The Essential Thanksgiving Tools That'll Make Cooking (and Serving!) Easier

Thanksgiving dinner is a home cook's Super Bowl. And just like the pro athletes who step onto the football field every year, you're going to need a few things to be successful: tried-and-true recipes, great ingredients, and a handful of essential cooking tools.

Our team spends all year testing kitchen gear, including small appliances, cookware, and utensils, so we know the best in each category. I've rounded up the essential tools for making Thanksgiving dinner. I'll assume you have the basics: a sharp knife, vegetable peelers, a spatula and wooden spoon, and such. Here's everything else.

An Editor-Favorite Roasting Pan

Misen Roasting Pan

$134

$115 at Amazon View on Sur La Table View on Misen.com

Misen's unconventional roasting pan has long had our hearts. Its shallow sides encourage better browning for a golden turkey with crackling skin. The handles are easy to grab, even with bulky oven mitts. And because it's petite compared to other roasting pans, you can use it as a regular ol' sheet pan, too.

The Best Carving Board

The Boardsmith Maple End Grain Cutting Board

$250 at Amazon View on Theboardsmith.com

Please don't use your regular cutting board to slice up that turkey. Carving boards are designed with juice trenches and much the job less messy. Our longtime favorite board is customizable. You can add no-slip feet, a deep juice groove, and even finger grooves that make carrying it easier. Choose the "Big Block" size at checkout for the best option for carving turkey. We also like this more affordable carving board, which performed well in our tests.

A Super Sharp Carving Knife

Wüsthof Classic 9" Carving Knife

$170 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma

You won't get better than this carving knife. It checked all the boxes in our review: comfortable handle, sharp tip, and flexible blade. It's a superb all-rounder, excelling at carving and slicing—not something all knives can do.

The Best Poultry Shears

OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears

$30 at Amazon

$28

$22 at Home Depot View on Webstaurant Store

Put those craft scissors back in their drawer! To spatchcock a turkey, you really do need poultry shears. This was the winning pair in our review. The sharp blades are augmented by deep serrations which give you better grip and slice through bone. They have just the right amount of tension to tackle tough jobs, and the thumb bolster was comfortable and confidence-inspiring. If you've never used poultry shears, you'll be amazed at how well these work.

A Lightning-Fast Instant-Read Thermometer

ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

$119

$96 at Amazon View on Thermoworks

The Thermapen ONE gets its name from how long it takes to register an accurate reading: one second. That's crucial when roasting a turkey—the longer you hold the oven door open, the more heat your oven will lose, prolonging the cook time. The Thermapen ONE is a staff favorite because its screen can rotate 90 and 270 degrees, whereas most other thermometers only rotate 180 degrees (or not at all). Plus, the screen automatically lights up in dark environments. Buy this for Thanksgiving, but I guarantee you'll use it all year long.

A Small But Mighty Oven Thermometer

OXO Good Grips Oven Thermometer

$18 at Amazon

Your oven is probably lying to you. (Sorry!) Keep it honest and adjust your cooking times and temperatures accordingly with this simple, affordable tool. This one took the top spot in our review because it can sit on a rack or be hung, and the face is large and easy to see. It's the one tool I wish more cooks had, because it's such an easy way to upgrade your cooking.

A Heavy-Duty Stockpot

Cuisinart 12-Quart MultiClad Pro Stainless Stock Pot With Cover

$180 at Amazon View on Cuisinart.com

This tri-ply stockpot is wider than most. That makes it so much easier to work with, whether you're using it to cook mirepoix for stuffing, boil potatoes, or make a turkey stock. It has a thin, tapered edge, which makes pouring easy and (mostly!) splash-free. It's a great stockpot to have on hand year-round. I also like this budget stockpot, which costs about $100 less.

A Well-Made Saucier

Made In Stainless Clad Saucier

$179

$144 at Amazon $199 at Made In Cookware

Pro cooks love sauciers, and after this Thanksgiving, you will too. The sloped sides make it better than a saucepan for stirring and whisking. We tested sauciers by making risotto, oatmeal, pastry cream, and choux dough: The clear winner was this lightweight five-ply pan that excelled at every task. You'll use it for gravy, cranberry sauce, and more.

