The cooking method
On a grid, one side faces the heat at a time and you flip it. Fat drops away and is gone. You are standing there the whole time.
On a spit, the rod turns continuously. The meat bastes itself in its own fat as it rotates, so it stays moist right through, and it browns evenly instead of in bands.
Crowd size
- Grid braai: comfortable for 2 to 8 people, then it becomes a production line
- Spit braai: 4 to 6 on a Mini, 6 or more on a Family, up to a full lamb for a function
- A spit cooks one big load at once instead of batch after batch
Effort on the day
This is the part people underestimate. Loading a spit takes ten to twenty minutes of work up front — threading, tying, balancing. After that, the motor does the job and you are free.
A grid braai is the opposite: no setup, but you are tied to the fire for the whole cook.
Flavour
Self-basting is the spit's real advantage. Chicken skin crisps while the meat underneath stays wet, and a rolled roast comes off with an even crust the whole way round.
A grid gives harder char and direct-heat flavour. Different, not worse — it is why plenty of homes own both.
Cost over time
Hiring a spit for a function costs a meaningful amount every single time. Three hires typically costs more than owning a Family Spit outright, and after that every braai is free.
If you cook for a crowd more than a couple of times a year, buying works out cheaper than hiring — and the unit is there for the unplanned Saturday too.
When a spit isn't the right buy
If you braai chops for two people on a Wednesday night, a spit is overkill and we will tell you so. A spit earns its place when you feed people, not when you feed yourself.
If that is you, start on the home page and look at where the Family Spit sits before anything bigger.