Buying Guides

The Cooking Tools You Need to Prepare Every Thanksgiving Dish

These cooking tools & utensils will make the classic Thanksgiving dishes even easier to make, so you can spend more time being thankful for the things you love.

11 min read

Emily Connelly

Nov 14, 2025

This holiday season, reduce all the stress and mess often associated with rustling up classic Thanksgiving dishes so you can keep the focus on family and fun. How? By using the correct Thanksgiving cooking tools at the right time in the prep process, you can make the whole experience more efficient and easily turn out an impressive spread for your guests. Here’s what you need.

Turkey & Main Dish Tools

The turkey is usually the star of the show, so it’s important to get it right. Brining it before roasting is one method. Or if you’re in a rush, you can spatchcock your turkey to speed up cooking time. Having these tools on hand will also ensure your bird is prepped correctly and tastes delicious.

Flavor injector

Using a flavor injector makes it easy to add butter and herbs, or other marinades, directly into your turkey for a more flavorful and juicy bird. Try any of these flavor injector recipes this year.

Angled baster

Because making your turkey tender and juicy is all about the baste. The length of this angled baster and cleaning brush ensures you don’t have to get too close to the heat.

Thermocouple thermometer

Make sure the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal is perfectly cooked. The Thermocouple thermometer will give you a professional-grade reading in as quick as three seconds.

Carving knife & fork

Precision carving is all about stabilizing the bird with a sturdy fork and cutting into it with an extra sharp blade, so make sure you have utensils that are up for the job on hand.

Silicone basting brush

Let’s be honest—crispy turkey skin is the best. Cook yours to perfection with this handy basting brush that makes it easy to layer on juices and marinades as you cook.

Roasting pan

Good air flow is key when roasting a turkey, so use a roasting pan or an elevated rack that allows air to circulate for even browning.

Sides, Casseroles & Prep Tools

Since no Thanksgiving meal is complete without side dishes, these utensils can help make all the chopping, mashing and mincing easier.

Nylon Potato Masher

Forget powders and mixes. Instead, use a mashed potato tool to make yours the old fashioned way. This nylon tool won’t scratch nonstick cookware, so you can mash the potatoes right in the pot. PS: Don’t forget the butter! Mashed potatoes.

Potato Ricer

If you’ve never used a potato ricer before, you’re missing out on a secret weapon that helps make light, smooth mashed potatoes. It’s also handy for mashing bananas and pressing the water out of steamed spinach.

Glass Baking Dish

This baking dish with a lid can go from freezer to oven without cracking, which means you can prepare items in advance and then finish cooking them on the day of your holiday meal. And that will leave you more time for a festive cocktail.

Vegetable Chopper

Use a vegetable chopper to swiftly dice onions or chop apples to add some additional flavors and textures to your stuffing.

Vegetable peeler

So many classic Thanksgiving recipes call for root vegetables like carrots, celery root and potatoes. Peel your ingredients in a flash with a vegetable peeler that removes skin and has an “eyer” for removing small blemishes or imperfections.

Scissors

Another chef’s secret: Kitchen scissors and poultry shears, which cut through twine, herb stalks, poultry skin and more. Separate the blades in a snap for easy cleaning.

Thermocouple thermometer

Make sure the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal is perfectly cooked. The Thermocouple thermometer will give you a professional-grade reading in as quick as three seconds.

Carving knife & fork

Precision carving is all about stabilizing the bird with a sturdy fork and cutting into it with an extra sharp blade, so make sure you have utensils that are up for the job on hand.

Sauce & Gravy Tools

Condiments, sauces and gravies are the finishing touches that can elevate a meal from great to absolutely amazing. These key tools will help you create flavorful versions of your favorite salad dressings and other sauces. Allow guests to choose what and how much they’d like by serving them buffet-style.

Good Gravy Fat Separator

Make perfectly lean gravy with ease (and no mess), and leave the unwanted bits behind with a gravy fat separator. Not sure how to use one? Brush up on the technique before you get started.

Adjustable measuring cup

Combining thick or sticky ingredients for a sauce or topping? Using an adjustable measuring cup helps transfer ingredients from your measuring cup to your mixing bowl without leaving a lot behind thanks to a plunger that acts as a squeegee, scraping down the sides of the cup as you go.

Sauce pan

For making gravies and cranberry sauce from scratch, use a nonstick saucepan that evenly distributes heat and allows you to simmer on a low temp without scalding any of your ingredients.

Silicone spoon

Tasks like mixing sauces and stirring stuffing call for an all-purpose silicone spoon, which is sturdy enough to blend ingredients without bending and is made of heat-resistant silicone. The smooth edges also protect your nonstick cookware from scratches.

Salad dressing mixer

A fresh, colorful salad is always a great complement to the rich flavors of a holiday meal. Mix up your preferred salad dressing in a container with a drip-free spout, which allows guests to serve themselves as much—or little—as they’d like.

Dessert tools

There’s nothing better than festive treats at the end of a holiday feast, so go ahead and prepare a few for the end of your meal with these tools.

Pie plate

No Thanksgiving celebration is complete without pie. If you’d like to make a pie from scratch, start with a pie plate that can go from freezer to oven (in case you bake it in advance). Even better if it has a lid to keep extra portions fresh to serve with Thanksgiving leftovers.

Silicone dough rolling bag

If you’re making your own dough, a silicone dough rolling bag can help you make a perfectly round, flaky crust. Place your dough in the bag, zip it closed, and use a rolling pin to create a perfect circle.

Ice cream scooper

Nothing goes better with pie than simple vanilla ice cream. Pro tip: Take yours out of the freezer 15 minutes before serving dessert so it can thaw slightly. Then serve up a perfectly-round scoop with a classic ice cream scoop. The pop-up lever makes it easy to release the ice cream exactly where you want it for desserts that are both delicious and picture-perfect pretty.

Pie server

Get your desserts from the baking dish to the plate easily with a pie server that has serrated edges. It will help you cut and transfer pieces without compromising their shape.

Serving & Presentation Tools

Once your meal is ready to be served, having a few of these tools on hand will make it easier to set out your entrees, sides and condiments for your guests.

Silicone pot holder

Use a heat resistant pot holder to handle a hot baking dish or pan, or place it under dishes to protect your table or countertop.

Oversized cutting board

Carving a turkey is easy. It just takes a little know-how and some space to do it right. Use an oversized cutting board with a drip catcher to contain extra liquid and provide enough room to allow freshly-cut slices of meat to rest before serving.

Glass dish with lid

If you’re making a dish that needs to travel, using a baking dish with a lid saves you from having to transfer it.

Insulated carrier

Creating a whole holiday spread can be daunting. So if you’re contributing something to a dish to a friend’s table, cook your dish at home and then bring it with you to friends or family in an insulated carrier.

That’s it! That’s everything you need to prep the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner. Although if you’ve got kids at your event, these fun ideas for the kids table are sure to be a hit.

Additional reporting by Audrey D. Brashich.