A bain-marie is a professional term for a device widely used in professional gastronomy and catering for years. What exactly is a bain-marie? What is it used for, and is it worth its price? Let's take a closer look at this device.
Where does the bain-marie come from?
A bain-marie is a type of warmer that holds containers with pre-prepared dishes. The served meals remain warm and fresh. The name of the device comes from French. It was in France, around the mid-20th century, where the first devices of this kind appeared. Initially, these were water bain-maries that used gas burners to maintain the appropriate temperature. This kept dishes inside warm for about an hour after serving. Gas-powered bain-maries were quickly replaced by electric ones. Electric devices are safer and more convenient for daily use. Temperature regulation allows reheating dishes that have become too cold. Modern bain-maries can often be found in hotel dining rooms, especially when breakfasts are organized as a buffet. Thanks to these devices, even a simple scrambled egg stays hot until the end of the breakfast serving time.
Construction, operation, and purpose of a bain-marie
The construction of a gastronomic bain-marie is very simple. Essentially, it is a container made entirely of stainless steel. Inside, there is a system of electric heaters that maintain the temperature of the water heating the containers with ready-made dishes placed in the bain-marie. Even frequent opening of the lids of the containers does not affect the cooling speed of the dishes, as the temperature is constantly monitored, and the thermostat activates the heaters when needed. The dimensions of the containers are standardized, allowing multiple types of dishes in separate containers to be placed in one bain-marie.
There are three basic types of bain-maries: mobile ones equipped with wheels, standing models without easy mobility, and countertop models placed directly on tables during buffet-style meals.
A bain-marie is ideal not only for hotel dining rooms but also for other places where mass catering is involved. They are also used in larger restaurants, hospitals, and during various events and occasions catered by professional companies.
Main advantages of bain-maries
Besides the primary function of maintaining the temperature of ready dishes, bain-maries offer several other advantages. The most important ones include mobility and ease of use, time savings for preparing or reheating portions, reduced risk of burning, various sizes and capacities, and affordable prices.
A significant advantage of bain-maries is the ability to set the optimal temperature for a given dish, ensuring that its flavor remains unchanged. The temperature for served dishes in gastronomic conditions is regulated by standards. The minimum temperature is 63°C for main dishes, 75°C for soups, and 80°C for hot beverages.
Bain-maries are very stable devices characterized by good durability, but over time, replacing certain components may become necessary. In such cases, it is worth using a professional store offering spare parts for bain-maries, such as heaters, indicator lights, thermostats, igniter wires, drain valves, switches, and legs.
Bain-marie vs. food warmer
Not everyone knows that a bain-marie and a food warmer are not the same. Despite many similarities, they should not be grouped together. The two devices differ mainly in construction and application. In food warmers, the temperature is maintained without water, using electricity or special fuel. They are usually used in venues not related to mass catering or in private households.
