How do you keep food warm at parties?

[gorfias]

Long story short: How do you keep food warm at parties? I have these aluminum foil trays and a sort of wire thing to put them in. I've got these candle like things you put under the elevated by wire thing food holding foil trays. Do I need to have another tray with water in it between the food tray and the candle thing?
Do you think I could just put trays on a glass electric stovetop on low or would even that burn it/not work?
Of course, I'll have a crock pot for some things.

At my age one would think I'd know by now but I must have skipped the class on it.

Any advice is appreciated.

EDIT: Internet appears to be telling me to buy some more trays for water between food tray and candle. PIA but I'll do it.

 

[bluegate]

Back in ye olden days when I worked at a restaurant which did buffets the golden combination was as you already described; A candle like thing, on top of which sat a bath of water on top of which sat the tray of food.

I once got a nasty steam burn and subsequently a giant blister on my thumb when I changed one of the trays of food, so be wary of hot steam which might be trapped when removing the trays of food. Proper towel usage is advised.

As for parties, I personally don't bother keeping food warm. It's warm when it's served and people can either dig in and get a hot meal or wait and eat colder food

 

[Xprimentyl]

Yeah, you generally want a tray of water between the sterno (the candle like thing) and the aluminum pan with the food in it. It keeps the food from direct heat and keeps it from burning or additionally cooking.

But, like blugate said, our house isn't a fancy buffet. If we cook, the food will be hot when we're ready to serve/present it; if you wanna wait until later, we've got a microwave.

 

[Baffle]

Rub it vigorously between your hands, the friction should generate a decent amount of heat.

 

[Ag3ma]

Eat it. That will keep it at around 37oC.

If you're willing to spend, there are electric warmers, hostess trolleys, etc.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Rub it vigorously between your hands, the friction should generate a decent amount of heat.

Dinnertime at the Baffle household:

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Food? Warm at that! You must be throwin some pretty fancy soirees there, Mr Ambassador. Money spent on food is money not spent on mind numbing intoxicants. No one wants that.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Food? Warm at that! You must be throwin some pretty fancy soirees there, Mr Ambassador. Money spent on food is money not spent on mind numbing intoxicants. No one wants that.

"Eating is cheating" - a drinkers' proverb.

 

[gorfias]

Food? Warm at that! You must be throwin some pretty fancy soirees there, Mr Ambassador. Money spent on food is money not spent on mind numbing intoxicants. No one wants that.

I actually cooked a little too much and the missus hasn't let me forget it ever since! But plenty of alcohol was imbibed!

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I actually cooked a little too much and the missus hasn't let me forget it ever since! But plenty of alcohol was imbibed!

When you say "a little" do you mean you were living off potato salad and chicken wings for the next 3weeks?

 

[Gordon_4]

I actually cooked a little too much and the missus hasn't let me forget it ever since! But plenty of alcohol was imbibed!

When you say "a little" do you mean you were living off potato salad and chicken wings for the next 3weeks?

We won't judge, we just want to get an idea of scale.

 

[gorfias]

We won't judge, we just want to get an idea of scale.

I bought 2 large boxes of hot dogs: 1 skinless 1 natural casing and 2 long sleeves of about 18 hamburgers. Total cost was about $60. Also bought 5 family bags of various chips. Say another $20. For some 30 people, I spent about $30ish too much. A buck a person. No skinless dogs were eaten. About 14 hamburgers were left over: I ate dogs and burgers for the next 4 days, giving the rest to the boy and his new bride. About 1/2 the chips were uneaten and thrown out. So even then I likely ate another $10ish in stuff. This overage is in part due to others also brought some food to the party (buffalo shredded chicken sandwiches and tater salad). And many of us were too tipsy to eat our normal fill Those 12% 16oz cans of beer fill one up fast!

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Those 12% 16oz cans of beer fill one up fast!

12%? That's quite the spicy brew!

 

[Drathnoxis]

Parties. I think I've heard of those before...

 

[Gordon_4]

12%? That's quite the spicy brew!

Yeah, 12% is potent for something you’re in theory meant to be able to drink six of in a sitting.

 

[gorfias]

12%? That's quite the spicy brew!

Yeah, 12% is potent for something you’re in theory meant to be able to drink six of in a sitting.

4 if they're 16 oz. About the best beer I've ever had.

 

[Gordon_4]

4 if they're 16 oz. About the best beer I've ever had.
View attachment 9743

Yeah most of our beers hover between 3.5% and 7%. Although there’s a brewer who’s coughed up a beer that’s 29% and change. Although from what I can tell, Scotland holds the crown with BREWMEISTER SNAKE VENOM at a whopping 67.5%

 

[gorfias]

Yeah most of our beers hover between 3.5% and 7%. Although there’s a brewer who’s coughed up a beer that’s 29% and change. Although from what I can tell, Scotland holds the crown with BREWMEISTER SNAKE VENOM at a whopping 67.5%

I wonder if you can even taste beer in that!!!
Been 40 years since I had the highest octane drink I've ever had. It was called Stroh's Rum and I see there's a version still out there that is 80% (Pretty sure what we had back in the day was 90%). I played a number of fellow airmen in a game of spoons: where we poured a spoonful of the stuff and took turns trying a simple spoonful of it. Ever see one of those movies where a character tries moon shine and makes this sort of involuntary outward cough sorta action? Stroh's shows us this is a real phenomena.