Football season is almost at an end, with the Super Bowl right around the corner, and that means one thing: snacks. Watch parties are happening every week, leading up to the biggest watch party of all next month. If you want to beat out your friends on Sunday as you beat them out in fantasy football, you’ll want to make sure you put out a deluge of delicious eats. The right kitchen gadget or small appliance can bump your hosting status from amateur to legendary.
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 the marquee game-day classics. There are also drinks to consider, and since beer is the tipple du jour, we found some nifty glassware and insulated can coolers to keep everything extra 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, trouble 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 2023 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.
Read more: Best Slow Cooker Recipes for Game Day
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, your home won’t smell like a carnival food truck afterward.
You can pay a lot more than $47 for an air fryer if you want loads of fancy settings and features, but this nearly 4-quart Chefman analog fryer has great reviews and enough cooking capacity to air-fry up batches for the gang.
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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.
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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.
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