6 Best Tips & Tricks on How To Keep Food Hot While Traveling on a Road
Eating cold or lukewarm food after hours of traveling is not something you would wish to happen to you.
It can be pretty disenchanting, tagging your friends or family along on a journey and then offering them cold food in the long run.
The situation worsens when you can’t figure out ways to keep your food hot while traveling.
Not having proper tactics to keep your food hot might lead to your food going cold or stale, which is something you don’t want to happen to you.
So, we have compiled techniques you can use to keep your food warm when traveling, using either electric or non-electric machinery.
Why Do You Have To Keep Your Food Warm?
Probably you are wondering what’s the big deal here; why do you have to keep your food warm?
Maybe you have no issue with your food running cold, but it goes without saying; there’s something good with keeping your food hot, especially while traveling. For instance, you need to keep food warm for health benefits.
With warm food, you have an easy time during digestion which is a good thing because you’ll absorb as many nutrients faster than when the food is cold.
Top and above, keeping your food warm will reduce the chances of your food getting contaminated. Additionally, warm food lasts longer without spoiling or smelling repugnant.
On the other hand, warm food tastes different than cold. For example: If you enjoy a barbeque when ready in the warmer conditions it tastes as it should be but the barbeque is not good enough in the colder situation.
In short, we need to keep the food warm to get health benefits and enjoy the natural taste of the meal.
How To Keep Food Warm When Transporting?
If you have read this far, you sure know why keeping your food warm is important. However, it is time to dive a little bit deeper and discuss the “how” of the matter.
How can you keep your food warm when transporting it without so much stress? You can use electrical methods or non-electrical techniques to keep your food warm.
Electric Methods You Can Use To Keep Food Warm When Transporting
01. An Electric Lunch Box Food Heater
Getting yourself an electric lunch box food heater is one way of helping keep your food warm. It is a portable and well-designed food warmer lunch box that can come in handy when transporting.
You need to plug it in, push the power button, and wait for your food to warm up. Your food will warm fast and ta-da! You’ll get to eat warm food.
02. A Portable Mini Oven
You can never run out of options when it comes to electric machines for warming your food while on the run. As the name says, a portable food warmer oven can be transported.
Using the mobile food warmer oven is easy. Plug in a lighter port without using an extra converter since the food warmer is designed with a built-in fuse to protect your vehicle.
03. Buy An Electric Crock-Pot Food Warmer
One thing about an electric crock-pot is that it’s easy to use and helps keep your food warm even when transporting it. You can easily clean it after use.
To use a crock pot, you must put your food in the inner pot and close it using the pot’s lid. Plug the pot and set the desired temperature, then give your food ample time to warm.
04. Use An Electric Warming Tray
Are you looking for an electric method to warm your food when transporting it? Look no further! An electric warming tray will do the magic.
To use the electric warming tray, you must ensure the indicator light is on, which indicates the tray is preheating.
Once you’ve confirmed the indicator light is on, preheat the pan for roughly three to five minutes, place it on the tray afterward, and put your food on the pan to warm it.
05. Use A Portable Mini Microwave
A portable mini microwave is on the list of the electric methods you can use to keep your food warm when transporting.
A portable microwave comes with a hot plate containing an off and on switch for reheating your food.
Using it is easy since you just have to place your food in the microwave, plug in the microwave, turn on the power switch then leave your food to warm.
06. Food Heating Lunchbox Stove
Another way to keep your food warm when transporting is using a food heating lunch box stove.
You will get powerful heating using this method which is a good thing because you will get to enjoy a hot meal. Plug in the lunchbox stove and allow it to reheat your food.
Non-Electric Methods You Can Use To Keep Food Warm When Transporting
01. Find Yourself A Thermal Cooker
A thermal cooker is suitable for keeping your food warm when transporting. It helps keep food warm for long hours.
To use a thermal cooker, heat the food hot, put it in the cooker’s inner pot, and cover it with a lid, and your food will stay warm.
02. Get A Non-Electric Portable Gas Stove
Getting a portable gas stove is one way of helping keep your food warm when transporting. It is simple to use. Just attach the gas canister to the stove and lock it with a flick that’s right next to the knob.
Turn the knob to the right to turn on the fire, and you can adjust the flame intensity as you wish. Put your food on a cooking pot, place it on the stove, and let it warm.
03. Use A Thermos
A thermos is not far from a thermal cooker. A thermos contains an inside and an outside container with an in-between space for insulation.
Once you cook your food, ensure it is hot enough, then transfer it to the thermos and close it.
04. Get A Cooler
A cooler is perfectly designed to keep food warm or cold. It can trap heat inside through insulation.
All you have to do is fill the cooler with hot food wrapped in aluminum foil or towels and let your food stay in the cooler, or line up your cooler with aluminum foil on the inside and place the food inside.
05. Get Chaffing Dishes
Chaffing dishes help keep your food warm without using electricity. This method is simple; put your food in one pan, then place that pan on top of another pan filled with hot water, and then light up the chaffing fuel containers underneath the water and let your food warm.
