The bain marie is a device widely used by communities and caterers , but also more generally in many restaurants and by other professionals of the Food trades . It makes it possible to reheat foods, to keep them at a certain temperature and even to make some Cooking . A multifunctional tool that has to be carefully chosen ...

The bath marries: what is it?

By definition, it is a method of baking or melting an ingredient within a container which is itself in a larger container filled with liquid (usually water).

But it can also offer other benefits such as keeps it at temperature , for example. You can use it to melt chocolate, margarine, butter ... A practice very useful in pastry . It can allow you to cook food that does not have direct contact with heat such as flan, sabayon, béarnaise sauce ... This type of cooking is very soft, which preserves all vitamins and minerals naturally contained in food . In addition indirect cooking prevents your food from burning. So you're unlikely to miss your cooking. Indeed, the temperature is limited to the boiling point of the water.

How to choose a professional bain marie?

Before choosing your device, you must take into account several criteria: capacity, maintenance, the need for mobility ... Here are more details.

Use

It will be necessary to choose your bain marie according to your needs in terms of quantities . For example, if you use it for occasional cooking , you can opt for a appliance to place , which can accommodate a 1/1 GN tray . If you need a bain-marie to keep several dishes warm before or during a service, then you will have to opt for a showcase or a piece of furniture that offers several locations for GN 1/1.

In a GN 1/1 tray , it is possible to adapt 3 trays GN 1/3 , 4 trays GN 1/4 or 2 trays GN 1/2 , and others in multiples. Depending on how you use it, these modular bins are very practical. For example, to keep a sauce dish warm , we will opt for a 1/1 GN tray, to melt 3 types of chocolates: 3 GN 1/3, etc.

The cold water bath It is a technique to cool hot dishes that are tasted cold , such as custard for example. The principle is identical to a hot water bath, the difference comes from the temperature of the water. It can also be used to keep certain dishes at low temperatures .

Vacuum cooking is a culinary method that keeps all the flavor of food and is very easy to manage. Indeed, vacuum cooking is done on a low temperature water bath and can not "burn" the food, there is no risk that they are overcooked. As a result, it is not necessary to monitor food throughout cooking. The greatest starred chefs have been cooking under vacuum for many years. The food is softer, more creamy, does not suffer any loss of weight ... Also, this cooking does not require any addition of fat, so it is very healthy.

Mobility

The first criterion to consider is mobility . Indeed, some professions will need a unit mobile in order to carry the dishes at external events, or their kitchens to their space services , for example. It will then be necessary to choose one mounted on wheels , such as trolleys for example.

The material

If you wish to limit the maintenance time granted to your appliance, we advise you to choose one in stainless steel . This material does not stick to dirt and is very easy to clean. Generally, they are all stainless steel to meet health and safety standards . In addition, stainless steel allows constant and rapid heat propagation.

Also, a device equipped with an emptying system will save you considerable time when cleaning your appliances.

The dry water bath The "dry" water baths operate on the same principle as water baths, except that the liquid used to make the transition between the heating resistors and the stainless steel tanks is replaced by air. Air, like water, can be heated or cooled, if you want hot or cold dishes. The advantage of the dry system is that it is easier to maintain, due to the absence of water (no emptying, deposition of limestones ...).

The presentation

If you need a bath that will be installed in front of the guests , such as a buffet , a self or a catering service for example, we recommend you to opt for the windows . They are equipped with windows that allow customers to see through, while protecting food. If you need your customers to serve , go for a self serving option .

With the growing success of the vacuum baking and low temperature cooking , this is the big trend of the moment, the essential tool to have in a professional kitchen! Find yours here: all bain maries .