If you work in catering, chances are you’ve heard of a bain marie before. But you might not actually know what it does, or how it works. A bain-marie, also known as a double boiler or water bath, is a type of heated bath used in cooking to gently keep food warm over a period of time.

It consists of two parts, an outer shell and an inner pot containing the food. The outer container is heated, usually by electricity, however, gas bain maries are available. The heat is then transferred indirectly to the inner container, keeping the food gently warm and at an ideal food serving temperature.

While bain maries can be used for a wide range of cooking tasks, here are some of the most common uses: Wet heat bain-maries are often used to keep delicate foods such as custards, sauces, and mousses, as they prevent them from curdling or burning. Chocolate can also be melted gently and evenly in a bain-marie without the risk of scorching or seizing. Dry heat bain maries are excellent for buffets keeping meats, eggs or potato dishes warm.

Cooked food can be kept warm in a bain-marie for long periods of time without drying out or burning. It is very important to keep food hot until serving to prevent harmful bacteria from growing. Food must be cooked thoroughly and steamed hot before hot holding begins. For more information and to ensure you keep your customers safe take a look at the Food Standard Agency.

Different Types of Bain Maries

There are different types of bain maries available, and certain ones might suit your establishment better depending on your cooking schedules, kitchen layout, staff and what food you are wanting to hold.

Wet Heat Bain Marie: Uses a water bath to indirectly heat food containers. Water is heated in an outer container, and the heat is transferred to the inner container holding the food. This type of bain marie is best suited for wet foods such as custards, and sauces, as over time the steam and moisture from the water helps to prevent food from drying out. As they contain hot water these types of bain maries are better suited to back of the house in the kitchen.

We have several wet heat bain maries available, mainly from UK manufacturer Lincat. The Lincat BM3AW Wet Heat Electric Counter Top Bain Marie comes with 3 x 1/4GN containers and is ideal for holding sauces, soups, gravy and pre-cooked food for up to two hours. For larger cooking needs, the Lincat BM6AW wet heat electric counter top bain marie with 4 x 1/4 and 1 x 1/2 GN containers is a better choice. These bain maries can be used for takeaways and restaurants, and run from a standard UK plug.

Dry Heat Bain Marie: Uses heating elements directly beneath the food container to heat it from the bottom. There’s no water to heat up first, so dry heat bain-maries are much faster. They are more efficient than their wet heat alternatives, as you’re not wasting energy keeping a large pan of water boiling. As there’s no hot water, there’s less chance of getting burnt. The gastornorm pans are easy to swap out as well, even during service. They are ideal for use in breakfast buffets or carveries. The dry heat doesn’t create steam and keeps dry foods in the best condition.

The Lincat BM4A electric counter top bain marie includes 2 x 1/2 GN containers and has an adjustable thermostat for temperature control. Dry heat bain maries are better for front of house and mobile caterers, compared to wet heat as they don’t produce steam. The Lincat LBM2 dry heat bain marie with 4 x 1/4 GN containers and lids is also a great choice for serving hot food that requires heat, such as vegetables or buffet style food. All of these dry-bain maries run from a standard UK plug.

Alternate Bain Marie Heating

The term bain marie is used to describe other types of heated appliances as well. For example, soup kettles are essentially high-capacity dry heat bain maries. The black electric soup kettle from Zodiac has a 10 litre capacity and is ideal for soup, curry, chilli, and even mulled wine. The inside temperature of the soup kettle can reach between 85 and 90°C, whilst the exterior can reach 50°C. This soup kettle also runs from a standard UK plug and is a fantastic addition to self-serve buffets, cafes and smaller restaurants.

Chafing dishes can sometimes fall under the Bain Marie definition and are an excellent alternative. We actually have an entire blog explaining the uses of chafing dishes, which can be read here! Cooksmill stocks a wide range of chafing dishes to suit your establishment, and enhance the appeal of your food. We also have chafing dish fuel available, making us your one stop shop for all your buffet and chafing dishes needs.

Best Bain Maries with Cooksmill

Whether you’re looking for a better way to serve heated food for your mobile catering business, or want to ensure your guests enjoy hot food at your buffet, Cooksmill has you covered. With so many sizes and styles of Bain Maries, we have every type of heating source you could ever need for your business. Bag a bain marie today, and enjoy free shipping on orders over £60 excluding VAT!