What is a chafing dish? Where did chafing dishes come from? When many people say the name chaffing dish, most people who are not familiar with the catering business, don’t know what it means to look for chafing dishes for sale. To keep it simple, a chafing dish is a fancy name for a container that you serve food out of to keep it warm. If you have ever been to a banquet, then you know all the silver, gold and stainless steel containers the food is inside of is called a chafing dish.
There are literally hundreds of different designs of chafing dish sets you can choose from. Do you like silver chafing dishes? Do you like gold chafing dishes? What about a copper chaffing dish? These are just some of the basic questions you will have to answer before purchasing a set of chafers for your catering business, banquet function or fundraiser event you are putting on.
Which Chafing Dish Sets Do I Purchase?
If you have a catering service, then your chaffing dishes are part of your design and theme when presenting your business. A few questions to ask.
- Is your catering business going to do wedding catering, business catering, event catering, banquet catering, fundraising catering, etc…?
Finding the answer to this question will help you determine if you need disposable chafing dishes or permanent chafers. Many catering companies will choose to purchase disposable chafing dishes if they have enough money to do party catering.
Electric Chafing Dish or Fuel Filled Chafing Dish?
Do you purchase an electric chaffing dish? Do you purchase a chafing dish that requires fuel? Once again, this all depends on the locations of your events. If you are doing a wedding in the middle of nowhere on the beach with no electricity, you can’t use electric chafing dishes, so you will have to buy chafing dish fuel and keep it stocked for this particular catering event.
Square, Round, Rectangular or Oval Chafing Dishes?
You may be considering which is better, a round chafing dish or a square chafing dish? You may also be thinking about oval or rectangular chafing dish. You may just be confused totally which design of chafers for sale to go for with all the different models and manufactures there are.
This really all depends on what type of chafing dish recipes you have on your catering menu. You may also consider a roll top chafing dish, which is very popular for self-serving buffet’s. Many of these styles of buffers can be found at hotels in the middle east with no buffet server present. They work great as a soup chafer or as a basic warming tray for catering supplies.
Many different types of catering food dishes are best served out of a certain type of chaffer that shows its best presentation. Remember that catering is all about presentation. Your goal is not to get chafing dishes cheap from a second hand supplier that half works and has scratches.
New Or Used Chafing Dishes?
It is true, you can buy cheap chafing dishes for sale, including oval chafing dishes, roll top chafing dishes and round chafing dishes too. If you buy second hand chafing dishes, be prepared for a possible deep cleaning. Many of the food warmers for a buffet, such as the chafing dish, can become dirty over time. Many times the fuel that burns a fire underneath the dish will cause black spots, where as there are none on electric chafing dishes for sale.
New chafing pans will cost almost double the money that used ones will. It’s really ok to buy roll top chafers and any other kind of warming dishes used since they are fairly simple to clean and fix. As long as the previous catering or business owners has taken care of them, any used chafing dishes will be a great way to save money and get them at wholesale prices. You can evenin find wire chafing dishes and racks at discount prices too.
What Brands Of Chafing Dishes and Pans Should I Buy?
Calphalon chafing dishes, Winco, Old Dutch, Norpro and tramontina chafing dishes are some of the most popular chafers for sale today. Many of these can be used as restaurant chafing dishes where you have a self serving buffet for customers. You will need to keep all the copper, silver or stainless steel clean at all times to maintain a clean appearance for the restaurant. If done correctly, you will have a very beautiful and elegant chafing dishes set that will last for many years.
There are many different manufacturer’s you can choose from, but going with a cater’s recommendations will be the best choice to getting high quality equipment that will last. Many of the fancy features and accessories for chaffers are only available with the more deluxe and expensive models. Various holders, inserts, cuptainers, settings and other supplies may not be found with inexpensive and cheap chafing dishes for sale from some manufacturers.
Finally – Are Chafing Dishes Right For Me?
Yes, all chafing dishes can offer great presentation and will stylishly serve hot foods at perfect serving temperatures. You will keep your food warm and ready for all guests all evening long with half size chafers and full size chafers, while providing a welcoming display of gourmet foods. You will need a matching heavy duty, deep water pan for many chaffers that are copper, so they do not burn, as many do with chafing fuel. Serving a variety of hot dishes has never been easier.
While many people still use charcoal to heat chafing products for eating buffets, an electric burner for soup and other foods is more convenient for many, especially at indoor catered events. Make sure you keep your food covered with the proper chafer cover that fits your model or version you have. This is a type of cookware, so if you buy it, be prepared to keep it clean and ready to use!