Everyone loves hosting parties, but the real issue is the food. It’s often challenging to keep the food hot for a longer time period on the buffet table. So, if you want to host a party and want to keep the food hot on the buffet table, we have got some options for you!
How To Keep Food Hot On A Buffet Table?
1. Chafing Dish
This is the most common and effective method of keeping the food hot on the buffet table. For those who don’t know, a chafing dish is a portable piece of equipment, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it’s widely used for food presentation during events. In addition, they are common in restaurants that offer hot dishes in buffets. These dishes are specifically designed to keep the food warm (it can keep the food warm for over six hours). The best thing about chafing dishes is that it’s a convenient and affordable way of heating food items.
The chafing dish is known to have a multi-layered design. This is because it uses special chafing fuel for heating the water pan, which heats up the food. Since the food is heated with indirect heating, the food will retain its moisture and won’t scorch either. In addition, there are some electric chafing dishes available in the market, but they don’t use any fuel. However, these dishes will still use water for transferring heat and are suitable for restaurants.
Keep in mind that chafing dish is not suitable for cooking food and only keeps the food warm. As far as the usage is concerned, it’s pretty easy since you only need to light the burner, add water, and keep the food warm for hours without any issues of overcooking. Moreover, the chafing dishes are designed with a lid, so you can keep the food covered before serving it.
2. Warming Drawer
We are sure that warming drawer sounds weird, and there are chances that you never heard about one. However, the warming drawer is still a great choice for keeping the food hot for the buffet table. We do want to add that warming drawers are permanent appliances which is why they are better for buffet restaurants. The warming drawer delivers temperatures ranging from 100-degrees Fahrenheit to 200-degrees Fahrenheit, so you can keep the food warm for hours before you’ve to serve it.
3. Slow Cooker
If you don’t have to serve the food on the buffet table right away and the food is cooked up already, you can use the warm setting of the slow cooker that’s specifically designed to warm the food and keep it that way. The best thing about using slow cookers is that you can use the warm feature for over 4 hours.
4. Warming Trays
There is a range of electric warming trays available in the market which help keep the food warm. These are basically plug-in devices designed with various compartments, so you can keep different food items warm. Even more, they are designed with heat-resistant lids to maintain the moisture and freshness of the food.