Best Equipment for Crab Boils and Feasts: Crackers, Mallets, and More

The best part of a crab feast is getting your hands dirty. Sure, you have to work for your food, but you get plenty of fun tools to do it with, not to mention a delicious reward for your efforts. And where else in civil society is it appropriate to show up to a backyard party with a mallet? (Croquet parties notwithstanding.)

To throw a successful crab feast, you don’t need a lot of tools, just the right ones. Aside from making the crab itself easier to eat, they all but guarantee built-in entertainment for your guests. Here are some to get your party started.

Justin Tsucalas

Mallets

A mallet is helpful for cracking the toughest crab shells. As a bonus, it’s also cute to look at and can double as a meat tenderizer. There are a lot of mallets out there, so it’s not hard to find one to suit every budget and aesthetic preference. We like the elegant old-school feel of this pewter mallet from the Maryland Store, and appreciate the utilitarian nature of the Stone Crab Club’s version, which has a rubber handle for extra grip and a pointy, textured side perfect for pounding out chicken cutlets or steaks. And for pure, slightly rustic unfussiness, it’s hard to beat Oxo’s wooden mallet.

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Crab knives

Along with a mallet, you’ll need a crab knife for breaking open all the crab’s joints and cutting through its tough shell. Mr. Woodsmith’s Carvel Hall hand-made knives are a Maryland classic, and drop-dead gorgeous to boot. And if you want a knife with a curve — which can function as a crab pick — West Marine’s version is a good option, especially with its comfortable bamboo handle.

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Crackers

While not everyone uses crackers at a crab feast, they are probably the easiest — and safest — way to crack open crab claws and legs. We love kitschy versions that vaguely look like crab and lobster claws, like these from Tarzian West and Restaurant Supply. But if you just want a purely functional option to get the job done, Toadfish Outfitters cracker has precision spring-loaded jaws.

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Crab picks

For the super meticulous, crab picks are important for retrieving every last strand of meat. The best are long and slender, dual-sided with a pick and spoon, and have a comfortable handle. We like these versions from the Seasoned Gourmet and OXO, while Williams-Sonoma are great if you feel like a splurge.

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Set of crackers and picks

You can also buy crackers and picks as a set. If your crab feast is an intimate affair, Williams-Sonoma has the perfect kit for two. For more of a small family gathering, Good Cook’s five-piece set is a good option. If you’re going bigger, Sur la Table’s set has enough picks for six and two crackers to really get a party going.

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Justin Tsucalas

Butcher paper

One of the highlights of hosting a crab feast is the relatively easy clean-up, thanks to butcher paper that doubles as a graveyard for empty crab shells and can be swept into a trash bin. Cameron’s Seafood sells classic, brown butcher paper, but if you want something more thematic, this crab print paper from Etsy is ridiculously cute. (Or you can also just skip the butcher paper and lay down newspapers.)

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Justin Tsucalas

Crab boiler

A full boiler kit will set you back a couple hundred dollars, but will also reward you with untold amounts of crab, shrimp, crawfish, and whatever other seafood you can boil. What we’re looking for in a boiler is something crafted from stainless steel so it can heat evenly and stay hot. As its name suggests, Bayou Classic knows a thing or two about seafood boils. Target sells its kits in both 60-quart and 82-quart sizes.

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Trays

You’ll need something sturdy and unfussy for all of those hot crabs as they come tumbling out of the boiler, but that doesn’t mean it has to be drab. The options from Falcon Enamelware and Crow Canyon will lend pops of vibrant color to a crab feast, but if simplicity is your thing, Restaurant Supply’s trays are a solid choice.

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National Bohemian beer

National Bohemian beer, fondly known as “Natty Boh,” is a crab feast necessity not only for drinking, but also for steaming the crabs themselves. Although the beer is no longer brewed in Baltimore, it has remained the go-to lager for over a century and imbues the crabs with a light, hoppy flavor that pairs well with the addition of lemons. It’s available pretty much wherever beer is sold.

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Bottle opener

And what’s the point of having beer if you don’t have a bottle opener? You can go the Maryland pride route with a bottle opener directly from National Bohemian, or if you’re feeling fancy, try this sleek, sturdy brass number from Food52.

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Justin Tsucalas

Mini saute pan

It’s necessary to have a pan of melted butter — with Old Bay sprinkled in, of course — going during a crab feast. Use it for corn, to dunk the crab in, or even for rolls. Eater’s mini saute pan, made in partnership with Heritage Steel, works well for this, as both the pan and its lid can withstand the flames of an outdoor grill. It also heats evenly, ensuring the butter inside remains warm and melty.