If you’re having a party—whether it’s a small get-together or a call-the-cops dance party—you’ll need some supplies. Here’s our guide to the most essential gear you’ll need to throw the best party. The picks below represent several hundred hours of research and testing; some picks come from longer full guides, while other items come from research we did specifically for this collection. A great party is a chance to put your phone down and enjoy good company. Prepare just enough so you can relax and have fun. It’s your party, after all.
Looking for dinner-party gear, from roasting pans to basic plates? We’ve got you covered.
Table of contents
Bar
Glasses (most versatile)
Champagne glasses
Wine glasses
Pitcher for water
Cocktail glasses
Stemmed glass
Tall glass
Short glass
Cocktail shaker
Cocktail napkins
Ice bucket
Punch bowl
Tub
Well liquor
Case of sparkling wine
Boxed wine
Wine-glass markers
Cups (disposable, cold drinks)
Cups (disposable, hot drinks)
Table and snacks
Slow cooker
Cookie sheets
Puff pastry
Toaster oven
Cutting boards for prep and presentation
Plates (disposable)
Utensils (disposable)
Folding table
Folding chairs
Ambiance
Bluetooth speakers
Candles
Home music system
Instant camera
Holiday
Christmas wreath
Christmas tree stand
Christmas lights
Bar
Glasses (most versatile)
Our drinking glass pick
Duralex Picardie tumbler
The Duralex Picardie survived an 8-foot fall off a roof onto a linoleum floor. It stacks neatly, too, and it costs only a few dollars per glass.
$25 from Amazon (set of six)
After 28 hours of research including drop tests onto tile and concrete, plus a year of long-term testing, we couldn’t resist picking the Picardie tumbler from French manufacturer Duralex as our favorite drinking glass. While they look elegant enough for the dinner table, they’re versatile enough to sit stacked up on the bar for use as wine or cocktail glasses. You’ll spot these glasses at Paris bistros and Middle Eastern tea shops, making everything from espresso shots to bordeaux look good. During our temperature stress tests, the Picardie tumbler’s tempered glass withstood freezing temps and boiling water, so it’ll work for both hot apple cider and ice water. When we flung the tumblers off an 8-foot roof onto a linoleum floor, they didn’t break, and because they stack well they’re easy to store once your dinner is over.
The 10⅞-ounce size is ideal for smaller portions of juice or warm punch and comes in boxes of six. For water or for tall coolers like iced tea and lemonade, the 16⅞-ounce tumbler (box of six) is big enough to hold your drink and lots of ice, too.
There’s no end to the number of sources that confirm this durable drinking glass is everything it promises to be: It made the SAVEUR 100, The Kitchn loves it, and The Guardian once declared the Picardie tumbler one of the top 10 “classics of everyday design.” —Eve O’Neill
Champagne glasses
Our champagne glass pick
Viv Champagne Glass
Perfect for parties, this glass won't break the bank. The Viv is tall, elegant, and available for about $5 each.
$5 from Crate and Barrel
Our experts unanimously agree that to experience the flavors and aromas of fine Champagne, drinking it out of a wine glass is best. But when your friends descend for a celebration, whether the glass “does something” for your bubbly misses the point—flutes are fun. Our favorite flute for getting six or more of your family and friends sozzled is the Crate and Barrel Viv Champagne Glass, and the reason is the price. No one wants to break the bank passing out glasses for a toast. The Viv is tall, elegant, and available for only $5 each or in a set of eight for $35.
The Viv doesn’t have the characteristics that make higher-end flutes better than others, namely tulip-shaped bowls, effervescence points, and leaded crystal. For fine dining or an intimate occasion, our favorite high-quality Champagne flute is the Riedel Vinum Cuvee Prestige, and you can read about it in our full-length guide.
But we don’t think you want to spend $200 for a party of eight to come over and drink $40 worth of Prosecco. The Viv costs about $5 and looks marvelous. Though it’s made of glass, the lip and bowl are pulled thin, which creates the refined quality that separates restaurant-grade models from more expensive dinnerware. Looking at the selection in store, I have found one or two that have slight defects in craftsmanship, but small imperfections can’t be avoided in such inexpensive glassware, and we’ll bet your guests won’t notice.
