We all know what it's like at a buffet. The seemingly endless parade of food on offer as you saunter through with your plate in hand. The determination to not leave a single inch of white ceramic visible on your dish after you're done choosing your meal. The hum of chatter and hubbub around the restaurant. But have you ever wondered how it's possible to keep all that food warm all day long? Well, that would be because of the shiny metallic dishes you're probably very familiar with.
These are called Chafing Dishes and if you’ve ever wondered how they work and the benefits they can provide to any restaurant or home, you're in the right place.
What is a chafing dish?
A chafing dish is a stainless steel heat stove which takes the form of two shallow pans. One pan contains water that is heated by chafing fuel and subsequently keeps the food on the above pan warm. Chafing dishes come in a wide variety of sizes and weights, as well as having fuel that can burn for up to six hours, making them an effective and affordable way to keep food warm in any situation.
There are two main types of chafer, induction and electric, both of which can be used portabley or as permanent fixtures in a buffet or restaurant. Every Chafing dish consists of three key parts, a frame, water pan and lid. Cooksmills range of chafers are ideal for buffet serving, keeping food at a temperature during preparation and presenting food that needs to be kept hot.
Chafers should not be used to cook food, they are only intended to keep food warm. For the best results, prepare or heat your food in an oven before placing it in your chafing dish.
How do you set up a Chafing dish?
While chafing dishes may seem complicated or difficult to use, they are in fact very simple. The vast majority of the work comes in the initial setup of the chaffer. Once you’ve got everything in place, you’ll be good to go.
So how do you set it up?
Place the base in the location you intend to use the chafing dish.
Put the can of chafing fuel inside the holder and remove the can lid.
Attach the dampening lid to the holder and place it on the stand.
Place and secure the empty water pan in the stand.
Pour one inch of boiling water into the water pan.
Light the fuel with a stick lighter. Be careful and ensure your hand is kept away from the flame.
Place the food pan on top of the food pan and close the lid.
How does chafing fuel work?
The idea of having to burn fuel might sound a bit scary but using chafing fuel is actually very easy and extremely safe when done correctly. All you need to do is remove the lid and light the fuel.
It is important to maintain control over the burn of your fuel. You can do this by putting the fuel can in the holder with the damper and turning the lid of the can to adjust how much heat is allowed to reach the water tray. For safety make sure to use a long stick lighter when igniting the fuel.
There are two types of chafing fuel, liquid and gel, with the key difference between them being their consistency. Gel fuel is far thicker and less runny than liquid. This makes liquid fuel more difficult to light without its wick and is generally considered slightly safer.
The different types of chafing dish
Both electric and induction chafers offer near identical results - the difference between the two being the when and where they are used. Electric chafing dishes are largely used indoors where power sources are abundant, any location with a fire risk, or in windy weather conditions. The advantage of induction chafers, however, is that they are not bound to the proximity of electrical sockets. Making them more adaptable and transportable.
Once you have decided on which power source you want to use for your chafer, then comes the choice on how you want your dish to look. The most popular chafing dishes come in a rectangle or circular design, with these commonly used to serve main courses. Variations on the circle design were specifically created to hold desserts and soup.
At Cooksmill we also have a range of varying, high quality lid designs. These include dome and flat lids that can either be hinged or completely detached. If you want something a little different, though, roll top chafing dishes are very popular due their ease of use.
On sale now!
There has never been a better time than now to get yourself a set of chafing dishes. Check out chafers on the Cooksmill website and just add 2 or more to your basket to get an amazing discount. On top of the discount you will also get fast free courier delivery to all UK mainland addresses.
