High-Tech Turkey Day

Don't let the suit fool you: Every night that thing is off and I'm cooking dinner for the wife and kids. Thanksgiving is no exception, though I do get a bit of help for holiday meals.

Still, I'm a high-tech kinda guy, obviously. Here's what I use in the kitchen for both everyday meals and the big extravaganzas.

• Chef's Choice Model 130 Professional Sharpening Station (pictured) - I use a regular sharpening steel from day to day but when knives get really dull I turn to an electric sharpener. I've got the Model 110, but the new Model 130 has an easier time at guiding the blades through to get the perfectly honed edge. Carving a turkey with a dull knife is not just hard, it's dangerous.
• Taylor #9842 Commercial Anti-Microbial Instant Read Digital Thermometer - How do you know if the turkey or the prime rib is done? Slicing into it is a fool's errand. The Taylor instant-read thermometer registers quickly and includes an anti-bacterial sheath to keep germs away. Cheap, too.
• Senseo Coffee Pod System - I don't drink a lot of coffee, but when I do I want it fast and without a lot of mess. Senseo's pod system (now widely copied) makes it easy to crank out one or two cups of java at a time and in seconds... instead of a big pot that will just get dumped out. Perfect for the two people left awake after the big meal.
• Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 Food Processor - This isn't actually the model of Cuisinart food processor that I have. Mine is about 20 years old and weighs about 20 pounds. It's a monster, and it's never had a second where it didn't work perfectly, part of a bygone era of quality electronics construction. I presume it's off the market now, but I'll stand by this model in its stead. Makes chopping vegetables like celery and carrots so much simpler.
• Kitchenaid Classic Series Stand Mixer - Every dessert I make ends up in the mixer. I've been known to grind my own meat with it as well using the grinder attachment. It makes a world of difference over store-bought.
• Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener - You'll never use a regular corkscrew ever again.
• Prager Port Works Port Chocolate Drizzle - Not techie at all. Try it with pecan pie. Or any other dessert.
• Turkey Fryer - I have no idea who made the black iron monster lurking in my garage that gets used twice a year, but it's the only way to cook turkey for my money. Alas, I no longer have a backyard and can't use it now (turkey fryer indoors? don't even think about it...). It's also ridiculously dangerous (and I had one notable mishap a few years ago), but God, there's no better way to prepare fowl for your holiday feast. It's worth it! (Any reports on how well electric fryers work would be greatly appreciated... I'm skeptical whether they get hot enough.)