It’s just the right amount of tall at 9.5 inches—not so stubby that it looks plain, not so towering that you could break it with a glance. Of all the glass shapes Crate and Barrel sells, the Viv flute has the most user-friendly proportions. I walked into the store and examined each one: It doesn’t loom on a skinny stick like the Camille, or get top-heavy when full like the Vineyard. The base, stem and bowl are in the right proportion to keep liquid stable. The Silhouette is the favorite budget option we list in our full-length guide because of the tulip-shaped bowl, which won’t get in the way of your nose when you’re drinking, but it’s pricier at about $8 each.
If you need a boatload of glasses, the cheapest flute available is the $2 HEDERLIG from IKEA. It’s clunkier and shorter than the Viv, and the stem is thicker, resembling most of the restaurant-grade glassware available. In spite of that, we’ve seen these glasses at banquets, and they still look and feel special. The quality has been consistent in the glasses we’ve seen, so you shouldn’t get a wonky lopsided glass (but if you do, that’s what $2 buys these days). You can’t get them online; they’re available in-store only. —EO
Wine glasses
Our wine glass pick
Riedel Ouverture Magnum
The Riedel Ouverture Magnum can do the work of almost every wine and drinking glass in your cabinet. Durable construction and dishwasher-safe crystal make cleanup easy.
$60 from Amazon (set of eight)
$65 from Target (set of eight)
The Riedel Ouverture Magnum (available in a set of eight) has a unique ability: It can make anything taste pretty darn good. We had a professional winemaker blind-taste wine in more than 30 different glasses, and he confirmed that if you want one glass for serving red wine, white wine, Champagne, or even spirits, the Ouverture Magnum does the job better than any of the hundreds of glasses out there. Our winemaker tried several types of red and white in this glass, noting that it made each taste “simple” and “easy.” No other all-purpose glass could present several different types of wine in a favorable way.
In particular, the short stem on this glass makes it great for dinner parties. Only 7⅞ inches tall, this lower-profile glass fits in the top rack of a dishwasher, stashes easily in a cabinet, and remains difficult to tip over on a table or a dish-clogged counter.
Shorter also means less visual noise on the table—more room for serving bowls, and no towering glasses blocking conversation or getting in the way of passing around the casserole. Stemless glasses are good at that too, but the stem has a purpose: It’s there so your body heat doesn’t warm up the wine, and it keeps fingerprints off the bowl.
For wine glasses, these are durable. Nick Rood, the tasting room manager at Vintner’s Collective in California’s Napa Valley, uses them in his tasting room. “We use dozens a day,” he told us. “We also run them through a 180-degree dishwasher and polish all of them by hand … and I think we only break one a month.”
The Ouverture Magnum isn’t fine dining drinkware; it’s an everyday glass. So if you’re seeking something more elegant to create a polished and formal feel for your dinner table, look at our full-length wine glass guide, where we recommend the Riedel Vinum series. The specifics depend on the type of glass you get, but most of the Vinum pieces are taller than the Ouverture Magnum, made of leaded crystal, and a better choice if you plan on breaking out your fine china or hosting an intimate group of two to four.
For sprucing up a table for a group of six to eight, though, the Ouverture Magnum is plenty beautiful and made of lead-free crystal, which means it’s pulled thinner and finer than inexpensive tableware sets (all of which are made of basic, non-crystal soda-lime glass). They weigh less than regular glass, sparkle more, and have an iconic, egg-shaped, 18⅝-ounce bowl—big enough to aerate red wines and small enough to keep whites crisp. Glasses with giant, 23-ounce bowls can showcase only one type of wine with any finesse, and they bogart all your cabinet space. Glasses with smaller capacities, in the 12-to-14-ounce range, aren’t broad enough to aerate red wine.
You’ll find no cheaper glass that can also make wine taste good, and no glass this versatile at any price. For the uncle who brings a bottle of Crown Royal every year, it can work as a snifter too. And come time for brunch the next day, water sipped from a heavy IKEA HEDERLIG feels strange. But fill your Ouverture Magnum with water, punch, lemonade, mimosa, or iced tea, and it has done the work of two different sets.
Amazon reviewers consistently make these type of comments: “You notice that the rim is ground and polished and the seams are [minimal],” and “This is the best everyday wine glass I have found. Good mouth feel and just the right size.” Riedel quality is a home run. —EO
Pitcher for water
Our pitcher pick
Weck Canning/Juice Jar
A water pitcher is essential for a dinner table, and this economical one has a classic shape and a smooth pouring action.
