If you’re the self proclaimed “hostess with the mostest,” we don’t have to sell you on the importance of serving dishes.
They’re one of the most versatile of kitchenware essentials, fit for your next dinner party or for plating your Thanksgiving turkey this holiday season.
Not only are serving dishes and platters one of the most popular wedding registry essentials but they come in an endless variety of shapes, sizes and purposes.
To help you shop and serve like a king or queen, we rounded up our must-have list of the 13 best serving platters to add to your cart, check out with and enjoy dazzling around your dining room table.
While you’re shopping, be sure to check out our guide to the best drinking glasses and meat thermometers for more kitchen must-haves.
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The Sweese Porcelain Divided Serving Platter deserves the prize for the best serving dish overall. Not only is it deep and spacious but it’s compartmentalized, allowing you to serve antipasto appetizers like a true professional.
Not only that, but it’s less than $25 on Amazon, is both sturdy and versatile and is the ideal platter to position at the center of your tablescape for the best dinner party ever.
Why have one serving platter when you can have three? The LIFVER 3-Piece Serving Platter Set is exceptional, much ado to its crisp white exterior and textured border. For the value, it’s smooth, elegant and easy to clean.
What’s more, the set is strong and safe enough to put in the microwave, freezer, dishwasher and oven — a premier trio that’ll last you for years of entertaining.
If you love the look of wooden serving platters, the Miusco Wooden Platters (Set of 3) is the real deal for less than $40. The best part? They double as a charcuterie board for your plentiful assortment of crackers, olives and grapes.
Made from 100% natural wood, it’s a charming and stunning table-topper to add all of your upcoming festivities.Though not dishwasher safe — much like your wooden cutting boards — the set remains one of our favorites.
Have you seen a more gorgeous Thanksgiving serving platter? The Pottery Barn Piper Floral Bird Oval Turkey Serving Platter is one of our all-time favorites, marked by a beautiful gorgeous border and a complimentary scalloped edge.
This mix-and-match stoneware is ideal for special occasions (namely, Thanksgiving) and is even more stunning to display on your dining buffet when not in use.
Traditional and ideal for every November holiday, the Williams Sonoma Plymouth Turkey Extra Large Platter is a splurge-worthy choice that’ll allow you to never worry about festive serving platters again.
It’s generously sized, made of glazed porcelain and is decorated with a bird in magnificent full feather. Plus, it’s adorned with an oak-leaf garland inspired by 18th-century English transfer-ware patterns.
We’re obsessed with all things Anthropologie (naturally, as its designs are the crème de la crème). Its decaled stoneware and hand-applied decals offer the most fantastic festive touch, and its Bryant Park-esque glimmer and shimmer make it spectacular for the holidays.
Oh, and its less-than-$50 price point makes it a spectacular option for your Christmas table, too.
Say it with us: This is the most spectacular holiday platter. With the hallmark nutcracker design, we’ve never wanted to order cupcakes and mini cakes more in our lives. It’s just shy of $100, will garner plenty of compliments and is decadently desirable for dessert hour.
We’re not going to lie — it’s a bit difficult to find the right serving platters with lids. However, the Mercer41 Stainless Steel Round Chafing Dish is one that we instantly were drawn to, much ado to its luxe-looking gold legs and premier quality. It’s surely fit for any dining room table.
More, because these platters are more buffet-style, these catering trays will make it easier to keep food continuously warm for your entire holiday dinner party.
How about an oven-to-table option to save space and entertain like a pro? The Sur La Table Stoneware Bakers with Lids (Set of 3) are a signature trio that are less than $100 collectively, and we love its secure design and various sizes.
Whether you’re making your main course or an array of side dishes, rest assured these platters are ones to shop for this holiday season.
We own the Gibson Home Gracious Dining 3-Tier Plate Set with Metal Stand and they’re a constant addition to our dinner parties. They allow for easy grabbing, make for an elegant display and are a photogenic centerpiece to any table or kitchen island.
You can’t beat the price point, either, and they can even hold decorations on your foyer’s table when you’re not hosting a dinner party. Double whammy.
The Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Rectangular Wood Serving Tray with Metal Handles is one of our favorite value-driven platters because of its price and spacious capacity. We love its beautiful wooden charm and secure handles for easy carrying and transporting.
Plus, when Chip and Joanna Gaines made it, we’re all about it.
The AERIN Scalloped Nesting Serving Dishes (Set of 3) have tot be one of the most gorgeous sets to complement the rest of your dinnerware and fine China. Its scalloped edges and neutral charm make it a splurge worth your time and money — simply because you can always resort to this well-made bundle for every single occasion.
If we had to give an award to the most decorative serving platter, it would go to the Michael Aram Anemone Serving Tray. This collection is inspired by anemone flowers, which in some cultures are said to bring good luck and offer protection. The flowers themselves are associated with purity and peace as well, per the brand.
The serving platter is crafted from stainless steel, natural and oxidized brass and white enamel — a trusty triage of materials for your finest, classiest dinner party yet. We’re all about making this splurge (and you should, too).
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