Every year, without fail, my aunt stands over the stove making gravy and extols the virtues of flat whisks.
But this year we wanted to compile a pared-down list: what you really need (and what you don’t), holiday multitaskers that can be used for almost anything (like all-purpose baking pans), and bowls that go from the kitchen to the table.
While we appreciate a well-functioning baster, for example, we believe a good metal spoon works just as well, without having to store extra tools all year long.
1. Economical Roasting Pan
We don’t think you need to spend a fortune on a roasting pan that you’ll only pull out once a year. If it’s Thanksgiving morning and you don’t have a roasting pan, or if you’re hosting a small get-together, a cast iron pan or large casserole dish will do just fine.
If you have one pot on hand for the holidays, make it a Dutch, or French, oven.
2. Stove-to-Oven Pot
3. Saucepan with a Spout
For an all-purpose saucepan, we like the Sitram Profiserie 1.5 Quart Professional Saucepan ($69.21 from French restaurant supply company Sitram, available via Amazon).
We like the Rectangular Baking Dishes by Revol (shown here in black) for a multitude of holiday cooking needs.
4. All-Purpose Baking Dishes
5. Kitchen-to-Table-to-Fridge Mixing Bowls
One thing we do advocate investing in: a set of good mixing bowls that you can use year-round.
6. Freezer-Safe Pie Dish
Choose a pie dish that’s pretty enough to go from oven to table. For those who like to bake days in advance: it’s freezer-safe, so you can assemble the whole pie and freeze it until Thanksgiving day.
Some people swear by a carving knife (the long, often-unused knife in the knife block) for carving the turkey, but we prefer a shorter, sharper chef’s knife, which can handle almost every chopping and slicing need throughout the meal, from vegetables to potatoes.
7. Dependable Chef’s Knife
8. Compact Hand Mixer
When you do need something more than a whisk—say, for whipped cream—skip the clunky electric mixer and opt for an Amish Hand Mixer; €94 ($109.58) from Manufactum.
9. Easily-Washable Potato Masher
Potato mashing is another Thanksgiving task we relish doing by hand.
10. Easy-to-Read Thermometer
One specialty tool that’s good to have around for Thanksgiving: a dependable, easy-to-read thermometer to easily tell when the bird is cooked through (especially important for novice cooks).
The classic face has a helpful, at-a-glance chart that indicates the correct cooking temperature for poultry (and other meats, for the holiday roast and beyond).
The aforementioned flat whisk: We like the Stainless Steel Flat Whisk, $12 from Sur La Table, as a low-profile substitute for complex processors and appliances.
11. Trusty Flat Whisk
We like good old-fashioned wooden spoons for every purpose on Thanksgiving, from mixing to taste-testing to serving.
12. Prep-to-Dinner Wooden Spoons