$6 from Crate and Barrel
When it comes to having a pitcher of water on the table, we found that simple and cheap is the way to go. The Weck Canning/Juice Jar is economical, sturdy, and comfortable to hold. It has a small footprint, and the classic shape blends in well on most dining tables. It comes with a loose-fitting glass lid that’s a little impractical for day-to-day use, but thankfully you can purchase a plastic snap-on lid if you require airtight storage in the refrigerator. Even with the extra lid, though, we can’t recommend storing this jar on its side in case your fridge has limited shelf clearance.
We looked at many bottles to use as water pitchers for this guide. Anchor Hocking makes a bottle similar to our pick at a comparable price, but the glass is thick and the bottle is heavier; we like the lighter weight of the Weck. The Bormioli Glass Bottle with Stopper is the exact same bottle that Crate and Barrel sells under the name Airtight Glass Bottle. These stopper bottles have sturdy gaskets and a leakproof seal—not a drop escaped when we stored these bottles on their sides for four days in The Sweethome’s test-kitchen fridge. Unfortunately, everyone who put their hands on the bottles agreed that they weren’t comfortable to hold, and the water glugged out as opposed to flowing in a smooth and steady pour. IKEA also makes an airtight glass bottle called the KORKEN, but the gasket was thin and looked as if it would give out after a short amount of time and use. —Lesley Stockton
Cocktail glasses
Two-tiered Safavieh Bar Cart provided courtesy of Target.
If you’re serious about cocktails, we recommend stocking three styles of glassware: a stemmed glass, a tall glass, and a short glass. The bartenders and cocktail experts from across the nation whom we spoke to agree that a good cocktail glass is visually and physically balanced, not too big, and durable. “A cocktail is really about pleasure at any degree, and the glass is part of that,” said Allan Katz, co-founder of New York Distilling Company and the Shanty. In addition to Katz, we spoke with Abigail Gullo, a veteran bartender currently working at Compère Lapin in New Orleans ( Eater just named her the best bartender); Zac Overman, bar manager at Seattle’s renowned Sitka & Spruce; and Chris Amirault, a former director of forums at eGullet who teaches cocktail classes in people’s homes.“Most high-end glassware isn’t made for dependable home use: It’s fragile, or too big, or colored, or has idiotic stems, lips, or design,” Amirault told us. Our experts suggest scouring thrift stores for vintage glassware or buying the same sturdy stock used in most restaurants and bars. —Hannah Kirshner
Stemmed glass
The stemmed glass: coupe
Libbey Classy Coupe Glass
A coupe that’s ideal for “up” drinks, the Libbey 4½-ounce coupe is as sturdy as it is pretty.
$30 from Awesome Drinks (set of four)
For cocktails served “up,” from manhattans to margaritas, this 4½-ounce Libbey coupe is ideal. Zac Overman was not subtle about his disdain for the V-shaped martini glass, which is prone to sloshing over. “The classic coupe looks great and curves back on itself and keeps the drink in the glass,” Overman said. Allan Katz agreed: “You want it to feel balanced, not just on the table but in your hand.” The visual is important too, added Abigail Gullo. “I like a sense of proportion,” she told us.
Particularly when it comes to a stemmed glass, for drinks not served with ice, it’s important to avoid any glass that’s too big. “Most drinks are meant to be consumed fairly quickly. There’s a short window to enjoy a drink while it’s really cold,” said Gullo. A 10- or 12-ounce martini leaves you sipping a warm cocktail. Our experts like the Libbey 4½-ounce coupe, which is designed to take heavy use in a bar, making it ideal for the home too. “They’re sturdy enough to stand up not only to use, but to the dishwasher,” said Katz. Libbey glassware is sold by the case at restaurant-supply stores (and on Amazon), but Awesome Drinks sells these in sets of four, with a discount if you buy more. —HK
Tall glass
The tall glass: collins
Libbey Clear Collins Glass
For fizzy drinks served over ice, a 10-ounce collins is the standard glass. The Libbey 12-ounce collins is affordable and good looking. Plus, you can also use it for beer and Bloody Marys.
