Gadgets to help make Thanksgiving easier

Thanksgiving — arguably the biggest day of the year for home cooks — is right around the corner, and tension is starting to build. Here are a few things sure to make the whole process smoother for you and your guests.

The Taylor Weighing Bowl Scale recently was named to Oprah Winfrey’s list of favorite things, and no wonder: The 8-cup bowl fits on the scale (11-pound capacity) and is tapered for easy pouring. It weighs in 0.1-ounce increments, and you can weigh, mix and pour with one device. $49.67, amazon.com

It seems like everybody makes Brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving, which means a lot of stemming and coring of the little gems. The Chef’n Twist ‘n Sprout can make the task easier; all you do is press the sprout on the device’s tip and twist and out goes the core. $7.99, chefn.com

If you have more guests than room at the table, you can make the juggling act a lot easier for them with the iCup, iPlate and iFork interlocking system. Lock your fork into your plate, then slide the cup in underneath. And they’re reusable. $19.99 for an 8-pack of cups, plates and forks, ifork.com

You’re spending plenty on the wine, but you don’t have to break the bank on the decanter. The Mako decanter performs the task of aeration with simple, streamlined elegance. $20, makobarware.com

Fresh butter is a real luxury, but who has the time and patience to run the churn? With the Chef’n ButterCup, all you do is pour in a cup of heavy whipping cream, let it sit at room temperature for six to eight hours, then shake (or have the kids do it) for about 3 minutes — and it’s butter! Recipes are included for honey butter and roasted garlic butter. $14.99, chefn.com