Get ready for Thanksgiving! 3-tray electric buffet warmer for $27

[Kaido]

I actually just discovered this the other day for $40 & stopped into Target to get one, and to my surprise it was down to $27:

http://www.target.com/p/oster-large-triple-warming-tray-buffet-server-ckstbstw00/-/A-49113333

Amazon has price-matched them, but only for Prime members:

http://www.amazon.com/Oster-CKSTBSTW00-Buffet-Server-Stainless/dp/B002FWTOQM/

MSRP $99, usually sells for $50:

http://www.oster.com/kitchen-tools/...le-warming-tray-buffet-server/CKSTBSTW00.html

It's a pretty simple device. Plug it in, set the heat. Just one temperature control for all 3 containers, and it's a fairly cheap design so don't expect much beyond that (i.e. the frame for the trays just kind of sits on top of the base). You can use the base only as a warming tray, or use it with the included 3 containers. On the box, it shows a couple of casseroles staying warm:

Great for the holidays, keep food warm for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or if everyone in your house has different morning/evening schedules, you can cook up a bunch of breakfast & dinner stuff and keep it warm for a few hours. I've been using my Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) to quick-cook meat, veggies, rice, and potatoes to load them up:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2442549

You can get creative with accessories too. You can buy a version you throw in the freezer, which will stay cold for about 3 hours: (useful for cold stuff like shrimp, sauces, guac, etc.)

http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Fresh-Freezable-Chilled-Serving/dp/B0057PCE2K

Add on a tortilla warmer for a taco bar:

http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Microwave-Tortilla-10-Inch/dp/B004RB73A8/

I do stuff like shredded chicken in the Instant Pot (20 minutes for 4 pounds of fresh chicken breasts, then pull apart with a fork or whatever you use), throw in some refried beans into the warmer along with some ground beef with taco seasoning, etc.

 

[CPA]

You know this is one of those things that you just know you want to have because it looks cool and it seems so practical. Then you realize that you cook for large groups once, maybe twice a year and then the rest of the year it's collecting dust in the pantry. I still may get it

 

[VirtualLarry]

You know this is one of those things that you just know you want to have because it looks cool and it seems so practical. Then you realize that you cook for large groups once, maybe twice a year and then the rest of the year it's collecting dust in the pantry. I still may get it

That sounds like how many of my computer parts purchases go.

 

[Mike64]

You know this is one of those things that you just know you want to have because it looks cool and it seems so practical. Then you realize that you cook for large groups once, maybe twice a year and then the rest of the year it's collecting dust in the pantry. I still may get it

But it's also the sort of thing that, when you need one, there's really no good substitute... If it's still at the price the next time I get to Target and can look at it in person, I may well grab one. Could you use the individual compartments as general food prep "bowls" during the 363 days a year you don't need it on the buffet table? The rest of it looks like it could be tucked away pretty inconspicuously in the back of a closet or something...

 

[Rakehellion]

How big is that thing?

 

[Mike64]

Sprained your mouse-clicking finger, did you? It's 26.6" x 16.6" x 6.3", 10.65 lbs.

ETA: I suppose this is what I get for being a smartass, but it turns out those are the dimensions as packaged. I haven't had the chance to open the one I picked up last night, but presumably the tray itself it's a couple of inches shorter in each dimension...

 

[lupi]

Not sure about construction quality of that one, but I've got this and it's real nice even though I only bring it out about 3 times a year.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-3-Crock-Slow-Cooker-Buffet/15077806

 

[Mike64]

the included 3 containers.

The product description is kind of vague about whether all the exposed metal on the product is SS, or whether it's just the base. Can you tell what the holding pans are made of?

 

[Kaido]

How big is that thing?

The product description is kind of vague about whether all the exposed metal on the product is SS, or whether it's just the base. Can you tell what the holding pans are made of?

Hand for scale:

It's pretty lightweight & cheaply-made, but it gets the job done. There's basically 4 parts:

1. The base (which can be used as a universal warmer)
2. The tray frame (which is a bit annoying to get to sit on top of the base)
3. The trays (3 of them)
4. The tray covers (3 plastic lids)

As far as I can tell, the trays & frame are made of (very thin) sheetmetal. I wouldn't call it Chinese-knockoff cheap, but it's definitely a budget appliance.

