Chafing Dishes & Warming Trays

Serve Your Guests With Food Warmers From eBay

Anyone who entertains regularly can understand the worry that food will get cold before all the guests have been served. Adding a food warmer to your collection of catering equipment solves that problem for you. Before your next dinner party or event, have a look at the wide selection of affordable food warmers on eBay.

Food warmers come in many shapes, sizes, and styles, but their basic function involves using a small heat source attached to the basin to keep the food inside at a consistent temperature. Many food heaters can be placed on a tabletop, while others are large enough to need their own space on the floor.

Each type of food warmer is designed for a specific use:

• Buffet server: Usually rectangular, a buffet-style food warmer has food wells or metal basins that sit in a frame over a heat source. Available in single or multiple well formats, this style is particularly useful for self-service catering.
• Bain-marie: This type of warmer traditionally comes with an outer basin that has water in it and an inner basin that fits inside to hold the food. Dry bain-maries are also available in the same design but do not require a bath of liquid to hold their temperature.
• Chafing dish: Often used for single-service portions, a chafing dish is commonly a single basin, set above a low heat source. Specifically designed chafing fuel canisters offer a more gentle heat suitable for delicate foods such as fish.
• Soup kettle: Also used for serving curries, sauces, and beverages like mulled wine, this type of food heater is cylindrical and mains powered. Just like a bain-marie, these food warmers are available with either dry or wet heat sources.

One of the most important factors in selecting a food warmer is what you plan to use it for:

• Will the menu have more than one course? You might need to buy several different types of food warmer to accommodate soups and starters, as well as meat and vegetable main dishes.
• Are you serving a large crowd? Although there are large food warmers available, consider buying multiple food wells to allow you to top up supplies more easily. Additionally, if a guest cross-contaminates (by using the same serving utensil, for example), you can quickly change the basin for a fresh one.
• Are you serving fish or delicate sauces in the food warmer? These items require lower temperatures, so you'll need to keep that in mind when you make your choice.

Food safety is always a top concern, whether serving a private party or catering a public event. By using a food warmer, you can be assured that the food is kept at the proper temperature, making sure that everyone receives a meal of equal taste. Food warmers tend to come with removable food wells, so you can control the amount of each dish available at any one time, replacing the wells as the contents run low.