Serving cold dishes in a restaurant is not an option, but it is often handy that more basic dishes are already prepared, so that big crowds can be served easily. Chafing dishes can help with this. They do not help with the preparation of dishes, but with keeping them warm. For example, you can already cook and prepare rice or pasta as a base and do this in a chafing dish. The chafing dish keeps the dishes warm either through a burner or electrically and so the base remains good in taste. Another application for chafing dishes is with buffets. You can keep the basic dishes warm via the chafing dishes and then set them at the buffet.