ARTICLE
Christmas entertaining made easy
Published Oct 13, 2025 • Updated Oct 1, 2026 - 5 min read
Christmas entertaining is easier when you have the right mix of appliances, tableware and prep tools to handle cooking, chilling, serving and cleaning up. This guide highlights the smartest ways to host a relaxed festive gathering with less time in the kitchen and more time at the table.
Key takeaways from this article
Use festive tableware and lighting to make the space feel special fast.
Air fryers help cook crisp sides and snacks quickly with less fuss.
Multi-cookers, mixers and food processors save time on big Christmas prep.
Large fridges, beverage coolers and wine fridges keep food and drinks ready.
Dishwashers make post-feast cleanup easier so you can stay with guests.
If you’re hosting family and friends this festive season, the right Christmas entertaining essentials can make all the difference. From cooking for a crowd to keeping drinks chilled and desserts delicious, having the best kitchen appliances for Christmas means less stress and more time to celebrate. Here’s your ultimate guide to a joyful, easy Christmas with The Good Guys.
The festive season is all about good company, great food, and creating memories around the table. And with the right appliances, cookware, and entertaining essentials, hosting Christmas can be just as enjoyable for you as it is for your guests. These are the top entertaining tips to make it easy this year.
Set the scene for celebration
A warm and inviting atmosphere starts with the little details. Fairy lights, a beautiful centrepiece, and festive tableware instantly elevate your space. Stylish dinner sets, glassware, and serving platters make every meal feel special, while small kitchen appliances like coffee machines or wine fridges help keep guests refreshed throughout the day.
Cook smarter, not harder
Christmas meals often mean feeding a crowd - but that doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the kitchen. With the right tools, you can save time without compromising on flavour:
Steam Ovens
Steam cooking is a crowd favourite for a reason. More than just a fad, steam ovens don’t just steam your vegetables, they cleverly cook delicious food by retaining moisture, nutrients and goodness and can even help with crispiness!
Best Steam Ovens for Christmas entertaining
Air Fryers
For fast, crispy, and stress-free cooking, an air fryer is a game-changer for Christmas entertaining. Whether you’re serving sides, appetisers, or desserts, it’s the secret to keeping your guests happy and your festive hosting stress-free.
Best Air Fryers for Christmas entertaining
Multi-Cookers
A multi-cooker combines multiple functions in one, saving space and time. From slow cooking and steaming to pressure cooking and sautéing, it can handle almost every part of your Christmas feast. Think melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket, fluffy rice, or even a Christmas pudding—all from a single appliance.
Best Multi-Cookers for Christmas entertaining
Stand Mixers and Food Processors
A stand mixer isn’t just for serious bakers - it’s the ultimate helper during the busy festive season. From whipping cream for pavlova to kneading dough for bread rolls, a stand mixer does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.
When time is short and the guest list is long, a food processor is the appliance that speeds everything up. It can help you prepare vegetables for salads, roasts, or stuffing in seconds. Or blitz up pestos, hummus, or cranberry sauce for your Christmas grazing board.
Best Stand Mixers and Food Processors for Christmas entertaining
Fridges
Christmas in Australia means long summer days, festive feasts, and gatherings with family and friends. But with all that food and drink to keep fresh, your fridge quickly becomes the hardest-working appliance in the house.
Best Fridges for Christmas entertaining
Dishwashers
After a big Christmas lunch or dinner, the last thing anyone wants is to spend hours washing up. A dishwasher lets you load, press start, and get back to enjoying time with family and friends. With quick wash and eco modes, you can choose cycles that suit your day - whether you’re cleaning up between courses or tackling the post-party pile.
Best dishwashers for Christmas entertaining
For effortless entertaining, prep what you can ahead of time, then let your appliances do the heavy lifting while you enjoy the celebrations.
Recipe inspo
Once you have your appliances sorted, it's time to plan what to cook. The Christmas classic is a baked ham of course! It’s the spectacular centrepiece that turns any feast into a festive celebration. Need recipe inspo? Here are a couple of recipes that will definitely impress your guests!
Cherry, mustard and balsamic glazed ham
Prep time: 35 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr 10 mins
Serves: 16
Ingredients
1 x 7-8kg ham leg, rind removed
Whole cloves, approx 50
For the glaze
1 cup orange marmalade
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs Dijon mustard
Method
Preheat oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan-forced.
To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 6-8 mins or until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, score the ham fat at 2cm intervals into a honeycomb pattern. Insert a clove into each diamond of fat. Wrap the ham hock with foil to prevent it from burning.
Place ham on a greased rack in a large baking dish. Brush ham fat with half of the glaze. Roast for 55-65 mins, brushing with remaining glaze every 15 mins, until ham is golden and caramelised. Slice and serve warm or cold.
