By the way, sorry if I’m making this harder than it is. There really are only a couple things to keep in mind that we’ve both been talking about so I’m just trying to hit what (I think) are the salient points.
So how would I use the Sterno without rigging up a platform grate for each pan/dish? Would I place the Sterno inside the deeper pan? How tall is a Sterno, and how high is the flame?
Are you for real?
Don’t you think restaurants have tried this?
Do you have temperature monitoring equipment?
I have a background in restaurants, do you have a state safety certification?
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Not sure what you mean. I’m not operating a restaurant.
Sorry, I was just mentioning the typical steam table set up to explain why they’re so effective (eg, sterno heats water —> water turns to steam —> steam heats serving pan efficiently and evenly).
If you can’t rig up that setup (which is totally understandable) I think your best bet is either 1) hope and test that you’ll have enough steam to achieve the same thing without a sterno or 2) have the hot water touch the food serving pan.
If you should go the second route any collection of pans would work for the water reservoir but a plastic hotel pan would retain heat somewhat better.
Essentially, if I were to rank the heating possibilities it would be something like this:
Traditional steam table setup > s/s food pan touching hot water held in a plastic hotel pan > s/s food pan touching hot water held in a s/s hotel pan >>>> s/s food pan suspended over and not touching hot water in any material pan
Of the outlined options the top three can all be acceptable but the last option is a very, very steep drop off in heat transference.
On the other hand, if you are willing to use sterno you could jury rig something that holds your two pans high enough off the table to fit a sterno underneath. For example, you could just prop the pans up with bricks on either end and slip the sterno underneath. That’s certainly doable but also unsafe in that the pan could slip off, maybe knock over the sterno, the sterno can probably shouldn’t be directly on the table, etc., etc.
totally agreed here with @WireMonkey. given the difficulty of setup, i’d probably say just make sure your food pan is touching hot water, and if possible to introduce sterno, that’ll save you a lot of work but not crucial.
I would have to do that for every dish/pan though. And if I’m already using deep pans, the whole apparatus is going to be too tall.
Yeah, if you’re referring to jury rigging to use sterno, I don’t recommend that because it would be pretty dang unsafe
It’s a good idea for buffet style dinner or patio gatherings where guests walk up to a central table and help themselves. But I also need something for casual dinner parties with people sitting around a table and passing each other food. The dishes have to be separate, a manageable height, and portable.
Totally get it. We had the same issue (but with keeping things cold instead of hot), hence my overwrought responses
No problem. You gave me some good ideas and made me rethink some things.
Appreciate it.
Good luck!
Thanks. I just did a re-test with a double jacket using two deep s/s pans. After 1 hour, the temp was 159°F. So the double pan jacket only made a difference of about 5 degrees warmer.
I may try a double jacket with a s/s pan and a polycarbonate pan.
I’m going to go to my local restaurant supply store on Monday and price some polycarbonate pans.
If the top dish is touching the hot water and someone lifts it out to pass it, it will drip hot water all over the table.
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Yes, that’s why I am thinking of not having the water touch. I am pretty sure steam is actually hotter than boiling water anyway.
It’s probably cleaner if you don’t have the water touch, agreed. Though steam is hotter, the heat transfer is much different with the water touching. Given the cooling of the water as well, you’re not really going to have steam after the first few minutes, but just radiated heat from hot water. I’m not disagreeing necessarily, but just wanted to give you a heads up.
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Any hot water produces steam, it doesn’t have to be boiling water. I guess even with steam there would be hot droplets and condensation on the bottom of the insert pan when you lift it out. Some droplets of water would be tolerable when passing around. I’ll just have plenty of napkins at the ready. 
I can’t think of any non-electric, non-Sterno way of keeping separate portable food containers warm (don’t need to be piping hot) for up to one hour. Unless there exists some kind of flat low profile rectangular (approx. 30" x 12") electric warming tray that I’m not aware of, that I could just place in the middle of the dining table within sitting reach of everyone.
There are definitely cordless warming trays that you plug in to heat them up, and they retain heat for an hour or so.
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