The Best Holiday Dinner Kitchen Tools, According to My Father-in-Law

My father-in-law makes legendary holiday dinners that family members will mention months later. Whenever we gather at my in-laws’ for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s, he makes tender rib roasts, flavorful casseroles, smooth butternut squash soups, and more. Over the years, he’s gotten better at letting us kids do some prep work for him, but he’ll always be head chef, with a slew of essential kitchen tools that help make these extraordinary meals possible. To help you host the best dinners, I gathered all the tools my father-in-law relies on every year, like this Cuisinart hand blender, All-Clad nonstick griddle, Lodge Dutch oven, and more. You can get his favorites for up to 63% off ahead of all your holiday cooking.

Dad-Loved Holiday Dinner Tools on Amazon

• Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender, $50, originally $70
• Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, $66, originally $133
• All-Clad Hard Anodized Nonstick Roaster and Nonstick Rack, $80, originally $100
• All-Clad Hard Anodized Nonstick Griddle, $80, originally $100
• USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan, $22, originally $25
• Henckels Classic Razor-Sharp 8-Inch Slicing Knife, $70, originally $116
• Dowan Casserole Dish, $26, originally $36
• JoyJolt Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl, Set of 6, $25, originally $46
• ThermoPro Instant-Read Thermometer, $12, originally $25
• Smirly Wooden Cutting Boards, Set of 3, $40, originally $70

Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender

Butternut squash soup is on my father-in-law’s holiday dinner menu every year. He achieves a silky smooth texture with his hand blender, which turns roasted squash into a creamy bisque without any lumps. Along with warming spices and a dollop of sour cream, it’s the ideal starter for his dinners. He gifted me a Cuisinart immersion blender for my birthday years ago, and now I’m a convert.

Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

I still think about the fluffy and flavorful rice casserole he once made for Thanksgiving thanks to his Dutch oven, which he brings out every time a holiday meal comes around. He also uses it for braising, baking bread, making mulled cider, and more. Grab this enameled cast iron Dutch oven from Lodge while it’s 50% off.

All-Clad Hard Anodized Nonstick Roaster and Nonstick Rack

Although I’m vegetarian, I know my father-in-law makes the best Christmas rib roasts just from all the “oohs” and “aahs” he gets when he takes it out of the oven. He’s used the same nonstick roasting pan for years, which has a rack that makes maneuvering his roasts even easier. His All-Clad roaster is also nonstick, which makes for quick cleanup every year.

All-Clad Hard Anodized Nonstick Griddle

The morning meals are not to be left out either, especially when my father-in-law makes some of the best blueberry pancakes I’ve ever had. He can get them evenly cooked and browned with the help of his All-Clad nonstick griddle, which heats up quickly and is responsive to temperature changes. On non-holiday nights, he’s known to make golden grilled cheeses to have with his soups.

USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan

Whether he’s roasting vegetables, baking Christmas cookies, or crisping frozen fries, my father-in-law always turns to his sheet pans. Through years of baking and roasting, these USA pan sheet pans have never warped and evenly distribute heat for thorough (and crispy) cooking every time.

Henckels Classic Razor-Sharp 8-Inch Knife

Every home cook needs a go-to chef’s knife. For my father-in-law, this Henckels 8-inch knife has lasted him through years of daily cooking. For the holidays, he can quickly chop up vegetables and smoothly slice turkey with this super sharp blade. For maintenance, he keeps the edge sharp with a knife sharpener, which he keeps on the counter.

Dowan Casserole Dish

Sometimes, Christmas dinner has been a piping hot eggplant lasagna thanks to the casserole dish my father-in-law received as a gift one year. His is similar to the Dowan casserole dish, with tall sides for layering pasta sheets and wide handles for easy transport. His lasagnas are always cooked to the very center thanks to the ceramic dish’s even heating.

JoyJolt Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl, Set of 6

My father-in-law goes through a lot of mixing bowls when he cooks, so it’s a good thing he has several sets of metal bowls that come in different sizes. Whether he’s seasoning Brussels sprouts or dredging eggplant slices, these bowls make up the foundation of his streamlined kitchen processes.

ThermoPro Instant-Read Thermometer

An instant-read thermometer is often floating about the kitchen counters around the holidays when my father-in-law is cooking something that requires precision, like a very large turkey or roast beef. Plus, since he doesn’t want to lose too much heat or cooking time when opening the oven to check on his food, the lightning-fast read on his thermometer makes checking the temperature quick and easy. He has one similar to the ThermoPro model, on sale for just $12.

Smirly Wooden Cutting Boards, Set of 3 

Simple yet versatile, wooden cutting boards help my father-in-law keep his workstation efficient and clean. Plus, now that he understands how to delegate tasks, having more cutting boards means that more of us can help him chop vegetables while he can focus on the bigger picture of our holiday dinner.