Every year in late November, home cooks across the U.S. prepare for their biggest night. Thanksgiving — the annual celebration of food, family and all the good things in life — brings out the gourmet chef in all of us. It can also bring out unprecedented levels of stress to create an epic feast for anywhere from four to four dozen people.
To help prepare your meal and keep your sanity, think about adding a few of these seven useful gadgets, tools and time-savers to your kitchen gear.
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When looking for the right Thanksgiving tools, one of the most important things is to find gadgets that will be useful year-round. Having great tools at your disposal can make cooking the most ordinary meals feel as special as that once-a-year celebration.
Cooking the turkey provokes the most questions: Is it done all the way? Did it cook too long?
While drowning the bird in gravy can cover up a multitude of cooking flaws, another option is to make use of a meat thermometer. Checking the turkey's temperature will help you know when it's done, but not too done. A digital, instant-read interface means you won't have any trouble with steam covering up the dial, and you'll get a very precise reading.
The most basic models, such as OXO's Digital Instant Read Thermometer, will get the job done for around $20. A little more money can get you a model that's preprogrammed with temperature controls for different levels of doneness in different meats, as with the Connoisseur Digital Cooking Thermometer from Taylor.
Price: $19.99 for OXO thermometer; $29.99 for Taylor thermometer.
Deep-fried turkey has a devoted fan base among Thanksgiving observers. This cooking practice isn't just the purview of fast food any more. Home cooks who take their frying seriously can do the whole operation at home.
The Rotisserie Turkey Fryer/Steamer offers enough space to cook a bird up to 18 pounds. For other meals, it can also help you whip up French fries, onion rings or any other battered goodness. Plus it does double-duty as a steamer if you fill it with water rather than oil.
Price: $249
Once the bird is cooked to deliciousness, it's time to eat. You can make the carving easier by arming yourself with an electric knife. For anyone who's not super confident in their blade skills, or who doesn't have a serious chef knife, going the electric route can give a much-needed confidence boost. Cuisinart is a well-known name in kitchen gear, and the company sells an electric knife that won't break the bank.
Price: $49.95
Fall is the time for dark, smoky flavors. Bring the campfire experience indoors with a pressure smoker.
The 5-quart smoker from Hammacher Schlemmer can hold up to 4 pounds of food. It also has the option to cold smoke foods like cheese or fish for a more diverse culinary experience.
Price: $249.95
Wine is often the beverage of choice for Thanksgiving, and you can find a full range of gear to help you get the most out of your bottle. If you don't want to exert any effort beyond pouring yourself a big glass, upgrade from a simple corkscrew to Metrokane's electric Rabbit Corkscrew.
Be sure you also have stoppers to preserve any vino left in the bottle.
Price: $50
Thanksgiving desserts can be controversial. Pumpkin or apple pie? What about pecans, pears or sweet potatoes? Make everybody happy by giving each guest his or her own dessert.
The personal pie maker from Breville can bake four individual-sized pies at a time. Everyone gets the dessert he wants, and you can make yourself pint-sized sweets or savory treats year-round.
No matter what type of pie you like, almost everybody agrees that whipped cream is the topper of choice. Ditch the Cool Whip and make the real stuff in a snap.
The Easy Whip maker from iSi uses chemistry to give you a sweet treat with just a vigorous shake.
Price: $49.99
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Image: Flickr, Dinner Series