What do you need to host a dinner party?
Short answer: 22 items, from A non-alcoholic option for drivers through to water jug on the table, not just wine. The complete Dinner Party Hosting checklist is written out below — and the exact same 22 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Dinner Party Hosting checklist — all 22 items
- A non-alcoholic option for drivers
- Allergy-safe dish clearly labelled
- Background music playlist queued
- Bathroom stocked with spare toilet paper and hand towel
- Bin liner changed before guests arrive
- Candles and matches or lighter
- Coasters out for drinks
- Coats and bags storage spot decided
- Corkscrew and bottle opener within reach
- Dishwasher emptied beforehand so dirty dishes have somewhere to go
- Doggy bag containers ready for leftovers
- Extension cord for a slow cooker or extra hotplate
- Extra chairs sorted before guests arrive
- Guest dietary requirements confirmed in advance
- Ice (always more than you think)
- One dish that can be made a day ahead to reduce the day-of load
- Phone on silent or in another room
- Playlist volume checked before guests arrive
- Serving spoons for every dish
- Table settings counted and matched to guest number
- Timer set for each dish so nothing overcooks while you're chatting
- Water jug on the table, not just wine
A dinner party is cooked twice: once in the kitchen, and once in the week before — the menu planned around who can't eat what, the wine matched, the good tablecloth found and ironed, the one missing ingredient discovered with guests forty minutes out.
This hosting list covers both performances: dietary checks confirmed in advance, the ice everyone underestimates, table settings counted against the guest list, the make-ahead dish that saves the day-of, and the hour-before sweep of bathroom, playlist and bin. Add thoughts by voice while you're stirring — hands floury, list growing — and host the evening you pictured.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "fresh herbs" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What do you need to host a dinner party?
You need 22 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from A non-alcoholic option for drivers through to water jug on the table, not just wine — and the same 22 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=dinner%20party%20hosting opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Dinner Party Hosting list (22 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.