Butterball introduces limited-time ‘Butterball Buddy’ to help divide Thanksgiving duties

Butterball, LLC introduced the Butterball Buddy today, a turkey-shaped notification device designed to assign Thanksgiving tasks to dinner guests before hosts have to ask for help.

The free, limited-time device is being released online in batches starting today.

The company developed the device following findings in its 2026 Butterball Togetherness Report, which showed that 85% of Thanksgiving hosts prefer guests to offer help, but only 38% actually ask them to pitch in.

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The Butterball Buddy operates by being passed from person to person during a holiday gathering. When the device chimes and vibrates, the person holding it receives a task tailored to the timing of the day, such as setting the table, serving small bites, topping off glasses or cleaning dishes.

After Thanksgiving, the device doubles as a kitchen timer and has contact information for the Turkey Talk-Line printed on the back.

Butterball is offering the device for free at ButterballBuddy.com while supplies last. Initial orders open today at 1 p.m. ET, with additional quantities scheduled for release at 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16.

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The Turkey Talk-Line will remain open through Dec. 24, accessible by phone at 1-800-BUTTERBALL and online at Butterball.com. Additional releases of the Butterball Buddy device will take place online on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. ET.

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