$26 from Amazon (set of 12)
$20 from Awesome Drinks (set of four)
For a fizzy refreshing Tom Collins, a Bloody Mary, a gin and tonic, or even a pour of pilsner, we suggest a 10- to 12-ounce collins; you can get a set of four made by Libbey. If you want to split hairs, glass makers actually sell a variety of tall styles intended for different drinks, but collecting them all would be impractical for home use. What guest is going to look at you askew if you serve a gin fizz in a collins instead of in a highball? (If you don’t know why that’s a problem, I’ve made my point.) Our experts agreed that a collins is a good one-size-fits-all option.
“I like a straight chimney shape, so I can stack nice big ice cubes in it,” said Abigail Gullo. Fluted versions exist too, but bartenders prefer a straight-sided glass, with a heavy bottom for stability. This style of glass is also great for serving lemonade or iced tea in the summer. Don’t forget the straw—these glasses are awkward to drink from without one, and it provides the visual finishing touch. —HK
Short glass
The short glass: double old-fashioned
Godinger Dublin Double Old Fashioned
An old-fashioned glass, suitable for rocks drinks, should feel substantial. This faux-cut-crystal double old-fashioned from Godinger looks like Waterford crystal but is cheap and durable enough for daily use.
$15 from Amazon (set of four)
An 8-ounce double old-fashioned is the perfect glass for a Sazerac, a martini on the rocks, a cobbler, a negroni, or—of course—an old-fashioned. We like this set of four from Godinger, because they look like Waterford crystal but cost even less than the plain Libbey version. As for what to look for in an old-fashioned, Allan Katz told us that “it should feel substantial.” Abigail Gullo agreed: “I like some heft. It seems regal.” The most important difference between a rocks glass and an old-fashioned is that you can muddle and mix in the latter without worrying that it will break.
Zac Overman, again, suggested a Libbey model that the staff uses at Sitka & Spruce, but for a fancier feel, we like the Godinger brand that Gullo uses at Compère Lapin. Gullo told us she once bartended a billionaire’s wedding, and when his wife showed her the glassware collection, Gullo exclaimed, “Oh, we use the same ones at work,” before realizing she was looking at real Waterford crystal. It goes to show that the Godinger glasses are pretty convincing—but you won’t have to worry about a guest breaking one, and they’re dishwasher-safe. —HK
Cocktail shaker
Our Boston shaker pick
Koriko Weighted Shaking Tins
If you want to look like a pro, get a Boston shaker. This one has better balance and an easier-to-break seal than others we tried.
$17 from Cocktail Kingdom (set of two)
Whether you’re serving a classic martini or something more adventurous (amaretto sour, perhaps?), you need a good shaker. After considering dozens and testing eight for our guide to the best barware, we like the Koriko Weighted Shaking Tins. Pros tend to prefer Boston-style shakers (which consist of two tins that fit together), and this one has good weight and balance, an easy-to-break seal, and a shape that allows a Hawthorne strainer to fit snugly. It was by far the easiest shaker to hold and pour among all those we tested, and you’ll look like an ace once you master shaking and unsealing the canisters.
Also Great
$40 from Cocktail Kingdom
If you want a cobbler shaker
Usagi Cobbler Shaker
This all-in-one shaker and strainer will be easier to use for novice mixologists. It has less of a tendency to leak than other cobbler-style shakers, and it feels more solidly built.
If you want an all-in-one option, we also like the Usagi Cobbler Shaker. Cobbler-style shakers, which separate into three pieces (a canister, a lid with a strainer, and a cap to cover the holes), are sometimes easier for beginners but generally prone to leaking. The Usagi is the only cobbler shaker we’ve found that doesn’t: In our tests, all three parts remained snug during shaking, yet the parts weren’t so tight as to make breaking the seal difficult. We also appreciate that the Usagi shaker has a little ergonomic indentation in the cap where you can put your index finger while shaking. For those who care, this shaker also looks nice and classic. —Christine Cyr Clisset
Cocktail napkins
Our cocktail napkin pick
Vanity Fair Beverage Napkins
Sometimes a napkin is just a napkin, but the Impressions are clothlike and feel classy enough to use with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.
$15* from Amazon
*At the time of publishing, the price was $23.
