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Types of Food Warmers

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  • #Equipment Spotlights & Guides
  • #Holding & Warming Equipment
Pizza holder - types of food warmers

Food warmers are a great way for your customers to enjoy a warm meal after the food is prepped. Much like other kitchenware, there are different types of food warmers available for different foods. Learn more about food warmers that range from countertops to convenience stores.

Types of Food Warmers

Today, there’s a food warmer for every application and setting.

Holding Drawer

A holding drawer is convenient storage in the kitchen for many different foods, like toast or sandwiches. These look like a book cabinet and can range in a variety of ways including:

  • Height
  • Number of drawers
  • Different shelving

Banquet Carts

These look like refrigerators on wheels. You can find these warming carts in a wide variety of sizes, and they are commonly used in operations that need to move food around without heat loss. With proper insulation, a good banquet cart will only lose a degree or two of heat every 45 minutes when removed from a power source. These are great for use in:

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • School cafeterias

You can find gaskets, handles and other spare parts for popular banquet carts from manufacturers like Alto-Shaam at Parts Town.

Countertop Food Warmers

The countertop food warmer is a favorite of the convenience store industry and the scourge of dieters everywhere. With these units, juicy hot dogs are displayed in full glory for impulse buys.

Alternatively, the countertop food warmer can refer to a warmer that holds a pan in a well-style construction, and fits on your kitchen countertop.

The History of the Food Warmer

As long as people have been eating, they’ve been searching for ways to keep their meals warm. The very first food warmer likely involved some combination of rock, wood and fire – but that was long before the advent of patents and systematic record-keeping.

Samuel Clarke received one of the earliest patents for a piece of food warming equipment, covering the “Pyramid food warmer” in 1888. This simple device is used to heat beverages or foods. A metal jug was filled with the item to be heated, the jug was placed in the stand, and then a candle was placed in the bottom to heat the jug. You can learn more about this device at the UK Science Museum.

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