There are a lot of options when it comes to kitchen and dining gear for your home. From cookware and dinnerware to serveware and everything in between, shopping for kitchen gear can seem overwhelming. How do you know which things you need and which things you don't? Overstock.com can help. This serveware buying guide will help you figure out how to buy serveware that you will love and enjoy for years to come.
Most people accumulate their kitchenware piece by piece over time. Few people have the budget to go out and purchase all their cookware, dinnerware, serveware, utensils, flatware, stemware, fine china and appliances all at once. Start with the essentials and go from there according to your needs and interests. Because kitchenware is generally acquired piecemeal, it is not required that every piece matches. It's much more practical to buy small serveware sets for specific purposes and needs. For example, a colorful summer chip and dip platter will look great with a glass margarita pitcher even though you bought them separately. And your chip and dip platter doesn't need to match your china pattern.
Serving bowls: Serving bowls are probably the most essential and versatile piece of serveware. Serving bowls are available in a wide variety of materials, sizes, shapes, colors and styles and can be used for everything from serving salad, pasta or vegetables to presenting fresh fruit on your kitchen counter or breakfast table. Casual serving bowls can even double as mixing bowls.
Serving platters and trays: You may not immediately think of serving platters and trays as a serving ware essential, but when it comes to versatility, serving platters and trays are second only to serving bowls for their usefulness. Platters and trays are used for everything from the casual everyday serving of fruit, bread, fish, chicken breasts and burgers to special event and holiday trays and platters for Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas ham or wedding and party refreshments and desserts.
Serving utensils: Once you have the perfect serving bowl and platter, you need the right serving utensils. Start with salad tongs, serving spoons and serving forks for dinners. A pie server and cake knife for serving desserts are also great to have around. A set of cheese tools for party platters are one of those things that most people don't think about until the moment they need them. Because of this, cheese tools make a nice wedding gift that many newlyweds may not have thought to add to their registry.
Oven to table: A set of oven-to-table cookware is a smart way to get started on your kitchenware because it fulfills both cookware and serveware functions. Oven-to-table sets also make excellent wedding gifts.
Trivets: A trivet is a decorative platform upon which to place hot dishes to protect your table from heat damage. It's especially important to use a trivet when serving food with oven-to-table serveware.
Pitchers: Every kitchen needs a couple of pitchers, both casual and formal. A plastic casual pitcher for keeping juice in the fridge is an inexpensive and useful item of serveware. It's also nice to have a slightly more formal glass pitcher or porcelain pitcher for use at the table. For formal dinner parties or romantic occasions, an elegant wine decanter adds the perfect finishing touch.
Condiment sets: Condiment sets include everything from salt and pepper shakers and spice racks to hostess sets and dipping bowls. Depending on your level of culinary prowess, you may or may not need an extensive condiment set of spices, but everyone needs a set of salt and pepper shakers.
Warming buffets and trays: Warming buffets and trays may not be a serveware essential for every home, but they're the ideal serveware for keeping large amounts of food hot while serving it buffet style at big events.
Tea and coffee sets: Most people serve themselves coffee and tea directly from the coffee pot or tea kettle into their favorite mug. But for dinner parties, a tea and coffee set makes an elegant statement and is a nice addition to your serveware collection.
Soup tureens: Soup tureens are large, lidded serving bowls with a notched rim between the bowl and the lid designed to fit the handle of a serving ladle while keeping the soup covered in order to preserve its heat. Soup tureens often come with their own matching serving ladle.
Gravy boats: Gravy boats are oblong, boat-like serving dishes, sometimes lidded and sometimes not, perfect for serving gravy. If you are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, a gravy boat is a serveware essential.
Outdoor serving: For picnicking and entertaining outdoors, you probably don't want to risk breaking your crystal stemware and china dinnerware. Luckily, there are lots of durable and elegant plastic or melamine options for outdoor serveware. You can even get a fully stocked picnic basket complete with place settings, flatware, stemware and wine bottle opener.
Chip and dip: While you can always dump a bag or corn chips into a bowl and open a jar of salsa, it's much nicer to serve chips and dips from a chip and dip platter. Chip and dip platters are like a bowl and plate all rolled into one. With an area designated for chips, crackers or bruschetta and a central raised bowl for dipping, it's the perfect party serveware.
Check the packaging and follow the manufacturer's directions for use and cleaning. Most serveware is designed for table presentation, not for stove burner or oven use. Some items may be designed as both and these should be clearly marked as oven or microwave safe.
I want the most value for my money. Which kind of serveware should I buy?
A set of ceramic serveware is relatively inexpensive, looks nice for everyday casual dinners, is easy to care for and will last a long time. Glass serveware is also an economical choice for basic serving bowls and oven-to-table casserole dishes.
What's the difference between a chafing dish and a bain-marie?
A bain-marie and a chafing dish or warming buffet look similar but their functions are slightly different. A bain-marie is used for cooking delicate foods, such as custards, chocolate and hollandaise sauce, which require a slow, gentle heat. A chafing dish is more commonly used to keep food that has already been prepared warm during serving.
Kitchen linens
Now that you have a fantastic set of serveware, it's time to have some friends or family over for a party. Make sure to complete your tableware with kitchen linens and decor from Overstock.com. You'll find great prices on tablecloths, table runners, placemats, chair pads and all the other kitchen linens you need to protect your table and cushion your chairs to make your dining experience extra comfortable for you and your guests.
Glasses and barware
If you're having a party, you'll want enough glasses and barware to serve everyone a delicious beverage. Beverage serving sets at Overstock.com are high quality, affordable and stylish. You'll love mixing up a big pitcher of iced tea and serving it to your guests in a set of matching glasses on a hot summer day. Start out the day with a carafe of juice in matching juice glasses for the whole family. Round off the evening with a nightcap from your cognac serving set. For glasses, barware and entertaining, make Overstock.com your online shopping outlet.
Kitchen storage
Overstock.com offers several kitchen storage solutions for small or low-storage kitchens. Additional kitchen shelves can be added with a kitchen cart, kitchen cabinets or wine rack if you have a little floor space. You can free-up kitchen shelves in cabinets using a ceiling-mounted pot rack. Kitchen canisters can make more efficient use of countertops, especially corners. If you simply have too much kitchenware, pick up moving supplies and put seasonal kitchen items like holiday dinnerware, bulk foods and other things you don't use regularly into the basement or food storage area.
