Hot dog or hamburger? Cole slaw or potato salad? Corn on the cob or baked beans? You're eating outdoors and you've worked up a healthy appetite, but you have to make tough choices, because you're armed with only a wobbly paper plate and a fork that has all the strength of a fettuccine noodle. There's a mess hall of plates, cups, and utensils in stores to address your alfresco dining needs. But which are the best versions to last you through one meal, not to mention one summer or all year long? This season, make sure your award-winning chili ends up in your mouth — and doesn't leak through to your lap.

How They Stacked Up

Road testers hurled, doused, scratched, and stained some 25 pieces of flatware to determine their strength. Here, the most durable (and dignified) plates and cups for every outdoor occasion.

One Meal

Dixie Ultrastrong Plates

Brawn: The Dixie plates have a soak-proof shield and combine the weight of paper with the impermeability of plastic.

The plate stands up to a steak knife, and liquid simply beads on the surface without soaking through.

You can load two cups of liquid onto it without overflow or leakage. That's good news if you love soupy summer foods, like fruit salad and baked beans.

Even when you're using just one hand, this plate can hold a pound and a half of potato salad without collapsing. Bonus: It doubles as a makeshift cutting board.

Beauty: The subtle design is perfectly inoffensive.
Value: At around 9 cents per plate ($2.60 for a pack of 30, available at grocery stores), there's no better deal.

Sologrips Cups

Brawn: Sturdy yet flexible, the new cups from SoloGrips won't crack if you grip them too tightly. The indentations up the side of the cup keep it from slipping through sweaty fingers.
Beauty: These make the competition look like the cups you get out of a coffee vending machine.
Value: At $2.50 for 30 (available at supermarkets), you can buy enough to handle a full keg — or three.