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Kitchen & Cooking

23 things you need if you're cooking for the holidays

Throw the party of the year with these kitchen essentials

On left, dinnerware place setting with gold accents. On right, a galette in a cast iron skillet Credit: Food52 / Lodge

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With the holidays on the horizon, everyone at Reviewed is thinking about one thing: food. Yes, we’re also a little preoccupied with recommending the best gifts of the year, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that lavish family dinners and cheese boards are also top of mind.

If you’ll be attending any holiday parties this season, you probably have the benefit of showing up with a bottle of wine or a dessert and calling it a day. But if you’ll be hosting a party, there’s a mountain of planning and cooking that awaits you.

To make your holiday meals more merry, we’ve rounded up our favorite kitchen products that can help take some of the stress out of cooking for a crowd. From carving knives and casserole dishes to coupe glasses and fancy napkins, here’s everything you need to make a perfect holiday meal.

1. A roasting pan for turkey and more

A hefty roasting pan is a no-brainer around the holidays for turkey, ham, and more, but you can also use one year-round for sheet pan meals and cooking for a crowd. That makes investing in a good one worth it.

The tri-ply stainless steel construction on the best roasting pan we tested from Viking definitely gives it some heft, but the handles are super wide and comfortable, distributing the pan's weight nicely. It had excellent heat distribution as well. It's big and sturdy enough to handle a 20-pound turkey and it's capable of cooking anything you throw at it.

Product image of Viking Culinary 3-Ply Stainless Steel Roasting Pan
Viking Culinary 3-Ply Stainless Steel Roasting Pan

Our favorite roasting pan is a must for hosting holiday dinners.

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at Amazon

2. Some special occasion dinnerware that isn’t stuffy

On left, a set of three stacked and matching dishes. On right, a table setting with gold-rimmed dishes
Credit: Food52 / Reviewed

Mix up your place settings with these gold-rimmed plates.

The holidays are associated with breaking out the fancy plates, but not everyone has good china or other special occasion dinnerware that was gifted to them or passed down through their family—it’s becoming increasingly uncommon.

Luckily, contemporary retailers like Food52 sell many gorgeous sets of dinnerware with interesting, intricate designs that cost less than what you’d find on a registry. We love the Art Deco inspiration of these gold-accented plates and think they add some holiday flair to any meal.

Product image of Porcelain Gold-Rimmed Dinnerware
Porcelain Gold-Rimmed Dinnerware

Dress up your table setting with this gold-rimmed dinnerware.

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at Food52

3. A full set of stainless steel cookware

Holiday Dinner: Cookware
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Use the holidays as an excuse to get new cookware—you know you want to.

You'll need pots and pans to prepare all your favorite sauces and side dishes, so consider the holidays a great excuse to upgrade your cookware set. The Cuisinart MCP-12N Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set is regularly on sale for just above $200, and you should definitely snatch one up if you see it hovering around that price.

We love how easy thee pans are to use. The tri-ply construction gives the pans the benefit of heat conductivity, but the aluminum core ensures they’re not too heavy to handle. And the set includes all the basics you need to whip up a multi-course holiday meal.

Product image of Cuisinart 12-piece MultiClad Cookware Set
Cuisinart 12-piece MultiClad Cookware Set

This no-frills set is high-quality and includes all the basics.

$220 at Amazon

4. A ton of glass storage containers

Holiday Dinner: Storage Containers
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

You'll likely need quite a few storage containers after your holiday meal.

A really nice set of reusable storage containers should be ready during dinner cleanup.

We love that these containers nest within each other for easy storage, they don't impart off-flavors into our food, and they're marked as dishwasher-, microwave-, and oven-safe. It also doesn't hurt that they aced every test we could think of. They didn't leak water when we sloshed them around and didn't burst open or shatter when we dropped them from a countertop. When we froze them, expanding food didn't break through the seal and they resisted stains.

Product image of Pyrex Ultimate 10-piece Glass Storage Set
Pyrex Ultimate 10-piece Glass Storage Set

For the holiday season and beyond, these are some of the best food storage containers we've ever tested.

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at Williams Sonoma

5. A gorgeous pie pan

Holiday Dinner: Pie Dishes
Credit: Emile Henry

Our favorite pie dish comes in three gorgeous colors.

It's almost a holiday requirement to serve pie, so why not do it in style? You can't beat our favorite pie dish from Emile Henry for looks or turning out a pie with a crispy, flaky crust. It’s made in France of ceramic and comes in lots of pretty colors.

This 9-by-2-inch dish is deep enough to hold almost two quarts of filling, so pies will never come out skimpy looking. Its large capacity and attractive appearance also make it a good choice for baking and serving other items like scalloped potatoes or candied sweets.

