Cold food? Party foul! Expert tricks to keep food perfectly warm for a party. (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to keep food warm for a party? ›

If you're short on oven space, consider using a disposable chafing dish, steam table, warming tray or a slow cooker to help keep food ready to serve.

Pick up some Chafing Dishes

Chafing dishes are specifically designed to hold your food warm for hours. Although having a set might seem like a luxury, they're not as expensive as you might think. And you can reuse them for so many occasions: Superbowl parties, potlucks, backyard barbecues or dinner parties. Psst!

Aluminum Foil

Just keep in mind the foil will keep in the heat for only about 30 minutes or so. If you are trying to keep a roast, steak, or whole bird warm, tenting with aluminum foil while it rests will benefit the meat in two ways: It will keep it at a warm temperature while allowing the juices to redistribute.

Both caterers and restaurants can use steam tables to keep pre-cooked food at a safe temperature. While they can't be used to cook food, they can be used to bring the temperature back up to a safe level.

Chafing Dishes and Aluminium Casseroles

Chafing dishes are indispensable for buffet dining – offering a simple yet highly efficient food presentation solution to maintain food warmth and quality over an extended duration.

1) Chafer (Chafing Dish)

Therefore, it is often called stainless steel chafing dish. Chafer (chafing dish) either uses electricity or chafing fuel to warm food. Food can be kept at optimal temperature for a long time.

Use a Hot Water Bottle. Filling a hot water bottle with boiling water and then putting that into a lunch box will keep food warm for hours.

Put Dishes on Ice

Set your serving plates and bowls on a bed of ice. For bowls, you can add a couple cubes to a larger bowl and place your smaller serving bowl inside. For plates and platters, add ice to a clean plastic or metal tub and place your dish on top.

How to keep lasagna warm for potluck? ›

Line the crate with a quilt or a heavy towel, add the foil-wrapped lasagna, fold over the quilt to keep in the heat, and depart for the party.

Explore 16 practical methods to keep your food warm and delicious: Towels and Foil, Insulated Containers, Electric Blanket, Hot Bricks, Cooler, Oven, Chafing Dishes, Thermal Cooker, Crock Pot, Warm Plates, Rice Cooker, Towel-Wrapped Brick, Coffee Carafes, Iron Skillets, Foil Insulation, and Rice Socks.