Our pick for cocktail napkins (aka beverage napkins) is Vanity Fair Impressions Beverage Napkins. As with Vanity Fair’s standard paper napkins, the Beverage Napkins feel clothlike and classy. They look and feel great for distributing with passed hors d’oeuvres, and they’re equally fitting for keeping on hand at the bar. They’re also the most recognizable brand in your local supply store or on Amazon. In particular, they beat out Marcal Paper’s cocktail napkins, which have mostly “they work” reviews, versus the Vanity Fair napkins’ compelling testimonials. —Kevin Purdy
Ice bucket
Our ice bucket pick
Oggi Stainless Steel Ice Bucket
Double-walled for insulation, the Oggi comes with a lid and tongs, and holds 3 quarts of ice.
$27 from Amazon
For larger parties, grab big bags of ice from the supermarket or gas station and then separate the ice into two groups: ice that cools your beverages (and won’t be consumed) and clean ice meant for drinks. The clean ice needs its own container—nobody should have to stick a hand in the cooler to grab ice meant for chilling dirty off-the-shelf cans of beer.
After 20 hours of watching ice melt, we can say that our favorite ice bucket is the Oggi Stainless Steel Ice Bucket. Double-walled for insulation, this shiny, stainless model has a removable lid, a 3-quart capacity, and an included pair of tongs. In our tests, it didn’t sweat at all on the outside, keeping stacks of napkins and tablecloths dry.
As for keeping ice cold, it outperformed other options like the OXO Good Grips Plastic Ice Bucket, the Threshold Hammered Metal Ice Bucket, and the Oggi Double Wall Ice Bucket—we saw ¾ cup less meltwater at the bottom of the steel Oggi after letting it sit out for 20 hours. Instead of a scoop, the Oggi comes with tongs, which we prefer: While poking through chunks of ice with tongs can sometimes feel a bit precious, scoops don’t work well in narrow buckets, as the ice just slides off.
The Oggi also looks like it belongs at a drink station, which is the problem with the OXO Good Grips Steel Ice Bucket. The latter has some nice features, such as an attached lid and beefy tongs, but it looks a lot like an appliance sitting out on the bar, and it’s about $20 more expensive than our choice. The new Oggi Stainless Steel Ice and Wine Bucket with Flip Top Lid costs less but has the same off-putting plastic lid and scoop, and somewhat resembles a paint can. Our pick looks good enough to double as a wine bucket on the dinner table or as beverage service on a cocktail cart. —EO
Punch bowl
Our punch bowl pick
Dailyware 10-piece Punch Set
This punch bowl (made by Libbey) comes with a ladle and eight matching glasses, and holds 11 quarts—exactly the right amount.
$30 from Bed Bath and Beyond
Filling a big glass punch bowl with cocktails before your guests arrive frees you from bartending duty and makes a striking conversation piece, too. The Dailyware 10-Piece Punch Set, made by Libbey (it’s the same product as this 10-piece set), features a modern-looking glass bowl that’s more durable than other options in the same price range. It holds 11 quarts, which might sound enormous, but after the addition of ice and garnishes, our testing shows it’s the perfect size for showing off a 3-quart cocktail recipe, the right amount for serving a room full of people.
It also comes with a 5-ounce plastic ladle, which doles out the right serving size and won’t break if someone clunks the side of the bowl with it, unlike ladles made of glass. It comes with eight matching glasses that hold 11.7 ounces each, the ideal size for two ladles of punch.
The Libbey Selene Punch Set (the same product as Macy’s The Cellar 10-Piece Punch Bowl Set) seems great at first glance. But when we set it side by side with our top choice, we discovered that the opening at the top is more restrictive, so you can’t fit a full size ice ring; the largest it can accommodate is 8 inches, whereas our pick can take a ring up to 10 inches, keeping your cocktails colder longer.
And the Libbey is more durable. We washed both bowls, and both require handling with care (avoid grabbing the top as best you can), but overall our pick felt less flimsy than the Selene. Acrylic punch bowls are available but still priced about the same as our pick and burdened with all the problems of acrylic, which could include clouding, staining, and hairline cracks. If serving punch is a regular occurrence in your household, investing in a sturdier and thicker bowl might be worth the money. But such a set can cost upwards of $100 and get pricier from there, so for once- or twice-a-year use, the Dailyware punch set can’t be topped. —EO
Tub
Our beverage tub pick
Tablecraft Remington Collection Galvanized Steel Beverage Tub
This galvanized steel tub is the exact shape and size necessary for keeping a case of beer ice cold.
