Chafing dishes are a servery unit used to keep cooked food at a servable temperature for either self service or buffet type presentation outlets. Chafing dishes have a very long history going back all the way to old Pompeii where they have been found in the ruins the early chafing dishes would have been made of earthenware and later on of brass or copper and would have used hot coals as a heat source since a roaring fire would have been too hot



Modern Chafing dishes still work in pretty much the same way by placing a heat source underneath a container filled with hot water, onto which a container filled with the food substance will be kept this keeps the food heated to a serving temperature. Chafing dishes are available as traditional flame heated versions (by lighted fuel cells) or electrically powered units. A wide variety of styles shapes and sizes are available on the market from square or oblong, to round and oval shapes

Chafing dishes are a very popular item for food service outlets, there a few guidelines that need to followed for the safe and correct operation of your chafing dish. It is advised that you always keep a minimum of half an inch to three quarters of an inch of water in the bottom pan before lighting the fuel burner. Also to keep your chafing dish in good working order avoid over heating and do not allow your chafing dish to boil dry by keeping the working liquid topped up on a regular basis. The Stainless Steel pan provided with your chafing dish can be used for cooking purposes and can be placed in an oven but should not be placed directly on to a stove top burner or open flame. When cleaning your chafing dish use a mild detergent in lukewarm water and never use a harsh abrasive cleaning product or scourer.

Chafing Dishes are an excellent product for dinner parties as the food can be prepared in advance and left to be served as a when guest get hungry freeing up the hosts time to enjoy the party and spend time with the guest instead of keeping an eye on the food. Food substances inside your chafing dish will require occasional stirring to evenly distribute the heat but you will rarely encounter any food becoming burnt in a chafing dish unless the bottom pan is allowed to boil dry. It is recommended that before the first use of your new chafing dish that you clean the inside with warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly to avoid the chance of any manufacturing chemicals or packing materials contaminating the taste of your food. Lids should always be replaced back onto the chafing dish at the soonest opportunity to add heat retention and also to keep any moisture locked in.

Chafing dishes in use today are normally used only for keeping food at a serving temperature but not so long ago chafing dishes were actually used to cook certain types of dishes and chafing cooking recipe books were commonly available