Chafing Dishes
We rent three stainless chafing dishes and a soup chafer, from $14 to $28 each. The portions below are planning figures worked out from each chafer’s capacity; real yields depend on the food.
| Chafer | Capacity | Look | Price per Rental | Portions (Planning Figure) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless Oval with Gold Trim | 6 qt | Oval, gold accents | $26 | About 32 six-ounce servings |
| Stainless with Gold Trim | 8 qt | Gold accents | $28 | About 42 six-ounce servings |
| Stainless with Rounded Handles | 8 qt | Polished, rounded handles | $28 | About 42 six-ounce servings |
| Soup Chafer | 11 qt | For soup, stew or sauce | $14 | About 44 eight-ounce bowls |
Food Pans, Sterno and Serving Pieces
You’ll need fuel for every chafer, and spare pans make refills faster. Here is everything else we rent for a food table:
| Item | Price per Rental | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sterno Can | $3.90 | Burns about 2 hours |
| Extra 2" Food Pan, 4 qt | $3 | Fill one in the kitchen, swap it in |
| Extra 2" Food Pan, 8 qt | $4 | Same, for the 8 qt chafers |
| Glass Pitcher, 60 oz | $4 | 9¼ inches tall, for self-service |
| Insulated Pitcher, 6 Cups | $4 | Hot or cold drinks |
| Portable Hand-Washing Sink | $150 | 110° water, up to 245 washes per tank |
| 6-Foot Rectangle Banquet Table | $12.50 | For the buffet line |
| 90 x 132" tablecloth or 17 ft table skirt | $24.50 or $10 | Floor length on a 6 ft table |
See table rentals and linen rentals.
Chafers and Sterno for Your Guest Count
Plan one chafer for each hot dish, and one Sterno can for every 2 hours each burner is lit. Many caterers put two cans under a full-size chafer for steady heat (a planning figure).
Worked example: 100 guests, 4 hot dishes, 3 hours of service.
- Chafers: four 8 qt chafers, $112.
- Refills: each 8 qt pan holds about 42 servings, so 100 servings of each dish take about 2.5 pans. Add 2 spare 8 qt pans per dish: 8 pans, $32.
- Fuel: 3 hours is two cans per burner. With two burners under each chafer, that’s 16 cans, $62.40. With one burner each, 8 cans, $31.20.
- Total: about $175 to $206 before tables and linens.
Cleaning and Returns
Rinse the dishes, pans and pitchers and pack them back in their containers before pickup. Equipment that comes back with heavy food, wax or liquid residue is cleaned at $45 an hour.
Changes to catering items need 7 days’ notice.
Catering Equipment Questions
Not with lit Sterno. Our rental terms don’t allow open flames under or near a tent, and a lit Sterno can is an open flame. Set the hot buffet outside the tent, or ask your caterer about other ways to keep food warm.