Thanksgiving is quite possibly the best holiday: Food, football, napping, beer, snacks, parades, tryptophan, etc. Even if the turkey’s dry, the potatoes don’t mash right, and someone decides to make “real” cranberry sauce (I digress: real cranberry sauce is great, but it’s a food entirely separate from the canned, jellied cranberry sauce we’re used to, and it cannot be replicated in a home kitchen – it’s like someone saying they’re going to make “real” Doritos, or “real” Sprite. At any rate, I frown when someone makes it instead of just sticking with The Can.), the Lions lose and the Charlie Brown float goes down over Central Park, you still get to spend time with friends and family and bask in the glow of The Holidays.
But we here at Chef Tools want you have a perfect Thanksgiving. And since we’re in the business of providing people with cooking tools (or, chef tools, as we of course refer to them), here’s a list of necessary Thanksgiving cooking tools, plus a few cooking pointers. If you order any of these items today, you’ll get them before Thanksgiving. Visit our Thanksgiving Essentials Department for even more useful gadgets. Happy turkey day!
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| Norpro Poultry Timer |
The Norpro Reusable Turkey and Poultry Timer: Because you can cook a turkey any day of the year. This little guy is both cute and functional – its timer is set to go off when the interior hits between 160 – 165 degrees. That’s the perfect temperature for a moist bird; it’s also the recommended cooking temperature from the USDA. ($11.95)
Chicago Metallic Commercial II Nonstick Roast N Broil Pan (withrack): A reasonably priced turkey roaster pan that will hold up for generations. Made of aluminum, this roaster pan distributes heat evenly; the removable rack sits just above the bottom of the pan, allowing juices to accumulate (and later turn into delicious gravy). But the best part? It’s entirely dishwasher safe, minimizing cleanup. ($44.95)
Trudeau Gravy Fat Separator & Strainer (4-cup capacity): This tool is self-explanatory; use this fat separator so you’re healthier and thus live longer to experience more Thanksgivings! ($12.95)
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| RSVP Potato Ricer |
RSVP Potato Ricer: Can you say “perfect mashed potatoes?” P-E-R-F-E-C-T M-A-S-H-E-D P-O-T-A-T-O-E-S. If you mix potatoes in a food processor they get gummy, and no one wants to eat potatoes with the consistency of roofing tar. If you mash potatoes with a hand masher, they come out lumpy (some people like this, and that’s fine, by we think your guests will enjoy creamy potatoes better). The ricer squeezes potatoes into fluffy little jewel that you can mix with butter, salt, pepper, sour cream (dear lord I’m starting to salivate), milk, garlic … whatever your recipe. Perfection. ($13.95)
Fat Daddio's 12” Pie Pan: My family was big into pies. My mother, aunts, great aunts and grandmother(s) would each bake a pie at Thanksgiving. And though everyone in the family was within a 45-minute drive, no one liked to leave their precious pans at Aunt Pat’s or Cousin Jim’s. You won’t have that problem with the Fat Daddio’s Pie Pan. Why? The low price means you can get 3 or 4 – enough pie pans for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and July 4 (red, white and blue cheesecake). These pans are made of anodized aluminum, so they distribute heat evenly and won’t scratch. On second thought, keep an eye out that Aunt Pat doesn’t abscond with Fat Daddio’s pie plate. ($7.95)
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| The versatily LamsonSharp slicing knife |
LamsonSharp Pro 10" Slicing Knife: Ultra sharp, reasonably priced, and made in America. Use this LamsonSharp knife to carve turkey, duck, roast beef, tofu turkey or anything else you want to serve up in slices. This knife features a hygienic polypropylene handle– it does not absorb bacteria, oil, and flavors like a wood handle. ($22.95)
