Elite Gourmet EWM-6171 Triple Buffet Server, 7.5 Qt, Stainless Steel

*** Why I need these *** I purchased two of these 3-container, 7.5 quart electric buffet warmers. We often host holiday dinners, and these allow me to get a lot of the meal ready before they arrive. *** Electric vs. steam *** I had previously been using steam chafing dishes. They held the same amount of food, but they were a giant PITA. IMO, these electric Elite Gourmet warmers are far superior for the following reasons. => Steam versions use cans of expensive liquid/gel fuel, which only last two hours. With these, as long as you have electricity, you’re good to go. => Steam versions don’t have individual lids. Guests had to pick up a giant stainless-steel lid, and spill a half cup of water that had no doubt collected under the lid. This electric warmer not only has individual lids, but they’re see-though. They even have a little cut-out so you can leave the serving utensil in the container. => This Elite Gourmet setup is smaller and easier to store. I was careful to keep the original box(es) that these came in, and I took pictures while unpacking. Now, when we’re done, I pack everything exactly as it was. These take up less than half the space my steam decks used. => These electric warmers can be used with or without the included containers. Or you could use one or two, and add your own. Or you can use just the warming plate with a giant disposable aluminum foil baking pan. These are much more versatile. *** Why I chose Elite Gourmet *** There are a few manufacturers that make this style of buffet warmer, and based on Amazon reviews, none are perfect. The metal is thin, the lids are relatively fragile, and the cord is short. So I looked at cost, and the little differences where Elite Gourmet beat the others. => The lids. The Elite Gourmet lids have actual handles, whereas some others have no real handles, just recesses in the molded plastic where you can pinch the lids to lift. => These are 300 watts, vs others with only 200 watts. That means these can get hotter than the others. Food needs to stay at 140 F to be safe, and although I didn’t test the actual temperature of food in these, it does seem to stay hot. => The frame that holds the containers on the hot plate is riveted instead of spot-welded. It looks better, and I believe it will last longer. *** Bottom Line *** At this time, I think these Elite Gourmet triple tray buffet servers are the best deal out there. There’s no liquid fuel to buy, no water dripping everywhere, and you can use the hot plate part of it with or without any number of the included pans. You can see what’s in the pan with the lid on, and leave the serving utensil in the pan with the lid on. I hope this helps.

I’ve relied on this Elite Gourmet buffet server in my own home for a while now, so when my sister needed a reliable way to handle food for her church volunteering, sending her this exact model was a calculated technical win. The 300 watts of power provided by this unit is the real engine behind its success, maintaining a consistent heat that cheaper warmers simply can't match across a full 7.5-quart capacity. It’s a versatile piece of equipment that functions as both a three-tray server and a standalone warming base, which is crucial when you're managing multiple hors d'oeuvres or different-sized dishes in a fast-paced environment like a social function. My sister’s experience with it mirrored my own—it is efficient, easy to transport with the carry handles, and the three separate temperature settings allow for the precision needed to keep delicate dishes from drying out while keeping heavier items hot. One minor drawback to watch for is the slotted lids; while they are perfect for keeping utensils in place, they can allow heat to escape faster than solid lids if the server is used outdoors or in a drafty hall. My professional tip is to drape a clean, heavy linen over the lids between servings to lock that moisture and heat in, ensuring the last guest's plate is just as fresh as the first. This experience.

I absolutely love the versatility of this warming tray! The fact that it comes with three removable pans is such a great design feature — I can use it with all three pans, or remove them and use it as one large flat heating tray, depending on what I’m serving. This was a total game changer during Thanksgiving. It kept everything warm while freeing up precious oven space — which is critical when you’ve got a giant turkey taking over most of the oven! Being able to put my casseroles directly into the pans and then move those pans straight into the oven beforehand was incredibly convenient. I’m not 100% sure the pans are officially oven-rated, but I’ve used them that way once so far with no issues. One thing to note: the individual pans don’t hold a huge amount of food, so if you’re serving a very large crowd, you may want to remove the pans and place larger casserole dishes directly on the warming tray instead. That said, for my gathering of eight people, it worked like a dream. Highly recommend for holidays or entertaining — it really makes hosting easier and less stressful!

I found a chaffing set at dollar tree but Amazon wouldn't allow me to return this item. My only complaint is that if you have large portions to serve this wouldn't work or you would need multiple sets. Also the covers are plastic not glass but other than that it worked great. Food stayed warm and looked professional.

