Elite GourmetEWM-6171 Triple 3 x 2.5 Qt. Trays, Buffet Server, Food Warmer Temperature Control, Clear Slotted Lids, Perfect for Parties, Entertaining & Holidays, 7.5 Qt Total, Stainless Steel

This food warmer was absolutely perfect for our event! It kept all the food warm and fresh throughout the entire day, which made hosting so much easier. It’s sturdy, easy to use, and worked exactly as expected. Definitely a great buy and a smart investment if you host parties or gatherings often. Highly recommend!

So far- it’s worked great! Looks nice and kept food warm as expected. I do wish the bins were a little deeper but good for the price.

awesome, great for the price too!!!!!

Works fine but the box was dented and upon opening so was the warmer. I needed to use it the next day so I did t have time to return it. Kept the food warm though.

Having read the reviews, I was prepared for this to be a little flimsy. I knew the pans would be thin - too thin to use in the oven. I knew the lids would be delicate plastic and that the tray-holder would be flexible and sharp (yet I still cut myself). I even expected the warming tray base might not sit flat, but mine did. For the price & the functionality, this was fine with me, and I was pleased with it when it arrived. It looked nice and was stable enough. It's made for home use, not restaurants.I plugged it in to test before unpacking everything, and it warmed up great. I notice some reviewers of warming trays are upset about smoking & burnt electronic smell when 1st turned on, but I also read in one of the manuals during my research that this is common briefly when 1st turned on, as a coating on the electronics burns off. This unit didn't smoke or smell, though.I cleaned everything as per the instructions and then set it aside for a couple of days until my party when I used just the warming tray base. I placed mini quiches on it to keep warm, and it worked really well. It barely got dirty. That night I cleaned it again as per instructions - soapy sponge, then wet sponge to remove the soap, then dry. I put it away, and when I pulled it out a week later it had surface rust spots. They're evenly distributed across the whole top surface where the food goes, not in a pattern from the food. I'm guessing the towel I used to dry it left some moisture that I didn't notice.I tried rubbing them off with a dry cloth. I tried with a damp cloth. Nothing worked. I uploaded a picture. This product is supposed to be stainless steel, but if it gets rust spots from a minor amount of moisture left on it, then it's very low quality or there was a manufacturing issue.I emailed the manufacturer twice (the second time with a photo), but they haven't replied. Amazon customer service helped me, though, even though I no longer have the box. A+ to Amazon & F for the manufacturer.I'm really disappointed about this because otherwise I really liked it. Again, not a high-quality durable product, but attractive and functional if it's not going to get hard use. It was perfect for my needs. But with the rust spots I can't place food on it again, and I wouldn't want the rusty surface to show.If you want to be able to place food directly on the warming tray, as I did (as the instructions indicate and the product images show), then don't get this unit.It may be a good (if less functional) choice if you don't need to place food directly on the warming tray. In that case, don't even clean the warming tray - maybe a light wipe down & carefully dry it thoroughly. I didn't use the pans, but they seemed to like they'd be stable enough. But be really careful when cleaning. I noticed that the stainless is incredibly easy to scratch, even with a soft sponge or cloth. (Again, cheap)I'll be shopping for a new one.UPDATE: A manufacturer rep got back to me and said that their warranty doesn't cover cosmetic issues like this. I'd say it's not simply a cosmetic issue when a food surface rusts. I told her I'd find one from a manufacturer whose "stainless" doesn't rust.

*** Why I need these ***I purchased two of these 3-container, 7.5 quart electric buffet warmers. We often host holiday dinners, and these allow me to get a lot of the meal ready before they arrive.*** Electric vs. steam ***I had previously been using steam chafing dishes. They held the same amount of food, but they were a giant PITA. IMO, these electric Elite Gourmet warmers are far superior for the following reasons.=> Steam versions use cans of expensive liquid/gel fuel, which only last two hours. With these, as long as you have electricity, you’re good to go.=> Steam versions don’t have individual lids. Guests had to pick up a giant stainless-steel lid, and spill a half cup of water that had no doubt collected under the lid. This electric warmer not only has individual lids, but they’re see-though. They even have a little cut-out so you can leave the serving utensil in the container.=> This Elite Gourmet setup is smaller and easier to store. I was careful to keep the original box(es) that these came in, and I took pictures while unpacking. Now, when we’re done, I pack everything exactly as it was. These take up less than half the space my steam decks used.=> These electric warmers can be used with or without the included containers. Or you could use one or two, and add your own. Or you can use just the warming plate with a giant disposable aluminum foil baking pan. These are much more versatile.*** Why I chose Elite Gourmet ***There are a few manufacturers that make this style of buffet warmer, and based on Amazon reviews, none are perfect. The metal is thin, the lids are relatively fragile, and the cord is short. So I looked at cost, and the little differences where Elite Gourmet beat the others.=> The lids. The Elite Gourmet lids have actual handles, whereas some others have no real handles, just recesses in the molded plastic where you can pinch the lids to lift.=> These are 300 watts, vs others with only 200 watts. That means these can get hotter than the others. Food needs to stay at 140 F to be safe, and although I didn’t test the actual temperature of food in these, it does seem to stay hot.=> The frame that holds the containers on the hot plate is riveted instead of spot-welded. It looks better, and I believe it will last longer.*** Bottom Line ***At this time, I think these Elite Gourmet triple tray buffet servers are the best deal out there. There’s no liquid fuel to buy, no water dripping everywhere, and you can use the hot plate part of it with or without any number of the included pans. You can see what’s in the pan with the lid on, and leave the serving utensil in the pan with the lid on.I hope this helps.

This is great for dinner parties and holiday cooking. Easy to use, easy to clean, and can hold up to 3 different items.

Perfect for parties and taco nights! It kept the chicken, shrimp, and beef warm for hours. Easy to set up, clean, and it looks super professional. Highly recommend!