Last Updated on 17th December 2021 by
So, you are throwing a party, but it will be a while before the guests show up. You made all the food, but you want to stay warm until the party starts. If you don’t keep the food warm, you’ll have to warm it up again before it’s time to eat or just serve unappetizing, lukewarm food.
So, what are some of the best ways to keep food warm for a party? There’s no sense in letting your party be a bust over something as simple as cold food. I’m sharing with you today the best methods for keeping that food piping hot until it’s ready to be eaten.
1. Chafing Dishes
Probably the most effective way to keep food warm and ready to serve before a party is to put it into chafing dishes. These are used in restaurants, particularly buffet-style venues, to keep food covered and warmed.
The metal dishes absorb heat well, preventing it from escaping and trapping heat in. You might think this would be an expensive way to keep your food warm, but it doesn’t have to be. You can find chafing dishes at reasonable prices if you do a little shopping around.
What you will find with these dishes that they do an excellent job of keeping the food warm and make it very easy to dish out.
Where a cooler or other method for keeping your food warm requires you to pack the food away, chafing dishes allow the food to be easily set out and ready for serving. That’s less work for you to do when the party starts, as the food is already prepared to be used.
2. Oven Warming
If you use the
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This is also a great way to keep your food out of the way and off countertops. It gives you a lot more room to work with, and it’s pretty easy to just pull the food out of the
3. Slow Cooker
This method is only going to work for some kinds of dishes, but it’s a great way to keep the food warm and ready to eat. If you prepared the food in the slow cooker, why not continue to use it to keep food toasty?
This is an excellent method for warming up soup, dip, rice, veggies, meat, and more. The
Most slow cookers have a setting that keeps food warm, so they are already prepared to be used in this way. Just turn the
4. Insulated Mug
If you have beverages or other liquid items that need to stay warm before a party, an insulated thermos or mug can work very well. You probably won’t get a lot of space with something like this, but it’s excellent for ensuring that your dish or beverage doesn’t lose any heat.
The insulated layers of the mug trap in heat, ensuring that very little escapes. A hot drink can stay very hot for hours.
If you want to make up coffee ahead of your party and keep it hot and not have to worry about it, why not put it into a thermos? It will still be very hot by the time you’re ready to serve it, even hours later.
5. Heating Pad
Another method you can try that is maybe not as conventional as some of these others is a heating pad. An electric blanket or heating pad maybe plugged in or use batteries and can provide a warm surface to keep your food containers on.
Just place your food into a metal container or some other container that can be safely warmed and then place it on the heating pad. Make sure the heating pad is turned on, and you’ll find that this works very well at keeping food warm for a long time.
This method offers a low level of warmth that won’t cook the food in most cases. It just keeps it warm enough to still be hot and tasty by the time you’re ready to eat.
6. Cook It Hotter Than Needed
There’s a case to be made for cooking your food extra hot. That means it takes longer to cool down and reach room temperature. If you make coffee extra hot or cook the meat too hot to eat, that means it’ll take a while to each a tepid temperature.
This can serve to keep your food warm for a long time where you don’t need to take any extra measures to maintain its warmth. The next time you need your food to stay warm for a while, why not heat it up extra before you stop cooking it or making it?
7. Put It On the Grill
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You can leave the food on the
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I'm Pauline, a retired patisserie chef, mother of four and now a full time food blogger! When i'm not cooking i love long walks, reading thriller novels and spending time with my grandkids. Head to my about me page to learn more about the woman behind the food! You can find my Facebook here