Chef-Recommended Tools to Avoid Thanksgiving Food Safety Mistakes

Thanksgiving is one of the most hectic cooking days of the year. Even if you’re an expert cook, there are still a few precautions you should take to stay safe on the big day. Food safety encompasses the safe handling of raw and prepped foods, but it also involves the safe use of equipment. 

There are a few common mistakes home chefs might make during their Thanksgiving cooking. So we got the insider info from professional chefs and industry experts. If you’ve ever wondered if you really need a meat thermometer, or when to hone and sharpen your knife, or what might be lurking in your coffee maker, our expert-backed picks will clear things up and help you pull off a smoother Thanksgiving dinner. 

Best Chef-Recommended Thanksgiving Safety Products Overall

• ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer, $15, originally $20
• Great Jones Hot Dish, $105
• Wüsthof Classic Carving Set, Black, 2-Piece, $192, originally $240
• Made In Cookware 17-Inch Honing Steel, $40 with coupon, originally $59
• Active Coffee Machine Descaling Solution, $15, originally $26
• Ultra Cuisine Heavy Duty Cooling Rack, $23
• Amazon Basics Glass Food Storage Containers with Locking Lids, $29

Don’t: Ignore Your Ingredient Prep Station

Do: Stock Your Kitchen With Safer Alternatives

Prepping and cooking are the first part of making a Thanksgiving meal (scroll for tips on serving and storing). One of the biggest food safety concerns is the turkey. Cooking it to a safe temperature and steadily ferrying the heavy bird out of the oven can be daunting. Thankfully, we collected a few expert tips to make it a bit easier. 

After you’ve dealt with the turkey, there are the sides to contend with as well. Skip the salmonella risk and bake your stuffing separately from the turkey in a casserole dish like one of our tested favorites, the Great Jones Hot Dish. And make sure you have the right towels and oven mitts on hand to safely get everything out of the oven. 

• ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer, $15, originally $20
• Chosen Foods Pure Avocado Oil, $10
• Infinitee Xclusives 100% Cotton Kitchen Towels, $18, originally $22
• KitchenAid Ribbed Soft Silicone Oven Mitt, $14, originally $16
• Yarramate 16-Ounce Glass Olive Oil Sprayer, $10, originally $11
• Mevell Walnut Wood Cutting Board, $60, originally $90
• Great Jones Hot Dish, $105

ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer

Chef Chuck Hayworth, private chef and medical meal specialist at Thankfully Local Chef, says, “always have a second solution to the little plastic pop-up timer found in common supermarket turkeys.” He recommends using a dependable digital thermometer like this ThermoPro for safe, accurate readings. “Remember, turkey and poultry are not forgiving; they can cause serious illness when not thawed properly or cooked properly. Always cook to 165ºF or higher.”

Chosen Foods Pure Avocado Oil

Amir Alon, CEO of Swiss Diamond Cookware, warns against using nonstick cookware at high heat with oils not meant for sautéing or frying. He recommends avocado oil because “it stands up to higher temperatures, making it ideal for crisping potatoes, searing turkey thighs, or getting that perfect golden-brown.”

Don’t: Injure Yourself With Dull Knives

Do: Keep Your Blades Sharpened

If you’re looking to avoid a Thanksgiving Day trip to the ER, knife safety should be at the top of your priority list. Some cooks might be intimidated by sharp knives, but a dull knife is a dangerous knife. “Dull knives require more force, which means the blade is more likely to slip — especially when you’re breaking down large vegetables, trimming the turkey, or carving when hands are tired,” says Chef Robert Hale, corporate executive chef and brand ambassador at Cangshan Cutlery. “From a culinary standpoint, sharp knives also preserve the integrity of the food: crisp vegetable cuts, even slices, no shredding, and no crushed aromatics. But from a safety standpoint, they keep the cook in control.”