Steam Roast Lamb Shoulder
Prep: 40 min Cook: 2 hours Serve: 6 – twice
Ingredients
Lamb
2 lamb shoulder, bone in
8 French shallots, halved
1 bunch rosemary
300ml red wine
400g crushed tomato
500ml beef stock
300g swiss brown mushrooms
500g green beans, tops trimmed
Salt and pepper
Garlic Mash
5kg of potatoes, peeled, cut into 4cm chunks
1 head of garlic, cut in half
100g salted butter
⅔ cup milk, warmed
Gravy
50g butter
3 tbs flour
1 cup pan juices
Gremolata
⅔ cup curly parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1 orange, zested
Method
Lamb
Preheat oven to 130°C steam bake.
In a large roasting dish, heat 1tbs olive oil over medium high heat.
Brown the skin side of the lamb till deep golden.
Set aside.
Add the French shallots flesh side down, along with the rosemary and fry for 3 mins.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, then turn off heat.
Add the stock and tomatoes and nestle the lamb shoulders back in skin side down.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Place into the steam oven and steam roast for 2 hrs.
After 2 hrs, remove the pan and turn the lamb to skin side up. Change setting to 150°C steam roast and cook for a further 1 hr.
For the last half an hour, add the mushrooms around the meat to cook in the pan.
The meat should be tender enough to pull from the bone with a fork.
Garlic Mash
Boil potatoes and garlic in heavily salted water for 20 mins and then drain.
Mash with the garlic (skin now removed and the milk and butter).
Gravy
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the four.
Fry softly to make a paste, then add the pan juices, whisking till smooth.
Gremolata
Combine the ingredients and sprinkle over dish before serving and enjoy this incredible Christmas feist.
Lemon Delicious
No matter how much you eat during Christmas lunch, there’s always room for dessert and our friends at Tefal have come up with some deliciously tasty morsels that will keep you guests coming back for more. Lemon Delicious is the ultimate Christmas dessert, its tart and sweet flavour cuts through everything to deliver a tasty hit of lemony goodness.
TIP: Creating new and novel desserts, is one of the best parts of Christmas lunch, but it can be so much better if you have the right tools, like Tefal Generous Cook Induction Non-Stick Frypan 32cm. With everything you need to melt, mix and whisk, you’ll have all the relatives asking for your recipes.
Ingredients - Serves 6
150g melted butter
1 finely grated rind and juiced lemon
1⅓ cup caster sugar
¾ cup self-raising flour
375ml milk
3 eggs, separated
6 x 8cm ramekins
Method
Whisk together all ingredients but egg whites.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks have formed.
Fold egg whites into the mixture.
Pour mixture into 8cm ramekins. Cover with baking paper and foil.
Place in steamer basket with 300ml water.
Cook for 33 minutes.
Drinks that dazzle
Keep guests topped up with ease. A wine fridge or beverage cooler ensures everything stays perfectly chilled, while a blender makes whipping up festive cocktails or mocktails a breeze. Add in some glassware and ice makers, and you’ve got a drinks station that’s as stylish as it is practical.
Best Wine Fridges for Christmas entertaining
Dessert made simple
No Christmas is complete without a show-stopping dessert. Whether it’s a pavlova piled with summer fruit, gingerbread cookies, or a classic pudding, benchtop ovens, mixers, and waffle makers can help bring a touch of fun and flavour to the table. For something extra festive, try a soft serve or frozen dessert maker for holiday-themed sweet treats.
Shop Dessert Makers
Gluten-Free Christmas Pudding
When it comes to pulling off a truly traditional Christmas feast, the proof is always in the pudding! And the secret to nailing this rich and fragrant gluten-free pud? A mighty stand mixer!
Ingredients:
200g dried mixed fruit
50g mixed peel
1 cup dark rum
250g butter, plus extra for brushing
250g sugar
5 eggs
125g gluten-free plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp bicarb soda
125g gluten-free breadcrumbs
Custard and/or cream, for serving
Method:
1. Combine dried mixed fruit and mixed peel in a bowl. Add rum and stir to combine. Cover and stand overnight.
2. Brush a 1.8L-capacity pudding bowl with butter, line base with a circle of baking paper and dust with gluten-free flour.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then slowly beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. Sift flour, salt, spices and bicarb soda together into a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture in batches, alternating with soaked fruit mixture. Stir through breadcrumbs.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pudding bowl and top with another circle of baking paper. Cover with two layers of foil and tie with string.
6. Place pudding into a large saucepan with a wire rack or tea towel lining the base. Fill with enough water to come halfway up the side of the bowl. Cover and simmer for 4 hours, topping up water when necessary.
7. The pudding may be made ahead and cooled in a bowl. Reheat in a large saucepan of simmering water for 2.5 hours, then serve warm with custard and/or cream.
Shop Stand Mixers
Enjoy the Moment
At the end of the day, Christmas entertaining isn’t about perfection - it’s about connection. With clever appliances, quality cookware, and beautiful tableware, you can host with confidence and spend more time where it matters most: celebrating with family and friends.
