A $10 dip warmer and more tools to tackle your football watch party – CNET

Whether you’re prepping a snack spread for the final round of the NFL playoffs or the Super Bowl itself, there are kitchen gadgets available that will lighten the load. Scaling down your watch party for that big Sunday game is paramount this year, but even putting together a game-day menu for a modest group of football fans can be daunting.

If your goal is to make crispy wings and fries, cheesy dips and hearty chilis without breaking a sweat, we’ve got some small kitchen appliances that make a big difference for cooking and serving those marquee game-day classics. There are also drinks to consider, of course, and since beer is the tipple du jour, we found some nifty glassware and can coolers to keep everything chill. Oh, and don’t forget, you can have your game-day booze delivered
along with most of your food staples, saving you lots of time and trips to the store.

Feeling better? Like you might just pull this off after all? If you’re playing host for the big game this year, don’t go it alone. Check out these great gadgets and kitchen gear for making your 2021 football watch party the best, and easiest, one ever.

Crock-Pot

Slow cookers are a game-day watch party workhorse. You can cook a chili, tender pork shoulder or pulled chicken just by tossing ingredients in and letting it do its thing while you handle other jobs. Even better, you can serve whatever you made right in the cooker so it stays warm all evening and saves you on dishes.

This $30 Crock-Pot ticks all the boxes I look for in a slow cooker: a large 6-quart cooking capacity that’s great for groups; a locking lid in case you ever need to take it on the go. Plus, I personally love the slick black paint job and the price is just right.

Crock-Pot

This might look an awful lot like the slow cooker above but at two quarts, it’s perfectly sized to house spinach and artichoke dip, queso or any other warm dippable dish. I mean, you are making queso for your party, right? If it doesn’t stay warm it’ll start to congeal, and that’s when the pointing and whispering starts.

This mini Crock-Pot is just $10 at Target and is definitely money well spent for a serial host and dip maker.

Insignia

You could mess with a deep fryer to make wings, fries, poppers and other classic game-day snacks but with air fryers in the mix, why would you? Save yourself a whole lot of mess — and calories — and get freakishly similar results to deep frying with an air fryer. The super convection cooking zaps the outside of foods for a crispy crust without burning or overcooking. You’re talking to a full air fryer convert and, honestly, these things couldn’t be easier to use. Plus, you’re home won’t smell like a carnival food truck afterward.

You can pay a lot more than $60 for an air fryer if you want loads of fancy settings and features, but this 5-quart Farberware digital fryer has great reviews and enough cooking capacity to air-fry up batches for the gang.

CHEFMAN

If you’re ready to air-fry and you’ve got the space on your counter, I recommend a multipurpose convection oven with air-fry function. You can make your large batches of wings and fries but since it roasts, bakes, warms, broils and toasts, you’ll probably use it for a lot more than just air frying.

Uncommon Goods

Chips and salsa is much a staple as anything else on game day. This handmade bowl-in-a-bowl accommodates both and looks pretty darn cool doing it.

Lodge

If you’re going the burger or steak route for your watch party, a cast-iron grill pan is essential. Cast iron gets screaming hot and holds that heat evenly for a perfect sear and char on the outside of your meats. Lodge is a trusted, legacy cast-iron producer and 10.5 inches should be good to hold four or five burgers or a couple of big steaks at once.

J.A. Henckels

For a more classic approach to cold beer, these J.A. Henckels double-walled beer mugs will keep your brews chilled without freezing your fingers. They’re freezer- and dishwasher-safe and condensation-free so you won’t even need coasters. Snag a set of two for $26 at Macy’s.

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