Napoleon 57013 Review: Is This the Best Budget Rotisserie Basket for the Kamado Joe Joetisserie?

If you own a Kamado Joe Joetisserie, you've probably looked at the Kamado Joe Joetisserie Basket Kit and experienced a little sticker shock. At around $249, it's one of the most expensive Joetisserie accessories you can buy.

Then you discover the Napoleon Adjustable Stainless Steel Rotisserie Basket (Model 57013) selling for around $55.

That's a huge price difference. The obvious question is:

Can a $55 basket really deliver the same cooking performance as a basket that costs nearly four times as much?

To find out, I cooked a full batch of chicken wings on my Kamado Joe using the Napoleon basket and compared its design, build quality, ease of use, cleanup, and overall value against the Kamado Joe Joetisserie Basket Kit.

The results surprised me.

Jump to:

• Quick Verdict
• First Impressions
• Napoleon 57013 vs. Kamado Joe Basket Kit
• Why I Tested It with Chicken Wings
• My Kamado Joe Fire Setup
• Five Tips for Better Rotisserie Wings
• Should the Wings Tumble?
• Should You Add Duck Fat?
• Cooking Results
• Cleanup and Dishwasher Performance
• What I Liked
• What Could Be Better
• Who Should Buy the Napoleon Basket?
• Who Should Buy the Kamado Joe Basket Kit?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Verdict
• Where to Buy
• More Kamado Joe Resources
• Related

Quick Verdict

Short on time? Here's the bottom line.

Buy the Napoleon 57013 if you primarily cook:

• Chicken wings
• Vegetables
• Potatoes
• Shrimp
• Smaller foods

You'll save roughly $200, and for these foods I couldn't see a meaningful difference in cooking performance.

Buy the Kamado Joe Basket Kit if you regularly cook:

• Whole chickens
• Pork shoulders
• Large roasts

The additional engineering and included tumbler basket make it the more versatile accessory.

Watch the Complete Video Review

Prefer video? I walk through the entire cook, compare both baskets side-by-side, explain my fire setup, and show the final results.

Watch my complete YouTube review here:

Quick Comparison

Feature	Napoleon 57013	Kamado Joe Basket Kit
Approximate Price	$55	$249
Basket Types	Flat Basket	Flat Basket + Tumbler Basket
Stainless Steel	Y	Y
Dishwasher Safe	Y	Y
Adjustable Basket Depth	Y	Y
Open Center Design	N	Y
Best For	Wings, Vegetables, Potatoes	Large Cuts, Maximum Versatility
Value	5	4
Versatility	3	5

First Impressions

One thing surprised me immediately. The Napoleon basket doesn't feel cheap. It's solid and is made entirely from stainless steel. The adjustable top grate slides smoothly into four locking positions and secures firmly. Nothing rattles, nothing feels flimsy, nothing suggests it was built to hit a low price point.

In fact, if someone handed it to me without telling me the price, I would have guessed it cost considerably more.

Napoleon 57013 vs. Kamado Joe Basket Kit

These products are engineered differently.

The Kamado Joe Joetisserie Basket Kit suspends the basket between two end supports, keeping the spit rod completely out of the cooking area. That leaves the center unobstructed, making it ideal for larger foods that need additional clearance as they rotate.

The Napoleon basket takes a simpler approach. The Joetisserie rod passes through the center of the basket and acts as its rotational axis. On paper, that sounds like a compromise.

But here's the important question: Does it actually matter?

For foods like chicken wings, potatoes, vegetables, shrimp, and similar items, I don't think it does.

Where the Kamado Joe design shines is with larger cuts of meat like pork shoulders, whole chickens, or large roasts. Those foods benefit from the open-center design and the additional versatility provided by the tumbler basket.

For small foods, however, the difference is minimal because rod does not interfere with the food.

Why I Tested It with Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are one of the best foods for evaluating a rotisserie basket.

They require:

• Even airflow
• Consistent browning
• Reliable basket security
• Easy loading
• Good capacity

The constant rotation continuously exposes every wing to circulating hot air, reducing hot spots and promoting even browning. He wings rotate through the hottest air in the dome while avoiding prolonged exposure to direct radiant heat from the coals.

If a basket performs well with wings, it'll likely perform well with vegetables, potatoes, shrimp, and any other small foods.

My Kamado Joe Fire Setup

For this cook I used a Kick Ash Basket with the divider installed. I banked all of my charcoal into the rear half of the firebox and left the front half empty. Why? Because I wanted convection cooking rather than direct radiant heat.

A full bed of charcoal directly beneath the basket encourages flare-ups as rendered chicken fat drips into the fire. Those flare-ups can burn the skin before the meat finishes cooking. Instead, I let the heat rise along the back of the grill and circulate around the dome.