• Chef’s Choice Professional Electric Knife Sharpener, $215
• Made In Cookware 17-Inch Honing Steel, $40 with coupon, originally $59
• Wüsthof Classic Carving Set, Black, 2-Piece, $192, originally $240
• NoCry Premium Cut-Resistant Gloves, $15
• Kitchendao XL Acacia Wood Universal Knife Block, $38, originally $40

Chef’s Choice Professional Electric Knife Sharpener

Hale recommends sharpening all your knives before you start your Thanksgiving prepping. “Sharp blades bite into food predictably and follow the line you intend, reducing strain and dramatically lowering the risk of cuts,” he says. Hale likes a pull-through sharpener like this Chef’s Choice Professional Electric Knife Sharpener that we crowned the winner in our knife sharpener tests. 

Made In Cookware 17-Inch Honing Steel

The other component of knife care is honing — the regular realigning of the blade that must be done between sharpenings to maintain your blade. If your knife is feeling a bit blunt and you’ve sharpened recently or can’t sharpen in the moment, try honing with this Made In rod that topped our list of the best honing steels. Hale says a quick swipe on the honing steel is “often all a knife needs to feel crisp and controlled again.” We love how comfortable and efficient this steel is, so it’s easy to quickly hone your knife and get to cooking.

Don’t: Forget the Coffee

Do: Thoroughly Clean Your Coffee Maker

You might not think of your coffee machine as a major part of your Thanksgiving gear or even a place for many food safety concerns, but Max Wang, CEO of Casabrews, says, “Your coffee machine quietly becomes the unsung hero of Thanksgiving weekend. Between early-morning espressos and late-night cappuccinos, it’s working overtime — and that makes proper cleaning a surprisingly important part of holiday food safety.” Without regular cleaning, your coffee maker can build up bacteria, and when it’s being used more frequently than usual, that can happen even faster.

Active Coffee Machine Descaling Solution

Wang warns against the advice that just running a cycle of hot water is enough: “Hot water alone doesn’t break down coffee oils, and using a kitchen sponge can spread more bacteria than it removes.” He says a commercial descaling solution, like this one from Active, is the best way to keep your machine clean. A descaler “lifts mineral buildup that can trap bacteria,” which is something plain water just can’t do. 

Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

A microfiber cloth can be a real multitasker. Wang suggests grabbing a few for espresso machine maintenance. “A microfiber cloth gently cleans the steam wand and exterior without leaving fibers behind.” Milk and oil can build up and even encourage mold growth, so instead of just brewing batches back-to-back, take an extra second to make sure everything is clean and safe. Hale also recommends stocking a stack of cloths for knife safety. He says, “Water on the edge can cause micro-slips during use.”

Don’t: Let Food Sit Out All Day

Do: Serve and Store Food at the Proper Temperature

The risk of food-borne illness is unfortunately present at every step of the process. However, serving and storing cooked food is the time when issues are most likely to arise. The danger zone is the temperature range where bacteria thrive in food — 40° to 140°F, according to the USDA website. Food-borne illness often arises from food sitting in this window for too long. Food safety guidelines state that hot food should be brought to room temperature as quickly as possible and then refrigerated. If not, bacteria will flourish. 

Elite Gourmet 2.5-Quart Warming Trays

While it might seem like no big deal to leave leftovers out for a few hours after dinner for folks to graze on or set the sides on the table while the turkey finishes, this can actually make you and your guests sick. 

Chris Borges, Executive Chef of Charmant in New Orleans, uses these Elite Gourmet 2.5-Quart Warming Trays on Thanksgiving. He says, “Hot dishes tend to cool very quickly if left on the counter, which can lead to bacterial growth. Keep your dishes at least 140ºF without drying them out by using a warming tray.”

Ultra Cuisine Heavy Duty Cooling Rack

The danger zone can also affect your prepping the days leading up to Thanksgiving. “If you’re like me and you prepare the bulk of your meal the night before, you’ll want to cool each dish to room temperature before refrigerating it to avoid bringing your fridge’s temperature down and risking spoilage,” says Rachel Klein, Chef and owner of Miss Rachel’s Pantry in Philadelphia. Loading your fridge with hot food can not only ruin your Thanksgiving prep but also ruin every other ingredient in there, too. 

Klein has an expert tip for getting food to room temperature and ready to be refrigerated fast: “Spread your mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted veggies, etc. out uncovered on large baking or roasting pans and set them on wire cooling racks to bring them to room temperature quicker and more safely.”