$16 from Amazon
It’s nice to keep beer and wine at counter level, where your guests can see the selection. For this job, the Tablecraft Remington Collection Galvanized Steel Beverage Tub is our favorite tub for the third year in a row. Made of galvanized steel with neat seams and attached handles, it’s the perfect size for countertops or folding tables, capable of holding about 13 to 15 beers or six bottles of wine with plenty of ice comfortably. It’s also perfect for outdoor gatherings come summer.
If you have a smaller table or just prefer a different look than galvanized steel, the Prodyne Big Bath Party Tub is a good option. It can hold eight beers or four bottles of wine, plus ice, and the big rounded lip acts as a sturdy handle, making it easy to relocate. The disadvantage of the Prodyne is that the clear acrylic will show the ripped bottle labels and bits of debris collected in the ice throughout the evening, so if that sounds gross, go with the Tablecraft.
We’ve now looked at more than 30 tub models from Amazon and major retailers in many different styles. We eliminated models that cost more than $40, which seemed like a reasonable price for something that sees infrequent use, and the Tablecraft bucket was the perfect size. We liked the price on the big Behrens Round Galvanized Steel Tub, but the seams were sloppily sealed with glue. And the Grasslands Road Silver Metal Party Drink Chiller Tub was flimsier than our top choice without being a whole lot cheaper.
Etiquette expert Lizzie Post recommends tubs of galvanized metal and plastic for less formal occasions. “I don’t pull those out for formal parties, because I would rather pour drinks into the glass for those,” she told us.
Place a towel underneath to absorb any condensation that might build up over the course of the evening. Get a dedicated ice bucket for the ice you’re going to serve to guests, too. There’s a small chance zinc can leach out of galvanized steel if it comes in contact with acidic substances. The American Galvanizers Association and the FDA both say that galvanized steel should be safe for food otherwise; regardless, though, you’ll have all kinds of crud floating in the tub that doesn’t taste so great floating in a cocktail.
Wherever you keep your beers, put the bin for recycling right next to it so when a guest grabs a new one, they’ll know where to drop the one they’ve polished off. —Ganda Suthivarakom
Well liquor
Stocking a bar is a matter of personal taste: It’s your party, so buy what you prefer. As long as you’re offering something to drink, your guests will be happy to linger. But if you need to stock up from scratch and want suggestions for basic, crowd-pleasing bottles of liquor that are good for most cocktails but won’t blow your budget, we narrowed the field down to seven selections. How much booze should you buy? The best advice is to buy plenty. Martha Stewart also has a helpful party calculator to determine how much to buy.
After speaking to eight celebrated bartenders, researching what the entertaining experts had to say, and cross-referencing their responses, we recommend the following.
Vodka: Absolut. Dale DeGroff, formerly of the Rainbow Room, told us, “If you want something a little more viscous, with a little more flavor, we’re talking pastry flavor, you get the malty, grainy: Absolut.”
Gin: Tanqueray. Chad Solomon of beverage consultancy Cuffs & Buttons called Tanqueray a “Rolls-Royce–quality” gin.
Dry vermouth: Dolin. Solomon and John deBary of Momofuku both picked Dolin for dry vermouth, a key ingredient in martinis.
Bourbon: Wild Turkey. “Right there in the heart, at 101 proof, is Wild Turkey,” DeGroff said. “This man is the master.”
Whisky: The Famous Grouse. Solomon gave points to The Famous Grouse whisky for being “more of a mixer than a sipper … it’s not overly sweetened and has a little bit of smoke to it.”
Tequila: Pueblo Viejo blanco. The tequila that got the nod from two of our surveyed mixologists was Pueblo Viejo. Brandon Wise of Imperial and Portland Penny Diner told us, “It’s under $20, the juice is good, and you’re not paying for marketing.”
Rum: Bacardi Silver. For white rum, DeGroff told us, “obviously Bacardi.”
Different cocktails (or straight sipping) may be better suited to different bottles. You know your friends, so pick and choose the alcohol you think they’ll enjoy most. —Nick Guy
Case of sparkling wine
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