Bain Maries and Soup Kettles Buying Guide
Bain-Marie
A Bain-Marie (or water bath) surrounds a dish with warm water and emits a gentle heat to cook food preventing curdling, breaking or burning. There are two types of Bain-Maries, wet or dry heat. Bain-Maries can be placed in an oven or on top of a hob and are best used to cook food that needs a slow, delicate form of cooking such as sauces, terrines, mousses, soufflés, melting chocolate and creating custards. They are useful for holding food with long cook times, re-heating food, heating plates and for self-service. Additionally, many chefs’ kitchens have Bain-Maries to keep food warm before serving. Bain-Maries are normally made out of strong, durable stainless steel. Choose the Bain-Marie most suitable to your needs and there are a number of different size options on the Alliance website, ranging from countertop, portable to large self-service products.
- Dry Heat Bain-Marie works in a similar way to standard ovens using a thermostat or manual temperature. Dry heat is more energy efficient than wet heat but it does heat up slowly. Dry heat is useful if you plan on moving the Bain-Marie round as there is less risk of spillage.
- Wet Bain-Marie uses moist heat from humidifiers and these stop food drying out but don’t allow food to become soggy. Wet Bain-Maries use more energy than dry heat but they heat up much more quickly.
Soup Kettle
Soup kettles are ideal for preparing very large portions of soup and for restaurants, they are an integral piece of equipment because they keep your soup nice and hot all day long. Most soup kettles hold up to 10 litres and come with thermostats and simmer functions so they prevent soup from over-boiling or not staying warm enough. On the Alliance website you will find plenty of choices to suit your requirements from countertop to floor standing options.
For further information visit the cooking equipment pages in the Catering Appliances section or contact the Alliance customer care team