Best chafing dish warmers

Top pick: Garvee Electric 9QT Full-Size Chafing Dish. No fuel, no flames — a touch-screen electric warmer holds a full-size pan at temperature for hours, which is what makes a long buffet painless. It's the one I'd buy for a home host who serves often.

Who the others suit:

• Sterno Foldable Buffet Chafing Dish — folds flat for storage; best if you host a few times a year and want it out of the way.
• Garvee 6.3 Qt Round Roll Top — roll-top lid means one-hand serving; good for smaller crowds.
• ROVSUN Roll Top (9 qt) — big capacity and a window lid, for bigger spreads.
• ROVSUN Gold (5 qt) — compact and lighter to carry; fine for one or two dishes.
• PrimeHost 4 Piece Set — a whole buffet line in one go, for parties and small catering.
• TINANA 4 Pack — the budget route to four full-size pans.
• ROVSUN 9 QT Electric — electric convenience in a bigger pan if you'd rather not buy fuel.

Fuel-based sets need sterno cans and a little ventilation; electric ones need an outlet near the table.