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Our list includes stoneware pieces, a vintage-inspired etched vessel, and a clever pick with a warming base. stainless steel kitchen bowls
The holiday season means more opportunities for entertaining and thus, more reasons to break out your fancy dishware. If you notice holes in your collection of table linens, matching flatware, or holiday serveware, now is the time to stock up. “I always make sure to pick tabletop pieces that I love the look of and can style on a shelf as decor in my home throughout the year,” suggests Heather Taylor, founder of the eponymous tabletop and decor company Heather Taylor Home.
To help take at least one thing off of your holiday to-do list, we've curated this list of the best gravy boats that are sure to help your Thanksgiving turkey recipe shine. Choosing a quality gravy boat can be more nuanced than it seems — and if you’re worried about not using your boat enough, don’t be. Beyond providing a home for all those juicy bird drippings, gravy boats can have a second life as a way to dole out pasta sauce, pour syrup over weekend pancakes, or even act as a creative floral centerpiece.
From classic designs that will look right at home alongside any dinnerware set style to insulated vessels that will ensure every guest gets a steaming serving of your delicious gravy recipe, here are our top gravy boat picks.
For a classic design that is timeless and versatile, look no further than this gravy boat from Pottery Barn. Part of the brand’s Emma line (which also includes a slew of corresponding serveware pieces, as well as a 16-piece dinnerware collection), it’s made in Portugal from artisanal-quality stoneware that will resist signs of wear and tear like chipping and cracking.
The piece itself is glazed in a snowy white, with a curved lip and subtle beading around the rim for a touch of sophisticated elegance. It will complement everything from metallic-rimmed china to everyday earthy stoneware dinnerware.
Material: Stoneware | Capacity: 10.5 ounces | Care: Dishwasher-, oven-, and microwave-safe
There’s no better time than the holidays to go a bit theme-y with your tablescape, and this pumpkin gravy boat from Williams-Sonoma offers the perfect charming (but not in-your-face) fall touch. The gourd-like shape offers up a generous capacity — almost 30 ounces — which is great when hosting a crowd and will prevent you from having to run back to the kitchen to restock on the sauce.
The semi-translucent white glaze is scratch-resistant and allows the piece to blend in with your tablescape, but you can also pair the piece with the rest of the corresponding pumpkin serveware collection if you want to lean into seasonality.
Material: Stoneware | Capacity: 27 ounces | Care: Dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe
Buy this inexpensive design, and you’ll score two pieces for the (very reasonable) price of one: a gravy boat and a matching saucer. Each is made from durable porcelain, which is heat resistant up to 1000°F, with a classic shape that’s weighty enough to feel substantial in the hand but not cumbersome. The shiny white glaze makes it easy to pair this piece with whatever style of dishware you’ve already invested in, and the included saucer is ideal for protecting that heirloom tablecloth you inherited from your grandmother.
Material: Porcelain Capacity: 10.5 ounces Care: Dishwasher-, oven-, and microwave-safe
Made in Italy and designed with elegant swooping lines, this pewter gravy boat from MATCH is a family heirloom in the making. The generous spout dispenses the perfect pour of thick gravy or pan drippings, while the uniquely shaped handle allows for dressing each dish with a flourish. Best of all, the pewter finish will add a bold metallic hit to your dining room table, making any instance feel like a special occasion.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to spend a bit more time caring for this piece because of its metal makeup — set it aside to hand wash and be prepared to polish it on occasion.
Material: Pewter | Capacity: 8 ounces | Care: Hand wash only
Grandmas always have the best serveware, and this petite piece is reminiscent of something you may have seen on your beloved Nana’s holiday table growing up. Etched with delicate floral motifs and featuring a subtle waved lip, this whimsical design is the ideal pick for anyone whose personal style skews more formal or traditional.
Of all the picks on our list, we think this gravy boat is among the most versatile — while it makes for a classy way to serve up your signature sauce, the airy glass design can also be used to beautifully display candies, nuts, or other snacks.
Material: Glass | Capacity: 8.5 ounces | Care: Dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe
Anthropologie is known for its one-of-a-kind dishware that looks like a lucky flea market or travel find rather than a big box purchase. This unique stoneware gravy boat is handmade in Portugal with a subtle stamped design at the base and artisanal crackle glaze that varies from piece to piece. Best of all, it complements the rest of Anthropologie’s Old Havana collection, so you can splurge on a soup-to-nuts tablescape if you’re looking to upgrade your hosting game. Just a note: This piece is weighty — especially when filled with gravy — so you may need to pour using both hands.
Material: Stoneware | Capacity: 13 ounces | Care: Dishwasher, microwave, and oven-safe
If bold and colorful is your look of choice when it comes to dinnerware, there’s a good chance you already own a few pieces of Le Creuset. Le Creuset is iconic when it comes to its timeless, quality pieces, and this gravy boat is the ideal way to lend a playful pop of color to your holiday tablescape. Choose from a selection of punchy hues, like red, blue and various teals and greens that would perfectly complement your turkey. This gravy boat has a wide mouth and spout with a pouring rim designed to prevent spills, and like any Le Creuset piece, it can remain in your collection for years.
