We’ve all been there. You’re having a dinner party and everyone’s waiting for the food. You, meanwhile, have cooked a perfectly on-point meal, timed it so that every element is ready and piping hot at the same moment, and then?
There’s that maddening business of carrying all the dishes from kitchen to dining table. Back and forth and back and… Before you know it, the first dishes are cooling off, the roasties have gone chilly and by the time you sit down, everything’s the wrong side of lukewarm.
Fear not, heat-seekers. We have the perfect solution to this and many other hot-food-going-cold scenarios. Let us introduce you to food warmers.
They come in various guises, from serious catering-level buffet servers to family-style lazy Susans and all sorts in between, so you can choose the one that will best suit your needs.
They’re also incredibly handy for parties or other gatherings when you want to have the food out so people can serve themselves as and when they please, but don’t want everything to go cold and unappetising as the minutes – or hours – tick by.
When it comes to family meals, let’s come clean: not everyone is sitting ready and waiting at the table, are they? Tamsin is “just going to finish her phone call”, Jasper wants to get to the next boss in Elden Ring and your partner always seems to need the WC when you call out, “Dinner’s ready!” But what if you had a way of keeping the food warm while everyone made their way to the table? It would certainly stop you from feeling that your efforts were made in vain.
Well, no worries. We’ve found food warmers for every situation, from big clan-style gatherings to intimate, candle-lit dinners à deux, All you have to do is choose the one that most suits your needs and you’ll never sit down to a cold meal again.
Best food warmer trays at a glance
- Best for versatility: Aldi Ambiano Electric Lazy Susan - £42.99, eBay
- Best for doubling up: Brabantia Food Warmer - £33, Amazon
- Best for entertaining a large crowd: Progress EK2610P Cordless Hot Plate - £44.99, Amazon
- Best for long-lasting warmth: English Electric Round Hot Tray - £59.99, eBay
- Best for keeping lots of food piping hot: Hotplate Food and Plate Warming Tray - £105.03, Amazon
- Best for hob-tray combo: Daewoo Double Stainless Steel Hot Plate - £34.98, OnBuy
- Best for buffets: Fineway Electric Buffet Server 4 Tray Hotplate Food Warmer - £55.98, Amazon
Aldi Ambiano Electric Lazy Susan
Best for: Versatility
A hot take on the standard lazy Susan, this food warmer measures a handy 37 x 37 x 6cm and is perfect for family meals, to keep take-aways hot or when you’re hosting dinner parties. It heats up to 60°C and swivels 360° in both directions. The stay-cool base means you can put it straight onto any surface without fear of causing damage and, making it even more useful, the electric cord is detachable so you can use it for cold dishes as well. A truly versatile gadget you’ll use again and again, which is why we chose it as our Best Buy.
Buy now £42.99, eBay
Brabantia Food Warmer, 2 burners
Best for: Doubling up
This two-burner food warmer comes with a whopping 10-year warranty for peace of mind. It keeps food or drinks warm with a simple device called candles. That’s right: cost effective and easy to replace, just pop a couple of tea lights into the holders and away you go.
It measures 35.7 x 18.8 x 8cm and weighs just 1.13kg (2.5lbs), so it’s light enough that you can take it on picnics or other outdoor gatherings. They’re great for home too, obviously, as they’ll keep everything nice and hot while you bring more dishes in from the kitchen. Plus, the low-tech heat source means you don’t have to faff around with electrical cords or finding a socket close by.
Buy now £33.00, Amazon
Brabantia Food Warmer, 1 burner
Best for: Keeping one dish or drink hot
Like the two-burner food warmer by Brabantia, but with only one heat spot, this one is ideal for dinner for solo dining or just two of you. It heats with a tea-light. But don’t worry about where you put this food heater, it has a double-walled candle so there’s no danger of causing burns on whichever surface you put it on. The body of the warmer is also safe to pick up and move, as it has built-in cool grips.
Buy now £35.99, Amazon
Progress EK2610P Cordless Hot Plate
Best for: entertaining a large crowd
If you like entertaining, this food warmer could well become your new best friend. Plug it in and charge it up for 15 minutes, then move it wherever you need it and it will keep food hot for up to an hour even after unplugging. Just wait for the green light to come on so you know it’s fully charged. It has a useful 60 x 20cm surface area, so there’s plenty of room to warm plates while you keep food hot, and the handles always stay cool, so you can confidently move it about without fear of getting burned.
Buy now £44.99, Amazon
English Electric Round Hot Tray
Best for: Long-lasting warmth
At 35cm across, this lazy Susan-style round food warmer usefully and easily rotates, so you don’t have to reach over a hot surface to get to your food. It heats up to 145°C, making it ideal as a plate warmer as well as keeping food at its most tasty temperature. If you hate eating cold dishes, then this is the gift you’ve been waiting for, as it’s small enough to use for one, but big enough to keep the whole family happy. It heats up in five minutes and then stays hot for up to half an hour, even unplugged. You’ll wish you’d bought this sooner.
Buy now £59.99, eBay
Hotplate Food and Plate Warming Tray
Best for: Keeping lots of food piping hot
A extra-large food warmer tray, it measures a super-generous 70 x 45 x 3cm. There are two smaller iterations, but keep your eye on the big guy, because this one will take care of keeping an entire meal hot while everyone gathers.
It’s super safe too, as it won’t burn or transfer its heat to whichever surface you place it on, even though it can reach 135°C in just five minutes. Obviously it’s great for large gatherings, but it’s also a good solution if you have a small kitchen and not enough burners on your cooker as this food warmer can keep pots and pans at serving temperature while you finish cooking the rest of the meal.
Buy now £105.03, Amazon
Daewoo Double Stainless Steel Hot Plate Tray
Best for: hob-tray combo
This double hot plate from Daewoo is bulkier than standard single-hob hot plates, but provides greater versatility for cooking meals that require two pans. With five thermostatic control settings for each hob, you can heat two different pans at varying temperatures if necessary, with a handy indicator light.
The hobs do take a while to heat up and cool down once turned off, but the clean design, versatility and value for money make this a good option for most hot plate needs.
Buy now £34.98, OnBuy
Fineway Electric Buffet Server 4 Tray Hotplate Food Warmer
Best for: buffets
Host your very own buffet bonanza with the Fineway Electric Buffer Server. The sizeable warmer allows you to cater for large parties, whether hosting a night in with friends for a grand garden party bash.
Keep food groups separate using the removable warming pans (ideal for catering to guests with allergies) or take off the lid entirely to reveal an expansive tray. Carry to and from the kitchen with ease thanks to the useful handles and keep the content secure thanks to non-slip feet.
Buy now £55.98, Amazon
