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Suggestions On How to keep food warm for a buffet at home?

6K views 29 replies 13 participants last post by  chef claire 
#1 ·
Hi all new here I'm doing a buffet at the weekend for my mums 50th she's asked me to do the food also she wants some hot food (curry and rice) I have bought 2 chafing dishes and the burning gel question is the party venue is an hour away from where I live how do I keep the curry and rice warm while travelling??
 
#3 ·
Thats a good way with things on hand.
You use those materials just to preheat the
cold ice chest walls. Should feel like a nice
warm cozy place when you stick you hand in there.
Then when you pack it up to go, make sure
all the food is hot. I mean hot, not warm, or
just perfect temp to eat. Like, right off the
stove or oven, hot. By the time you transfer to sterno
chaffers, should be perfect.
 
#4 ·
You use those materials just to preheat the
cold ice chest walls.
Actually I prefer to leave them in the ice chest as not only can they make a nice bed to help stabilize the food containers as you nestle them into the gravel or whatever, but more importantly, the more mass you have, the more efficient your thermal holding capabilities
 
#6 ·
Best option is a cambro insulated food carrier like this:


It's not normal for home cook to have this unless you do bbq competitions or catering on the side. So next best option is to find a chest cooler that will fit your pans. It will work almost as well, just doesn't have the convenient shelving. That's what I did until this year. We call it a faux cambro
 
#7 ·
Interesting, especially with sand, Ive never done it that way,
always took the preheat materials out and relied on the
thermal action of hot food in an enclosed environment.
I may try it that way sometime to see how it works.
Same basic principal that a full freezer is more energy efficient than a half full one.
 
#9 ·
I actually think the cambro is fine for home use. You are correct they are more for the pros but I know home cooks with big families that have them. Great option actually.
Yep! I use it a lot for BBQs in the summer. My extended family within an hours drive is about 30 people. I plan to use it at least 4 times between thanksgiving and new years.

Also it works cold too. I had ice in here not melt for 72 hours on a fishing trip weekend.

 
#12 ·
Well sure, Cambros are the best, but as was indicated, only frequent use justifies their expense--couple hundred bucks a pop. You can get a full sized igloo cooler that fits hotel pans for 70 bucks,
plus being an ice chest, has a zillion other uses. Of course the other option is to just rent a couple Cambros (thermal boxes) for the weekend, and you dont have to store them.
 
#13 ·
I used a Styrofoam cooler I received with a shipment of frozen food.  I heated fire bricks and placed them in the bottom of the cooler.  I then wrapped my half pans in clean towels. Put the cooler in the back of my van.  When I opened the cooler my food was still hot.  There was however a sticky melted bottom of the cooler in the van.  We learn by our mistakes.
 
#16 ·
Catering a wedding all i have to do is cook the food for 155-200 ppl and deliver it im traveling from cali to Virginia how much do i charge for this catering job
Is it just me or does it sound insane to do a cross country wedding catering job?
Kinda sorta.

Not only would the prepared food lose quality but there is the huge issue of food safety.

@monni43 why not just travel to the event and do all the cooking there?

Sure would be cheaper (for the client as well as yourself) IMO.

mimi
 
#22 ·
Well, boiling water poured IN can wreck it too, doesnt take
much direct heat to melt that stuff. I put the pot in there...
on a thick layer of dish rags or potholders. Its the steam that
preheats the "space" not the surfaces. IMO, this method
works much better in plastic cambros, than with styrofoam.
 
#23 ·
I once told someone to boil a pot of water and put it in the cooler to preheat it. It melted a perfect circle in the bottom of said cooler when they sat the hot pot in there. Yeah...I didn't mean to put the entire pot in there...I meant to POUR the water in there.

LoL
Well, boiling water poured IN can wreck it too, doesnt take
much direct heat to melt that stuff. I put the pot in there...
on a thick layer of dish rags or potholders. Its the steam that
preheats the "space" not the surfaces. IMO, this method
works much better in plastic cambros, than with styrofoam.
I've never used styrofoam & was actually talking about a plastic/insulated cooler. Pot went directly from the 30,000 btu hob to the cooler & the lid closed right behind it...which is why no one smelled melting plastic for a good few minutes. LoL
 
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