A History of Chafing Dishes

Chafing dishes have been around for millennia and are a sort of indoor barbecue set in the form of charcoal-burning braziers and, possibly, the forerunner to the fondue set. Beautifully crafted bronze chafing dishes were found in the ruins of Pompeii, showing they were in during the first century AD. They were highly prized by the Romans at their lavish banquets and later mentioned in historical letters dating to 1520, when the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, described to Charles V their profuse usage for keeping plates and dishes warm during sumptuous banquets for hundreds of gormandizing noblemen at the height of the Aztec empire. The sixteenth century baroque painter, Diego Velazquez, portrayed a woman preparing a meal of eggs in a chafing dish and Louis XV's kitchens used them to keep the dainty dishes for the epicurean courtiers piping hot. By the seventeenth century this form of cookware was being documented in household inventories in America. 

Velasquez's chafing dish appears to be earthenware, but silver chafing dishes used as plate-warmers were mentioned during the reign of Queen Anne, at the end of the seventeenth century. It was George II, around the middle of the eighteenth century, who had the foresight to put handles on the chafing dishes, which must have made life so much easier for the cooks and scullery maids of the time! The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, exhibits a gleaming copper chafing dish with brass fittings dating to circa 1895. Copper is an ideal metal because it is hard-wearing and conducts heat evenly while the brass handles remain cool enough to lift and move around. 

In the 1950s the hostess trolley was designed. This was essentially a large chafing dish (or series of dishes) on wheels in a wooden surround to imitate a piece of furniture. It was thought to liberate women from the kitchen, enabling her to prepare food in advance and keep it warm, while she entertained the guests along with her husband. These fell out of fashion relatively quickly as the penchant for formal dining declined along with tastes for food left standing on a hot plate for several hours! With the demise in popularity of the hostess trolley came the revival of the chafing dish, more versatile, space-saving, portable and attractive than the great wooden tiered hearse for plates. 

Nowadays a silver chafing dish (or at least, silver plated) is a popular accessory to any dinner table and can cost as little as $15.00 and whether your taste runs to Princess House Fantasia collectibles or traditional silver salver serving trays, there will be a chafing dish out there to match your decor and tastes and make entertaining friends for dinner just that little bit easier for you.

Where to Find Affordable Popcorn Makers

Popcorn is a wholesome snack. That is when you do not put too much salt or fatten it up with greasy butter. This is why, it is a incredibly good notion to invest on your own popcorn popper. When you adore this snack and you see oneself buying it continuously, then you'd be much better off making your own at home. This would guarantee that you would use the healthier oil and you do not load it up with too much flavoring. Fortunately, popcorn makers are fairly inexpensive specifically if you know the proper places to look. Here are some tips on where to look for inexpensive popcorn machines. 

Discount Stores 

One of the first places where you’d look for affordable popcorn makers would be in discount stores. As the name suggests, these are stores that sell products at much lower rates. They either sell brand-less items or phased out models. When looking for discount stores in your vicinity, check for quality and reputation. Ask about what shops have credible reputation and are popular for selling high quality merchandise. You need to save funds but you don’t want to wind up with a poor quality popcorn machine. You need to strike the balance between quality and price. 

Garage Sales 

Yet another excellent spot to search is at garage sales. You will find often plenty of garage sales held within your neighborhood or nearby residential places. That’s because folks keep on moving to new houses. You will often discover popcorn machines getting sold by household owners because these are too bulky to pack. You are able to have a chance to look upon a brand new and good quality popcorn machine in a garage sale if you are savvy enough. Make sure you examine the device cautiously as you do not would like to bring home something that does not function anymore. Do not forget to haggle with the cost at the same time. Some household owners would just like to get rid of their items without having too much concern concerning the cost. 

On the net Retailers 

A lot of people would need to agree that this is the greatest option among the 3. On-line, you will get affordable rates along with the perks of convenience and quick shopping time. That’s mainly because you'll be able to browse through hundreds or even thousands of possibilities with just a number of minutes or hours in front of the pc. The reason on-line retailers lower their cost is as a result of the stiff competition plus the truth that they have lesser overhead expenses to pay for. Bare in mind though that you can find some dangers in on the net shopping that you will have to be cautious about. For one, look for a reputable online shop that sells only the highest quality products. Then inquire about its security method. Purchase only from a store that's equipped with a secure transaction program so you do not bother about putting your credit card information in jeopardy. Spend ample time shopping around. Do not buy from the very first store which you see as you will discover plenty of possibilities on the net. Compare rates thoroughly and study the terms and conditions before having a purchase.