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Top 8 Thanksgiving Essentials

November is here which means everybody is coming down from their Halloween sugar rush. You may be feeling a little burnt out from the trick-or-treating madness, but Thanksgiving is around the corner. Are you prepared for the feasts, the family, and the holiday cheer? The festivities and celebrations will come and go quickly, so now is the time to make your preparations. You are going to want to set the theme of Thanksgiving to your family and neighbors with wholesome interior decorations. Your neighbors also need to know that Thanksgiving is here, and you are ready to celebrate. Show them you mean holiday business wacky inflatable lawn decorations. Of course, the star of turkey day is that big beautiful, succulent bird. Preparing a Thanksgiving feast takes days of preparation that requires specialty appliances and kitchen utensils. Have you thought about how you are going to cook your turkey? Whether you're roasting or frying, there have been some amazing advances in kitchen roasters and even oil-less fryers that offer new ways of transporting your feast and new flavors to traditional flavors. You're also going to need specialty forks, carving knives, meat thermometers, all sorts of utensils a standard home kitchen may not necessarily own. Holiday planning may seem overwhelming, but we have offered you a starting point. Below are the top 10 Thanksgiving essentials. These reviews should inspire the greatest Thanksgiving plan, that would make the matriarchs of your family proud...if not a little jealous.

Top 8 Thanksgiving Essentials
Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Adorable lawn decoration
  • Easy assembly
  • Low price
  • Large but lightweight

    Cons

  • Brown fabric dulls lights
  • Few tethers to anchor to ground
Where to Buy

$105.00

eBay

$273.00

Amazon
Review Summary

The Gemmy 8.5 ft. Inflatable Turkey Family Scene is a wholesome family product to the reviewers. For those who like to make a statement with their holiday spirit, this inflatable Thanksgiving decoration is a cute, adorable, and colorful statement to put on your front lawn. At eight and a half feet tall, it will be hard for passersby to ignore the festivities during the day. At night, you can plug the family in for a lighted display of a loving turkey family. Reviewers thought the turkey family scene had an aesthetic appeal, and they thought it was super easy to set up. Assembly was quick and should not take you a full Saturday afternoon.

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Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Allows for marinade options
  • Easy to clean/minimal mess
  • Simple to follow instructions
  • Keeps moisture

    Cons

  • Recipes lack lack cooking times
  • Requires additional purchase of propane
Where to Buy
Review Summary

The Char-Broil The Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey Fryer is a healthier way to fry your Thanksgiving turkey. After all, turkey is one of the leaner meats, so it seems counterproductive to drop it in a vat of oil. Instead, this oil-less turkey fryer gives you that same fried crunch without the excess fat utilizing TRU-Infrared technology. Plus, this oil-less option saves you time in cooking and cleaning which reviewers loved. Cleaning is so much easier without having to scrub out all the oily grime from traditional fryers. Many reviewers also testify that the Char-Broil Big Easy cooks turkey's faster as well. The largest selling point is for the cooks with the biggest imaginations.

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Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Great for family feasts
  • Versatility in uses
  • Great value compared to quality
  • Easy to clean
  • Roasts dishes faster

    Cons

  • Certain parts incompatible with other appliances
  • Gaudy to look at
Where to Buy
Review Summary

Many reviewers purchased the Oster Roaster Oven with Buffet Server, 18 Quart, White (CKSTRS71) to prepare a Thanksgiving feast, but they soon learned that the Oster Roaster Oven has so much more potential. Aside from roasting your turkey, ham, or whatever roast you're thinking, the buffet server option makes this roaster a versatile appliance allowing you to keep all your sides and fixings warm when it comes time for serving. Some reviewers realized they can do more than just roasting as well. Some even use this roaster for their baking needs. Others also noted that this Oster brand roasted the ham, turkey, etc. faster than the recipe called for. They even checked its temperature to make sure.

