What is a Bain Marie?

A bain marie is a food warming appliance, designed to gently keep pre-cooked food ready to eat for extended periods.

Often called a water bath or a double boiler, a professional bain marie is usually a large, gastronorm compatible machine used as part of a self-service buffet or assisted service area. Electric and gas versions are available, as well as wet heat and dry heat options.

Types of Bain Marie

Wet Heat Bains Marie

As the name suggests, wet heat bains marie use a chamber of hot water to keep food warm. The food pan is placed into the water, which is gently heated to a set temperature by the appliance.

Gentle heat: as the water temperature doesn’t exceed boiling point, it’s much harder for food to burn or stick to the pan
Steaming: over time, the steam and moisture from the hot water help to prevent food from drying out. Make sure to keep the bain marie lid on where possible to maximise this effect
Even heat: once at the desired temperature, the food pan will largely have the same temperature as the water, with no hot or cold spots
Gastronorm compatible: easy to quickly swap out pans, even during service

GOOD TO KNOW: Water requires occasional refilling if used for extended periods. When service is over, you’ll need to drain any excess water - look out for units with drain taps to make this process safer.

Dry Heat Bains Marie

Dry heat bains marie use a heating element to directly heat the base of the food pan, removing the need for hot water.

Rapid heat up: as there’s no water to heat up first, dry heat bains marie are ready to use much faster - great for mobile catering
Efficient: dry heat models tend to be more efficient than their wet heat cousins, as you’re not wasting energy keeping a large pan of water hot
Easy to use: it’s a legal requirement to know your responsibilities when serving hot food. If you have inexperienced staff, dry heat models may be preferable as they are usually easier to operate
Safer: as there’s no hot water, there’s less chance of getting burnt by steam or spillages
Gastronorm compatible: easy to quickly swap out pans, even during service

GOOD TO KNOW: Can quickly dry out hot sauces such as custard or gravy. On some models, the positioning of the elements can mean some parts of the food pan are hotter than others.

Soup Kettle

A soup kettle is essentially a high capacity wet heat bain marie designed to keep large quantities of a single product warm - commonly soup, chilli, curry or gravy.

High capacity: you can usually keep up to 10 Litres of food warm in standard soup kettles - plenty for most busy services
Portable: can be positioned easily to maximise sales. Perfect for mobile catering
Space saving: as most of the capacity is in the height of the unit, soup kettles take up less counter space than traditional bains marie
Stylish: soup kettles tend to have traditional front of house designs which helps to draw the eye to the product.

GOOD TO KNOW: Water requires occasional refilling if used for extended periods. When service is over, you’ll need to drain any excess water. Unlike standard bains marie, soup kettles can only have a single product type inside.

TIP: What’s the soup of the day? Use blackboards and signs to let everyone know!

Article: See the Soup Kettles Explained article for more detail about how soup kettles can benefit your business.

Chafing Dish

If you don’t have easy access to electricity or gas, a chafing dish is an excellent alternative. Using similar functionality, chafing dishes keep food warm by using either cans of liquid or gel chafing fuel positioned below the water pan.

Position anywhere: as there’s no need for electricity or gas, you can position these almost anywhere they are needed
Stylish design: with polished stainless steel construction, chafing dishes are generally more pleasing to the eye than commercial bains marie, making them ideal for hotel buffets or breakfast services
Electric versions available: if you do have access to electricity, an electric chafing dish is a good combination of stylish looks and bain marie functionality without the need for naked flames
Gastronorm compatible: easy to quickly swap out pans, even during service

GOOD TO KNOW: Water requires occasional refilling if used for extended periods. Once service is over, you’ll need to drain any excess water. Just like any metal in direct contact with flame, the base can get very hot. If used for self-service, children should be supervised. Consumable chafing fuel is an ongoing cost.

Article: More information about chafing dishes is available in the Using a Chafing Dish article.

Mounting

There are four ways a bain marie can be mounted: countertop, drop-in, free standing and hot cupboard.

Countertop is the most common configuration. Low cost, portable bains marie which are suitable for positioning in the kitchen or dining areas.

Drop-in bains marie are built into an existing countertop, making them the least portable option. However, drop-ins are high capacity options, usually with heated overhead gantries, making them ideal for canteen-style assisted service catering.

Free standing options are relatively rare and are usually reserved for use in the kitchen only, as part of a line of other cooking or prep equipment. Sometimes, the bain marie will be positioned close to the pass for the final plating of meals. One major advantage of free standing bains marie is that as they are usually plumbed directly into a water connection, meaning filling and draining are much easier.

Hot cupboard bains marie are a clever combination of high capacity heated storage in one large, mobile unit. Commonly used in carvery-style catering or in residential care homes, you can bring food directly to diners. In the kitchen, hot cupboard bains marie are often used as a handy plate warmer and food warmer combination.

Bain Marie Features and Options

It’s not always easy to see how two almost identical bains marie have very different price tags. By understanding the features and functions, you can ensure your new bain marie is perfect for your kitchen or servery area.

Pans/lids included: unless explicitly stated, all bains marie will not have pans supplied as standard. However, where pans are supplied, it’s usually a good value option if you need them. If you opt for a machine without pans, ensure you’ve got enough gastronorm divider bars to match the GN configuration you plan to use
Gas or electricity: electric bains marie are far more common, simply because the gentle heating doesn't require much power. Still, LPG gas powered versions are available - although there’s really very little difference in functionality or warming performance
GN capacity: bains maries commonly use full size (1/1) gastronorm pans. It’s worthwhile to check the capacity before purchase though, as some cannot fit a single full pan inside due to pre-welded GN dividers.
Gantry: although bains marie usually heat from the base, some versions have a built-in overhead gantry which helps to highlight the food. In most circumstances, this is just a standard fluorescent light. Some gantries are heated though - perfect if you’ve got other foods which need overhead heating as part of a buffet line

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you cook in a bain marie?

Yes - and no. Only very delicate foods such as sauces and mousses can be cooked in a bain marie. It’s not really cooking - it’s just very gentle heating. In most normal circumstances bains marie are only used for warming food which has already been pre-cooked.

How much food can you put in a bain marie?

Capacity is generally determined by the size and number of gastronorm pans in the unit. A typical maximum capacity for a standard commercial bain marie with a single full size GN pan would be around 20 litres, although models can vary.

Can you sous vide in a bain marie?

Although the technology is very similar, it’s not recommended to attempt to sous vide in a bain marie. Sous vide machines work by maintaining a consistent and precise temperature, whereas bains marie normally “pulse” heat, which means timings and exact temperatures are very hard to gauge. A dedicated sous vide machine will be much more suitable for the job.

Article: For more information about sous vide machines, see the Sous Vide Explained guide.

What temperature should a bain marie be?

Usual food safety law applies. Hot food must be kept at 63°C or above. Once below this temperature, it can only be displayed for up to two hours. All bains marie have built-in thermostats to help regulate the operating temperature. Use a professional food probe to help keep tabs on the temperature.

Is there any difference between bains marie with GN pans or round pots?

There’s not a huge difference, so it’s usually down to how the unit looks. Some caterers prefer traditional round pots as it’s a little bit faster to scoop out sauces with a ladle.

Standard pans simply make better use of the available space. Plus, you also get the versatility of being able to configure the pans to match demand.

Why does my bain marie keep switching off?

For safety, most bains marie (especially wet heat versions) have built-in thermal cut-outs. If there’s no water left, or if temperatures rise beyond safe limits, the unit will automatically shut off to protect the internal components.

You can simply allow the unit to cool and then press the reset switch (usually on the base). If the unit is cutting off excessively, check the troubleshooting section of the instruction manual.