Why Ina Garten Thinks You Should Rent Your Glassware For Parties
Throwing a dinner party means breaking out the glassware, but before you make a run to Target to ensure you have enough stemware or start fretting over whether you should use your great-grandmother's Baccarat crystal for your shindig, be like Ina Garten and rent it. The Barefoot Contessa shared in her "Cook Like A Pro" cookbook that glassware is the last detail she loses sleep over. Instead, she orders "hand-blown stemmed all-purpose wine and Champagne glasses" because it isn't going to break the pocketbook, and as an added benefit, you don't have to wash them before you send them back.
Garten's glassware solution sounds dreamy, but how much will renting glassware run you? Obviously, where you live, the vendor you use, and the type of glassware you rent will greatly influence this bill, but it can cost you as little as about 40 cents to close to $2 per glass. Of course, the other factor that will help you determine the cost is how much glassware you need.
How many glasses are needed?
Garten says you should plan for about two glasses per person if you are keeping drinks simple with a pitcher of a signature cocktail being the go-to. However, if you are serving several different types of alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages, you should consider the party drink guideline which recommends planning for two drinks per person during the first hour of a party, and one drink for each hour after that.
If you are having a sit-down dinner and guests are serving themselves, they will most likely use the same glass throughout the evening; but if it is a free-flowing gathering, there are always those who will forget where they put down their drink and need a new glass. But one thing you want to keep in mind is that companies that rent glassware tend to rent by the rack, so remember that it is always better to have more than not enough. The important thing to remember is renting glassware is supposed to make your life easier, so make certain you get the appropriate amount so you do not have to wash any mid-dinner party.