Free hosting tool
How much food for a party? The party food calculator
Guests, hours, style. That's all it takes to stop over-buying shrimp and under-buying ice.
Appetizer pieces
240
Main protein
2.3 lb
Drinks
48
Ice
18 lb
Napkins
36
Plates
36
Now make it happen
The numbers behind the calculator come from the way people actually graze. Appetite peaks in the first hour, when guests arrive hungry, and then settles into a steady rhythm — which is why the first hour gets extra appetizers and every hour after gets fewer.
Drinks follow the same curve: about two per guest in the first hour and one per hour after. Ice is the item hosts forget most; plan a pound and a half per guest, more if it's hot or you're chilling bottles in a tub.
For a sit-down dinner, the calculator switches to plated portions — roughly eight ounces of protein per person and a cup and a half of sides — and drops the grazing count to a light welcome bite.
Questions people ask
How many appetizers per person for a 3-hour party?+
For a heavy-appetizer party with no dinner, plan about 8 pieces in the first hour and 6 for each hour after — around 20 pieces per guest over three hours.
How much ice do I need for a party?+
About 1.5 pounds per guest for drinks. Double it if you're also filling a cooler or tub to chill bottles.
How many drinks per guest should I plan?+
Two per guest in the first hour and one per hour after is a reliable baseline; adjust up for long evenings or celebrations.