Catering Supplies

Catering Supplies: From Kitchen to Service Line

Catering supplies are the tools, equipment, and disposable items used by catering businesses to prepare, transport, serve, and present food and beverages at events such as weddings, parties, corporate gatherings, and banquets.

Catering supplies and equipment enhance food service operations outside of your kitchen, where you have all your tools and appliances readily available. From commercial cooking appliances to elegant serving solutions, catering supplies combine durability, efficiency, and innovation to streamline foodservice for large crowds, while maintaining optimal serving temperatures and ensuring the tastiest texture and flavor. Whether you're managing a restaurant, catering business, or institutional dining facility, Chef's Deal's high-quality catering supplies provide a reliable foundation for successful food service operations.

Cafeteria and Buffet Line Equipment

Cafeteria and buffet line equipment transform food service with efficient, attractive serving solutions. Available in lengths from 11 to 138 inches (27.94 to 350.52 cm) with modular configurations, these systems feature dual temperatures for hot and cold operation with a 140-180°F (60.00-82.22°C) range for hot foods and a 33-41°F (0.56-5.00°C) range for cold items to maintain food safety and quality. Available in ice-cooled, refrigerated, and mechanically cooled units, these catering supplies offer up to 18 pans and extra space under the counter. Cafeteria and buffet display cases, as well as delivery carts, feature adjustable sneeze guards, LED display lighting, and mobile options with locking casters, making them ideal for schools, hotels, and healthcare facilities.

Refrigerated Beverage Dispensers

Refrigerated beverage dispensers are perfect for keeping your beverages chilled and facilitating service at outdoor events. This catering equipment features varying capacities, ranging from 1 to 4 bowls and from 2.1 to 5 gallons (7.95 to 18.93 liters) per bowl. They are equipped with agitators to ensure smooth mixing and maintain beverages between 33-41°F (0.56-5.00°C). Advanced refrigerated beverage dispensers offer digital temperature displays, programmable dispense volumes, and energy-efficient cooling systems with insulated reservoirs. Hence, these catering supplies are a must-have for hotels, conference centers, and self-service areas, and you can find high-quality units by AdCraft, Donper USA, Grindmaster, and Vollrath.

Commercial Hot Water Dispensers

Commercial hot water dispensers deliver consistent temperatures between 75°F and 230°F (75.00 °C and 110.00 °C) with a capacity of up to 100 cups. Compact countertop designs (12-27 inches (30.48-68.58 cm) conserve valuable space while offering capacities of up to 8 gallons (30.28 liters) per hour. Thus, these catering supplies provide a practical way to obtain instant hot water for tea, coffee, instant foods, and sanitation.

Commercial Iced Tea Dispensers

Commercial iced tea dispensers offer a brewing capacity of 3-10 gallons (11.36-37.85 liters) with a brewing time of 12 minutes. They facilitate service with 1 to 3 spigots, while the no-drip faucet design prevents mess during service. Brew strength controls enable you to adjust the concentrate-to-water ratio.

Coffee Urns & Percolators

Commercial coffee urns brew 40-100 cups with holding capacities ranging from 2 to 10 gallons (7.57-37.85 liters) and liner capacities. These catering supplies are constructed from durable stainless steel and feature either single-wall or dual-wall insulation to maintain a consistent temperature.

Coffee Warmers

Commercial coffee warmers are available with 1-2 warming plates for maintaining coffee pots until they are needed for service. These units feature easy-to-see on-off lights to monitor operation.

Airpot Coffee Brewers

Airpot brewing systems enable you to brew coffee directly into the airpots and thermal dispensers, which maintain temperature for 4-6 hours without electricity. Featuring single and double brewers, these catering supplies can provide from 60 to 150 oz (1.77 to 4.44 liters) brewing batches.

Decanter Coffee Makers

Commercial decanter coffee features an automatic fill to facilitate brewing and a manual fill for ultimate mobility. These catering supplies by Bunn and Grindmaster are designed to brew coffee, while extra warmers keep brewed coffee hot. They offer 1 to 6 warmers to keep you supplied with coffee.

Cappuccino & Hot Chocolate Dispensers

Cappuccino and hot chocolate dispensers offer a 5-10 qt (4.73-9.46 L) bowl with rotating paddles to keep beverages, toppings, and sauces. They have faucets to enable you to serve nacho cheese, hot chocolate, or butter topping, and drip trays prevent spills.

