If you just bought your new top-of-the-line food warmer and can't wait to put it to good use, make sure you enjoy its full potential by avoiding some common user errors.
3 Common Food Warmer Mistakes
Leaving Food in Too Long
According to the Food and Drug Administration, hot foods must first be brought to internal temperatures of 140°F before serving.
Be aware that some warmers only hold food at 110 °F to 120 °F, so check the product label to make sure your warmer has the capability to hold foods at 140 °F or warmer. This is the temperature that's required to keep bacteria at bay!
Once your hot dish has been brought to the correct temperature and you have safely placed it in your premium food warmer, you are able to safely hold food for two hours.
Treating Your Warmer Like a Shelf
No matter how limited your counter space or serving space, resist the urge to treat your new free-standing food warmer as if the top is prime real estate available for stacking supplies.
Do not place anything on top of your food warmer. This creates an unsafe environment and could potentially damage your food warmer.
[You can stave off repairs] and keep your appliances running longer by performing a few easy maintenance tips. You won't need a lot of mechanical expertise to keep your appliances in tip-top shape—just some common sense and a little elbow grease.
That includes food warmers.
Keeping them clean and in good working order will serve to protect your investment for the long haul.
We Can Help
Here at Thermodyne Foodservice Products, Inc., we have spent the past three decades providing quality food warmers for commercial, industrial, and institutional kitchens.
To hear more about our premium products or discuss which food warmer may be right for you, pleasecontact us at any time.
Serve or keep food hot in chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Be aware that some warmers only hold food at 110 °F to 120 °F, so check the product label to make sure your warmer has the capability to hold foods at 140 °F or warmer. This is the temperature that's required to keep bacteria at bay!
Serve or keep food hot in chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Be aware that some warmers only hold food at 110 °F to 120 °F, so check the product label to make sure your warmer has the capability to hold foods at 140 °F or warmer. This is the temperature that's required to keep bacteria at bay!
Generally, it's recommended to consume or refrigerate food within 2 hours to prevent bacterial growth. Always follow food safety guidelines and check specific recommendations for the warmer you're using.
Optimal Oven Temperature. You might wonder what oven temperature will keep the food warm without overcooking it. A temperature of around 200°F should do the trick. This low heat will prevent further cooking, ensuring your dish remains at its peak flavor and texture.
Always reheat food until it is steaming hot all the way through (you should only do this once). Do not put food into hot holding without reheating it properly first. Check that reheated food is steaming hot all the way through. If the equipment seems to be working, reheat the dish for longer and then test it again.
Information. Small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or it can be rapidly chilled in ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. A large pot of food like soup or stew should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers before being refrigerated.
Food held between 5oC and 60oC for less than 2 hours can be used, sold or put back in the refrigerator to use later. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 2-4 hours can still be used or sold, but can't be put back in the fridge. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 4 hours or more must be thrown away.
Myth: You shouldn't put hot foods in the refrigerator.
Perishable foods should be put in a refrigerator that is 40 degrees or below within 2 hours of preparation. If you leave food out to cool and forget about it after 2 hours, throw it away.
Both caterers and restaurants can use steam tables to keep pre-cooked food at a safe temperature. While they can't be used to cook food, they can be used to bring the temperature back up to a safe level.
Your Oven. Some ovens actually will have a "warm" setting, which is usually 170 to 200 F, or a warming drawer, which is meant to keep foods at a level, warm temperature. ...
Finally, wrap 2-3 towels tightly around the food and foil. Depending on the food, this can keep things nice and toasty for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you don't have thick tin foil, wrap multiple layers of regular tin foil instead.
If your oven doesn't include a “keep warm” preset, aim to manually set the temperature somewhere between 170°F and 200°F to help keep food in a safe range.
Just keep in mind the foil will keep in the heat for only about 30 minutes or so. If you are trying to keep a roast, steak, or whole bird warm, tenting with aluminum foil while it rests will benefit the meat in two ways: It will keep it at a warm temperature while allowing the juices to redistribute.
Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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