Product image of Emile Henry modern Classics Pie Dish
Emile Henry modern Classics Pie Dish

This stylish and functional pie dish is the best we've tested.

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at Amazon

6. Some fancy cocktail glasses for bubbles and punch

On left, two coupe glasses with a red cocktail in each. On right, sparkling wine being poured into a coupe glass.
Credit: Williams Sonoma / Reviewed

Coupe glasses are stylish, trendy, and perfect for the holidays.

What’s a holiday party without wine and cocktails? Elegance abounds with this gorgeous set of gold-rimmed glass coupes from Williams Sonoma. Trendy coupes are perfect for serving all sorts of cocktails, as well as champagne and punch. They’ll impress your guests and add a bit of old-world glamour to regular cocktail nights, too.

Product image of Gold Rim Champagne Coupe Glasses
Gold Rim Champagne Coupe Glasses

Bring festive cheer to your homemade cocktails with this coupe set.

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at Williams Sonoma

7. Digital thermometers for accurate cook times

Holiday Dinner: Thermometers
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Digital meat thermometers and probe thermometers are essential when cooking for a crowd.

Don't undercook your dinner (or overcook it, for that matter)! A digital meat thermometer is a must for ensuring you hit the optimal temperature of your Christmas turkey or ham. The ThermoPop immediately impressed us during testing with its super quick, accurate readings and its beautiful appearance. The probe is long enough to keep your hands safely away from any hot steam. It also features a super thin tip that didn’t allow for many juices to escape after probing.

Product image of ThermoPop
ThermoPop

Get peace-of-mind with this intuitive meat thermometer.

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at ThermoWorks

8. A crowd-pleasing cheese board

Holiday Dinner: Cheese Board
Credit: Crate & Barrel

We love this elegant cheese plate from Crate & Barrel.

You know a party is for real when you walk in and see a charcuterie board. This gorgeous acacia serving board from Crate & Barrel is perfect for cheese, charcuterie, dried fruit, dips, and even dessert. It has a 4-star average from over 300 reviews, and it’s crosscut wood effect is great for the holidays. The best part? It’s just $20, so you don’t have to spend like an elite to impress your guests.

Product image of Acacia Wedge Server
Acacia Wedge Server

This rustic cheese board is perfect for holiday season entertaining.

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at Crate & Barrel

9. The right carving knives

A person carves a Thanksgiving turkey on a wooden cutting board.
Credit: Reviewed / Valerie Li Stack

Don't forget to get a decent set of carving knife and fork.

After you’ve spent all that time and money to prepare your turkey, you definitely want to present it just right. You could use your chef’s knife, but there’s something ceremonious about pulling out a good carving knife. We love the Mercer carving knife because it's reliably sharp time after time and it boasts a comfortable handle for easy slicing.

Product image of Mercer Carving Knife
Mercer Carving Knife

Cut even, clean slices of turkey with this highly rated carving knife.

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at Amazon

10. A good cast iron skillet (or three)

Holiday Dinner: Cast Iron
Credit: Williams-Sonoma

You'll need more than one cast iron pan to prepare your feast.

We don't know about you, but we love our cast iron skillets. Some years, we skip the casserole dishes and bake our mac and cheese, stuffing, and cornbread straight in these pans.

Lodge has been making its cast iron cookware since 1896; its durability is one reason why Lodge has become a household name—and why they make our favorite cast iron pan. The Lodge 12-inch skillet sells for just under $30 on sale, but it's likely to last for generations.

Product image of Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

From seared veggies to baked desserts, a good cast iron skillet goes a long way during the holidays.

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at Amazon

11. A large, durable carving board

Holiday Dinner: Carving Board
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Our favorite carving board from Teakhaus is useful year-round.

When we tested cutting boards, we found that the size and heft of this Teakhaus made it perfect for resting and carving a turkey because it can easily hold a 25-pound bird! It also happens to be a gorgeous piece that makes a stylish addition to your kitchen counter. The use of teak (a high-oil wood) fought off moisture better than the other wooden boards and it held the largest amount of liquid (2/3 cup) in its groves before spilling over.

Product image of Teakhaus Carving Board
Teakhaus Carving Board

This high quality cutting board is big enough for carving and cutting big holiday portions.

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at Amazon

12. A fat separator for great gravy

Holiday Dinner: Fat Separator
Credit: Williams-Sonoma

A fat separator is the key to a smooth gravy.

Fat separators might not be the sexiest gadget in the kitchen, but you'll need one if you're hoping to make a killer gravy this year. By design, bottom-draining separators make it almost impossible to pass a lot of fatty-liquid through their valves because the fat floats on the top.

