July 18th, 2023 by Shauna Hammond

We are a nation of tea and coffee drinkers in fact, most of us love a nice hot beverage to wake us up in the morning, to keep us motivated throughout the day or to unwind at the end of a long day. That’s why catering urns are a great investment for your business or office to keep customers and employees happy and motivated. They also provide a wide range of other benefits too that make them a fantastic solution over traditional kettles, especially in those busy areas where hot water is frequently in demand. In this blog, we will look at why a catering urn is a must-have investment with versatile use!

What Is A Catering Urn?

For those of us not familiar with what a catering urn is, it is a large container that is designed to heat up and hold large quantities of boiling water and is more often used as a means for quickly making hot beverages such as tea, coffee or hot chocolate. You will most commonly see these at large events or in cafes and restaurants.

You can find catering urns in a wide range of sizes with smaller models designed for domestic use to much larger industrial sizes designed for use in busy commercial areas. They will also come with a wide range of different features depending on the model and price range. For the most part, these units are made of stainless steel due to their durability and resistance to rust and corrosion, as well as being much easier to clean. Much like a kettle catering urn uses a heating element to heat up its contents, however unlike kettles, they will maintain the temperature of the contents whereas kettles will re-boil every time you switch it on.

MYLEK Digital Stainless Steel Catering Urn 10L

Price: £79.99

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Catering Urns Can Be Used in A Wide Range of Places

While it may seem, catering urns would only be at home in cafes or restaurants these incredibly versatile units are a fantastic investment for a wide range of places. While food places such as cafes, restaurants and food vans certainly do benefit greatly from the presence of a catering urn and it should definitely be on their list of must-haves. Catering urns are also a fantastic investment for workplace kitchens and canteens, for a wide range of reasons that we will cover in more detail later in this blog. Catering urns can even be a better choice for some homes too especially for those with larger families that use lots of hot water for beverages or cooking. While it may seem that larger units found in commercial areas will come with an incredibly large bill, you may be surprised to find out that this isn’t actually the case, in fact in some cases a catering urn is a much more energy-efficient and economical choice.

They Are More Economical  

In fact, most household kettles come in between 2-3kw on average, while some catering urns such as the MYLEK range of catering urns use as little as 1.5kw of energy, which may come as a surprise. Catering urns are also a much more economical choice since they maintain a consistent water temperature during the period they are switched on. Now this may sound like it would cost more, but the difference is that the material catering urns are constructed to insulate the contents which helps them to maintain the temperature for longer periods and when the temperature drop below the pre-set desired temperature the heating element will warm up to raise the temperature back up. However, during the periods when the contents remain at the correct temperature, the unit will not draw power to the heating element, essentially sitting in a standby setting.

On the other hand, once a kettle has boiled once the water inside will begin to cool, and when it is needed again the kettle will draw full power in order to heat the water from scratch – so in busy environments or areas where hot water is frequently constantly boiling the kettle from scratch will cost much longer in the long run. Not to mention that this also take much longer than having a constant supply of hot water at the push of a button.

Versatile Use

While the use of instant hot water conjures thoughts of tea, coffee and hot chocolate the presence of instant hot water is more versatile than you may realise, as it can be used for making soup, pasta or heating up instant noodles and other foods that require hot water, this means your employees will have to spend less time waiting for their food and more time enjoying their break relaxing which will make them feel more refreshed.

Likewise, catering urns with simmer functions or adjustable thermostats can be used to heat other liquids such as soups, mulled wine or hot cider. So, if you are hosting an outdoor function where hot soup will be much appreciated or you own a food truck that often visits festive markets – then an adjustable catering urn that can store and easily dispense mulled wine or hot cider is a must-have!

MYLEK Digital Stainless Steel Catering Urn 30L

Price: £119.99

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Easy to Use

Catering urns are incredibly easy to use too, so you don’t need to worry about any lengthy training if you choose to invest in a catering urn as they can be easily used in any way. Even those who do not consider themselves to be very tech-savvy. Just like a kettle, all you need is to add water, turn the unit on, set the desired temperature and you are all set! It’s really that easy. Thanks to the stainless steel construction that is often used, these units are incredibly easy to clean and maintain too so they will not create any more work than simply owning a kettle.

A Nice Cuppa Provides a Performance Boost!

Now perhaps the most compelling reason to invest in a catering urn for your home, business or office is that the power of a nice cup of tea or coffee is incredible! Providing hot drinks for staff members will make them feel valued and cared for – it’s a small gesture but it can really help to provide some comfort during a stressful period of work.

Coffee and tea both contain caffeine too which can have a direct impact on our mood since it acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system drinking tea and coffee can help to make us feel energised and alert. It has also been shown to improve productivity too – so it almost seems like a no-brainer as you can show your employees care and appreciation while also improving their performance a win-win!

On the commercial side of things, if your business offers hot beverages to customers especially if you are a hospitality or food establishment then tea and coffee will be some of the most highly requested drinks. If you are able to quickly provide these without depending on a kettle boiled you will be able to serve customers quickly – this means happy customers and more turnover for you. Another win-win for catering urns!

So, as you can see catering urns are fantastic and versatile purchases that will provide instant hot water for quick drinks and food in any restaurant, café, food van, school, office or even home environment. The simple addition of hot drinks can improve mood, increase productivity and increase customer turnover too and you don’t need to worry about the risk of sudden energy increase either thanks to their energy-efficient nature, it’s difficult to think of a reason why you wouldn’t want to invest in a catering urn!