Thanksgiving Food & Wine Equipment Essentials

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving for the first or fifteenth time, having the right equipment can definitely make or break your day. And since I’m about to embark on preparing my fifteenth Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, I’m happy to share some of my favorite, tried and true food and wine related equipment essentials with you.

Ranging from the perfect roasting pan to easy to care for wine glasses to my favorite serving pieces, I hope you find these items as helpful as I have.

(Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at NO additional cost to you. Please understand that I have experience with all of these items, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something.)

COOKING

1.) ROASTING PAN WITH RACK: Getting the right size roasting pan for your Thanksgiving turkey is critical. It needs to be large enough to accommodate the entire bird and will usually be much bigger than the roasting pan you use to cook weeknight chickens for your family. A rack is also very important when cooking a large bird as it allows the air to circulate around the entire bird and prevents the bottom from getting soggy. This is an important investment you’ll keep forever and rely on every year – I’ve had mine for 15 years and don’t know what I’d do without it! Also, if you happen to be looking for a delicious Turkey recipe, please click here for two tempting options!  All-Clad Stainless Steel Nonstick 16 x 13″ Roasting Pan with Rack $119

2.) MEAT THERMOMETER: This piece of equipment is absolutely essential for Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering where you’re cooking a large piece of meat. Let’s face it, the worst thing that can happen is to start carving up the bird in front of friends and family only to discover it’s still pink inside or, even worse, overcooked. This small and relatively inexpensive piece of equipment will ensure your bird is perfectly cooked every time and guarantee nobody will leave with food poisoning! KitchenBros Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer with Alarm Timer and 2 Probes $29.95

3.) IMMERSION/HAND BLENDER: While you definitely COULD puree that Butternut Squash Soup (try my favorite recipe here) in batches in your stand blender and risk it exploding all over your kitchen but why on Earth WOULD you! This super handy immersion blender will puree your soup to a silky consistency right in the pot. This amazing blender also comes with a handy whisk attachment as well – SCORE! Braun MQ505 Multiquick Hand/Immersion Blender $47.96

4.) POTATO RICER: For the silkiest, fluffiest mashed potatoes EVER you simply must use a potato ricer. While there are varying schools of thought as to whether to a food mill or a potato ricer is better, let me just put it to rest. I’ve been using my potato ricer since Martha Stewart recommended it in the late 1990’s and my mashed potatoes have been a major hit ever since. Metaltex “Mr. Mash” Potato Ricer White/Silver $40

DRINKING

1.) WINE GLASSES: If you’re expecting a big group but don’t have enough nice wine glasses to go around, these glasses are for you! Designed by friend and Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson, “The One” line of wine glasses feature ONE glass for white wines, and ONE glass for red wines. Period. End of story. No more purchasing a different glass for each grape variety. And as an added bonus, these lovely glasses are also dishwasher safe, break-resistant and reasonably priced. The One White Wine Glasses Non-Lead Crystal (Set of 2) $29.95; The One Red Wine Glasses Non-Lead Crystal (Set of 2) $29.95

2.) WINE DECANTER: If you plan on opening any special bottles of wine during the holidays, it’s always good to have a decanter on hand. A decanter comes in handy when you need to tame the tannins in younger red wines and can also be used to remove an older red wine from its sediment which naturally collects at the bottom of the bottle as a wine ages (for more info on decanting, please click here). You don’t need to spend a ton of money on an elaborately shaped one either, just a simple crystal decanter in a practical shape works beautifully. Riedel Wine Decanter $37

3.) WINE AERATOR: If you don’t want to decant an entire bottle of wine, decant a glass with this handy tool that works like a dream! The Vinturi infuses young tannic red wines with oxygen as you pour it through the funnel instantly mellowing its tannins. This handy device can also be set inside the mouth of a decanter to double the effect! Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator $24

SERVING

1.) STAUB CAST IRON PUMPKIN COCOTTE: I am absolutely SMITTEN with this gorgeous piece that makes a fabulous statement on your holiday table! Use this cast-iron serving piece in conjunction with the ceramic pumpkin cocottes below for serving Fall soups and stews. While a bit pricey, this is really the perfect vessel for you delightful butternut squash or pumpkin soup (see my favorite recipe here). Staub Cast Iron, Burnt Orange Pumpkin Cocotte, 3.5 Quart $179

2.) STAUB CERAMIC PUMPKIN COCOTTES: These delightful burnt orange, ceramic pumpkin cocottes are the perfect touch to any elegant Thanksgiving gathering. I use them to serve my Butternut Squash Soup to my guests as a first course. Staub Petite Ceramic Burnt Orange Pumpkin Cocottes 5-inch .5 Qt./16 oz. $24.95

I hope you find these items as helpful as I have over the years. While some of them are a little bit of an investment, you will have them forever and rely on them for many a holiday in the future. Also, if you have any questions about ANY of the items featured in this post, please feel free to e-mail me at Stephanie@theglamorousgourmet.com OR simply leave a Comment below and I promise to get back to you ASAP.

Wishing you and your family a very Happy & Delicious Thanksgiving,

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