Types of Food Wells

1. Hot Food Wells

Hot food wells accommodate foods meant to be served and eaten while warm. These units will keep your product at a desirable, safe temperature that wards off bacterial proliferation.

Drop-In Hot Food Wells

Drop-in hot food wells are designed to be seamlessly integrated into countertops or serving lines, providing a sleek and space-saving solution for foodservice operations. These units are ideal for businesses with limited space or those looking for a permanent, built-in warming solution.

• Designed to allow for easy placement in buffet tables
• Pans sit flush with the table, preventing messy spills
• One-well and multi-compartment models available
• Insulated to ensure accurate long-term holding temperatures
• Low-cost and easy to install

Bottom-Mounted Hot Food Wells

Bottom-mounted hot food wells allow you to create a visually appealing food station on a countertop or table to serve vegetables, hot entrees, sides, and other meal accompaniments.

• Designed to install directly into countertops
• Reduces clutter
• Easily controllable for precise heating
• Several different sizes available

Induction-Ready Hot Food Wells

As a subset of drop-in food wells, induction-ready food wells utilize specialized technology to create quicker, more efficient heat.

• Does not require water to operate
• No heat is produced unless an induction-ready pan is on the unit
• Only the pan and food get hot, never the drop-in surface
• Intuitive digital controls

Hot Food Well Purchasing Considerations

When investing in a hot food well, foodservice operators must carefully evaluate several key features to select the right unit for their needs.

• Control Types: Hot food wells have infinite, thermostatic, or digital controls. Infinite controls offer manual adjustment, thermostatic controls provide precise temperature regulation, and digital controls deliver advanced programmability and ease of use.
• Drains or No Drains: You'll find several models equipped with drains, which allow staff to drain excess water at the end of the day, thus making cleanup simple. That said, if you do not have an existing setup to adapt, you may need to run new plumbing through your establishment to properly hook up the food well drains, resulting in higher upfront costs.
• Auto-Fill Feature: Auto-fill food wells automatically replenish water levels, ensuring consistent heat distribution and reducing the need for manual monitoring, making them ideal for high-volume operations.

2. Cold Food Wells

Cold food wells house items that are typically pre-cooked or more desirable when chilled. Examples include salad ingredients, desserts, and seafood.

Ice-Cooled Drop-In Food Wells

Ice-cooled drop-in cold food wells are an excellent solution for businesses that need to keep perishable items chilled and fresh during service. These units are designed to be embedded into countertops, offering a streamlined and space-efficient option for cold food display. By using ice as a cooling agent, they provide a cost-effective and reliable way to maintain safe food temperatures without the need for electrical components.

• Simple and efficient
• Only requires ice
• Insulated, stainless steel walls
• Multiple sizes available

Refrigerated Food Wells

If you'd prefer to avoid the frequent attention and cleanup that ice-cooled food wells require, refrigerated drop-in food wells offer a more convenient solution.

• Utilize a compressor to circulate refrigerant around food pans
• Mount into wood or metal countertops
• Certain models utilize forced air to create a cool air curtain over the food
• Recessed units available to prevent food contamination

Cold Food Well Purchasing Considerations

Cold food wells also have several facets to think about as you work through the decision-making process:

• Display Style: Slanted options are popular, as they offer better views while allowing excess water to slide naturally toward the installed drain. If you have semi-circle countertops or something similar, curved wells could be an ideal fit.
• Cooling Method: Cold wall cooling systems generate steady temperatures via conductive cooling of the food well directly, providing a greater output potential to meet a wider range of demands. Forced-air food wells are more cost-effective, but they rely on systems that cycle cold air through the system, drying out foods.
• Drainage System: Look for units with built-in drains for easy cleaning and maintenance, especially if storing liquids or items that may melt.

3. Soup Wells

Allocate a warming space for your soups, stews, chowders, and sauces with a soup well. Because units typically sit flush with the table, soup wells reduce the amount of equipment on a table or countertop, increasing convenience and creating a more professional look. You'll find various options available, including different sizes and models with drains.

Standard Soup Wells

Typical soup wells utilize standard electric heating elements to perform their function, as the wattage can range up to, and beyond, 800 watts. The higher wattage you have, the better your warmer will be able to heat various products quickly and efficiently.

It's important to note that standard warmers are not built to bring chilled food back up to safe temperatures. Instead, their primary purpose is to hold prepared, already-warm food at the desired temperature.

• Holds pre-cooked soups at safe serving temperatures using heated water or electric elements
• Ideal for operations with consistent soup service
• Simple to operate and maintain
• Cost-effective

Rethermalizers

Rethermalizers are designed to bring chilled, prepared food to desirable, safe temperatures, which other warmers do not accomplish as well. Rethermalizers will also hold your product at a stable temperature, effectively making them useful, multifaceted products.

• Heats and holds soups at precise temperatures
• Perfect for high-volume operations like hospitals or large catering services
• Quickly reheats and serves without compromising quality
• Offers flexibility and efficiency

Induction Soup Wells

Induction cooking has taken a stronger hold in kitchen environments, as it concentrates on heating an object directly via electromagnetic currents.

• Makes cooking quicker and more energy-efficient
• Improves safety
• Can save money long-term
• Cost more money upfront than traditional warmers
• Requires special, magnetized cookware that conducts the heat

4. Dual Temperature Food Wells

When your menu changes daily and you don't have space to implement different types of food wells, dual temperature models provide adequate flexibility. You'll keep your equipment inventory in check while limiting spending costs.

Each food well has a dedicated heating system for hot entrees, appetizers, and sauces, while the compressor can work to pump chilling refrigerant for salads, fruits, and other cold food items. Several dual temp units are drop-in style to ease installation, and some even sport a sloped design to drain excess liquids away from the food.