Throwing a party usually goes like this: step one, you buy things for the party. Step two, you trash those things after the party and stuff everything else in the dark recesses of your cupboards to collect dust.
To release you from this cycle and cut down on waste and prep, I asked event designers, including Edward Perotti, and several other chefs, bartenders and hotel managers to help me find a more sustainable arsenal of everyday tools that won’t languish in storage or end up in a landfill.
“When hosting essentials are easy, flexible and already part of your routine, you’re more likely to host spontaneously instead of waiting for a perfect occasion,” says author and hosting expert Rachel Leonard Kennedy.
Whether it’s for the Super Bowl, the Oscars, Mardi Gras or just a darn good time, these party tools can be used over and over again.
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Hosting essentials at a glance
For cooking dozens of wings:
Typhur Sync Oven
For blending big batches of dip:
Braun MultiQuick Immersion Blender
For pumping up party platters:
Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester
For keeping food warm:
Laudlife Food Warming Mat
For chilling drinks:
Brumate Togosa Bottle Chiller and Pitcher
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The best hosting essentials for a low-waste party
Ikea Kallsinnig Glasses
Nobody enjoys filling trash bags with plastic cups at the end of a gathering, so I decided to stock up on these pretty, plastic cups that look suspiciously like glass. They can double as wine glasses and are dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze. When you’re finished entertaining, throw them in a bag to take on a picnic or to the beach.
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Vevor Drink Dispenser
Josef Griz, general manager of Darling rooftop at Park Lane New York, is adamant that any gathering at home needs drinks to flow easily if you don’t have a bartender (both cocktails and nonalcoholic options). And though his favorite option is this gorgeous absinthe fountain, we decided to go with a more affordable, less ornate version, which holds more than 2 gallons (8 liters) of liquid. I chose this specifically because it includes an ice chamber to keep drinks cold without watering them down. If you have the space, you can use it for daily hydration between parties as well.
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Riedel Performance Decanter
If your counter is littered with red wine bottles, Ami Alexander, co-founder of hospitality advisory Barrel Aged Management, suggests a well-made decanter to batch your wine. A decanter “can be used year-round and allows you to prepare drinks in advance so you can actually enjoy your own gathering”, according to Alexander. She also likes to place a bottle or magnum next to the decanter. “This subtly signals quality and care, letting guests know the wine has been thoughtfully aerated. Whether it’s a Super Bowl party or a casual dinner with friends, those repeat-use pieces create comfort, connection and lasting memories.”
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Brumate Togosa Bottle Chiller and Pitcher
Keeping white wine properly chilled is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to entertaining. This twofer bottle chiller and pitcher from Brumate is a simple solution that is easy to store, and you can use it to stir and mix larger batch drinks, as well. It comes with two different lids for wine or champagne bottles and is insulated to keep drinks cold for hours. I chose the glitter white one, but you can choose from seven different colors.
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Breville Fast Slo Go Multicooker
Two types of cooking significantly help me feed many mouths: slow cooking and pressure cooking. That’s why this multicooker from Breville is worth the counter space in my Brooklyn kitchen. The original Instant Pot that got me hooked on pressure cooking with its simple, electric interface and LCD, but I recently upgraded to the Fast Slo Go because I can make a huge pot of bolognese in under 30 minutes (which used to take me four hours to gently simmer on the back burner) and then throw in a big pork shoulder in the morning and come back hours later to supple, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork. I also like its 14 different presets, including rice and risotto, and I use it to make my own yogurt for larger vats of tzatziki.
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Typhur Sync Oven
When cooking for a Super Bowl or party crowd, having an extra oven is clutch. I love this air fryer/toaster oven because it’s compact enough to easily sit under my kitchen cabinets while offering a whopping 12 different functions, letting me skip on firing up my energy-guzzling oven when I’m just cooking for my family of four. I’ve tested air fryers for over a decade, and what places this one at the top of my list is its built-in Sync wireless thermometer, which monitors my cooking and turns off the oven when something is done. It’s pricey, but it can crank out two-dozen wings for a party, then a perfectly cooked whole chicken for dinner.
