The 10 Best Basters To Avoid A Dry Thanksgiving Turkey

When the holiday season rolls around each year, there's always discourse about the best tips for cooking the perfect turkey, and what the secret is to a succulent, not-dry, turkey. While people have their sworn trick or family recipe, the simplest answer is proper basting. It's the trick to getting crispy skin on a turkey. A well-basted turkey is juicier, more flavorful, and has a beautiful golden brown color.

Basting involves using drippings or a prepared marinade to coat the bird while it's cooking. While there are different ways to baste a turkey without a baster, basters make it easier to do so without getting your hands dirty or too near the heat. Plus, you can even use a baster to skim the fat off of a broth or to drain liquid from a pan.

Most basters consist of a tube with a bulb at the end. You squeeze the bulb, place the tip of the tube into the liquid, then release the bulb to draw it up. To release the liquid, you simply squeeze the bulb again. There are hundreds of basters on the market, but we've narrowed it down to the ones that we think will best meet your Thanksgiving turkey needs and beyond.

Not all basters are made equally, and there are a number of characteristics that we consider when choosing the best ones. When you're looking for the right baster, you have to know what your priorities are. Some basters have clear measurements so you can be specific with the volume of liquid you use.

The material of the tube is also an important factor. Glass, plastic, and stainless steel, are the most common and each has its own benefits. Stainless steel is the most resistant to heat and wear and tear, making it last longer and easy to pop in the dishwasher. However, you won't see the amount of liquid you're drawing up, which makes plastic and glass better for that purpose. Glass may be preferable over plastic if you don't like the idea of using hot liquids with plastic, but these days most plastic basters are BPA-free and more affordable. For both these materials, it's about their level of heat resistance. 

Cleanup is also a factor; it's not easy to properly wash a long, thin tube. Some basters come with a cleaning brush that helps, and some have detachable bulbs and are dishwasher-safe. We also took into account if it drips during, as well as the baster's capacity. You might need more liquid for larger roasts, which will save you the hassle of having to go back and forth with your baster if it's too small.

We love OXO products because they're thoughtfully designed with the cook in mind, making everyday kitchen tools that are functional and easy to use. This OXO Good Grips Angled Turkey Baster is just that. It meets all of our needs. The uncommonly angled shape of the tube helps you to reach all around your roasting pan, underneath your turkey, and into corners and other hard-to-reach places. It has a "foot" stand on the side of the tube that, when placed on the counter, keeps the angled tip pointing upwards and prevents it from rolling, so that it doesn't drip any juice while it's placed down.

It has clear measurement markings, so you can see exactly how much liquid you're using, in both ounces and milliliters. We appreciate that it comes with a cleaning brush and is dishwasher safe, with a detachable silicone bulb, making cleanup a cinch.

Purchase the OXO Good Grips Angled Turkey Baster with Cleaning Brush on Amazon for $14.95.

If you only pull out a baster at Thanksgiving and no other time of the year, then you don't really need a fancy, expensive one with all the frills. For under $7, this Norpro Dishwasher Safe Glass Baster is our pick for the best baster if you're on a budget. With a retro feel, it's a reliable baster that gets the job done without any problems. We also love that the tube is made from tempered glass and can take heat up to 450 F, meaning you can use it for hot liquids and it's dishwasher safe. It also has a really large capacity of liquid: up to 2 fluid ounces.

The silicone bulb is easy to squeeze and has a powerful suction. It's also removable for easy cleanup. We think this sturdy baster offers more than many other more expensive ones. What more can we ask for from such an affordable baster?

Purchase the Norpro Dishwasher Safe Glass Baster on Amazon for $6.79.

Basting isn't limited to just turkey. You can baste ham or other meats, fish, and baked potatoes; even the secret to a perfect fried egg is all about the baste. To cover all of your basting needs, we love this set that comes with two extra head attachments for more versatility.

The Cuisipro 3-in-1 Baster includes a "shower head" and a silicone basting mop for different styles of basting. Use the shower head when you want to do a spray of basting liquid for quicker use and a wider coverage of your meat or use the silicone mop for evenly and controlled coating of your turkey with basting liquid. And of course, remove the attachments to use as a regular baster for a heavier, steady stream of juice. The tube's material is tritan plastic, which is BPA-free, heat-resistant, and dishwasher-safe.

Purchase the Cuisipro 3-in-1 Baster on Amazon for $28.

While some basters claim to be "dripless" or "drip-free" there's always some drippage when using them, and it can be the most annoying part of using a baster. It's hard to find a baster that truly doesn't drip, especially if your liquid is on the thinner side.

