For today’s post, I decided to look into the busy chef’s right hand “man,” the venerable hot food holding cabinet.For today’s post, I decided to look into the busy chef’s right hand “man,” the venerable hot food holding cabinet.  On a busy Friday night (or for catering special events), it makes sense to prepare some dishes ahead of the rush and hold them until the guests arrive.  The versatility of holding cabinets is impressive; they are available in a wide range of sizes and some smaller models are even stackable.  They hold food at a safe hot temperature (above 135° F to stunt bacteria growth)—until you are ready to serve it.  Some cabinets come with individual temperature controls for each compartment, allowing more temperature options for different foods.

A commercial hot food holding cabinet that is Energy Star qualified is at least 60% more efficient than standard models and has the potential to save your restaurant $280 a year in energy bills.  And the technology used to gain those savings isn’t complicated.  It’s a combination of high quality insulation and energy efficient design (things like dutch doors and auto door-closers).  Many utility companies offer rebates for the purchase of an insulated hot food holding cabinet.  California’s Pacific Gas & Electric utility company, for example, offers a $300 rebate for a full-sized hot holding cabinet.

Here at Serv-U, you’ll find a wide selection of sizes and styles of commercial hot food holding cabinets.  If you go to our efficiency incentives page, you might even find a rebate for the purchase of an efficient hot holding cabinet.  Consider the convenience and time-savings that these machines offer; a holding cabinet could be a very good investment for your restaurant.