06. Use Thermal Bags
Thermal bags help keep food warm for a short period, unlike other methods. Heat your food and immediately put it on the thermal bag and seal it.
Keep it away from cold things. You can wrap the thermal bag with a paper towel or tea towel to help keep the food warmer for longer.
How To Transport Hot Food For Catering
Transporting hot food for catering can be challenging, primarily if you don’t have the right equipment to keep your food hot.
When transporting hot food for catering, you can use electric or non-electrical methods to keep the food hot or at the desired temperature.
You may find it challenging, but here are tips for transporting hot food for catering:
- Package the meals properly. Separate the hot meals from the cold ones
- Make use of properly insulated trays to keep your food warm
- Use a pan carrier to transport hot food for catering
- Make use of a Pro Cart since it keeps food hot and well organized
- Use glass containers to store the food instead of plastic containers since glass helps keep the food hot compared to plastic
- Use Chaffing dishes when transporting hot food for catering because they help keep the food warm.
- Wrap paper towels around every glass container containing food
- Use customizable vans to retain heat when transporting hot foods
Most Popular Machine That Keeps Your Food Warm While Traveling
The most well-known machines that help keep food warm when traveling are uncountable, but here are some that can’t go unmentioned:
01. The Electric Lunch Box Food Heater: Forabest Upgraded 50W
This machine is a Leakproof two-in-one portable food warmer lunch box suitable for car use and home use. Most people find this machine durable and easy to use.
02. Aotto Car Food Warmer: Portable Oven Compatible With 12V and 24V
This machine is popular because it does an excellent job of keeping food warm when traveling. You won’t regret getting yourself this machine.
03. Crock Pot Electric Lunch Box: Portable Food Warmer on-the-Go
It is popular because it is simple to use, keeps the food warm when traveling, and is easily portable and perfect for the job. The buzz regarding this machine tells you that this is a well-known suitable machine to use on the road.
04. Koolatron 12V Heating Lunch Box Stove
This machine is excellent for traveling because it gives you powerful food heating satisfaction; thus, you can heat your food quickly.
05. Magic Mill Extra Large Electric Warming Tray
This warming tray comes with a hot plate and adjustable temperature control. It is portable and thus suitable for use in warming your food when traveling.
Precautions You Need To Know Before Using Any Electric Machine To Keep Food Hot
When working with electric machines to keep your food hot, you should be careful to avoid possible injuries and electrical accidents. Some of the precautions you should have in mind include the following:
- Ensure you keep the electric machine away from liquids/ water or other types of liquids.
- Ensure you are not using exposed electrical contacts when plugging in an electric food warming machine.
- Turn off an electric machine if it starts producing a tingle or it starts overheating.
- Ensure you use the appropriate clothing when using electric machines.
- Once you use the equipment, ensure you unplug it from the power source.
- Avoid overloading the power source with many electric machines.
- Switch off the equipment immediately after use.
- When using an electric machine to warm your food, ensure you set the proper temperatures.
- Do not attend to any exposed electrical contacts unless you have the required skills.
Tips and Tricks To Keep Your Food Hot Easily Without Any Help From Machines
Sometimes, you don’t need machines but rather the given tips below to help keep your food hot:
01. Thick Towels
Cover your food with thick towels to keep it hot or warm. When covering your food with thick towels, ensure the food is well cushioned to preserve the heat.
If the food is not well cushioned in the layers of the thick towels, then you might not achieve the desired results.
02. Aluminum Foil Papers
Use foil paper to wrap your food to stay hot for an extended time. But how does foil paper keep food hot?
Simply put, foil paper keeps the food hot by reflecting thermal energy to the food, which helps maintain the food’s inherent moisture, aroma, and flavor.
03. Tighten The Lids Always
Keeping lids tight is another way to help keep your food hot without using machines to do the job.
Tightening the lid helps retain the food’s heat or instead helps preserve heat hence making it hard for the food to go cold fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Temperature is Perfect For Keeping Food Warm?
To keep your food warm, you must ensure it is maintained at 140oF.
How Can I Keep Food Hot Without Using Electricity?
You can keep your food hot without electricity by using simple methods such as foil papers, thermal bags, tea towels, etc.
What Do Chaffing Dishes Come With?
Chaffing dishes are metal cooking pans where you put your food, and they come with an alcohol burner with chaffing fuel containers to help keep your food warm.
Can I Keep My Food Hot For Eight Hours?
Yes, you can but the temperature is a determinant of how long your food can stay hot. If the food is under a minimum temperature of 135 or 140 degrees Fahrenheit, it will stay hot for at least eight hours.
Does A Cooler Keep Food Warm or Cold?
A cooler does both jobs. It can keep food cold or warm depending on someone’s needs.
Final Thoughts
Keeping your food hot while traveling has been made easier, all thanks to the electric and non-electric machines.
You can use aluminum foil, tea towels, glass containers, portable microwave, thermal cooker, and warming trays, among other equipment, to help keep your food hot while traveling or when transporting food for catering.
Use either of these techniques to keep your food warm, and you will be good to go.