 

[Kaido]

But it's also the sort of thing that, when you need one, there's really no good substitute... If it's still at the price the next time I get to Target and can look at it in person, I may well grab one. Could you use the individual compartments as general food prep "bowls" during the 363 days a year you don't need it on the buffet table? The rest of it looks like it could be tucked away pretty inconspicuously in the back of a closet or something...

As far as storage, sort of...there's the base, the 3 trays (and lids), and the frame. It all just kind of sits on top of each other, so if you wanted to store it vertically, you'd have to put it in a box or something since everything would slide apart.

Personally I'd really like some warming drawers, but those run between $650 to $1300 each, so $27 a pop is a much better solution cost-wise, especially since no permanent installation is required. Plus I can stick them on the bar next to the dinner table, so everyone can just get their food buffet-style.

 

[Mike64]

As far as I can tell, the trays & frame are made of (very thin) sheetmetal. I wouldn't call it Chinese-knockoff cheap, but it's definitely a budget appliance.

Thanks. Someone who answered a question on Amazon (or it being, as far as I can tell, a random Amazon user, perhaps I should say, "replied" to a question) seems to have thought the pans were aluminum, but to the extent one can tell that sort of thing from a pic, those don't look especially aluminum-ish to me. I'd hoped, but didn't get the chance, to stop off at a Target on my way home tonight to take a look for myself; I'll try again tomorrow. The price is still showing up as $27, hopefully it won't change at least until Sunday...

if you wanted to store it vertically, you'd have to put it in a box or something since everything would slide apart.

Yeah, I'm the kind of guy who does actually hold onto appliance boxes (on a few occasions, inadvertently for several years after the appliance was dead and gone [lol]), but in this case I was thinking more in terms of keeping the food pans in the kitchen and using them for general food prep, while storing the base away for occasional use...

Personally I'd really like some warming drawers

Those are cool, but would be beyond overkill for me. Not to mention that I live in an apartment with a gas stove and barely adequate, or more realistically, moderately inadequate, electrical capacity, so something like those would require serious work to install. Also not to mention that the kitchen is just about big enough for what's in there already...

 

[Mike64]

if you wanted to store it vertically, you'd have to put it in a box or something since everything would slide apart.

That is one big-ass box. Which of course seemed even larger when I was faced with dragging it home on the subway, along with 3 shopping bags, last night at 10:30... Don't think I'll be holding onto this particular appliance box, but I'll find a place for it somewhere. (I'm an old hand at buying first, figuring out where to put, later.)

I'd been wanting a unit like this for a while, but always ended up balking at the price since it's not something I'll use at all often so, thanks for the original post, at $27 it was definitely too good a deal to pass up!

 

[Mike64]

It was pretty funny, a few days after I bought mine (grabbing the last one in the store at the time, late Saturday night), they seemed to have plenty of them again, just in time for their Black Friday "sale," this time however priced at $32.99... I think they're back up to $40, now but I wasn't really paying attention the last time I saw them on the shelf...

 

[MongGrel]

Probably not something I'd pick up myself these days, but Oster in general has a pretty good reputation and have a few things of theirs around myself.

For $30 bucks if you wanted something like that probably a steal.

Just not practical here.

 

[Mike64]

Probably not something I'd pick up myself these days, but Oster in general has a pretty good reputation and have a few things of theirs around myself.

For $30 bucks if you wanted something like that probably a steal.

Just not practical here.

Even at $33 it's a decent deal. I was just noting that in the week prior, it was was on sale for $5 less than during their Black Friday "extravaganza".

 

[Kaido]

Just not practical here.

It's definitely something you need to have the right situation for - a large family, a bunch of roommates, a holiday gathering, something like that, otherwise it can be overkill. We just did Sunday dinner & had family over and it worked out great, kept everything warm whenever something finished cooking. Tonight's feast was pot roast, herbed potatoes, and glazed carrots:

I did pick up a manual timer from Home Depot, so I don't have to remember to unplug it after a few hours. I wish it had that built-in, but for thirty bucks, you can't expect too much haha. Sure beats a sterno can!

 

[MongGrel]

It's definitely something you need to have the right situation for - a large family, a bunch of roommates, a holiday gathering, something like that, otherwise it can be overkill.

I did pick up a manual timer from Home Depot, so I don't have to remember to unplug it after a few hours. I wish it had that built-in, but for thirty bucks, you can't expect too much haha. Sure beats a sterno can!

:thumbsup::thumbsup: