The Best Turkey Basters, Tested by Allrecipes

Unless you cook whole poultry or make roasts regularly, you might only think about your basting tool during the winter holidays. I’m definitely that person, but I’ve successfully roasted a 15- to 20-pound bird annually since 2013, armed mainly with a reliable meat thermometer and a quality turkey baster. 

Over the years, I’ve learned that a turkey baster plays a pivotal role in achieving a perfectly cooked Thanksgiving bird. The oils from the drippings help crisp and brown skin, while the drizzling of juices helps keep the meat succulent during its lengthy cooking process. I’ve also found that I can use my turkey baster outside of the holiday season when making other meats like prime rib and pork roast, and to help control the amount of liquid in anything I’m braising. 

Of course, you probably only need one turkey baster, so we reached out to the Allrecipes Allstars, our dedicated team of trusted experts, to test popular models to find the very best one. If you’re looking for an improved version of the turkey basters your grandma used to use, we’ve got you covered.

This baster from Norpro is a major upgrade from the plastic versions of my childhood. First, it’s made of stainless steel, making it more durable than hard plastic. It also features a silicone bulb that is also heat resistant to 450°F, perfect for working with hot liquids without worrying about melting any plastic parts. “This is one of the sturdier basters I’ve used,” says Allstar France Cevallos. “It would last for years.”

The 11-inch metal tube can hold up to 1.5 ounces at a time, making it easy to baste quickly and efficiently—especially important when you don’t want your roast or turkey losing too much heat with the oven door open. (Pro tip: gently heat the tube with warm water before use so your liquids stay hot as you baste.) As she tested this, France noted that it did an excellent job capturing and releasing hot liquids and different viscosities. “It can handle both thin and thick sauces with ease, and you can maneuver it around without worry of breaking it,” she says. That said, not being able to monitor how much liquid is in the baster is a downside for both her and I.

As I’m also a fan of any tool that can multitask. An included needle turns the baster into an injector for infusing drippings, herb butters and more into roasts as they cook, though France points out that “the inside of the injector needle is difficult to clean, so you need to soak it in hot, soapy water.”  The included brush makes it easy to clean out any debris from the baster tube, and all pieces can be placed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. All of this functionality comes at an excellent price too, which is why this baster is our top pick.

Other Turkey Basters to Consider

Thanks to the angled design of this Oxo baster, it’s easier than ever to reach into a roasting pan’s corners or just under the edge of a honey glazed ham to pick up as much liquid as possible. The clear body of this model features both imperial and metric measurements that are easy to read, and an added foot keeps the tool from rolling or dripping as it rests on the counter. 

France found this easy to fill—all you need is one good squeeze. The stand kept the baster from rolling around, even when full, and the baster was great when working with pan drippings. France did have a harder time with a thicker liquid, as the baster couldn’t suck up more than a half-inch, which makes this less than ideal for marinades and sauce.

Made of durable Tritan plastic with a silicone bulb, this baster is resistant to heat and is thick enough to keep from shattering or cracking with use. France also really appreciated the included cleaning brush that makes it easy to clean by hand, but it can go straight into the dishwasher if you want hassle-free cleanup.

Very similar to the old-school turkey baster that my mother owned, this model by Tovolo features a straight plastic body and silicone bulb. What makes it different is the added tip that has a silicone valve that shuts when the bulb isn’t being squeezed. This was France’s favorite feature since it did a great job at preventing drips on your counter or across the kitchen floor between uses, though she did note that a few drops escaped during testing.

The clear baster body lets you keep an eye on liquid levels, and it can handle hot drippings and other liquids with ease. France appreciated the angled tip, which let her place the baster into the pan at an angle, and that it could handle thick and thin sauces. “I used this baster when my other baster wasn’t able to suck up a thicker sauce,” she says. France did find the bulb uncomfortable, though. “It is much too firm and makes removing and releasing liquids more challenging, and makes it more prone to splashes,” she says.

When you’re done using the baster, it can be completely disassembled for cleaning, whether by hand or in the dishwasher. We suggest the latter, as France noted its included cleaning brush wasn’t the most useful for cleaning out the interior. This could be a bit annoying if you use this baster regularly, but not as much if it’s one of those tools you don’t envision using year-round. 

If you’re set on avoiding plastic, this version from Norpro ticks a lot of boxes. It’s made of sturdy tempered glass that is heat resistant to 450°F; it features a silicone rubber bulb for easy suction; and a tapered tip for accurate basting. The baster can hold up to two ounces of liquid at a time, though France found that one squeeze only fills it about halfway, but the clear body means you can easily monitor how much liquid is in the baster before distributing it over your Thanksgiving turkey. Luckily, it could handle both thick and thin sauces during our testing.

The grippy bulb is easy to squeeze, and as there is no design feature that prevents drips, they can happen if you hold it upright too long. France did wish for this to come with a cleaning brush so she could scrub down the interior. “I would also be careful not to hit the sides of the pan, or pay attention to how it’s stored in a drawer, as to not break the glass even though it feels sturdy,” she says. “With care, this baster would last many, many years”

The clear body of this baster by Cuisipro is made of heat-resistant Tritan plastic, making it really easy to monitor exactly how much liquid you’re drawing or releasing with each squeeze of the bulb. Measuring 14 inches long, this baster has a 1.7-ounce capacity, and tapers down to a traditional basting tip for distributing juices and drippings over roasting meats. There are measurement markings on the side, and it had great suction during France’s testing. 

This baster is one of the pricier models available since it comes with a silicone brush attachment and a nylon showerhead attachment. France used both additional tips, and felt they were a bit gimmicky. The brush is only useful when you have a deep layer of liquid, while the showerhead attachment requires just the right amount of force. That said, this works beautifully without any attachment and should last through many holiday meals. All the pieces can be disassembled for easy cleaning by hand or in the dishwasher.

Why Take Our Word for It? 

Bernadette Machard de Gramont is a Los Angeles-based writer specializing in global food and wine content. After a two-year stint at the Williams-Sonoma Headquarters in San Francisco, she now researches and tests a variety of cookware, bakeware, wine tools, and other home and kitchen goods and interviews field experts for their insight.

Allstar France Cevallos is one of the original Allrecipes Allstars since it started in 2011 and has been using the site since the late 1990s. She tested each of these turkey basters in her home kitchen.

Want to know more about the Allrecipes Allstars? Learn about their favorite recipes, kitchen hacks, and product picks.