Holidays & Entertaining Entertaining 5 Entertaining Essentials That Will Take Your Summer Parties up a Notch Instantly elevate your next backyard bash with these must-have items. By Rachel Sylvester Rachel Sylvester Instagram Website Rachel Sylvester is a senior lifestyle editor at REAL SIMPLE, and has been writing and editing lifestyle content for more than a decade. Before joining REAL SIMPLE, Rachel began her editorial career at The Knot, where she served as an editorial intern, editorial assistant, associate editor, and finally, real weddings editor for the brand. Her writing has been published in Marie Claire, Women's Health, Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Travel & Leisure. She has also appeared as a guest on Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, NBC News, QVC, Pix 11 News, Fox 29 News, Yahoo! Finance, Cheddar, and Good Morning Arizona. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 12, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. 52food.com While we'll take any excuse to bust out a cooler of ice-cold bubbly, the true appeal of warm weather lies in backyard barbecues. Even if you aren't blessed with enough square footage to host a proper outdoor party, it's pretty impossible not to have a good time when friends, grilled fare, and frosé are involved. 6 Steps to a Delicious Beef Burger Before you send out the e-vites, stock up on these five smart summer entertaining essentials. Our picks go beyond basic must-haves like cheese boards and indestructible wine glasses to include a 2-in-1 speaker and a set of genius grilling bags. Our recommended party purchases are guaranteed to take your next outdoor soirée from good to great. Freezable Cocktail Maker Sur la Table $40, surlatable.com Whip up beach bar-worthy cocktails at home with this frozen drink maker. No blender or fancy soft-serve machine required. Makes four to six servings. Metal Dome Food Cover target.com $10, target.com Keep hungry bugs at bay with this genius contraption that protects freshly grilled food until it's ready to be devoured. The cover's mesh design allows air to circulate, while its 16-inch width easily covers plates large and small. LED Lantern Speaker store.moma.org $110, store.moma.org The only thing better than a powerful speaker is one that secretly doubles as a piece of decor. This compact LED lantern speaker easily connects to Bluetooth, so you can stylishly blast some tunes at your next after-dark gathering. Nonstick Mesh Grilling Bags Uncommon Goods $22 for 2, uncommongoods.com Grill masters understand the struggle of losing precious morsels through the grates, so we can't get enough of these mesh grilling bags. The durable bags keep all of your grilled items in one place. You'll never lose a cherry tomato or sliced veggie again. Compostable Multi-Compartment Plates food52.com From $22, food52.com Although convenient, plastic dinnerware is anything but earth-friendly. Instead, opt for these eco plates made from pressed fallen palm leaves. Zero chemicals, waxes, dyes, or additives are included in the production process, so you can chow down and rest easy knowing they're good for the earth. The 15 Best Outdoor Games Everyone Will Love Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit