5 Julia Child-Approved Kitchen Tools That Are on Sale for Black Friday

We're always looking to the pros for the best tools to use in the kitchen—whether it's the roasting pan our Test Kitchen swears by or Ina Garten's must-have kitchen supplies. After all, no one knows good, long-lasting cookware like those who cook from nine to five. (That's why we're always asking our Test Kitchen editors about the very best cookware and kitchen accessories, from blenders to sheet pans.)

Related: 8 Ina Garten-Approved Kitchen Items That Are on Sale for Black Friday

And if there's one person whose cooking skills we'd want to borrow for the holiday season, it might just be Julia Child, who always knew how to entertain as deliciously and easily as possible. While we can't become culinary school grads and cookbook authors overnight, we can definitely take inspiration from the tools Child used in her kitchen. Luckily, you can find a complete catalog of items in Child's kitchen, which is preserved at the Smithsonian, via the Wayback Machine.

We went hunting for the best deals on some of these Julia Child-approved gadgets and found some real gems, including 49% off a KitchenAid stand mixer. (Child herself had a cobalt blue KitchenAid mixer that she had inscribed with her name and signature catchphrase—bon appetit!) Here are five of the best Black Friday deals on cookware and kitchen tools that Child used in her own kitchen, so you can live the Julie and Julia lifestyle of your dreams.

Don't stress over holiday baking—let this classic kitchen appliance do all the hard work for you. You can pick up a 5-quart mixer from Target right now for $220, which is a far cry from the regular price of $430. If you're more interested in a different size or color mixer, give the sales on KitchenAid's website a look. You can use this handy mixer for plenty of classic Julia Child recipes, plus some of our own holiday favorites, like these Gingerbread Marshmallows.

Child was all for using time-saving tools in the kitchen, including blenders. (She even included two blender recipes in her first cookbook!) In her kitchen at the Smithsonian, visitors will see a Cuisinart blender, like this 40-ounce version (buy it: $80, was $150; Amazon). You can use it to whip up classic sauces, like Child's blender hollandaise, or make a batch of our blender muffins.

It's no secret that Julia Child loved her food processor—she even went on The Dick Cavett Show to show off her machine's skills. There's a KitchenAid food processor in her kitchen at the Smithsonian, and you can pick up the brand's 13-cup version (buy it: $200, was $250) during Williams Sonoma's early Black Friday deals. If you're usually cooking for a smaller group, nab this 7-cup processor (buy it: $70, was $100) on sale at Home Depot.

There's no duplicating Child's marble mortar and pestle—according to the Smithsonian, the chef bought hers at a French flea market while studying in Paris. While you might not need an enormous mortar and pestle for Julia's usual projects, like making fish mousse, you may want a smaller version for muddling spearmint or crushing whole peppercorns. This Portmeirion Mortar and Pestle (buy it: $10, was $25; Macy's) would definitely do the trick—and it has several five-star reviews to convince you.

As with the mortar and pestle, you're not likely to duplicate Child's exact mix of copper pots and pans. One Smithsonian curator says Child bought much of her collection from the French retailer E. Dehillerin. If you don't have a Parisian shopping trip in the budget but still want to splurge on even-cooking copper cookware, you might consider the Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad Copper 10-Piece Cookware Set (buy it: $1,400, was $2,145; Williams Sonoma), which has racked up rave reviews from home cooks. "I've had this set for over 17 years," a review reads. "I purchased them knowing I'd never need to replace them and that they would likely be an heirloom collection. They are well loved and used daily."

No matter what you choose to scoop up during the holiday sales, you can't go wrong with one of these classics. And while they're not on sale for Black Friday, some of the books kept in Child's kitchen would make perfect holiday gifts for your food-loving friends, and they happen to be discounted on Amazon right now. Pick up a copy of the classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking (buy it: $27, was $40), Larousse Gastronomique (buy it: $56, was $115) or Joy of Cooking (buy it: $18, was $40) to gift some food for thought this year.