Countertop Warmers & Displays

Countertop warmers and displays are staples for catering operations, allowing them to maintain foods, soups, and sauces at 140-180°F (60.00-82.22°C) and efficiently serve them, with capacities ranging from single pans to 3-4 hot well configurations. Featuring individual temperature controls, powerful burners to heat water, water reservoirs for humidity, and stainless steel construction, these grocery supplies showcase prepared foods while maintaining quality and safety. Available options by Cadco, Eagle Group, Hatco, and Nemco are:

  • Commercial Soup Kettles
  • Countertop Food Warmers
  • French Fry Warmers
  • Buffet Warmers
  • Food Warming Shelves
  • Commercial Soup Warmers
  • Induction Built-in Heat Retaining Units

Holding and Proofing Cabinets

Holding and proofing cabinets offer temperature ranges from 80°F to 220°F (26.67 °C to 104.44 °C) with humidity control (30-95%) to preserve the taste and texture of cooked meals. Available in half-height (36-40 inches (91.44-101.60 cm)) and full-height (72-78 inches (182.88-198.12 cm)) models with capacities for 3-36 (18" x 26" (45.72 cm x 66.04 cm)) sheet pans, these grocery supplies feature programmable controllers, tempered glass doors, and mobility with heavy-duty casters. Engineered primarily for banquet preparation, bakeries, and catering operations, these holding cabinets are available with:

  • Proofing Cabinets
  • Heated Holding Cabinets
  • Dual Temp Holding Cabinets
  • Retarder Proofers
  • Combination Holding & Proofing Cabinets
  • Heated Banquet Cabinets
  • Pizza Holding Cabinets

Queen Mary & Banquet Carts

Queen Mary and banquet carts can have up to six shelves with a maximum shelf clearance of 23 inches (58.42 cm). They can accommodate higher weight capacities of up to 3000 pounds (1360.78 kg). Featuring perimeter bumpers, heavy-duty swivel casters (5-6 inches (12.70-15.24 cm)), and ergonomic handles, these carts transport prepared foods safely between kitchen and service areas.

Outdoor Griddles

Commercial outdoor griddles are constructed from high-quality Type 304 stainless steel to withstand the rigors of outdoor conditions. These grocery supplies are available in various sizes, ranging from 38 to 81 inches (96.52 to 205.74 cm), and offer cooking surfaces from 24 to 70 inches (60.96 to 177.80 cm) in width, as well as 4 to 10 burners. Hence, these gas-powered outdoor griddles are ideal for festivals, catered events, and venue patios where high-volume cooking capabilities extend service options.

Commercial Outdoor Deep Fryers

Commercial outdoor fryers by Crown Verity, Omcan, and Comstock-Castle will be your constant aid in outdoor events, enabling you to make French fries, onion rings, or chicken wings. Powered with propane or natural gas, these catering supplies offer 30-40 lbs (13.61-18.14 kg) oil capacities, single or double oil wells, and temperature ranges of 200-400°F (93.33-204.44°C).

Commercial Outdoor Grills

Professional outdoor grills offer cooking surfaces ranging from 18 to 72 inches (45.72 to 182.88 cm) with 2 to 10 burners, providing a robust and consistent heating system. Featuring stainless steel construction for weather resistance, this catering equipment has stainless steel grates or radiants.

Countertop Induction Cooktops

Commercial induction cooktops are practical and easy-to-use catering supplies that run on electricity and can be used anywhere with an electric outlet. They deliver precise temperatures between 80°F and 400°F (26.67 °C and 204.44°C). They offer up to 100 power levels to ensure your recipes have the right temperature. Offering various sizes with up to 6 burners, these commercial cooktops present energy efficiency exceeding 90% and compatibility with ferromagnetic cookware.

Commercial Hotplates

Commercial hotplates deliver versatile cooking capabilities for off-site catering, supplemental cooking areas, and specialized preparation stations.

Stock Pot Ranges

Stock pot ranges are designed to provide a secure cooking platform for heavy pots, featuring burners that range from 45,000 to 110,000 BTU, which rapidly heat large volumes. Offering a comfortable use with heights ranging from 18 to 24 inches (45.72-60.96 cm), these catering supplies can feature 1 to 6 burners and are available in both electric and gas-powered models for various applications.

Wok Ranges

Professional wok ranges feature specialized cooking surfaces to accommodate Asian-style cooking utensils and woks. They offer up to 8 burners to provide you with enough cooking capacity even for the most crowded events.

