This $1.25 Dollar Tree Find Is a Must-Buy for the Holidays

My mom basted her holiday turkeys every twenty minutes, like clockwork, and her birds always came out perfectly. Now that my mom is no longer with us, I want to do more to bring her spirit back into the holidays. So, this year I’m going back to my mama’s turkey method—a decision made even easier when I spotted the Cooking Concepts Turkey Baster at the Dollar Tree for just $1.25.

Of course, I plan to use it for my turkey, but because I always regret buying single-use kitchen items, I also made a point of looking for some other ways to use it. So, while it’s perfect timing for the upcoming holidays, I’ve learned that a turkey baster can be for more than just turkey!

Why I Love the Dollar Tree’s Turkey Baster

The classic, two-part design, with just a clear plastic tube and a bulb, makes it easy to see how much liquid I’m drawing up. The suction is strong and controllable, so I can draw up just a couple of tablespoons of pan juices to baste my bird or fill the entire tube to transfer drippings into my gravy pot.

That same two-part design makes it easy to take apart for thorough cleaning, so I don’t have to worry about weird crevices, trapped fat, or guessing whether it’s actually clean. Because I hope to use the same baster for other kitchen tasks, I want to feel confident there won’t be any cross-contamination with the turkey drippings.

I’ve seen some upscale glass-and-metal basters before, but I prefer this one to be made of lightweight plastic. I am already pretty clumsy, and knowing it won’t crack or shatter if it slips from my hands gives me peace of mind. That durability is particularly helpful when I’m moving quickly in a holiday kitchen, trying to keep everything on schedule.

The $1.25 price point also removes all the pressure. I can use it freely for whatever task needs doing without feeling like I have to baby it, which is exactly how kitchen tools should work.

How Else I Plan To Use My Turkey Baster

While I will most likely use it around the holidays, I’m considering a few other ways to use it year-round. I can use it to baste other meats, like steak, fish, and poultry, when making larger batches of my favorite butter-basted cod or chicken breasts. I usually do this with a spoon, but when I’m cooking for more than just my family, a baster will make it much more efficient.

It would also be great for drizzling simple syrup onto layer cakes or Lemon Pound Cake for a bakery-like soak, and I’ve heard a baster in the top of an open bottle of wine will keep it from aerating even more. I can even water my terrarium without disturbing the delicate moss arrangement. I’ve also heard from friends who use them for craft projects, gently cleaning tight spaces in small appliances, and even for car detailing in hard-to-reach vents.

This simple Cooking Concepts turkey baster does everything I need it to do, cleans easily, and costs about as much as a bag of dinner rolls. During a season when holiday expenses add up fast, saving a bit of money feels like a small victory.

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