Rechaud (cooker)
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A rechaud [ ʀeˈʃoː ] ( French réchaud "warmer", "cooker", derived from réchauffer " rewarm ", "heat up") is a tabletop device for keeping or heating food and drinks. The classic form, which has been known since around 1800, works with an open flame and is operated either with denatured alcohol , gas or a special fuel paste . Some modern devices also work with electricity .
Rechauds are used, for example, to prepare fondue , raclette and Feuerzangenbowle . They are used both in households and in catering .
To keep tea or other hot drinks warm , a so-called warmer is used , which also belongs to the rechauds and is usually heated with a tea light , but in rare cases also with electricity.
Early forms of rechauds (so-called fire bowls ) already existed in antiquity and were described by Cicero . They were heated with glowing ashes or coals. The classic shape of a metal warmer that was heated with alcohol or kerosene was created around 1800 . Rechauds became popular in the USA at the end of the 19th century when the New York luxury hotel Waldorf-Astoria used them to prepare dishes for prominent personalities at the table and thus introduced the table cooker into upscale gastronomy.
In principle, a rechaud has the same function as the warmer , only the first term is used more for food, the second more for tea and other hot drinks. For history and conceptual delimitation see there.
literature
- Andrew F. Smith: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America , Oxford 2004, article Chafing dish , p. 202
