I’ve Hosted Friendsgiving for 20+ Years — These Are the 10 Tools I Can’t Cook Without

I’ve been hosting Friendsgiving since before it was cool. Seriously: My annual feast started over 20 years ago, and it’s always a great time filled with friends — and, later in the night, overfed friends. While many hosts prefer to do a potluck, I love to cook every part of the meal. Over the years, I’ve found a number of tools that are crucial to pulling off the dinner party of the year. 

If you’re planning a Friendsgiving — or getting ready for Thanksgiving — you’ll want to be prepared. My go-to tools range from a high-quality meat thermometer (because overcooked turkey is the worst) to storage containers that keep those tasty leftovers fresh. Keep reading to shop my 10 Friendgiving hosting must-haves — prices start at just $8.  

Friendsgiving Hosting Must-Haves

• Regency Wraps Brining Bag, $7, originally $8
•  ChefsTemp ProTemp Plus Meat Thermometer, $140
• Cuisinart Chef's Roaster, $65
• Cutluxe Carving Knife, $45 with coupon, originally $93
• Cuisinart Hand Blender, $50, originally $70
• Le Creuset Gravy Boat, $35
• Norpro Stainless Steel Scraper, $8
• Rubbermaid Brilliance Storage Containers, Set of 5, $30, originally $40
• Foodsaver Vacuum Sealing System, $70, originally $74
• Lotus Biscoff Cookies, $10, originally $13  

Regency Wraps Brining Bag

If you aren’t brining your turkey, what are you even doing? It’s the best way to achieve crispy skin, and this bag is crucial for the job. It measures 23.5 by 19.5 inches and can hold a 20-pound turkey, which is likely bigger than you should ever have — unless you really like leftovers. I love that the bag has a fold on the bottom so it’s easier to wrangle the turkey inside; this saves room in the fridge, too.

ChefsTemp ProTemp Plus Meat Thermometer

A good meat thermometer is a Friendsgiving essential. After all, the line between a perfectly cooked turkey and a dry turkey feels like seconds. I used to rely on instant-read thermometers, but last year, I sprung on this wireless probe thermometer. Let me tell you: It gave me the best turkey I’ve ever cooked. Not only is the thermometer extremely accurate, but it can measure the internal temperature of the turkey and the ambient temperature of the oven, so I can perfectly time everything. It can also transmit signals at an unlimited range. Translation: I can welcome guests, pour wine, and keep an eye on the bird in the oven at the same time. 

Cuisinart Chef's Roaster

I like to use a real roasting pan for Friendsgiving — and throughout the rest of the year. This roasting pan measures 20.75 by 6.25 by 13.25 inches, making it big enough to handle the 20-pound monster you bought feeling extra optimistic about your RSVPs. It has a rack to keep the turkey elevated and out of its juices so it can get crispy all over, plus two sturdy handles to carry it from the oven to the butcher block for carving with ease. 

Cutluxe Carving Knife

Listen, my family is obsessed with really good knives, so I’ve been spoiled with the same in my kitchen. My best advice is that if you’re going to host Friendsgiving, you need to be well-prepared for the carving. I’m not the biggest fan of those big electric weapons from the 1980s, so I prefer to carve manually. This is a great starter set from Cutluxe — it’s simple, affordable, and gets the job done. It includes a 12-inch dimpled slicing knife and a 6-inch boning knife. The slicing knife is great for creating nice clean cuts of turkey breast, and the curve of the boning knife allows me to get every last piece of meat off the thighs (my personal favorite).

Cuisinart Hand Blender

You could get a nice stand mixer, but let's be real, that just results in even more dishes. This Cuisinart hand blender allows me to blend things directly in the pot to limit the amount of dishes I have to clean at the end of the night. Better yet, the set comes with two more attachments: a chopper/grinder and a whisk, making it the ultimate Friendsgiving tool.

Le Creuset Gravy Boat

How you make your gravy is your business, but you do need to serve it in a gravy boat. This 16-ounce Le Creuset gravy boat is an instant heirloom for just $35. It's made of stoneware to keep your gravy warm on the table and is microwave-safe so you can heat up your gravy for leftovers the next day. It comes in six colors, though I love the Caribbean blue the most. 

Norpro Stainless Steel Scraper

This might look like an $8 sheet of metal (and it is), but it’s also one of my must-haves for every day, and especially for Friendsgiving. It’s the first thing I grab when I get to the kitchen because it feels like an extra set of hands. I particularly like it for carrying chopped-up vegetables from my cutting board to the stove, but I hear it’s also a pie-making must. (Get yourself a friend like my gal Stacy and have her bring her cheesecake.)

Rubbermaid Brilliance Storage Containers, Set of 5

It wouldn’t be Friendsgiving without heaps of leftover stuffing, mashed potatoes, and turkey. These are the food storage containers I rely on year after year to store my leftovers, and they also happen to be the best value plastic containers our editors have tested. This particular set comes with five 3.2-cup containers, which actually doesn’t fit everything, so I have around three sets. (You can also snag these in larger bundles of up to 22 containers.) They snap on and stack so they keep all the food fresh, and they are dishwasher-safe to make cleanup a breeze. Especially now that they’re on sale, they’re inexpensive enough that if my friends forget to return them, it’s not worth uninviting them from next year’s party. 

Foodsaver Vacuum Sealing System

Hot tip: Cook extra helpings at your holiday feasts and use them as meal prep.  I use my Foodsaver vacuum sealer to break down and store bulk food purchases and when I overcook, which happens frequently. This amazing tool is sleek and stylish enough you could leave it on your counter. Plus, the system is easy to use and includes everything you need to get started. If you’re ahead of me in the kitchen gadget game, the packets this Foodsaver makes are sous vide-compatible for easy reheating. 

Lotus Biscoff Cookies

The best tip I can give you for an unforgettable Friendsgiving dessert is not a gadget, but it’s definitely a game-changer. Swap your graham crackers for these biscoff cookies in your cheesecake crust.  You fell in love with them on a flight, and now you have a reason to keep them in your cupboard.