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Thetchry Checkered Cutting Board
This oversized Thetchry butcher’s block looks stylish sitting on my counter and my serving table, and it’s big enough to double as a fabulous cheese and charcuterie board. “Wooden boards, marble slabs or composite cutting boards are perfect examples of items that should live on your counter, not in storage,” says Leonard Kennedy. She likes to use her cutting boards to prepare and serve.
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Utopia Home Cloth Napkins
Forget the wasteful paper napkins and nab this set of 24 basic, white cloth napkins. “Cloth napkins often get labeled as ‘formal’, but they’re one of the most practical, zero-waste and budget-friendly upgrades you can make,” says Leonard Kennedy. And though she does point out that you can easily throw them in the wash with towels or sheets, without requiring any special treatment, I like the blue or red options rather than the accident-waiting-to-happen white. “Once they’re part of daily life, you stop saving them and start using them automatically.”
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Braun MultiQuick 5 Immersion Blender
Like many apartment dwellers, I have limited countertop space. An immersion blender is the perfect compact alternative to a full-size appliance because it is intuitive to use and easy to store. This Braun MultiQuick 5 has 21 speeds and comes with an interchangeable whisk accessory and chopping cup. At the touch of a button, it lets me blend large portions of soups and sauces right in the pot, crank out batches of dips, finely dice onions and herbs, or make homemade whipped cream. When the party is over, I plunk it in a drawer and take it out to whip up a smoothie before work.
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Crate & Barrel Oven-to-Table Platter
When you’re cooking for a crowd, there’s nothing better than serving something straight from the oven to the table. This stylish, ceramic platter from Crate & Barrel can take up to 400F (204C) and sits on a sustainable, FSC-certified wooden stand – saving me a good amount of time and allowing me to easily reheat anything that may have gotten cold. It’s also dishwasher safe for easy clean-up, and good for everyday meals like baked pastas.
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Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester
Yes, this small but mighty Microplane zester is great for citrus, but I use it to pump up party platters with all kinds of other flavors. From turning fresh garlic into paste for zesty salad dressings, to grating a block of parmesan cheese on a steaming bowl of pasta, to dusting chocolate on desserts, I keep this sub-$20 kitchen tool close whenever I’m in the kitchen.
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Laudlife Food Warming Mat
Every party host eventually deals with the challenge of hot food. Perotti likes using a food warming mat that can be rolled up and stored when you’re done. “I swear by this for home entertaining,” he says. “This flexible, rollable electric mat is made of premium silicone nanomaterial. It keeps food warm for extended periods, making it ideal for home parties and family gatherings.”
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Lavatools Javelin Pro Instant Read Thermometer
There’s nothing worse than serving overcooked food. And, as Jessica Randhawa, founder and head chef at the Forked Spoon, reminded me, this is even more important when you’re being distracted by guests (or alcoholic beverages). This Lavatools pick is affordable, easy to read, and comes with a magnetic back so you can pop it on the fridge between uses. “I always follow the United States Department of Agriculture’s safe minimum temperature chart,” she adds.
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Boucle Ottoman Stool
This item is a matter of style, but when I entertain in my Brooklyn apartment, I have to consider seating options beyond rearranging my couches and chairs to create a more social environment. Leonard Kennedy likes this stylish, boucle stool, which creates “an instant, relaxed seating, especially for casual gatherings like game days. These pieces live in your space year-round and silently say: ‘Get comfy and stay a while!’” It can also fill in for a small folding table. Just place a tray on top to serve snacks and drinks.
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Ninja Slushi Drink Maker
OK, hear me out! Frozen drinks are always a huge hit at parties. But I have never been able to master the art of a perfectly home-blended drink. When I decided to try the viral Ninja Slushi, I was blown away by the ease and quality of the drinks it could create. I just pour in my liquid of choice, hit one of the five presets (slush, spiked slush, frappe, milkshake, frozen juice), set a freezer level, and it chills inside the machine until I dispense it.
Whether I’m crafting creamy margaritas and frozen negronis or simply cranking out fluffy, icy orange juice, this is a serious crowd pleaser. I don’t have the space to keep it on the counter every day, but it’s easy to take out for frequent milkshake and slushy requests from my teens.
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Tobey Grumet Segal is a freelance lifestyle and tech journalist with more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for a diverse collection of magazines and websites. From cell phones to beauty to entertaining and beyond, she brings decades of experience reviewing products to the Filter.
