time, ensuring even cooking on all surfaces and simplifying the process.
The purpose of a manual grill is to allow the food to be turned during cooking. Rotation offers two basic benefits: heat is applied more evenly to various surfaces and sides of the food, and the juices from meat cooked on a grill spread over it as it rotates. A common way to style a hand skewer is as a large skewer with a crank on one end. The food is placed on a skewer, which is then suspended over the heat of a grill or fire. Manually operating the crank rotates the skewer and food.
A much simpler form of manual grilling can also be created using smaller skewers that are designed to turn easily. They usually have a long handle, which extends out of the heat, so they can be regularly flipped without burning. There are usually multiple pins on this type of skewer to make it easier to function as a manual skewer. Skewers with a single prong work well for some applications, but when turned, they can often rotate within the food instead of flipping it over. Multiple teeth ensure that turning rotates the food, just like the skewer.
While a manual grill is generally very easy to use and inexpensive, an automatic or electric grill can be much more convenient. It consists of a long skewer, usually designed in the same way as a crank model, with a motor at one end. The motor usually requires a power source, such as an outlet, and slowly rotates the skewer automatically. This ensures even cooking as the rotation takes place at regular intervals. An automatic grill can also help prevent injuries that can occur if someone manually flips food over the fire during an outbreak, which could result in burns to the hands or face.