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Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Waterproof
  • Quickly gauges temperature
  • Great customer service from supplier
  • Arrives pre-calibrated

    Cons

  • Issues with the battery
  • Breaks down easily
Where to Buy

$14.99

Amazon

$15.99

eBay
Review Summary

As far as meat thermometers go, the GDEALER Waterproof Meat Digital Thermometer gauges temperature quickly with larger, easy-to-read numbers. In the heat of kitchen or grill, seconds could mean a perfectly cooked dish or a perfectly burnt meal, so being able to read temperatures quickly is a huge plus for consumers. Cooking can also be a very messy workplace, with all sorts of liquids and juices bubbling and boiling, so reviewers were quite pleased with the waterproof aspect of GDEALER's Meat Thermometer. While customers are able to calibrate the thermometer themselves, the box claims, and reviewers confirmed, that this meat thermometer arrives already calibrated. Straight out of the box, you should be ready to start cooking.

Some reviewers struggled with the consistency of GDEALER Waterproof Meat Digital Thermometer. Some attested that the battery would not connect to the device.

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Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Safety trigger to avoid accidents
  • Sharp enough for thin and accurate slices
  • Detachable for cleaning
  • Small enough for awkward angles

    Cons

  • Awkward design
  • Mislabled from manufacturer
  • Blade dulls quickly
Review Summary

The BLACK+DECKER 9-Inch Electric Carving Knife, Black, EK500B is designed with safety in mind. The electric knife includes a safety switch that needs to be pressed in order for the motor to work. Not a single reviewer admitted to cutting themselves which is a testament to the safety functions. BLACK+DECKER made this electric carving knife to be sharp. It carves through roasts and turkeys with easy, but reviewers also used to knife to slice bread and even packing foam. Everyone was impressed by how cleanly the knife sliced through these crumbly materials without leaving behind a mess.

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Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Easy to clean
  • High quality materials
  • Long lasting
  • Sleek design

    Cons

  • Better value when buying in a set
  • Too large for smaller dishes
Where to Buy
Review Summary

The Steel Turkey Baster & Barbecue Basting Brush, with Flavor Injector and Cleaning Brush - By MiiKO is a kit for serious cookers. Anyone can find cheap plastic substitutes at any retail store, those will not last long. Eventually, they will melt in the heat or become too crusty to use because you can never clean them properly. MiiKo's kit, however, is designed to be a mainstay in your kitchen utensils. Reviewers were pleased with kit's cleaning brush. They were able to get inside the baster and truly clean a hard to reach space. Made from stainless steel will withstand the heat and rigors of the kitchen.

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Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Lifts up to 22 pounds
  • Sharp tines
  • Great replacement to oven mitts
  • Great wedding/housewarming gift

    Cons

  • May be too big for some foods
  • Handles seemed loose
Where to Buy
Review Summary

In preparation for Thanksgiving, the Turkey Lifter Forks - Set of 2 Stainless Steel Turkey Lifters with Slip Resistant Grip is a seasonal item that will last you for years. The lifter forks are applicable to all sorts of large roasts, and reviewers are impressed by the forks' strength. The reviews varied in the size they carried, but the largest turkey one lifted was up to 22 pounds. This made consumers grateful, because before these forks, they were using oven mitts. Not to discredit oven mitts, and they work just as well, but you run the risk of lint and fabric getting into your dish. The sharp tines give you a strong and steady grip during one of the most delicate moments when preparing a feast.

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Pros & Cons

    Pros

  • Self inflates quickly and easily
  • Easy set up with included stakes and ropes
  • All weather resistant quality fabric
  • Lights up at night
  • Deflates easily for convenient storage
  • Plugs into any standard outlet
  • Looks nice as front yard decoration

    Cons

  • Little expensive for its quality
  • Some pieces had hole in neck
  • Some pieces did not stand straight
Review Summary

The Airblown Lighted Sitting Turkey is made of weather-resistant fabric for longevity and makes a perfect outdoor decor for Thanksgiving. This turkey self inflates within seconds, and comes with required stakes and tethers for quick and easy setup. The turkey is dressed in pilgrim hat and checkered bandana that suits any holiday occasion. This pre-lit turkey comes with a 6 feet cord length and plugs into any standard outlet for convenience. It deflates quickly for easy and convenient storage.

However, some pieces came with hole in the neck that creates problems during inflating. At times, it is difficult to make the turkey stand straight. In addition, some users wished it had another bulb in front for more light.

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