The 4 Best Turkey Basters for Beautiful Birds, According to Our Tests
Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
Never use a spoon again.
Food and Wine / Amazon
Whether or not to baste a turkey can be a polarizing topic. While a camp of people say it's unnecessary, most home cooks rely on basting for a perfectly browned and juicy bird. There are numerous factors that go into preparing the perfect turkey, from how long you cook it to the roasting pan or turkey deep fryer you use, and proper basting is one of the steps to ensure you don't ruin your main dish.
Why is basting the right choice for a turkey? From an aesthetic perspective, most people eat with their eyes first. As a chef, I know that a golden-brown turkey simply looks more appealing than one that is too light, too dark, or unevenly colored, so it's the one I want to serve and that guests want to eat. And from a flavor standpoint, basting adds pan drippings, which are full of delicious fat and schmaltz, onto the skin. From there, they sink into the flesh and help keep it moist and juicy. That means a basted turkey makes Thanksgiving leftovers even more enjoyable.
Of course, you could use a spoon to baste your turkey, but that can get messy and dangerous with such a hot pan. Having the right baster on hand is key to an excellent turkey, so whether you prefer stainless steel, glass, or plastic, we're here to guide you to the best one out there for you. Read on to learn about our favorite models.
Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Angled Turkey Baster with Cleaning Brush
Pros
The baster's tube and tip are angled, and it has an integrated stand.
Cons
It will last longer if washed by hand.
OXO is known for creating kitchen tools that elevate the user's experience, and this angled turkey baster is no exception. Rather than just an angled tip to prevent spills, the entire length of the baster is angled. That means you can easily reach around a turkey or other bulky pieces of meat without burning yourself. For those who enjoy entertaining large crowds, this angled baster makes dealing with an enormous turkey less stressful and complicated.
We also appreciate that it has a built-in stand, so it can be set on the counter directly without dripping. It has measurement markings for ounces and milliliters, making it user-friendly for a wide range of people and recipes. And unlike many other basters that come with a cleaning brush, the brush for this one is a cone shape, enabling you to clean more thoroughly in the crevices. Note: This plastic baster will hold up better for longer if hand-washed rather than put through the dishwasher.
Price at time of publish: $18
Material: Plastic and silicone
Length: 12 inches
Includes: Cleaning brush
Best for Preventing Dripping: Tovolo Dripless Baster
Pros
It prevents leaks and works well with thin, thick, and hot liquids.
Cons
Be mindful of where you place it because it can easily roll off the counter.
Once you've basted your turkey, the next thing on the agenda is where to set it down without making a mess. Now you can skip that step because the Tovolo baster features an angle that prevents it from dripping, meaning it's tidier when using it in the pan and can easily sit on the counter. Plus, the tube is made from heat-resistant plastic that is safe for up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ergonomic bulb on this baster might not seem like a terribly big deal, but it allows you to use the product during long days of cooking without giving hand cramps. Because of the unique shape of the bulb, it's easy to use and won't take up a ton of space like others with equally large capacities.
All parts of this baster are dishwasher-safe, and we love that it comes apart for easy cleaning. Too often, plastic parts don't dry completely in the dishwasher, so mold creeps up on them. With this baster, that's one less potential headache to worry about, meaning you're free to focus on cooking the perfect turkey.
Price at time of publish: $12
Material: BPA-free plastic and silicone
Length: 11.5 inches
Includes: Additional tip and cleaning brush
Best Stainless Steel: Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster with Injector and Cleaning Brush
Pros
This stainless steel baster is built to last and goes beyond basic uses.
Cons
Its design prevents you from seeing the inside contents.
This Norpro stainless steel baster has one big benefit over plastic models: Because it doesn't have a plastic tube, you can use it on a grill, where plastic could melt if it came into contact with barbeque grates. In other words, you'll likely get more use out of this model than plastic ones. Additionally, it comes with an injector, a small metal tip with a hole in it. Its point is sharp enough to effortlessly insert liquid into your turkey or other meats and inject marinades.
For anyone hesitant about how plastic basters age, our favorite stainless steel pick is an affordable upgrade. It comes with a cleaning brush, and you'll notice that this baster is a breeze to clean, as it's typically quicker to get congealed fats off metal.
Price at time of publish: $13
Material: Stainless steel and silicone
Length: 11 inches
Includes: Cleaning brush and injector
Related: We Tested the Best Meat Thermometers for Grilling, Smoking, and Roasting
Best Glass: Williams Sonoma Glass Bulb Baster
Pros
It's compact and high-heat safe and features an angled bulb.
Cons
It's needs to be stored in an extra safe location to prevent cracking.
Made of glass, this baster from Williams Sonoma has the ability to hold up well for longer than a plastic baster. We love that it has measurement markings, so you know exactly how much liquid you're working with and that it's on the smaller side, as standard ones can be unwieldy. The bulb on the band of this baster is angled, which means you can set it on the counter without it rolling around. Though not quite as mess-free as our overall pick, you can prevent leaks by laying it on or next to a spoon holder or small plate.
