The 6 Best Gravy Boats of 2023

Best Overall

Rorence Stainless Steel Double Insulated Gravy Boat

4.8

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Our Ratings

• Design
  4/5
• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Heat Retention
  5/5
• Versatility
  5/5
• Ease of Cleaning
  4/5

This insulated gravy boat isn’t going to win any style awards—it looks like a stainless-steel thermos with a handle and spout because that’s basically what it is—but if you’re traveling for Thanksgiving dinner or need to hold the temperature of gravy (or some other sauce or liquid) and maintain the ability to pour it, this is your best bet. In our testing, we were able to keep liquids warm and we found that the temperature barely dropped by 20 degrees Fahrenheit after an hour. 

While this insulated gravy boat is dishwasher safe and, in our tests, we ran it through the dishwasher many times, it is just very awkward to put in the dishwasher because of the lid being attached to the thermos. However, it was easy to hand wash it using a brush and soap. It easily held about 1 ¾ cups of liquid, and pouring from it was, in fact, easy once we figured out that we needed to lift the lid before pouring for a much cleaner pouring experience. This gravy jug handled most liquids like a pro and kept them hot or cold for a good amount of time. We tested it with everything from gravy to syrups to crème anglaise to warm custard and even used it to make tea and keep coffee warm.

Price at time of publish: $20

Material: Steel body, plastic lid and handle | Size: 16 ounces | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best with Saucer

Nucookery 14 Oz Gravy Boat With Saucer

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Sometimes, you need a little extra help keeping the table clean during the holidays. Opting for a gravy boat with a matching saucer makes it more difficult to spill or drip on the tablecloth—and gives the gravy boat a designated dish for easy serving and passing around the table. The boat even has a wide lip for pouring thicker gravy, plus an ergonomic handle for added comfort. Everything is made of white porcelain that's safe to put in the microwave and dishwasher.

This gravy boat comes in 14 or 17 ounces, either with the saucer or without. Some reviewers had qualms with the size of the opening, saying that its narrow width made it hard to fit a ladle or pour the gravy into the boat, so it's worth noting if you think you'll have to do multiple refills throughout your meal. However, a majority of users raved about the great value of this model, as well as the ease of cleaning and ideal size.

Price at time of publish: $19

Material: Porcelain | Size: 14 ounces | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best with Ladle

Portmeirion Sophie Conran White Mini Sauce Jug and Ladle Set

4.2

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Our Ratings

• Design
  4/5
• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Heat Retention
  3.5/5
• Versatility
  4/5
• Ease of Cleaning
  5/5

The sleek design of this sauce jug won’t look out of place in a modern or traditional setting. It’s large enough that we didn’t have to refill it often and is just the right size to not look overwhelming on the table. We were able to pour 2 ½ cups of sauce/gravy in it and found that when we reduced that amount by about ¼ cup, we were able to pour the sauce in a much neater manner. However, we didn’t have to entirely do away with the extra sauce we could put in it. The ladle worked quite nicely to serve small portions of sauce and stayed upright in the jug at all times.

When the jug was fuller, serving sauce with the ladle was quite convenient. While pouring sauce from the main jug was not entirely drip-free, it was not messy either. The handle is quite comfortable and gave us more control while pouring, and we had no spills.

Because of its capacity to hold larger amounts, the liquids retained heat for quite a while. Washing it was a breeze as it is dishwasher safe.

Price at time of publish: $32

Material: Porcelain | Size: 20 ounces | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best Color Options

Fiesta 18.5-Ounce Sauceboat

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Whether you're a lover of vintage thrift finds, own a gifted set from your grandparents, or are simply a fan of high-quality pieces, there's a good chance that the Fiesta brand has already made an appearance during a family dinner. This Fiestaware gravy boat comes in a wide range of colors to match any aesthetic and features a design that's classic enough to stand on its own or match the rest of your favorite Fiesta dinnerware collection.

The ceramic boat holds an impressive 18.5 ounces of gravy and is dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. It's also super durable, with a solid base and wide opening for drip-free pouring. We also love how the handle is wide and the opening on top is rounded to fit a large serving spoon or ladle.

Price at time of publish: $35

Material: Ceramic | Size: 18.5 ounces | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best “Silver”

Match Pewter Gravy Boat

4.2

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Our Ratings

• Design
  4.5/5
• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Heat Retention
  2/5
• Versatility
  3/5
• Ease of Cleaning
  4/5

This handmade Italian pewter gravy boat from Match mixes the vintage charm of traditional silver with a cleaner design for a slightly more modern (yet still very elegant) serving vessel. It is not as expensive as sterling silver, but it quite looks the part. Unlike sterling silver, you don’t need to polish pewter, but it does need to be carefully dried after every wash to avoid spotting. And you do need to hand wash it.

We tested the 4-ounce gravy boat, which is the smallest on this list, but we found it was enough for a candle-lit dinner for two. The boat is available in 8- and 16-ounce sizes as well. The only downside to this boat being made of metal is that it did not retain heat well. In fact, in our tests, we noticed about an 80-degree drop in the temperature in an hour. Thanks to the comfortable handle, the boat is really easy to pour from and is mess-free. We particularly liked it for dessert sauces, chutneys, and for drizzling chocolate sauce. Straightening the bowl and pausing for just a couple of seconds after pouring helped eliminate most of the dripping.

Price at time of publish: $235

Material: Pewter | Size: 4, 8, and 16 ounces | Care: Hand wash