The Joetisserie continuously rotates the wings through the hot, moving air. The result is more even cooking and beautifully crisp skin. I cooked at 350°F, which I consider the sweet spot for rotisserie wings.

Five Tips for Better Rotisserie Wings

Regardless of which basket you buy, these tips will improve your results.

1. Pat the Wings Dry

Surface moisture prevents browning. Dry the wings thoroughly with paper towels before seasoning.

2. Dry Brine Overnight

Season with kosher salt and black pepper several hours ahead, or overnight, and refrigerate uncovered. This dries the skin, improves browning, and helps produce crispier wings.

3. Add Aluminum-Free Baking Powder

Mix: 1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder per 2 pounds of wings into your seasoning.

Baking powder raises the pH of the skin, accelerating browning and creating noticeably crispier skin.

4. Avoid Sugar-Based Rubs

At 350°F, sugar burns long before the wings finish cooking. Save sweet sauces for the end of the cook.

5. Don't Overfill the Basket

I easily fit about 3½ pounds of wings into the Napoleon basket. Don't overfill the basket. Overfilling traps moisture and encourages steaming instead of browning.

Should the Wings Tumble?

Many people assume food should tumble freely inside a rotisserie basket. For chicken wings, I actually disagree. Instead of allowing the wings to tumble, I adjusted the top grate to hold them snugly in place.

The basket still rotated continuously around the grill, exposing every wing to circulating heat, but the wings didn't bang into one another. That meant less damage to the crispy skin and better-looking cooked wings.

Should You Add Duck Fat?

Not necessary, but highly recommended. About halfway through the cook, I brushed the wings lightly with melted duck fat.

The basket already produced crispy wings without it. The duck fat simply encouraged deeper browning and richer color. It's a small detail that produces a noticeable improvement.

Cooking Results

After about one hour at 350°F, the results were excellent.

The wings had:

• Crispy skin
• Tender meat
• Even browning
• Consistent cooking on every surface

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give the Napoleon basket is this: After about ten minutes, I completely forgot I was testing it. I simply watched the wings cook.

Cleanup and Dishwasher Performance

Napoleon advertises the basket as dishwasher safe. After the cook, I knocked off the larger food debris and placed it directly into the dishwasher. The results were exactly what I'd expect from stainless steel cookware exposed to high heat. The dishwasher removed grease, rendered fat, and loose residue very well. However, carbonized grease remained bonded to the stainless steel. That's isa expected.

For heavier buildup, soak the basket in hot water and scrub it with a stiff nylon brush. For routine cleanup, the dishwasher works perfectly well.

What I Liked

• Excellent value
• Heavy-duty stainless-steel construction
• Adjustable basket depth
• Secure locking latch
• Smooth operation on the Joetisserie
• Dishwasher safe
• Outstanding chicken wings

What Could Be Better

• Only includes one basket
• Center spit rod limits+ larger cooks
• Less versatile than the Kamado Joe Basket Kit

Who Should Buy the Napoleon Basket?

This basket is an excellent choice if you:

• Cook wings regularly
• Love to grill vegetables
• Make roasted potatoes
• Want a budget-friendly Joetisserie accessory
• Already own a Kamado Joe Joetisserie

By the way, you don't need the larger basket to cook a chicken. I cook rotisserie chicken all the time on my Kamado Joe using the Joetisserie. So, for a chicken, I wouldn't necessarily use a basket. I might use the basket, however, for smaller birds like game hens.

Who Should Buy the Kamado Joe Basket Kit?

The Kamado Joe Basket Kit is the better choice if you:

• Frequently cook whole chickens
• Cook large pork shoulders
• Want both a flat basket and tumbler basket
• Need maximum versatility

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

The Napoleon Adjustable Rotisserie Basket (Model 57013) impressed me more than I expected. For around $55, it delivers excellent construction, dependable performance, and outstanding value. If your primary goal is cooking chicken wings, vegetables, potatoes, shrimp, and other small foods on your Kamado Joe Joetisserie, I think it's a great buy.

The Kamado Joe Basket Kit remains the better choice for cooks who want maximum versatility and frequently prepare whole birds or large roasts.

Personally, for my style of cooking, I couldn't justify spending an extra $200.

Where to Buy

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Napoleon Model 57013 Rotisserie Basket

More Kamado Joe Resources

If you found this review helpful, here are a few more resources that will help you get the most out of your Kamado Joe:

• Kamado Joe Owner's Handbook
• The Texas Backyard Kitchen - Complete Meals from Fire to Table
• Kamado Joe 101 Playlist
• How to Control Temperature on a Kamado Joe

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