A Have-It-for-Life Casserole Dish

Williams Sonoma Essential Covered Rectangular Baker

View on Williams Sonoma

You need at least one of these. (What else will you use to bake the green beans and sweet potato casseroles?) When we tested casserole dishes, this one stood out for a handful of reasons. The first was its materials: glazed stoneware is durable, even under high heat, and is easy to clean. We were also impressed that it came with a tight-fitting lid (most casserole dishes don't). The 2.5-inch depth makes it ideal for serving at the table.

Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet

$28 at Amazon $43 at Sur La Table $18 at Home Depot

It's the best time of year to invest in some new baking sheets (a.k.a.) sheet pans. I recommend the unwarpable ones from Nordic Ware: Their rolled edges create structure and give you something to grip when maneuvering them in and out of the oven. It's worth investing in a couple of half-sheet pans and quarter-sheet pans, which are useful for cooking, baking, and prepping.

An Innovative Potato Ricer

Joseph Joseph Helix Potato Ricer

$25

$19 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma

Passing potatoes through a ricer before mashing them is the key to light and fluffy, never-gluey mashed potatoes. This ricer was a standout in our review because of the way it works. Two separate pieces are scissored together (think: hedge clippers) which create just the right amount of pressure to push the potatoes out. As a bonus, it was easier to load this ricer than hinged models.

A Beautiful Tapered Rolling Pin

J.K. Adams FRP-1 Maple French Rolling Pin

$24 at Amazon

$32

$28 at Wayfair

Tapered rolling pins are best for pies. This elegant one is extra long—20 inches—which is helpful when it comes time to ferry the dough over to the pan. It's made from uncoated maple wood; the slightly textured surface was perfect for sprinkling with flour. Never submerge this rolling pin in water and occasionally oil it, and it'll last you a lifetime.

A Cheap-But-Awesome Pie Pan

Norpro Stainless Steel Pie Pan

$17

$15 at Amazon

Don't spend tons on a ceramic pie pan. This metal one conducts heat better and is cheaper. It made beautifully golden-brown crusts in our review and has slanted slides which work for graham cracker and traditional doughs. The flat rims give it more versatility: You can either crimp dough or press it with a fork.

A Set of Serving Platters

Open Kitchen by Williams Sonoma Serving Platter

View on Williams Sonoma

This serving platter comes in three sizes. I recommend you buy one of each for your Thanksgiving dinner. The small and medium platters are ideal for side dishes, and the large will fit your turkey with ease. The shallow bowl-like design keeps liquids contained, and the graceful handles are easy to grab.

A Sophisticated Dinnerware Set

Williams Sonoma Open Kitchen 16-Piece Set

View on Williams Sonoma

You don't have to invest in new dinnerware to host Thanksgiving. But if you need a handful more plates and bowls to round out your collection, get this set. Its classic aesthetic will go with a variety of decor styles, and the plates didn't scratch, even when we ran knives over them. Joy of joys: it's dishwasher-safe.

The Best Budget Flatware Set

Lenox 815486 Portola 65-Piece Flatware Set

$210

$129 at Amazon $143 at Home Depot $210 at Lowe's

Flatware can be expensive. You won't find a better deal than the Lenox Portola set, though. It comes with enough place settings for 12 people and is frequently on sale. The forks, knives, and spoons are nicely balanced and pretty.

Universal Wine Glasses

Riedel VINUM Zinfandel/Riesling/Chianti Glasses

$79

$52 at Amazon

$85

$64 at Bloomingdales View on Riedel.com

These wine glasses are designed to work with red, white, and rosé wines. The relatively compact bowl makes them decent for bubbles, too. Isn't it a relief to have just one style of glass that gets the job done?

FAQs

What are the best containers for Thanksgiving leftovers?

The Rubbermaid Brilliance food storage containers are a longtime favorite. They're spacious, leak-proof, and stain-resistant.

How can you tell when turkey is done roasting?

Use an instant-read thermometer, like the Thermapen ONE. Turkey is cooked at 165˚F. Not sure where to insert the thermometer? Check out our guide for temping a turkey here.

Why We're the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. She's a culinary school graduate, former line and prep cook, and has been working in food media for almost two decades.
• We've independently reviewed all of our recommendations in this review. We regularly re-test our favorite gear and put new contenders to the test.