For many people, Thanksgiving dinner is the most elaborate meal they will cook all year. Even with preparation spread across a long day hosting family and friends, there are a few small appliance picks that can make the job easier. In many cases, they can ease the burden of a solo chef, making light work without many hands.
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Shop this article: Dash Mixers Six-Speed Stand Mixer, Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker and Hamilton Beach Six-Speed Electric Hand Mixer
Preparing such a large meal in a relatively short amount of time can be challenging for even the most experienced cooks. Here’s how just three appliances can help get you through.
Stand mixers are a versatile appliance that not only puts the finishing touch on mashed potatoes but can also be used for a variety of tasks including grinding meat, rolling out fresh pasta, kneading bread, churning ice cream and stuffing homemade sausage.
Pressure cookers are perfect for food that requires longer cooking times. They reduce these times by up to a third and can turn out perfect dishes in no time. They are a last-minute cook's best friend.
You can cook a turkey in a pressure cooker, but they are more commonly used for desserts, rice or stuffing side dishes, custards and bread puddings.
Slow cookers are the ultimate plan-ahead appliances. Load it up in the morning and move on to other things while it cooks. This also keeps the oven and range free for more labor-intensive dishes.
Consider utilizing your slow cooker for keeping cooked foods warm, cooking rice or grain-based side dishes or making desserts and dips.
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Dash Mixers Six-Speed Stand Mixer
This compact Dash stand mixer is perfect for whipping fluffy mashed potatoes and pillowy clouds of whipped cream for pie. At just 2.5 quarts, it stores easily under a kitchen counter. It comes with two dough hooks, a wire whisk and a pouring shield and is available in eight colors.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
Use this electric pressure cooker for everything from making yogurt to steaming vegetables, sauteing, and slow cooking a variety of foods. The Instant Pot Duo has 14 customizable programs and cooks up to 70% faster than other traditional methods. The lid locks and overheat protection prevents scorching. Download the Instant Pot app for recipes and instructions. It comes in 3-, 6- and 8-quart sizes.
Hamilton Beach Six-Speed Electric Hand Mixer
The Hamilton Beach hand mixer has six speeds to get any mixing job done with 250 watts of peak power. Eliminate drips on the counter by resting the mixer on a bowl with the built-in groove. It comes with regular beaters and a whisk, all of which are stored in a snap-on storage case below the mixer body.
Mueller Ultra-Stick Hand Blender
With nine speeds and 500 watts of power, this hand blender is great for pureeing soups and whipping up sauces. The blending arm is removable and the S-shaped fixed blade is made from durable stainless steel. This includes a whisk and foaming attachment. It comes with a one-year warranty.
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine
Craft delicious espresso drinks using freshly ground coffee. The Breville Barista Express has 16 precision grind settings and uses digital temperature control for the perfect espresso extraction. In the BestReviews Testing Lab, we found that this Breville espresso machine is fast — creating perfect espresso in under a minute. The high-quality steam wand lets you hand texture the milk for latte art, and the grinder is conveniently easy to clean.
Hamilton Beach Set-and-Forget Digital Programmable Slow Cooker
A temperature probe makes for safe cooking of large cuts of meat. The easy-to-read control panel on the Hamilton Beach slow cooker displays the center temperature. It holds 6 quarts, enough room for a 6-pound chicken or a 4-pound roast. The crock and lid are dishwasher-safe. The lid locks for easy transport to a potluck Thanksgiving.
Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-less Liquid Propane Turkey Fryer
This is a safer way to fry a turkey using propane heat instead of gallons of boiling oil. The Char-Broil turkey fryer can accommodate birds weighing up to 16 pounds. It includes the cooker, cooking basket with a lifter, meat thermometer, lid and a cooking guide.
Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
The stainless steel slicing disc, shredding disc and chopping blade work as a sous chef when you need one. This Cuisinart food processor has a 14-cup work bowl and an extra-large feed tube with both large and small pushers. The recipe book can help you get started. The bowl, blades, pushers and included spatula are all dishwasher-safe. It comes in three other sizes and a variety of colors to match your personal style.
Elite Gourmet Countertop Single Cast-Iron Burner
This 6.5-inch cast iron cooktop gives you another burner right where you need it. The plate is nonstick, and the temperature can be adjusted to low, medium or high. This lets you keep food warm, too. Nonskid feet on the bottom keep it stable on the counter, and the compact size makes it easy to take with you and store when you're done.
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Suzannah Kolbeck writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
