Treat yourself to these clever kitchen gadgets to make holiday meal prep more fun, or give them as gifts to the chefs in your life.
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Side by side
Keep a couple of extra side dishes hot and ready for holiday guests with an easy-to-clean Waring Pro Portable Double Burner. Its cast-iron plates—one large, one small—heat quickly with independent, adjustable thermostats. $80. (800) 322-1189; jcpenney.com.
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Hot off the grill
Host a tabletop grilling party where guests cook up meat and veggie morsels and drizzle them with melted cheese using a Longi 19-piece Reversible Party Grill Raclette. It has flat and ribbed sides for sandwiches, omelets, meats, veggies, fruits and delicious toasted cheeses. $140. (888) 280-4331; amazon.com.
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Slow and steady
The Crock-Pot Programmable Casserole Crock Slow Cooker serves not only as an extra, digitally controlled “oven” in busy kitchens, it’s also perfect for carrying a hot casserole or lasagna to a gathering while safely maintaining its temperature. $50. (800) 323-9519; crock-pot.com.
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Flavor extraction
It’s almost as much fun to watch the KitchenAid Siphon Coffee Brewer work as it is to drink its flavorful coffee. Rich tastes emerge as vapor pressure pushes water into a globe and filtered coffee cascades down into a chic carafe. $200. (877) 812-6235; williams-sonoma.com.
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Breakfast club
Hamilton Beach calls it a Breakfast Burrito Maker, but this handy, two-layer tool can also keep houseguests happy with a ready supply of omelets, stuffed pancakes or crepes. $45. (800) 851-8900; hamiltonbeach.com.
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A-peeling option
No sous chef? No worries. Let the Dash Go Rapid Peeler peel fruits, make curly potato fries or strip zucchini into ribbons for you. Great for hands that tire easily in the kitchen. $20. (800) 462-3966; bedbathandbeyond.com.
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Smoothie power
Every ounce of juicy goodness from fruits and vegetables blends into a quick and refreshing smoothie with the Nutri Ninja 8-Piece Extractor Blender Set with Auto-iQ. For holiday menus, it also whips up lush eggnog, lump-free gravies and smooth dips. Preprogrammed settings help time the blending process. $120, includes 3 cups with lids. (800) 462-3966; bedbathandbeyond.com.
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Temp services
Whether roasting meats, crafting home brews or making candy, busy chefs can call on Supermechanical’s Range smart thermometer to guarantee perfect cooking temperatures and track results over time. It works with iOS devices to sound alerts when temps are spot on. $130 for two different tips. (512) 814-7186; supermechanical.com.
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Gobble it up
Designed for indoor cooking, the Butterball XL Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer cooks birds up to 20 pounds at 3.5 to 4 minutes per pound. You can also fry up fish or French fries or fill with water to cook Lowcountry boils, steamed veggies and more. A drain spout makes for easy cleanup. $129. (800) 466-3337; homedepot.com.
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Under pressure
Tender beef brisket cooks up in short order in the One Hour Indoor Pressure Smoker from Hammacher Schlemmer. Combining a 6.5-quart pressure cooker with a smoker, it infuses the meat with fragrant smoke from your wood chips. $150. (800) 321-1484; hammacher.com.
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Home ground
Game hunters and cooks who create food gifts will find the Kitchener ½-horsepower No. 12 Electric Meat Grinder handy in the kitchen. It efficiently grinds meats for sausages, meatloaf mixes, jerky and more. $100. (800) 221-0516; northerntool.com.