Party planning calculators

Plan by course rather than by total weight. For a buffet meal that usually means about 4–6 oz of cooked meat, two or three side dishes at about ½ cup each, a roll and a dessert per guest; a cocktail party with no meal runs on appetizers instead. The food per person calculator builds the list, and how much food for 50 people shows a worked example.

USDA’s rule of thumb is about 1 lb of whole turkey per person, more if you want leftovers. Ten people need a 10–12 lb bird; see how big a turkey for 10 people, then the turkey thaw calculator — a frozen 20 lb bird needs 4 to 5 days in the fridge.

A simple planning figure is two drinks per guest in the first hour and one an hour after that, counting water and soft drinks. The party drinks calculator splits that into cans and bottles, and the ice calculator adds the ice to keep them cold.

No — they are planning estimates. Appetites, weather, the time of day and how much other food is out all change what a crowd eats and drinks. Every calculator lets you change the per-person amount, adds an editable allowance for seconds, and rounds packages up. Round up again for big eaters.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 °F. Keep hot food at 140 °F or above and cold food at 40 °F or below; the party food safety guide covers buffets, coolers and leftovers.

Yes. Work out each item — the turkey, the sides, the ice, the plates — and press Add to project list. The list keeps everything from every calculator, adds up matching items into an order sheet, and prints or exports as a CSV for the store.