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Roll-Up Electric Food Warming Mat

Best for: Keeping dishes hot through holiday dinners, buffets and slow weekend meals

Our take

When you cook several dishes for guests, the first ones are cold by the time the last is ready. A warming mat solves that: you set it on the table or sideboard, put the serving dishes on top and everything stays hot through the meal. This one has a flexible silicone surface about 24 by 15 inches, enough for four or five dishes, with heat across the whole surface instead of just a few hot spots. Touch controls and a digital display offer six temperature levels from 122°F to 212°F and a timer you can set for up to six hours, after which it turns off. It draws 500 watts. The feature that makes it easier to own than a traditional metal warming tray is storage: once it has cooled, the mat rolls up into a tube that fits in a drawer or cupboard. It is a warmer, not a cooker, so food should go on it already hot, and it works best with flat-bottomed dishes in metal, glass or ceramic that conduct heat well. The surface gets hot enough to burn at the higher settings, so keep it away from the table edge and from children, and check that anything you set on it is heat-safe, including plastic lids. Let it cool fully before wiping it clean or rolling it up. It needs an outlet nearby, so think about where the cord will run.

— WebShop Tech Desk

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