No one likes to eat the clotted and thickened version of hot foods as they get cold. Hot foods are meant to be served and eaten at the right temperature. But this task becomes very daunting unless you don’t know the tips and tricks to keep food warm and juicy.
The purpose of your food serving, the kind of food you have prepared, and the decoration you want to serve your food with will decide the way you can keep your food warm. We have categorized several methods of how to keep food warm on the table and tools for you to pick one according to your purpose.
How To Keep Food Warm While Serving?
Your home appliances like the oven, stove, cooker, or insulated containers can help you to serve hot food.
Keep It In The Oven
When we say keep in the oven we do not mean to keep it on the cooking temperature, this will dry up your food in no time.
Set your oven at 140°F and leave the food inside. This will be of great help if you are having a little party or just cooked the food before serving time. You can also preheat your oven at a higher temperature, place the food inside and switch it off. The closed-door will keep the food warm.
Use A Slow Cooker
The slow cooker is made to cook or warm food at a low temperature and keep it this way for a longer period. It keeps your food above the safe zone (140°F) so that bacteria do not grow.
The added lid makes sure the food does not dry and its moisture remains intact.
Use A Thermal Cooker
This one works as a thermos, uses vacuum insulation to trap the heat inside, and keeps your meal hot. It is designed to slow cook for an extended period of time without using any electricity.
This is large enough to hold a full meal and keep it hot for eight hours straight if you put boiling hot food in there. A perfect device to keep food warm on the table.
Use Aluminum Foils
This is one of the simplest and easiest ways to keep snacks or appetizers warm at a party or dining area. Just wrap your food with aluminum foils and keep them in a regular or insulated container, they will stay warm for a long time.
For extra insulation, you can also use multiple layers of insulation.
Store In Insulated Thermos
An insulated thermos is a good way of keeping food warm especially when the food is of a small amount. These are easy to maintain and moderate to fit on your table. The insulation holds the heat inside and keeps the food warm until you open the lid.
How To Keep Food Hot In Restaurant/Buffet?
Buffet parties or restaurants use similar mechanisms to maintain food warmth. Here are some of the methods that might help you:
Chafing/Serving Dishes
Chafing dishes are both eco-friendly and cost-effective as they do not need electricity to keep a large amount of food warm. You need to put the food on the stainless steel dish which stays hot due to another stainless steel tray filled with hot water which is placed underneath.
The chafing fuel containers under the hot tray must be lit in order to heat the water. The fuels last for six hours which is perfect for keeping food warm at the restaurant.
Use Warming Trays
Warming trays retain food warmth for as long as they are plugged in. The good news is some of the warming trays and buffets come with heat-resistant lids that trap the heat inside even when the tray is not plugged in. You can store different dishes in different compartments of the warming tray.
Use A Double Boiler
Double boilers are best to keep delicate dishes like hot sauce, smashed potatoes, or gravies warm. You need to fill the bottom pan with water, lit your stove on low, and place your food on the top pan of the boiler. The hot water will keep them warm without drying them out.
How Do Barbeque Restaurants Keep Food Warm?
Barbeque restaurants have their specific method and tools to keep their food warm. They do the following:
Use The Grill/ Barbeque
This works like magic. All you need to do is place your dishes inside the grill wrapped in foil trays or oven-proof containers and turn on one of the side burners on low and close the lid of your grill.
Don’t put your food directly on the burner, it will overcook your food. Note that using grills for a long time can damage the taste of the meat.
Maintain The Time
The best way to serve hot barbeque is to cook them before serving. You can prepare the meat before and freeze them and grill them whenever your customer orders. This is one true rule that every barbeque restaurant follows.
Final Verdict
It is true that serving freshly cooked food is best for the maintenance of warmth, health, and nutrients. But we cannot deny the hectic schedule we go through every day that makes it harder to find time for cooking on time. Therefore, knowing basic things about keeping food warm becomes important. We hope the knowledge we have shared was of your help.