Material: Stoneware | Capacity: 16 ounces | Care: Dishwasher-, microwave-, and oven-safe
If you’re looking to be very precise with your pour, you’ll want to invest in a gravy boat that comes with a corresponding and ergonomic ladle. This duo from tabletop titan Portmeirion brings charming country appeal and functionality to your tabletop with a ribbed exterior that nods to wheel-thrown ceramics. The ladle holds a generous amount of sauce or gravy, so your guests will rarely have to go back for a second scoop. While this set doesn’t come with a spoon rest, the handle is long enough that it won’t sink into the gravy boat.
Material: Porcelain | Capacity: 16 ounces | Care: Dishwasher, microwave, oven, and freezer safe
How is this for ingenuity? This clever design relies on a warming stand and tealight candle (similar to a fondue pot setup) to keep your sauce to temperature throughout your meal, bringing restaurant-worthy flair to your next holiday dinner. The gravy boat has a traditional shape, with an elegant, easy-to-grip loop handle and narrow spout for precise pouring.
The vessel can be used without the accompanying warming stand as well, should you want to put it to work dishing up salad dressing, maple syrup, or even berry compote instead. This piece is on the pricier side, but it’s worth it for the wow factor alone.
Material: Porcelain | Capacity: 12 ounces | Care: Dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe
If you don’t want to go full-blown fancy with a warming stand — but still want your gravy to stay warm — you may want to consider investing in an insulated gravy boat. Most materials will do a decent job keeping sauces to temperature for a bit, but none will be as effective as a vessel dedicated to the task. Made from insulated stainless steel, this serving vessel resembles an insulated coffee thermos more than it does a gravy boat — but it’s all in the name of temperature. It’ll keep your gravy or sauce warm for up to an hour.
Pro tip: Ahead of your meal, pour boiling water into this vessel and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes. This will condition the piece (or bring it up to a warm temperature) and allow you to keep your sauce warm even longer.
Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 16 ounces | Care: Dishwasher safe
When shopping for a gravy boat, one of the first things you should look at is the size of the vessel you’re considering. The gravy boats on our list come in a range of sizes — from a petite 13 ounces to a whopping 27 ounces — and the exact capacity you need will depend on how many guests you plan on typically hosting. Trust us, there’s nothing worse than having to interrupt your meal multiple times to head back to the kitchen and refill your gravy boat. When in doubt, err on the side of a larger capacity.
In most instances, you’re going to want whatever you’re serving from your gravy boat to stay warm — whether that’s gravy, pasta sauce, or hollandaise sauce. For that reason, heat retention is another important factor to consider when shopping for a gravy boat. Materials like stoneware and porcelain will do a decent job of keeping sauces to temperature for a short time, but if you want to guarantee pipping hot gravy throughout your meal, you’ll want to shop for a vessel specifically geared towards heat retention, like one with a warming dish or insulated body.
Like with any piece of serveware, how something feels in your hand — and how it functions — is just as important as how it looks. When shopping for a gravy boat, pay attention to factors that will impact how easy it is to use a vessel, like the size and shape of the handle or how heavy a design appears to be. Remember, it will only get heavier once you pour gravy inside. The shape of the spout is also important; too wide, and you’ll risk overserving your guests.
While its name implies a singular use, a gravy boat can be used for serving up a myriad of things, making it a sneakily valuable piece of serveware to add to your collection. Essentially, anything with a viscous consistency can be poured from a gravy boat, including pasta sauce, salad dressing, berry compote, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and more. Beyond that, you can even use your gravy boat to display edible treats, like individually wrapped chocolates, or to showcase collectibles you deem worthy of a spot at your dinner table.
“Every holiday season, I have a tradition of setting up a festive hot cocoa bar. I love to make a pretty station with a decorative tablecloth, hot cocoa, and an assortment of fun candies and toppings. A gravy boat makes a great vessel for fresh whipped cream or caramel sauce as a finishing touch to a cup of hot cocoa,” says Taylor.
At their core, gravy boats are meant to make it easier to serve and pour gravy, not keep it warm. That being said, the temperature of gravy is a consideration when it comes to the design of gravy boats, and many are made from materials like stoneware and porcelain that have natural heat retention properties. However, if the temperature of gravy is of utmost importance to you, shop for a vessel made of double-walled stainless steel or one that comes with a warmer.
stainless steel cooking bowls Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist living in New York with over a decade of experience in the food, home, and lifestyle categories. When she's not diving into the latest trends and products, she's restoring an 1820s farmhouse in the Hudson Valley alongside her husband and children.