Some of them have temperamental levers, but the trigger on this model is super easy to control and by design will minimize splashing, creating less mess than some of the other models we tested. There's also a pour spout on the top, which makes it much easier to remove the fat left behind. And, since the lever mechanism is located on the outside of the separator, we had no problems when it came time to clean everything up.

Product image of OXO Good Grips Good Gravy 4-Cup Fat Separator
OXO Good Grips Good Gravy 4-Cup Fat Separator

Our favorite fat separator makes it easy to collect roasting juices for gravy.

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at Amazon

13. Poultry shears for tough birds

On left, shears cutting a raw chicken. On right, shears open on a white background
Credit: Williams Sonoma / Bloomingdale's / Reviewed

A good pair of poultry shears are great for spatchcocked chicken.

If you prefer preparing spatchcocked turkeys and chickens, you’ll need a good pair of poultry shears. It's easy enough, but you do need to cut out the backbone (which, as the name implies, is lined with a bunch of bones that'll destroy your expensive knives).

We love this OXO set because they’re easy to handle and their super-sharp blade cuts through tough turkey bones like they’re butter. They're easy enough to sharpen when they get dull and they lock for safe, easy storage. It’s always nice when you don’t cut your hand digging through your gadget drawer!

Product image of OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears
OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears

Our favorite poultry shears make spatchcocking turkey a breeze, thanks to the ergonomic handles, sharp blades, and spring-loaded design.

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at OXO

14. An easy-to-use food processor

Person processing pesto in the KitchenAid food processor
Credit: Reviewed / Timothy Renzi

This KitchenAid model is the best food processor we've tested.

If you don't feel like cutting anything this year, hook up your food processor instead. You can chop onions, celery, and garlic for stuffing and use the included attachment to slice potatoes or shred cheese. In fact, you can even make your pie crust in it! According to our testing, the KitchenAid KFP1318 is the best on the market.

It excels at practically every task, from chopping onions to slicing tomatoes as well as a razor-sharp chefs' knife. And it features several helpful attachments, two speed settings, and a convenient three-in-one feed tube for easy processing.

Product image of KitchenAid food processor
KitchenAid food processor

This model from KitchenAid is the best food processor we've ever tested.

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at Amazon

15. A potato ricer for perfect mashed potatoes

Holiday Dinner: Potato Ricer
Credit: Williams-Sonoma

You'll need a potato ricer if you want fluffy mashed potatoes.

If you’re serious about your mashed potatoes, you need a potato ricer to make them as fluffy and airy as possible.

We love the way this Chef'n potato ricer effortlessly pushes the potatoes through the hopper, thanks to a gear-powered mechanism that requires less arm strength to use. It's the only ricer we tested that we could use one-handed with a whole potato (with the others we tested, we had to chop the potatoes up into small pieces to achieve one-handed pressing).

Product image of Chef'n FreshForce Potato Ricer
Chef'n FreshForce Potato Ricer

Make the easiest, creamiest mashed potatoes with this helpful gadget.

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at Amazon

16. A set of mixing bowls

Holiday Dinner: Mixing Bowls
Credit: Reviewed / Lindsay D. Mattison

These mixing bowls come with lids for travel and storage.

We prefer stainless steel mixing bowls to glass ones—there’s nothing to shatter or chip, making them both durable and long-lasting, and their lightweight profile makes them easy to use.

While they shouldn’t go into the microwave, they can be used on the stovetop as a double boiler. And the small- and medium-sized bowls in the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl set worked perfectly for melting butter and chocolate over a 2-quart saucepan. As a bonus, the bowls come with air-tight plastic lids, so each bowl doubles as storage and transportation container (always helpful when you're planning a large meal).

Product image of Cuisinart Stainless-steel Mixing Bowls with Lids
Cuisinart Stainless-steel Mixing Bowls with Lids

With three different sizes included, these bowls can be used for any recipe.

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at Amazon

17. Glass baking dishes for casseroles and more

Holiday Dinner: Casserole Dishes
Credit: Crate and Barrel / Pyrex

Casserole dishes let you prepare in advance of your party, then pop dishes in the oven.

The best part about making casseroles for holidays? You can make them ahead of time and reheat them when it’s time to serve the big meal! That means less scrambling, which hopefully gives you more time to mingle with your guests. These Pyrex glass baking dishes certainly aren’t fancy to look at, but I’ve been using my set for years. They heat evenly, they're easy to clean, and those snap-on lids make food storage a breeze.

Product image of Pyrex Basics Baking Dish with Lid
Pyrex Basics Baking Dish with Lid

This dish is great for baking and storing, thanks to the accompanying lid.

