Keep Hot Foods Hot and Cold Foods Cold

Control Your Temperature

Keeping foods hot or cold is a crucial component of food safety. Cooking for a crowd cooks must often prepare and serve crowds in locations without any means of heating or keeping foods cold. Not only that, transported cooked and uncooked food must be kept at the proper temperature.

While many caterers, personal chefs and restaurateurs use specialized products to transport and maintain foods at temp, they may not fit into your budget. Here are some no-cost or low-cost ideas.

Keep Hot Foods Hot:

Keep a digital thermometer on hand to measure temperatures. Hot food should be held at 140°F more.
Aluminum foil is great for retaining heat especially when hot dishes and meats are double wrapped
If possible, cook hot dishes as close to departure time as possible. Immediately double wrap with aluminum foil

Insulated bags and thermal chests and containers are simple, portable choices for maintaining hot temperatures

Pack hot foods (and cold foods for that matter) together so the dishes keep each other hot (or cold). Keep hot and cold dishes separate.

Use layers of newspaper, clean small rugs, thick bath towels and comforters as insulators. It may sound crazy but I've done it and it works!
If you are hosting an event at a location with kitchen space, a 180° to 250°F oven will hold foods at temperature. A general rule of thumb is to hold drier foods at a lower temperature and moister foods at progressively higher temperatures

The taste and texture of some foods may be affected by hot holding for extended periods of time.

If the location of your event does not have kitchen equipment, slow cookers, warming trays and chafing dishes are invaluable for keeping foods hot. Check the temperature frequently to be sure food stays at or above 140 °F.

Contact food service equipment rental shops or restaurant supply stores to rent these products if borrowing or purchasing is not an option.

Small amounts of foods can be placed on buffet platters and replenished often to help maintain proper temperatures. This allows you to keep the bulk of the foods at safe and proper temperatures elsewhere.

Discard perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, and egg and cheese dishes that are left at room temperature longer than 2 hours.

I once used a super hot water bottle to keep a hot dish of eggplant parmesan hot for a 20 minute drive, before placing it in a chafing dish at the party site.

After the event I refilled the water bottle to soothe my aching back during the drive home!

Keep Cold Foods Cold:

Keep an appliance thermometer in the cooler. Cold food should be held at 40 °F or below.

Insulated bags and thermal chests and containers are good choices for maintaining cold temperatures. They are sold with and without gel cold packs

Make sure foods are well-chilled or frozen before placing in insulated bags and containers.

Blocks or chunks of ice are best when using large coolers or ice chests, as opposed to ice cubes

In a chest or insulated bag, put in a layer of ice, the food, then top with a layer of ice.

Make sure the ice chest or cooler is tightly closed and avoid opening and closing as much as possible.
One of my favorite tricks is to use freezer strength Ziploc bags as “cold packs”. Fill the bags with water and flatten out for easy storage in the freezer. Be careful not to overfill the bags.

Another favorite is to freeze small, clean bottles of water (to be consumed at the event). Layer bottles underneath and on top of cold foods.
At the event, a cold dish can be placed inside a larger, deeper dish filled with ice.
Extra large ice chests are available for rent. Contact food service equipment rental shops or restaurant supply stores to rent these or other products, if borrowing or purchasing is not an option.

How to Transport Hot and Cold Food

No matter where you are cooking and serving for the event, you will most likely need to transport perishable and nonperishable food items. Careful planning is needed when packing food items and you must always be mindful of maintaining the quality and safety of the food you will be serving.

Just remember, if you are not organized, under stress and rushed, you will crush a carton of eggs with a 104 oz. can of tomato sauce. I speak from experience!

Make a list of all food and non-food items that will be transported to the event. Check off each item as it is loaded into the vehicle.
Small to medium-sized, lightweight, durable and leakproof containers are best for moving food products and supplies. Where possible, use lidded containers for easy stacking.
Liquor boxes are incredibly durable, are the right size and are found in abundance for free at any liquor store. You may have to ask politely. Purchased heavy-duty moving boxes are a relatively inexpensive alternative.
Securely wrap meats, poultry and seafood to prevent their juices from getting into other foods.
I have used dish, bath and beach towels, blankets, comforters and pillows, to protect food items and breakables. All clean of course.

Bubble wrap and other types of packing material will stabilize and insulate foods during transport.
Keep lightweight and delicate items like tomatoes, eggs, breads, snack chips, etc. all together. For all packing, pack the heaviest items on the bottom and lightest on the top.
To be truly organized and safe, only pack food items with food items, dishes with dishes, pots and pans with pots and pans, etc.

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