Since glass can shatter easily, store this in a well-organized location rather than in a kitchen junk drawer to ensure its longevity. Beyond that step, you should be fine: The glass is borosilicate, so it's less likely to break from use than something made of soda-lime glass. Borosilicate glass also expands less than soda-lime when it's exposed to heat, so even if you're basting with boiling juices, you won't have to worry about this baster cracking.
Price at time of publish: $20
Material: Glass and rubber
Length: 11 inches long
Includes: N/A
Our Favorite
We chose the Oxo Angled Baster as our best overall pick because its angular design is great for reaching around the bird and also keeps your countertops clean, thanks to the little stand that helps keep the otherwise unwieldy utensil upright. It is made with heat-resistant plastic and is dishwasher-safe, so it's easy to clean when the job is done.
Factors to Consider
Material
Turkey basters can be made from plastic, nylon, glass, and stainless steel. Tritan and BPA-free plastics are less toxic than standard plastic, and stainless steel holds up well over time and can be used in other locations than the oven, such as a grill. Glass is a great alternative to plastic if you don't feel comfortable with your hot foods coming into contact with plastic. Both glass and clear plastic models let you see how much liquid is in the tube. All in all, you want a baster that is safe and heat-resistant.
Capacity
Most turkey basters have a capacity between one-and-a-half and two ounces, but basters are also available in smaller and larger forms. If you want to be able to use your baster for smaller proteins like chicken, and you rarely cook a 20-pound plus holiday turkey, you can go for a smaller baster. That will also save you drawer space, which is ideal for anyone with a small kitchen. If you have a big family or do a lot of entertaining, and you typically cook large turkeys, it's worth getting a large-capacity baster because it will take fewer squeezes and refills of the bulb each time you need to baste.
Ease of Cleaning
Many turkey basters are dishwasher-safe, but it can be worth pre-washing it to get off any stuck bits of fat or schmaltz. Some basters come with thin brushes for cleaning, but if the one you choose doesn't, you can buy one separately for a mere price. To make sure water isn't left inside after drying, a baster with a removable tip and bulb is your best bet, as they can be cleaned separately from the basting tube.
How We Tested Turkey Basters
In order to evaluate all of the basters, we put them through the paces when roasted chickens, siphoning hot chicken stock onto paellas and risottos. We wanted to see if it was easy to use and if the bubble stayed on. Sometimes, they can pop off when filled with hot liquid, especially poultry drippings mixed with grease. We also ranked them by how easy they were to clean, and also storage was important. Glass models made us nervous in drawers with little hands and things that get banged around. Heat was also a consideration because some basic plastic models can warp or melt when used in a hot roasting pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a turkey baster?
Yes, it's helpful to have a turkey baster. It's an inexpensive gadget for cooking turkey and other meats because it keeps them moist throughout the cooking process. Some might think a spoon could work just as well, but that method can be very dangerous and messy. A turkey baster doesn't take up a lot of space and has other uses in the kitchen, too.
How often should you baste a turkey while cooking?
At most, you can baste a turkey every half hour. However, you might want to err on the side of basting it only every 45 minutes or so. That's because you don't want to open the oven door too often, as it lets out heat. Your oven will be on for many hours when cooking a turkey, so choosing to open it slightly less often will cause less delay regarding when your turkey is ready, and it's still plenty often enough for basting.
How do you clean a turkey baster?
Some turkey basters can go in the dishwasher, while others need to be cleaned by hand. Some turkey basters come apart; if yours does, always take it apart because for the most thorough wash. If possible, dry it well so that moisture doesn't get trapped inside — trapped water can lead to the growth of bacteria, mildew, and mold.
Other Turkey Basters We Tested
We tested the Norpro Plastic Nylon Baster but found the plastic too stressful on this Norpro because we tend to cook things hot. Even though it is heat resistant, we were worried it would melt at higher temperatures. And we found the construction too flimsy for our tastes. We also tested the Norpro Glass Baster, but the bulb popped off too many times when testing. We generally don't recommend glass and instead prefer something heartier, like our best overall, which is more durable but still plastic.
Our Expertise
Jennifer Zyman is a Senior Commerce Writer for Food & Wine and a recovering restaurant critic with a culinary school degree and over 15 years of food writing experience. Her work has appeared in Atlanta Magazine, Bon Appetit, Eater Atlanta, The Kitchn, Local Palate, National Geographic, Simply Recipes, Southern Living, and Thrillist. To write this story, she tested basters side by side in order to find the best ones on the market.
Contributor Ariane Resnicka, a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author, also contributed to this piece. When cooking for private clients in their homes, she experimented endlessly with varying tricks to make a moist bird and found that basting is a surefire way to keep every turkey eater at the table happy and satisfied.
For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Food & Wine.