Portable Butane Stoves

Compact butane stoves provide completely mobile platforms with 1 or 2 grates. Hence, they are ideal for establishing an outdoor cooking platform to heat foods or make quick recipes.

Carving Stations

Carving stations combine heat lamps with cutting boards to enable you to create enticing shows for your guests and customers. They offer heated base options and can have one or two heat lamps, as well as flexible arm options.

Portable Bars

Mobile bar units by Glastender, Lakeside, Perlick, or FEW are available in widths ranging from 28 to 96 inches (71.12 to 243.84 cm) and with ice bin capacities of 33-120 lbs (14.97-54.43 kg). They feature durable caster wheels for enhanced mobility.

Insulated Food Carriers

Thermal carriers are specialized catering supplies that are designed to maintain food temperatures for 4-6 hours without external power. They offer varying capacities ranging from single pans to 7 full-size hotel pans. Furthermore, they have commercial-grade polyethylene exteriors, thick insulation (1.5-2 inches (3.81-5.08 cm)), ergonomic handles, secure latching systems, and stackable designs. To ensure food quality and safety during transport for off-site catering, satellite feeding operations, and event service, we carry:

  • Insulated Food Pan Carriers
  • Food Ice Packs
  • Pizza Delivery Bags
  • Food Carrier Dollies
  • Insulated Food Delivery Bags and Catering Bags
  • Insulated Food Pan Carrier Parts & Accessories

Portable Refrigerator Freezers

Portable refrigerator freezers help catering businesses safely transport chilled foods, desserts, and frozen treats. They are offered in different capacities, ranging from 0.8 to 2.8 cubic feet of storage, with temperatures ranging from 35.60°F to 46.40°F (2-8°C) or a freezer temperature of 5.00°F (-15°C). These mobile coolers and freezers by Accucold feature casters for easier transportation.

Meal Delivery Carts

Meal delivery carts are enclosed transportation solutions for ready-to-service foods at proper temperature levels. They provide heating up to 200°F (93.33°C) and accommodate up to 160 trays with 4-compartment models. They feature insulated side walls and sturdy caster wheels, allowing for quick movement even when fully loaded.

Dishwasher Glass and Cup Racks

Dishwasher racks for glasses and cups are versatile catering supplies that allow you to safely transport fragile glassware and load the soiled dishes back into the dishwasher. They are available in heights ranging from 4 to 10.5 inches (10.16 to 26.67 cm) to accommodate various glass types and can have up to 25 compartments.

Countertop Display Cases

Countertop display cases by Antunes, Feneral Industries, Turbo Air, and Kool-it offer safer storage and showcase for chilled foods and desserts. These catering supplies are available in various sizes, ranging from 12 to 78 inches (30.48 to 198.12 cm) in width, with 1-4 adjustable shelves and full or self-service options.

Pastry Display Cases

Pastry display cases are designed to preserve the freshness of pastry products while protecting them from external contaminants. They feature glass front and sides as well as tiered shelves to increase visibility.

Portable Handwashing Stations

Portable handwashing units by Dinez, Crown Verity, Wİnholt, or Advance Tabco combine built-in freshwater tanks, waste tanks, and sinks with the foot pump operation for hands-free sanitation. These stations ensure proper hygiene anywhere.

Commercial Outdoor Furniture

Commercial outdoor furniture is designed to enrich your patio, garden, or event area with weather-resistant furniture. Constructed from aluminum, polypropylene, or commercial-grade resins and featuring rust-free hardware, these catering supplies are designed to withstand the challenging outdoor environments found in hotels, restaurants, cafes, and other foodservice and catering establishments. To decorate your establishment, you can check:

  • Commercial Patio Umbrellas
  • Canopies and Canopy Accessories
  • Outdoor Furniture Parts & Accessories
  • Commercial Outdoor Planters
  • Restaurant Outdoor Heaters
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Restaurant Patio Furniture

Folding Tables and Chairs

Commercial folding tables and chairs are ideal for creating an eye-catching celebration or event when needed. They occupy much less space when folded and not in use. These restaurant tables and chairs provide stable service areas that set up and break down quickly and efficiently.

Stackable Chairs

Stackable chairs are designed for storage efficiency, easy transport, and setup. Constructed from polypropylene, resin, or metal using commercial-grade materials, these catering supplies for seating strike a balance between comfort and practicality.

FAQs About Catering Supplies