Chafing dishes need to stay hot, but as most of us know only too well, they often don’t. The problem of inconsistent heat is one which is unfortunately fairly endemic to traditional chafing dish heating systems. Whether you’re using liquid or gel chafing fuel, other than investing in expensive electric heaters, there are only a few things you can do to protect against this problem.
Below are three simple methods and checks that you can do to give your chafing dish system its best chance at providing consistent heat.
1. Have a reliable system in place
Traditional chafing dishes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Additionally, most chafing dish fuel comes in disposable cans with various fixed burn times. If you’re only ever serving one or two dishes, then you probably already have a reliable system in place. In other words, you know precisely the type of chafing dish and the type of chafing dish fuel you should be using to get consistent heat.
However, keeping an array of dishes warm is more complicated. Combined with different heat rates and burning durations from different chafing dish fuel types, a variety of systems will almost certainly lead to confusion and inconsistent heat at one point or another. Eggs that should stay warm for four hours might now only be heated for two, resulting in customer complaints. Some chafing fuels are also one-use-only or non-refillable. Therefore, you have to make sure that you’re using the fuel for the correct duration. Otherwise, you’re literally burning through money.
A simple solution is to use refillable and adjustable fuel pots. EcoBurner is just that. Taking only 40 seconds to fill, EcoBurner is adaptable for a wide variety of temperatures and burn times, making it the ideal choice no matter the situation.
2. Be aware of your environment
Whether you’re serving your dish outdoors or beside a drafty window, you might be losing more heat than you think. A light wind can wick away a surprising amount of heat or even blow out your flames completely.
Consequently, make sure that you position your chafing plates away from moving air to ensure consistent heat. Alternatively, cover three of the four sides surrounding burners under chafing dishes with heavy duty aluminum foil.
If that sounds like too much hassle, use a modern system like the EcoBurner instead. Unlike gel or wick fuel burners, this safe chafing fuel won’t blow out in the wind or quit for no apparent reason. Take it one step further by combining EcoBurner chafing fuel with EcoBoost, an attachment that brings buffet burners closer to the chafing dish. EcoBoost creates a heat chamber that disperses heat much more effectively, reducing the amount of chafing dish fuel needed and enhancing the wind-proofing benefits of EcoBurner.
3. Keep an eye on water levels
Traditional chafing dishes use hot water to generate steam and keep your food warm. However, filling your chafing dish with the appropriate amount of water is more work than it seems at first glance. Not only do you have to wait for water pans to heat up, but you also have to test water levels to ensure that the bottom of your container is full at all times and doesn’t run dry. If you leave the chafing dish unsupervised for just a couple of minutes, you risk the pan boiling dry, ruining your food and your dish in the process
Water levels are not an issue when using the reliable EcoServe system, however. Using proven thermal engineering, EcoServe is a handy replacement for traditional chafing dishes. It goes from cold to hot in less than 10 minutes. Moreover, it doesn’t require dangerous boiling water pans, which means that changing over food dishes is now easier than ever.
EcoServe’s unique design is a nice bonus. Available in four colors, two sizes, and accessories that include custom-fit lids and dishes, EcoServe not only keeps your food warm but also improves your food presentation.
While keeping an eye on the above can help, inconsistent heat is more often than not the result of the way that traditional chafing dishes are constructed. The simple solution is to use a modern, refillable, and efficient system like the EcoBurner, which eliminates the likelihood of inconsistent heating. In addition to keeping your customers happy with delicious, hot food, EcoBurner will also help keep your staff and guests safe from chafing fuel accidents. It’s no wonder that hoteliers and caterers already use EcoBurner in over 50 countries around the world.