This Tovolo Easy-to-Use, Angle-Tipped, Dripless Baster, actually does what it promises. Just like a chemistry pipette is designed to make sure you don't drip any unwanted contents, this baster doesn't waste a drop. The tip has a seal mechanism that prevents liquid from dripping out after you've squeezed the bulb. The tip, which is also detachable, is angled, which means it won't drip even if you're not using it, since you can lay it down facing upwards; it even comes with an extra. The tube is clear and heat resistant, to a max temperature of 400 F, and all parts are dishwasher-safe.

Purchase the Tovolo Easy-to-Use, Angle-Tipped, Dripless Baster on Amazon for $11.

Made from high-grade stainless steel material and a heat-resistant silicone bulb, this baster won't melt or bend if you wash it at high temperatures or use super hot liquids. It's completely dishwasher safe and also comes with a separate cleaning brush if you prefer to wash it by hand.

There's always debate about whether a baster with a bulb is better for basting than a brush. With this set, you have both! You get a basting brush with the same high-quality stainless steel and silicone bristles, with an extra long handle of 12 inches, to avoid getting your hands close to any hot pans. The bristles are detachable from the brush's handle so that you can clean them more thoroughly at the base. You also get an injector attachment, that will pierce right through where you want to get your marinade into the meat. ‌

Purchase the Steel Turkey Baster & Barbecue Basting Brush, with Flavor Injector and Cleaning Brush – By MiiKO on Amazon for $12.

If you want to avoid plastic altogether but still want visibility of the liquid you're sucking up, this glass baster from Williams Sonoma is a great option. It's worth noting that this is made of borosilicate glass, which is both more durable and better at withstanding heat than other glass. But since it's still glass, it's best to use it with care to prevent breaking.

The tube is clearly marked and the narrow opening of the tip helps you to have more control of the stream. The rubber bulb has an ergonomic slightly curved design that's comfortable to hold and will aid in preventing rolling around on the counter. Although this baster is safe to use in the dishwasher, they recommend handwashing it so it lasts longer.

Purchase the Williams Sonoma Glass Bulb Baster from Williams Sonoma for $19.95.

Sometimes it's not enough to baste, and we want to get our marinade or drippings right into the meat, through the skin, cartilage or bones. That's where basters with an injector come in handy, and this one comes with two detachable needle shafts for different styles of injecting.

This syringe baster from Made By Design has a sleek, stylish look, with a three-finger hole handle that will help you grasp it with more strength for injecting into harder parts. This stainless steel handle has some added benefits relative to a rubber or silicone bulb, as you can wash the whole thing and know that every part of the baster will be clean and long-lasting.

Purchase the Made By Design™ Stainless Steel Syringe Baster from Target for $14.

When looking for the most durable material in a baster, stainless steel wins on every count, especially if you're not a stickler about precise amounts. The high heat resistance automatically means it's dishwasher safe too, without worrying about microplastics or melting/cracking glass. It won't rust, stain, or be affected by anything acidic, ensuring that it'll last you a long, long time.

This Norpro stainless steel baster's silicone bulb can take heat up to 450 F so you don't have to worry that the bulb will damage with use. While being a sturdy, no-frills piece of equipment that you can rely on, it also comes with an attachable injector needle and a cleaning brush.

Purchase the Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster with Injector and Cleaning Brush on Amazon for $12.99.

When you're making a dish the size of a turkey, a whole leg of lamb, or a big tray of something like roasted pork shoulder, you want to be able to baste with a larger volume of liquid or marinade. The Fox Run Heat-Resistant Glass Baster can hold 2 fluid ounces, which is more than you can say for most kitchen basters, which on average tend to hold less than half. That makes it a versatile tool that you can use for other purposes beyond basting, like watering plants, squirting pancake batter out into fun shapes, or separating egg whites with ease.

This glass baster is super simple to use and has a cute vintage design, with a large yellow silicone bulb and a straight glass tube. Although it's dishwasher safe, the manufacturer recommends that you hand wash it so that you preserve it's longevity.

Purchase the Fox Run Heat-Resistant Glass Baster on Amazon for $7.99

This understated turkey baster has clearly marked measurements written out in quarter-ounce and 5-milliliter intervals. With a larger capacity than most, this baster tube goes all the way to 1½ fluid ounces, making it a perfect medium to large-size baster you can use for measured liquid applications.

We also love that it has a flat bulb, meaning it can lay still on the counter. It's also dishwasher top-shelf approved and comes with a cleaning brush, too, in case you feel like washing it by hand.

Purchase the OXO Turkey Baster with Cleaning Brush from Target for $11.99