Preparing for Holiday Guests

Nov. 14, 2008 — -- With Thanksgiving just around the corner, households across the country are gearing up for the holiday season -- and that means guests.

Friends, family, even people you may not like so much will be crowding into your home to share good times, meals and, sometimes, the night.

To help you get ready for all the hoopla, Carolyn Forte of Good Housekeeping magazine has some tips and products to help prepare you and your home.

"The great news: You don't need to hock your grandmother's silver to get excellent performance," Forte said. "We tested 31 of the newest gas, electric and duel-fuel ranges. After baking 1,860 chocolate-chip cookies and 232 cakes, boiling 248 quarts of water and broiling 31 steaks, there were some great budget picks like the Whirlpool Range."

The Whirlpool Range oven ($799) heats very evenly, keeping cakes level and easy to frost. Its "steam-cleaning" feature can get rid of greasy baked-on splatters on the oven floor in 20 minutes.

One chef's caveat to the Whirlpool is the broiler, which cannot brown steaks by the time they are medium-rare.

When those overnight guests come calling, it is a good idea to have an inflatable mattress or two available to save them from the hard floors and awkward couches.

Forte got a panel to test six different twin-size mattresses for their ability to hold air overnight, their durability and ease of inflation and deflation. One of the mattresses that came out on top was the Eddie Bauer Insta-Bed ($72).

"Consumers gave it a gold star for comfort, looks and its hands-free, electricity-powered inflation and deflation," Forte said.

It did, however, reportedly puncture more easily than most.

Making enough space at the dining room table is sometimes no easy task. One solution: Use a second table.

Forte and company tested 24 folding tables in a variety of styles for stability, strength and resistance against denting, watermarks, scarring from hot pans and any safety concerns. The tables were also rated the tables on how easy each was to open, close and carry as well as overall appearance.