The Turkey Cannon, sadly, does not launch the ballistic Butterball that I’d hoped for upon discovering the product. But its actual purpose is equally nearly as exciting.

Basically, you pour a can of beer down the shaft, impale the poultry upon it, the liquid boils as the bird roasts, and its insides are infused with delicious steamed Schlitz.

It’s like grilling a chicken with an open beer can in its cavity, except that that expands your marinade options.

Ty Measom, the inventor, has Turkey Cannon-ed everything from soda, to cranberry juice, to a white wine, sage, and lemon infusion.

Not that there’s any need to get all fancy about it.

Ty points out that the problem with turkey is that by the duration the inside is cooked, the outside is all dried out. You can solve that problem with the $25 Turkey Cannon,

or with a $100 3-piece Cannon set.

If you don’t want to go that extreme, I recommend that $10 baster/injector from Sur la Table.

This somewhat menacing combo tool’s two interchangeable heads switch from syringe to sauce-squirter as needed. Start out by bayoneting the marinade beneath the bird’s skin, soon after use the baster to drench it in its drippins as it roasts.

Personally, I’m torn amidst the two tools. Both have ingenious designs, great versatility, and would doubtless get some juicy results.

Deciding within them really just comes down to one brawny question: can you afford to sacrifice a whole beer?

More tools:

Thinking about frying a turkey that Thanksgiving? Think again.

More kitchens:

Check out our Wall Ovens gallery

And learn some tips on stovetop safety

Orginal post by Harry Sawyers