Turkey is one of the main dishes on the festive table. Can you imagine, for example, Thanksgiving without turkey? Of course not! But for the holiday to really succeed, you have to make a very tasty meal.
Each housewife has her own secrets about making turkey, but there are also well-known tricks that can make a turkey even juicier and more delicious.
One of these secrets is to use baster. If you have never used such a tool and do not know what it is, we are ready to explain it to you. We think you’ve heard more than once that when you fry or bake meat, you often get marinades and extra sauces in it.
To do that, a piece of meat is pierced and liquid is injected with a special syringe or baster. The same principle applies to these devices. With the help of a baster, you can additionally soak poultry with juice before heat treatment and during baking. So what should you take into account when choosing the device?
Size and capacity.
In order to correctly calculate the amount of marinade, you need a certain size of the baster. You should also consider the size of the turkey carcass you cook.
If you make several bird carcasses for the holidays, a larger and more spacious model is best for you. If you only cook a few turkey legs once a month, a smaller miniature baster is the best choice for you.
The material of manufacture.
The material of manufacture of the baster directly depends on its durability and service life. If you buy a plastic buster, it will not serve you for several years of active use. It is also worth noting that durable devices do not leak and drip, and work by all rules and do not interfere with use.
At the moment you can find basters of steel, silicone, and plastic. Of course, the best option would be steel baster, as steel is less prone to various damages.
Costs.
However strange it may sound, but yes – one of the important criteria is cost. When choosing a baster you should not be guided by the principle “the higher the price, the better the quality”.
Undoubtedly, in some sense, this rule is practically an axiom, but not in this case. You should not buy a turkey baster for a high price. In any case, everything depends on your budget and needs. In our rating, you can find all good budget options.
Other great turkey basters
1. Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster with Injector and Cleaning Brush
The baking succulent meat is a challenge that Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster can help you with. Norpro has a long history of creating kitchen tools and accessories that will find room in any kitchen. In order to prepare a delicious turkey, you only need to use this high-quality baster. This way, the meat will just burst with juice!
The tool is made of stainless steel, which makes it more durable. That is why the Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster is our favorite – you can use one tool for a long time.
The set includes a cleaning brush that completely cleans the spout from marinade and spices. You also get several needles that are designed to put the marinade inside the meat. But Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster works perfectly even without them, especially when you have a lot of marinades or extra juice.
You may also like: 7 Best Turkey Deep Fryer Reviews
2. Tovolo 81-2050 Large Dripless Brush Baster for Turkey Roasting
If you want to see how much liquid or marinade is in the flask, you will need a transparent baster. The Tovolo 81-2050 Large Dripless Brush Baster has a transparent flask made of thick plastic, which can even be mistaken for glass.
On the end, there is an ergonomically designed rubber bulb, which sits incredibly firmly on the bulb. You even need to make some effort if you want to separate the 2 parts!
The Tovolo 81-2050 Large Dripless Brush Baster literally holds every drop of marinade and juice, keeping you from losing anything. The bottle is filled by pressing the rubber nozzle.
If you squeeze it too hard, the whole flask will fill up. Once you have finished pickling or cooking, you can wash your Tovolo 81-2050 Large Dripless Brush Baster even in the dishwasher. It comes with a washing brush and we recommend using it. The baster spout often gets stuck with pieces that need to be brushed and cleaned.
3. Norpro Nylon Baster
Norpro is not limited to one product in the turkey basters category. We want to tell you about Norpro Nylon Baster, which will be your faithful assistant in baking turkey and any other bird.
The bastering technique will help you not only in roasting meat but also in preparing chops, scallops, and fish. Heat-resistant nylon, of which baster bulb is made, can withstand temperatures up to 230 degrees Celsius so that you can use it even with fiery and boiling marinades.
Some basters start leaking some time after use. With Norpro Nylon Baster this happens very rarely, so you can use the tool for many Thanksgiving Days. The light bulb fits tightly to the flask, so it doesn’t leak even after multiple uses.
Use Norpro Nylon Baster to get a golden crust on a chicken or turkey. You can also use it when preparing individual pieces of meat and poultry, such as marinade your breast or turkey legs.
4. OXO Good Grips Angled Turkey Baster with Cleaning Brush
This baster is already made of plastic in combination with a silicone lamp. The transparent flask has an easy-to-use marker which tells you how much marinade is inside at the moment.
You will definitely not lose precious sauce or meat juice, which can make your dish simply divine. Thanks to its heat resistance, you can use OXO Good Grips Angled Turkey Baster not only for the sauce but also for baking the food itself.
It comes with a cleaning brush that works perfectly with OXO Good Grips Angled Turkey Baster spout. The plastic is strong and transparent and after cleaning you will not see any marks from the brush.
Even if food or spices are left on the tube, you can clean them and store them when they are washed. OXO Good Grips Angled Turkey Baster has a non-standard good quality that makes the turkey juicier. You can even extract extra fat from the dishes with this baster.
You can also check: 7 Best Electric Turkey Fryer Reviews
5. Best Utensils Stainless Steel Turkey Baster
The Best Utensils Stainless Steel Turkey Baster is a complete set for preparing juicy turkeys. The set includes the stainless steel flask itself, a rubber bulb, an injection needle and a brush for cleaning.
All can be used at temperatures up to 230 degrees Celsius. The product has a 1 year warranty period, during which the manufacturer can replace the baster.
Compared to many other basters, Best Utensils Stainless Steel Turkey Baster keeps the marinade from leaking, as well as completely sucks it in. The sturdy construction is easy to clean and will not be damaged by rough cleaning with a brush.
If you use the baster very often, it should be noted that the light bulb on this tool can come off periodically. In case you only cook one turkey for a long time (e.g. once a week or a month), the Best Utensils Stainless Steel Turkey Baster is a great option to buy for a nice price.
If you have never baked a whole bird in the oven or on the grill, then you have missed a lot. There’s nothing more enjoyable than biting a piece of meat off a turkey leg that is juicy and crispy at the same time.
With the turkey baster, you can make even the smallest and toughest slice of turkey juicy and soaked, and the marinades that get inside the meat will give you an extra taste.
We tried to find for you the 5 best baster options that you can order on Amazon. And remember that you can make turkey not only for Thanksgiving!
FAQ for turkey basters buyers
1. Why basting?
We believe that when baking and cooking poultry you want to get juicy and tender meat as a result. Basting is a special method of cooking juicy meat, where it is cooked in its own juice or with additional marinade.
Usually, with the help of baster, the turkey is poured on top of it with juices, which are released when baked. This keeps the extra moisture inside the poultry while increasing the concentration of flavor. If you use a marinade, you also increase the concentration of taste.
2. Can I use baster not only for turkey but also for other meat?
Although we are talking about turkey, baster is considered a universal tool in the kitchen. Usually, it is used only for poultry or steaks, but it is suitable for all types of meat. Even if you are cooking pork ribs, you can pour special marinades or sauces on top of them during the cooking process.
Also, basters can help to caramelize wings or legs using marinades and sauces with the addition of sugar. Still, traditionally the device finds its application in the preparation of turkey.
3. Why do other tools come with the baster?
Often you may find some needles, brushes or something else on sale with basters. All additional accessories are necessary to make it easier for you to marinate your turkey.
For example, steel needles are designed to pierce and put extra marinade inside the meat, and a brush is needed to clean the narrow neck of the baster. If you don’t always need the needles, you need the baster brush for constant care.