Having read the reviews, I was prepared for this to be a little flimsy. I knew the pans would be thin - too thin to use in the oven. I knew the lids would be delicate plastic and that the tray-holder would be flexible and sharp (yet I still cut myself). I even expected the warming tray base might not sit flat, but mine did. For the price & the functionality, this was fine with me, and I was pleased with it when it arrived. It looked nice and was stable enough. It's made for home use, not restaurants. I plugged it in to test before unpacking everything, and it warmed up great. I notice some reviewers of warming trays are upset about smoking & burnt electronic smell when 1st turned on, but I also read in one of the manuals during my research that this is common briefly when 1st turned on, as a coating on the electronics burns off. This unit didn't smoke or smell, though. I cleaned everything as per the instructions and then set it aside for a couple of days until my party when I used just the warming tray base. I placed mini quiches on it to keep warm, and it worked really well. It barely got dirty. That night I cleaned it again as per instructions - soapy sponge, then wet sponge to remove the soap, then dry. I put it away, and when I pulled it out a week later it had surface rust spots. They're evenly distributed across the whole top surface where the food goes, not in a pattern from the food. I'm guessing the towel I used to dry it left some moisture that I didn't notice. I tried rubbing them off with a dry cloth. I tried with a damp cloth. Nothing worked. I uploaded a picture. This product is supposed to be stainless steel, but if it gets rust spots from a minor amount of moisture left on it, then it's very low quality or there was a manufacturing issue. I emailed the manufacturer twice (the second time with a photo), but they haven't replied. Amazon customer service helped me, though, even though I no longer have the box. A+ to Amazon & F for the manufacturer. I'm really disappointed about this because otherwise I really liked it. Again, not a high-quality durable product, but attractive and functional if it's not going to get hard use. It was perfect for my needs. But with the rust spots I can't place food on it again, and I wouldn't want the rusty surface to show. If you want to be able to place food directly on the warming tray, as I did (as the instructions indicate and the product images show), then don't get this unit. It may be a good (if less functional) choice if you don't need to place food directly on the warming tray. In that case, don't even clean the warming tray - maybe a light wipe down & carefully dry it thoroughly. I didn't use the pans, but they seemed to like they'd be stable enough. But be really careful when cleaning. I noticed that the stainless is incredibly easy to scratch, even with a soft sponge or cloth. (Again, cheap) I'll be shopping for a new one. UPDATE: A manufacturer rep got back to me and said that their warranty doesn't cover cosmetic issues like this. I'd say it's not simply a cosmetic issue when a food surface rusts. I told her I'd find one from a manufacturer whose "stainless" doesn't rust.

Used for an event at our local VFW. We loved the buffet server, perfect for serving street taco meats (carna asada, carnitas, and street chipotle chicken). Kept food warm and did not dry out the meats. Great buy, easy to move around and loved the look - simple. Thank you!

HAd the family here for the holiday and my wife needed something to help keep the food hot. This was the perfect choice. It kept the food at the exact temperature that she wanted and did not vary at all. It has 3 fairly large dishes of stainless with plastic covers. There is a surround to hold the dishes in place. Remove the surround and dishes and you have a nice sized heat plate for just about anything. Controls are easy to use and it is about 15x25 inches in size. Reading the reviews we see that a nuber of folks had damage issues. Not us, ours was packed well and no damage was found. The metal of the hot plate is rather thin so it might dent easily if not cared for. The lids over the dishes are plastic and we are sure that they will not last long is abused at all. These lids have a serving utensil opening. Ours worked flawlessy and we are pleased with it. We did keep the original box and will store it securely in our attic when not in use.

This was a last minute purchase to use for an event. I chose this item because I could get it quickly, I liked the size of it, and I liked the optional feature of the three, lidded warming pans that were a larger size than most of the competitors. It was less expensive than most of the competitors, too. However, when I unpacked the box, I found that the tray had a bad dent in the front center edge (pictures 1 and 2). I submitted a return request and as is usual with Amazon, I received instant authorization to send it back. I immediately purchased another one and received the replacement two days later. This time when I unpacked the box I found that I had been sent what appears to be someone else's return. It was clear from the stickers and odd tape on the box that it had been shipped more than once. The tray and accessories were inside the original open plastic bags, but the Styrofoam corner guards meant to protect the appliance in shipping were missing. The tray had clearly been used as there are noticeable scratches on the stainless surface (photo 3), and visible water stains. Hence my 3-star rating. I'm dissatisfied with the condition of both trays, but I did get an instant refund on the first one and very quick shipping on the replacement. As for the tray itself, it is a generous size. I was a little surprised that the warming pan accessory is nothing more than three pans sitting on the warming tray with a separate stainless rectangular frame surrounding them, giving the illusion of a more substantial appliance. All of the pieces are very thin and feel a bit flimsy. This could be considered a benefit as the tray is not very heavy, but since both of the trays I received had noticeable damage from denting or scratching, it also means the appliance is not likely to prove durable. The electrical cord is quite short, although it did prove long enough to place on a standard height serving table and could be plugged into a wall outlet beneath the table. I chose to keep the used, scratched tray I was sent because I needed it for the event the next day, so there would not be time to try a third time for a new, undamaged item. The tray did work and it served its purpose, but I am unlikely to purchase any other Elite product after this experience. Poor quality control is why the tray is a bargain.

It's a good product but not long lasting. The element is always burned.

Very useful for smaller group events in a home. One must make sure that the food is well heated before placing in the units as it keeps the food warm but does not work to heat it up. The containers may be put in the oven and then transferred to the unit. The lids are rather light and should be handled carefully. The ss containers for foods are large enough to accommodate groups of six to eight. For larger parties, I would recommend two sets of these and it would still be a bargain. I love it because it looks very good, is easy to clean and store and works as promised. Now to have more family meals at my house!

Con relación al producto quede muy satisfecho, cumplió todas las expectativas, la única recomendación que hago es con la forma del envío, el empaque venia muy frágil, la caja llego muy deteriorada, era para un regalo de bodas y en esas condiciones no tenia nada de presentación.

Packaging look like it was a returned item previously. It was all taped up beyond what you would expect from manufacturer. Other than that, product worked fine. Used it at Christmas for buffet group.

Ya lo utilizamos en una reunion y mantiene los alimentos protegidos y calientes