So, I found myself needing a whole bunch of dessert plates not too long ago. We were throwing this backyard BBQ, you know, the kind where everyone brings something and suddenly you have way more dessert than main courses. Classic.
My Quest for Plates
I definitely didn’t want to use our good china. Not with that crowd, and especially not with the kids running around. My reasons for going disposable were pretty straightforward:
- No washing up. Seriously, that’s the biggest win for me.
- Less worry about breakages, especially with kids bouncing around.
- Generally more budget-friendly when you’re dealing with a lot of guests.
So, plastic it was. I headed to the big box store, the one with aisles that go on forever. I swear, I walked past miles of paper towels before I even got to the party supplies section.
Once there, man, the choices. You got your flimsy paper ones, your slightly less flimsy paper ones, and then the plastic section. Even within plastic, there were options! Clear, white, colored, some even with little fancy designs trying to look like real glass. I wasn’t trying to fool anyone, though. I just needed something that wouldn’t buckle under the weight of a serious piece of cheesecake.
I picked up a few packs, felt them. Some were so thin, I swear a strong breeze would snap them. I ended up grabbing a stack of clear plastic dessert plates. They seemed sturdy enough, a decent size for a slice of cake or a couple of cookies. Not too expensive either, which was a bonus.
The Main Event – Dessert Time!
Fast forward to the BBQ. The plates were stacked up next to the dessert table. We had pies, cakes, a mountain of brownies, some fruit salad for the virtuous. People started loading up their plates. I was kind of watching out of the corner of my eye, half expecting a dessert catastrophe. You know, a plate folding in half, gooey mess everywhere.
But honestly? They did the job. They held up! Even with people piling on seconds. I saw one guy with a slice of apple pie AND a brownie on his little plastic plate, and it wasn’t even wobbling much. I was pretty impressed, for plastic.
No cracks, no major spills that were the plate’s fault anyway. They were just… reliable. Which is all you can ask for from a disposable plate, right?
The Sweet Relief of Cleanup
And then, the best part. Cleanup. Or rather, the lack of it. While everyone else was groaning about packing up leftovers, I just went around with a big trash bag. Swoop, swoop, swoop. All those sticky, crumb-covered plates? Gone. Into the bag. It was beautiful.
Honestly, that’s the main reason I go for plastic dessert plates for big gatherings. The convenience is just unbeatable. No soaking, no scrubbing, no carefully loading the dishwasher. Just toss ’em.
Final Thoughts?
So yeah, my adventure with plastic dessert plates was pretty uneventful, in a good way. They did what they were supposed to do. They served dessert, didn’t break, and made my life easier. Would I use them again? For sure. Especially for any event where I value my sanity over fancy tableware.
My only advice? Don’t go for the absolute cheapest, thinnest ones you can find unless you’re only serving, like, a single marshmallow. Spend a tiny bit more for something with a bit of structure. Your guests (and your carpet) will thank you.
