Pro-approved tools to make Thanksgiving feel easy, not overwhelming
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Saturday, November 8, 2025 • 3 min read |
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Feast-prep powers: activated |
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My cart’s full of early Black Friday finds, but first things first: Thanksgiving. As someone with culinary training, I know a smoother feast starts with gear that pulls its weight. |
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Overlooked tools with all-star results |
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Photo illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Yahoo News; photos: MUTNITT via Amazon, Oggi via Amazon, JoyJolt via Amazon |
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A containment plan
Airtight containers are key to keeping all your food prep fresh until it’s time to put a dish together. It helps when containers stack easily and can go from the refrigerator or freezer to the oven or microwave. Glass food storage containers are ideal for this and can even double as serving pieces in a pinch. |
Taste when you can
One habit I picked up in culinary school: keeping a container of small tasting spoons on the countertop by the stove. The difference between a ho-hum dish and a spectacular one is in the seasoning. That means you should taste food constantly while cooking so you can layer in seasoning as you go. Reaching for a clean spoon every time you want to do a flavor check helps keep things hygienic. Taste, then toss all the spoons in the dishwasher when you’re done.
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Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Getty Images |
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The humble sheet pan may look simple, but there’s a reason professional restaurant kitchens are stocked with stacks of them. Having several half- and quarter-sheet pans on hand allows you to do everything from roasting vegetables to organizing ingredients to drying out bread cubes for stuffing. You can grab a set of these from our list of best sheet pans for $28.
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Photo illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Yahoo News; photos: Kuhn Rikon via Amazon, Baker's Signature via Amazon, ThermoPro via Amazon |
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Finally, round out your Thanksgiving toolkit with these three tools that earn their keep — all under $20. |
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Meat thermometer: Don’t leave doneness to chance. I use an instant-read thermometer (just $14) to keep every cut perfectly cooked (and avoid the dreaded “too done for me” complaint).
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Parchment paper: Pre-cut parchment sheets (35% off) are the difference between cooking Thanksgiving dinner and surviving it. No sticking, no scrubbing, no regrets.
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Peeler: Ina Garten and I agree — these Swiss peelers ($16 for a set of 3) are as good as it gets. They peel fruits and vegetables, shave parmesan, curl chocolate and make meal prep feel less like a chore.
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The Checkout team
The Checkout is written by Lisa Schweitzer with additional reporting by Julia Webb. Today's issue was edited by Rachel Roszmann and copyedited by Janelle Randazza.
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