A roaster is both the vessel and, in butchery slang, the bird. As equipment it means any pan, dish, or oven used for roasting food in dry heat, from a simple metal tray to a dedicated roasting oven. As a food term it describes an item, especially a chicken, of a size and age suited to roasting: a roaster chicken is older and larger than a fryer, with more developed flavour that stands up to the long, hot cooking. The shared name reflects the method’s centrality: roasting by radiant and convected heat browns the exterior through the Maillard reaction while the interior cooks through. Whether tin or bird, the roaster promises the same result, crisp outside and succulent within.