Timing is everything when preparing a large meal. Unfortunately, for the truly epic holiday meals – like Thanksgiving – there never seems to be enough oven space to ensure everything arrives at the table steaming. Something has always cooled, collapsed, or coagulated before the turkey is ready to carve.

This is where the autoclave comes in: It’s built to hold loads at around 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and since it subjects them to twice normal atmospheric pressure, it tends to cut cooking times in half. Autoclave cook-time for a small to mid-sized turkey should be less than 2 hours.

Wanna impress the in-laws this year? Bring home your favorite tabletop food-grade autoclave (not your Priorclave, though; those are research-grade autoclaves!) and put it to use on the big day.

The following tips are adapted from advice found in the MeltedMint.com forums and conversations with Priorclave staff.

• Place food in a container or foil.
• Place the container on the shelf in the autoclave.
• Fill the chamber (consider adding aromatic herbs, such as bay leaves, coriander, or sage).
• Set the autoclave for a standard sterilization cycle that’s roughly half the normal cooking time for your turkey (rounded down).
• Close the appliance and start your cycle.
• At the end of the cycle remove the turkey from the appliance and check the temp in the thickest part of the bird: 170 degrees for white meat, 180 degrees for dark.
• To brown the turkey breast: Set it breast-up on a ceramic serving plate and gently scorch the bird with a propane torch while sprinkling with brown sugar. Allow the bird to rest 1hr before carving.
• Drain, wash and refill the autoclave with fresh water.

Voila! If you decide to use your autoclave for Thanksgiving dinner preparation this year, we’d love pictures and a copy of your favorite autoclave recipes!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!