How to keep food warm for a party

To keep food warm for a party, put hot trays in chafing dishes, keep them covered, and time pick-up or delivery close to when guests eat. We sell a Chafing Dish Set for $17 per hot dish, yours to keep, and rent a Stainless Steel Chafing Dish for $20 a set, returned after your event.

What to buy or rent

• Chafing Dish Set: $17 for each hot dish, yours to keep. A good fit if you host often.
• Stainless Steel Chafing Dish (rental): $20 per set, returned after your event.
• Serving Tongs & Spoons: $1 each, so every dish has its own utensil.

You need one chafing dish for each hot tray you want to keep warm. Ask us what the dish needs for heat when you order.

Count your hot trays first

Cold trays (cheese, salads, sandwiches, desserts) do not need heat. Count only the hot trays. For a dinner for 20, a typical order is:

• Chicken Oreganato, $80 a tray, serves 20
• Mashed Potatoes, $49 a tray
• Buttered Fresh Green Beans, $49 a tray
• Baked Macaroni & Cheese, $59 a tray

That is four hot trays, so four chafing dishes: 4 x $17 = $68 to keep, or 4 x $20 = $80 to rent. The food is $80 + $49 + $49 + $59 = $237, so warming adds under a third to the food bill for that dinner. Both before 9.25% sales tax.

How to hold hot food

These are general food-handling habits, not special tricks.

• Keep trays covered until the line opens. Every lift of the lid lets heat out.
• Pick up close to serving time. We suggest pick-up 30 to 45 minutes before the meal, not two hours before. Delivery time is set with you when you order.
• If you cannot use a chafing dish, hold trays in your oven on its lowest setting until you serve. Check with a food thermometer.
• The usual food safety line is to hold hot food at 140 degrees F or hotter. If it has fallen below that, reheat it before serving.
• Do not stack hot trays on top of each other in a car. Keep them flat.
• Put cold platters on the table last and keep them away from hot dishes.

Serve in smaller refills

A tray that sits on a table for three hours loses quality. Keep some of the food back in the oven or in a covered tray and refill the chafing dish halfway through. The same goes for a cold tray on a warm day.

If you do not want to manage it

With a staffed event, servers take over: they are $35 an hour each with a four-hour minimum, and the event includes a $50 production fee and a 20% service charge on food and rentals. Staffed events need 14 days' notice. For drop-off and pick-up there is no service charge.

Reheating is also an option. For holiday meals, such as Thanksgiving Dinner, we send reheating instructions with the order. See how that works in Thanksgiving dinner to go.

Hot buffet or tray orders are on the trays menu. Ask for a quote or call (630) 553-9533.

Questions

Do I need a chafing dish for every tray?

For every hot tray you want to keep warm, yes. Cold trays do not need one.

Can I keep the chafing dish?

The Chafing Dish Set at $17 is yours to keep. The $20 stainless dish is a rental and comes back to us after the event.

Can I reheat food later?

Our holiday dinners are cooked to be reheated at home and come with reheating instructions. For other trays, tell us when you plan to serve and we will help you pick a pick-up time.