Keeping food warm for large groups 18-20 on Christmas Day

[Whatnottowear51]

trying to decide between electric food warmers and ones with candles. Once you unglug the electric ones they will start to cool down. Any one got any advice on why which. I do want to be able to use them year after year

also looking at electric plate warmers? Any advice

We’ve got a hostess trolley. Had it for 20 years and it’s amazing. Means we can feed around that many on a regular basis (large family) and everything stays warm. You can even serve the bits in the glass dishes so saves on that too!

Thank you. I’d love a trolley but kitchen and usual eating area is downstairs but for big gathering we use the large living room on a higher floor

I've a hostess trolley was my late MILs. Amazing, holds so much. Cheap as chips on market place, eBay second hand. @Whatnottowear51 my advice grab one.

We have electric food warmers with different compartments and have used them for many years at Christmas. They are great as your can adjust the temperature. Think they are called buffet servers or something.

We also use insulated serving containers which are great at keeping the food warm until you're ready to serve. You fill them with boiling water before use so that the container warms up. Then you empty the water out, fill with your food and put the lid on

The electric ones as soon as you unplug them they start to cool I assume but must be better than small tea light ones? Right?

I can't remember where we got our insulated serving dishes but they are similar to this sort of thing

I will look just the stairs puts me off

Just seen a hostess trolley down the road from us full working order. £35.

Yeah but they stay warm for a littlr while. Do you not have somewhere to plug it in?

I bought one of these a few years ago. An excellent purchase. Pretty sure I didn’t pay more than £30. Shop around.
https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/quest-large-buffet-server-and-warming-plate

The serving dishes come out, so you could fill them in the kitchen, then just carry them upstairs.

Yes I will plug it and warm it up - fill it up on the kitchen then carry it up to the living room) and place it on the table. I don’t really want it plugged in on the table but I can
for Christmas we have to put two tables together upstairs in the living room so I can thread a cable through but wondering about how long it will stay warm for it i don’t do that

If you can plug it in with an extension lead then that's ideal. If not maybe you would be better with the candle ones or insulated containers. The insulated containers stay warm for a good 30 to 60 mins with the lids on. Obviously once people start serving themselves they cool down a bit quicker as they're open

If you can plug it in with an extension lead then that's ideal. If not maybe you would be better with the candle ones or insulated containers. The insulated containers stay warm for a good 30 to 60 mins with the lids in. Obviously once people start serving themselves they cool down a bit quicker as they're open

Every Xmas without fail my mother says "Oh its the only day where we could really use a hostess trolley!". If she had bought the damn thing 30 odd years ago when she first started saying it, it would have paid for itself by now in save labour of dashing about with steaming hot bowl of veg!

My sister and I were going to get her one but no, they didnt need it. Until the day when she said "Oh I should have let you get me that hostess trolley" ARRGGGHH!!

However, having used both types of warmer I would say that the electric ones are better and safer. Oh and the electric plate warmers are ok but for that many people you would need at least two if not three, so I used to chuck them through the dishwasher and then not open the door until the food is ready as it retains the heat.

That's clever thinking

It was not my idea, I nicked it from someone else after being very impressed by it!

Swear by my hostess trolley. Bought second hand for £40 30 years ago! Use it a few times every year.

I’’m sure you could pick one up second hand !

I have a triple electric warmer. Three separate serving dishes that can all be controlled separately. Best for a big dinner as i don't have to keep getting up and serving food every few minutes

I have 2 plug in food warmers with 4 sections in each. They were from Aldi and are brilliant. I bought my adult DS one last year because he did Xmas at his house. Keeps food lovely and hot.

Just popped out and saw that B&M have a food warmer thing. 4 sections and it is down from £35 to £29 if anyone is after one!

ETA....and its available online, looks a really good size when I saw it in store

https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/tower-4-tray-buffet-server-350633

dishwasher is my usual approach for watmed plates

Maybe I'm missing something.
Why can't you buy a hostess trolley off ebay or market place locally and plug it in a corner, in the room you will be serving the food in? Even its not your regular dining room and move it to a shed/elsewhere after Christmas. Surely family can help carry the food from the kitchen up to the room and put it in the trolley to keep warm.

I don't use candles, but the one time it was be an absolute NO would be with 20 people in the house- presumably some drinking and possibly kids running around!!! 😬

A slow cooker on low doubles as a food warmer. Ask your guests if they can bring theirs and use an extension lead.
Turkey should be rested 30-60 minutes out of the oven before carving. That’s when you make your roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. Roast potatoes stay hot for ages.

Stuffing, gravy, Christmas pudding all reheat well in the microwave.

Fit what you can in oven. Consider if anything can go in a slow cooker or cooker top. And a plug in hot plate for the rest.

I have two hostess buffet servers (not the trolley) and another I picked up from middle of lidl. Use them every christmas (and more). Amazon sell warmer mats that you just pop your dishes on.