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at Amazon

18. A full set of kitchen knives

Misen knife set laid out on a marble countertop beside a cutting board of scallions
Credit: Reviewed / Timothy Renzi

This set from Misen is the best knife set we've ever tested.

You don't need every knife in the block to prepare your holiday dinner, but our favorite set of kitchen knives from Misen gives you everything you'll need at a great value.

In addition to the basics—the chef’s knife, paring knife and bread knife (which are all extremely comfortable to use)—this 7-piece set includes a santoku knife that’s perfect for chopping vegetables and a utility knife that’s perfect for cheese, apples, and smaller vegetables. Plus, it comes with kitchen shears and a honing rod to complete the set.

Product image of Misen 7-piece Knife Set
Misen 7-piece Knife Set

With a varying selection of knives and other tools for every task, this set is great for serious home cooks.

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at Misen

19. Baking sheets

On left, gingerbread men cookies on a baking sheet. On right, chicken and veggies on the same baking sheet
Credit: Food52 / Reviewed

Baking sheets and cooling racks are holiday baking (and cooking!) essentials.

Planning on making cookies? Roasted vegetables? Tossing out your roasting pan in lieu of a spatchcocked turkey? You'll need a good baking sheet. And there’s a reason this American-made Nordic Ware baking sheet tops charts around the internet. It’s lightweight, large enough to fit more than a dozen cookies, and distributes heat like a dream. Measuring 12 by 17 inches, we feel confident you could cook enough vegetables for a small crowd.

Product image of Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet
Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet

This set of baking sheets is a must-have for the holiday season.

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at Amazon

20. An elegant serving tray

On left, serving platter with vegetables and a serving spoon. On right, close up image of the serving platter details
Credit: Anthropologie / Reviewed

Playful serving trays can add a lot to your dinner table.

Whether you’re hosting a dinner for four or 40, it seems you can never have enough serving trays for all the sides you’re dishing out. We love this charming piece of earthenware for serving bread, asparagus, hors d'oeuvres, or really anything that fits. You can invest in a complementary set or mix and match your pieces for a fun, modern tablescape.

Product image of Glenna Platter
Glenna Platter

This stylish serving dish is great for making your tablescape more upscale.

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at Anthropologie

21. An easy-to-clean loaf pan

Holiday Dinner: Loaf Pan
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Our favorite loaf pan is super affordable and completely nonstick.

If you're more into pumpkin bread than pumpkin pie, a good loaf pan will be essential this season. This pan has a silly name and it doesn’t look like a professional tool, but when it came to results and ease of use, we liked everything about it. The Rachael Ray Yum-o! Oven Lovin' Loaf Pan has large handles and silicone inserts in Rachael’s signature orange color that make it super easy to get a firm grip on the pan.

Product image of Rachael Ray Nonstick Loaf Pan
Rachael Ray Nonstick Loaf Pan

The perfect loaf is achievable with the help of a quality nonstick pan.

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at Amazon

22. A rolling pin for desserts and more

Holiday Dinner: Rolling Pin
Credit: J.K. Adams

A rolling pan is a must-have for holiday baking.

When they say there’s beauty in simplicity, they’re talking about this rolling pin. It’s really just a sturdy wooden cylinder of a medium-heavy weight, nothing more, nothing less. But during testing of the best rolling pins, it rolled out perfect dough every time. The simple design of this rolling pin, combined with its weight, makes it easy to control the amount of pressure you use based on what you need for your dough.

Its long body and lack of handles also mean that you'll never cut an edge through your dough the way you sometimes might with smaller, handled rolling pins. This translates to an even, non-lumpy dough that's easy to shape however you want.

Product image of J.K. Adams Maple Wood Rolling Dowel
J.K. Adams Maple Wood Rolling Dowel

A dowel-style rolling pin like this 19-inch maple wood rolling dowel makes for even dough rolling.

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at Amazon

23. Absorbent and attractive dish towels

Holiday Dinner: Dish Towels
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

You can never have too many dish towels.

Washing dishes from a holiday dinner can be a daunting task, but the classic pantry towels from Williams Sonoma can help you get the job done without any fuss. Not only do these dish towels look good in any kitchen (you can choose from nine colors), but they're a pro at drying irregular objects like wine glasses and vases while still feeling soft to the touch. Made from ribbon cotton terry, the towels retain more water than its competitors, which means it should be able to wipe water from plenty of dishes before you need to grab another one.

Product image of All Purpose Pantry Towels
All Purpose Pantry Towels

We love these dish towels for being ultra absorbent without breaking the bank.

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at Williams Sonoma

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