When you’re handling a huge volume of food on daily bases, a food warmer in the front of the house or in the kitchen is a guaranteed game-changer. This applies to buffets, 5-star hotel restaurants, concessions, canteens, fast-foods or any food-serving business that serves warm foods that are ready to eat.
A commercial food warmer is designed to keep dishes hot and fresh until serving time. Not only that. Food warmers also help prevent foodborne illness by ensuring meals are properly cooked and kept at the right serving temperature. These restaurant equipment are also easy to clean and sanitised.
Commercial Food Warmers Types and Capacities
Foods have different flavours, aromas, and textures. All of these affect the type of warming equipment that suits the foods’ optimal temperature requirement.
Food warmers are offered in different types for different purposes. There are equipment that fit best with bread, cakes and pastries while some are made specifically built for saucy dishes. The best food warmer will depend on the type of dishes you intend to serve, your budget limit, your space limitation and the features you’re looking for.
Bain Marie Food Warmers
A bain marie is simply a water bath for food. It works almost similar to a traditional double-boiler.
Water is put inside a heated container. A smaller container will be placed inside the bigger container. This process delivers an indirect heat or steam or both into the foods. The heat is perfect for texture-sensitive meals like custard, fish, baked beans, and cheesecake, among others.
This heated water bath will keep the food warm without affecting its texture. Any foods that are prone to cracking when using dry heat can benefit from a bain marie.
Best uses for bain marie:
- • Chocolate melting
- • Keeping custards
- • Storing saucy dishes
- • Steamed buns
Heating Lamps to Warm Foods
This type of food warmer uses a heating element. That heating element could be a metallic rod, a panel or an infrared bulb. They are called “heating lamps” because their design resembles lamps.
The radiating heat from the lamp is what keeps the food warm. With a reliable heat lamp, the uses are limitless. You can use it for many food types.
Heatings lamps are sold in three types: strip heat lamps, hanging lamps, and countertop heating lamps. Because of the overhead style of a strip lamp, it is commonly used in buffets to keep food warm and well-lit.
Hanging heat lamps are mounted on the ceiling. These equipment are available in stationary or retractable designs. They have reflector hoods which make them attractive for display. Countertop heat lamps are designed to be portable and easy to move around a countertop or table.
Heated heat lamps can be used for a variety of foods from saucy dishes to fried meals.
Heated Cabinets
These food service equipment can be used in the kitchen or for transporting heated foods for catering events and other off-site services. With it, you can store pre-cooked batches of food and organise them accordingly.
The foods will be kept at optimal temperatures and ready for serving. A heated cabinet usually includes features like temperature controls, a closed environment that keeps away exterior humidity, and doors that resemble those of a cabinet’s doors.
Not only that these equipment keep dishes at a safe temperature, but they can also maintain that "just-cooked" food quality.
Heated Delivery Carts
This is ideal for large volumes of pre-plated meals that need to be delivered from the central kitchen to a different serving area. These food warmers often have sections and organisation dividers so foods can be categorised.
With this food warmer, the dishes can be transported either in bulk or on trays. When the time to serve comes, you simply have to pull a certain stash or the correct trays.
Steam Tables for Warming Foods
This food-warming equipment’s design is similar to the table’s. It typically has two or more compartments set over its surface. These compartments hold pans where you can keep food warm until serving time. These pans can hold multiple types of dishes.
Steam tables are powered by heated water which produces steam that gently heats the food. Just like bain maries, steam tables are best for foods that have delicate textures.
Hot food Display Food Warmers
Hot food displays structure is often encased with durable glasses. These equipment are available in see-through designs, which are specifically made to entice more customers.
A hot food display holds a variety of foods and keeps them in optimal serving temperatures whilst keeping their texture and freshness. These food warmers are used by bakeries, supermarkets, pastry shops, takeaway stores, and fish and chips shops. These equipment feature adjustable temperature settings so you can pick the best temperature base on the food types on display.
Chafing Dishes for Keeping Foods Warm
Chafers or chafing dishes are multi-layered apparatuses that use chafing fuel to operate and keep foods warm. The way they are built is composed of three elements: a cover, a water pan and a frame. The fuel heats the water creating steam from the pan. That steam is what keeps the food warm without drying it.
Drawer Food Warmers
Warming drawers - with designs that look like classic drawers - are commonly used by bakeries and pastry shops to store bread, rolls, buns and other items.
These food warming equipment feature safe-serve temperature capacities so the items are fresh and ready for customers. The drawers ensure that foods are away from elements that may contaminate them.
The Rule of Thumb When Using Food Warmers.
Only use warming plates and containers that match your food warmer equipment. Never use conventional plastic containers that can easily melt when heated.
Food Warming Equipment Available at Federal Hospitality Equipment
Whether you're in need of commercial kitchen equipment such as bain marie, bar fridges Australia offers, or specialized food-warming equipment, Federal Hospitality Equipment is your go-to destination. Our extensive selection includes warming carts, chip warmers, hot food displays, pie warmers, and more. We offer brand-new equipment from renowned brands as well as high-quality kitchen supplies on clearance, providing options for every budget. With financing options available and our dedicated team ready to assist, call us at 1300 659 409 to find the perfect food-warming equipment for your business.
