Thanksgiving Table Essentials: Six Things to Own

Villeroy & Boch's For Me platter is 16 inches of white premium porcelain, made in Germany, with a wide rim that keeps juices off the tablecloth. The maker says the edges are shock and impact resistant, and it goes in the dishwasher, the microwave and the oven up to 392°F.

A 16 inch platter holds a carved turkey arranged in slices, with room for the legs and wings, and most households find carving in the kitchen and bringing the platter out easier than carving at the table. It is also the right size for a ham, a leg of lamb or a whole fish the rest of the year.

Skip it if you plan to present a large whole bird at the table before carving. For that you want 18 inches or more, and a platter that size is a storage problem the other 364 days.

The catch. Tight for a large whole turkey; it is a platter for a carved bird.

Wüsthof has made knives in Solingen for more than 200 years, and the Classic is its best-selling line. This set is an 8 inch hollow-edge carving knife and a 6 inch carving fork, forged from a single block of high-carbon stainless steel, tempered to 58 HRC, with full-tang, triple-riveted handles.

A carving knife is long and narrow for a reason. It draws through a turkey breast in one stroke, and the hollow edge, the row of shallow scallops along the side, helps the slice fall away rather than stick to the blade. The fork holds the bird steady without shredding it.

Skip it if you have a good, sharp chef's knife and do not mind using it; it will do the job. Hand wash and dry both pieces, and they will last as long as the family.

The catch. About $240 for tools used a few times a year; a sharp chef's knife is a reasonable substitute.

Gravy goes cold fast in a thin jug, and it goes cold faster at a long table. Le Creuset's Heritage gravy boat is thick stoneware, which holds heat well, and it can be warmed in the oven or microwave before the gravy goes in.

The glaze is nonporous and resists chips, scratches and stains, and the boat is safe in the freezer, oven, microwave, broiler and dishwasher. Oyster is a pale warm grey that goes with white dinnerware and does not shout Thanksgiving, so it comes out again at Christmas.

Skip it if you want a gravy boat that matches a formal china pattern; your china maker probably makes one. At about $38 it is otherwise the easiest item on the list.

The catch. Stoneware is heavy, and a full boat passed hand to hand along a long table is a two-handed job for some guests.

Thanksgiving is the one night the extension leaves come out, and most tablecloths are too short for it. Solino's Dru is 60 by 120 inches, which the maker recommends for tables seating eight to ten, and it hangs with a proper drop on a standard rectangular table at that length.

It is 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen, so it has the matte, slightly textured look of linen but wrinkles less and costs about a third of Solino's pure linen cloths. It is machine washable on a gentle cycle; take it out promptly and iron it warm, or steam it on the table.

Measure first: table length plus about 16 to 24 inches gives a good drop at each end. Skip it if you want the weight and hand of pure linen; our tablecloth guide covers those.

The catch. White and gravy are old enemies; treat spills the same night.

Candlelight does more for a holiday table than any centerpiece, and it has a practical side: tall candles light faces across the table without blocking anyone's view. The Treviso pair are 10 inch crystal candlesticks with an architectural profile, from Waterford's Marquis line, and they come gift boxed.

Clear crystal suits any dishes and any season, so the pair will come out for Christmas, birthdays and ordinary dinners long after the turkey. Use unscented white or ivory dinner candles; our candlesticks guide lists the ones worth buying.

Skip them if you prefer the warmth of brass or have small children at the table. Hand wash with a soft cloth only.

The catch. Crystal chips if knocked, and about $200 is a lot for a pair; any heavy, stable candlestick will do the job.