Quickest Way To Heat Hotdogs

by Cleo
(Lancashire)


Hi,

I'm in the process of opening a food unit with my husband. We're serving probably 3 varieties, bought precooked and heating them up ourselves. We don't want to keep customers waiting (they'll be queuing outside), and and wondered does anyone have any advice as to quickest way to cook?

We have an electric griddle, so planned to griddle then hothold in the bain marie. I had thought of putting a drain plate in the bottom of the bain marie with a little water underneath and steaming them, but I've just read that I can't cook food in the hothold equipment? Obviously that would take longer too, but it would mean they could cook themselves while we were busy? Any advice appreciated! 😁
Thanks
Cleo

Comments for Quickest Way To Heat Hotdogs

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 09, 2025
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Hot Dog Mobile Catering
by: David-

Hello,

You're absolutely right that bain-maries are for hot holding, not cooking. Food needs to be reheated to at least 75°C (for 30 seconds) or 63°C (for immediate service in the UK) before being transferred to a bain-marie, which will then keep it at a safe serving temperature (above 63°C).

Optimizing Your Setup for Speed & Efficiency

1. Preheating & Staging for Speed

Griddle Preheat: Ensure your electric griddle is fully heated before service starts. A cold griddle will significantly slow things down.
Bain-Marie Preheat: Fill it with hot water well before service so it’s maintaining temperature from the get-go.

Staging System: Instead of starting from cold, consider a two-stage system:

Keep preheated food in a hot holding cabinet (if available) or insulated container before final reheating.
Rotate batches—always have a fresh portion ready to hit the griddle.

2. Reheating Faster with the Griddle

Thinner Portions = Faster Cooking: If your product allows, slicing or portioning thinner will speed up the heating process.

-Steam Assist for Faster Reheating:
- Splashing a small amount of water on the griddle and covering the food with a cloche (lid/dome) traps steam and speeds up heating.
- This is especially useful for proteins like chicken or burgers, where surface heat alone isn’t enough.

Use Two Griddles or Sections:

-One side for initial reheating.
-One side for finishing touches, ensuring even heat distribution.

3. Alternative Rapid Heating Options

While the griddle is your main reheating tool, here are additional ways to speed up the process:

Commercial Microwave (if suitable) – Some precooked items can be flash-heated in seconds before finishing on the griddle.

Induction Hob + Flat Pan – Heats food quickly and works alongside your griddle for variety.

Steamer for Bulk Heating – If your product can handle steam, a compact steamer might allow you to reheat batches rapidly.

4. Bain-Marie Setup for Best Results

Since you can’t cook in the bain-marie, the best approach is to hold food at its optimal temperature:

Drain Plate with Water Below: This keeps moisture in the air, preventing food from drying out.
Lids on Pans: Helps retain heat and prevents temperature loss when busy.
Regular Temperature Checks: Use a probe thermometer to ensure food stays above 63°C.

5. Service Flow & Speed

Batch Cook During Quiet Moments: Have portions ready so customers aren’t waiting.
Use a Holding Tray on the Side: If food can sit for a few minutes before serving, this prevents a bottleneck.

Efficient Customer Queueing: Take orders slightly ahead of time so food can be on the griddle before payment is complete. Hope this help, best of luck.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Hot Dog Business .


Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.