Holidays
Christmas Dinner Ideas: A Hosting Plan for 6, 12, or 20
Christmas dinner ideas for actual hosting, not 100 recipes. The menu formula, day-of timeline, drink math, and what to skip. Scales from 6 to 20.
May 7, 2026
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Pieces we'd point a friend to first
Hosting How-To
How to Host a Dinner Party: A 5-Day Plan That Actually Works
How to host a dinner party for 6, a real 5-day plan, hour-by-hour day-of timeline, menu formula, drink math, and what to skip. No hosting performance.
Apr 16, 2026
Hosting How-To
Hostess Gift Ideas Hosts Actually Use, From $8 to $60
Hostess gift ideas from $8 to $60 that hosts actually use, plus Emily Post's rules on wine, flowers, and when you can skip the gift entirely.
Nov 4, 2026
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Home BarBest Wine Opener: What 8 Tests Agree On, From $7 to $145
The best wine opener for most homes is a $20 OXO waiter's corkscrew. We compared 8 big tests to show where they agree, where they clash, and what to skip.
Nov 5, 2026
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Hosting How-ToHostess Gift Ideas Hosts Actually Use, From $8 to $60
Hostess gift ideas from $8 to $60 that hosts actually use, plus Emily Post's rules on wine, flowers, and when you can skip the gift entirely.
Nov 4, 2026
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GlasswareBest Wine Decanter: 6 Picks From $7, Plus What to Skip
The best wine decanter for most homes is a $60 Riedel, and a $25 carafe does the job. Six picks to $210, decanting times, and where the big tests disagree.
Nov 3, 2026
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TablescapesThe Best Flatware Sets: Real Picks From $5 a Setting
The best flatware sets compared by price per setting, steel grade, and warranty: ten picks from $5 to $62.50 a setting, and where the big tests disagree.
Nov 2, 2026
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TablescapesBest Dinnerware Sets: Durable Picks From $12 a Setting
The best dinnerware sets compared by price per place setting, chip warranty, and where they're made. Nine picks from $12 to $174 a setting, plus what to skip.
Oct 7, 2026
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GlasswareBest Martini Glasses: The Right Size, From $4 a Glass
The best martini glasses hold about 5 oz, not 10. Live prices on 11 picks (V, coupe, Nick & Nora, stemless) from $4 to $52 a glass, plus what to skip.
Oct 6, 2026
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Where to dig in
Hosting How-To Timelines, etiquette, and step-by-step guides for hosting your first (or fiftieth) dinner. Tablescapes Place settings and centerpieces that look intentional in eight minutes, not eight hours. Glassware What to actually buy: wine, cocktail, and everyday glassware tested at three price tiers. Home Bar Bar carts, recipes, mocktails, and the gear that earns its space on a small counter. Holidays Thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE, Friendsgiving, planned with realistic prep schedules.
Editors' picks
The guides we'd start with
Home Bar
Best Wine Opener: What 8 Tests Agree On, From $7 to $145
The best wine opener for most homes is a $20 OXO waiter's corkscrew. We compared 8 big tests to show where they agree, where they clash, and what to skip.
Nov 5, 2026
Hosting How-To
Hostess Gift Ideas Hosts Actually Use, From $8 to $60
Hostess gift ideas from $8 to $60 that hosts actually use, plus Emily Post's rules on wine, flowers, and when you can skip the gift entirely.
Nov 4, 2026
Glassware
Best Wine Decanter: 6 Picks From $7, Plus What to Skip
The best wine decanter for most homes is a $60 Riedel, and a $25 carafe does the job. Six picks to $210, decanting times, and where the big tests disagree.
Nov 3, 2026