# Soup Season: Choosing Soup Kettles, Warmers and Steam Tables > A countertop soup kettle holds hot soup; it does not cook it. How to choose kettles, warmers and steam tables, size them and hold soup safely. Buying guide by Norpex. Published 2026-10-02, updated 2026-10-02. Canonical: https://norpex.ca/guides/soup-season-kettles-and-warmers ![Countertop soup kettle with a hinged lid](https://norpex.ca/m/23/eb/23ebaa0563974cf5ca90842c4699b5bdce338dd57f6df805b910025c8fac27fd.jpg) Pictured: [11 qt Soup Kettle with Metal Lid](https://norpex.ca/product/11-qt-soup-kettle-with-metal-lid-19073) A countertop soup kettle or warmer holds soup that is already hot; it is not built to cook or reheat it from cold. Choose between water-bath and dry heat, size by the number of soups you serve at once, and keep soup at 60 °C or above. ## Key takeaways - Holding equipment keeps hot food hot; cook and reheat soup on a range or in a kettle built for cooking first. - Health Canada's guidance is to keep hot food at 60 °C or above; your local health unit sets the reheating rules. - Water-bath warmers heat gently and evenly; dry-heat warmers need no water but the manual's stirring and food guidance matters more. - Size by how many soups you offer at once and the inset sizes your kitchen already uses. - Empty, clean and refill every day, and never top up old soup with fresh. ## Holding is not cooking The most common mistake with soup equipment is buying a holding unit to do a cooking job. A countertop soup kettle, also called a soup warmer or merchandiser, is designed to keep soup that is already hot at serving temperature. Most are not designed to bring cold soup up to temperature, and trying makes the soup sit too long at temperatures where bacteria grow. Cooking happens on a range, in a stock pot on a stock pot range, in a steam-jacketed kettle or in a tilting skillet. The soup is cooked or reheated there, then moved to the warmer for service. If a manufacturer says a particular warmer can rethermalize food, that is stated in its specifications; do not assume it. ## Temperature and food safety Health Canada's guidance is to keep hot food at 60 °C or above. Soup held below that sits in the temperature danger zone, between 4 °C and 60 °C, where bacteria can grow quickly. Check the soup itself with a probe thermometer, not just the dial on the warmer. A thermostat setting is not a food temperature, and a lid left open, a nearly empty inset or a cold draft can drop the soup below the line without the dial changing. Your local public health unit sets the rules for reheating, for how long soup may be held and for what to do with soup that has dropped below temperature. Ask before soup goes on the menu, not after an inspection. ## Countertop kettles and warmers Many countertop warmers heat a water bath that surrounds the inset holding the soup. The water spreads the heat evenly around the inset, which is gentle on thick soups, chowders and sauces. The water level has to be kept where the manual says, because a well that runs dry stops heating the way it was designed to. Dry-heat warmers heat the inset without water. There is nothing to fill or drain, which suits busy counters, but heat goes more directly into the pot, so the manual's guidance on stirring and on which foods the unit suits matters more. Most warmers have a removable inset, so the soup can be emptied and the pot washed at the sink. A hinged lid with a notch for the ladle keeps heat in, cuts evaporation and lets customers serve themselves at a self-serve station without taking the lid off. - Removable inset for washing. - Hinged lid with a ladle notch for self-serve. - A thermostat you can read and adjust easily. - Clear instructions on water level, if it uses a water bath. ## Steam tables and multi-well units A steam table holds several pans at once in heated wells, which suits operations with more than one soup, or soups beside sides and sauces on a hot line or buffet. Hotel pans and fractional pans sit in the wells, and adapter plates let round insets sit in a well built for rectangular pans. Steam tables come with open wells or sealed wells. Open wells heat each well from its own element, and many models have a control for each well. Sealed wells hold the water in one sealed pan over the elements, which keeps water off the elements and makes the unit easier to clean. The specifications say which design a model uses and whether it may be run with or without water. A self-serve buffet usually needs a sneeze guard over the wells. What your health unit expects depends on how the food is served, so ask before you buy. ## Sizing for your menu Countertop warmers are sized by the capacity of the inset, in litres or quarts. Start with how many soups you serve at the same time and how much of each sells in a service. A warmer that is too large for its soup holds a shallow layer that cools faster and looks unappetising; one that is too small means refilling in the middle of the rush. For steam tables, count the wells you need for every hot item on the line, then add one if your menu changes often. Match the pan sizes you already use in your kitchen, so food can move from storage to the line without being transferred to another container. Measure the counter before ordering. Check the depth and height of the unit with the lid open, the space a person needs to reach and ladle, and the clearance the manual asks for around the unit. ## Power and placement Most countertop warmers plug into a standard outlet, while larger warmers and steam tables may need a higher voltage or a dedicated circuit. The specification sheet lists the voltage, amperage and plug type. Have an electrician confirm the circuit before the unit arrives, because a breaker that trips during lunch service leaves the soup cooling in the well. Place the warmer out of the main walkway, on a stable surface, with its cord away from where people walk. Hot surfaces, steam and full insets are a burn hazard, so think about who reaches over the unit and how staff will refill it during service. ## Daily cleaning and labelling Empty the warmer at the end of every day. Wash and sanitize the inset, lid and ladle, and drain and wipe the water bath as the manual directs. In hard-water areas, mineral scale builds up in water baths, so descale on the manufacturer's schedule. Never top up old soup with fresh soup. The old soup at the bottom never leaves the warmer, and there is no way to tell how long it has been held. Start each batch in a clean inset and label it with the time it went into the warmer, so staff know how long it has been held. Check the soup temperature with a probe thermometer at set times during service, and record the readings if your food safety plan or health unit asks for it. ## Common questions ### Can a countertop soup kettle cook soup from cold? Most cannot. Countertop kettles and warmers are built to hold soup that is already hot. Cook or reheat it on a range or in a cooking kettle first, unless the manufacturer's specifications say that model can rethermalize food. ### What temperature should soup be held at? Health Canada's guidance is 60 °C or above for hot food. Check the soup with a probe thermometer rather than trusting the dial, and follow your local health unit's rules for soup that has dropped below that temperature. ### What is the difference between a water-bath warmer and a dry-heat warmer? A water-bath warmer heats water around the inset, which spreads heat evenly and gently. A dry-heat warmer heats the inset directly, with no water to fill or drain, so the manual's guidance on stirring and suitable foods matters more. ### Can I add fresh soup to what is left in the kettle? No. Topping up leaves old soup at the bottom indefinitely and makes it impossible to know how long it has been held. Empty the inset, clean it and start each batch fresh, labelled with the time it went in. ### Do I need a lid on my soup warmer? A lid keeps heat in, cuts evaporation and protects the soup on a busy counter. For self-serve stations, a hinged lid with a ladle notch lets customers serve themselves without leaving the soup uncovered. ## Related guides - [Hot Food Holding Equipment Guide: Cabinets, Steam Tables, Warmers](https://norpex.ca/guides/hot-food-holding-guide) - [Commercial Range Buying Guide: Gas vs Electric, Burners and Bases](https://norpex.ca/guides/commercial-range-buying-guide) - [Restaurant Equipment Checklist: What to Buy to Open in Canada](https://norpex.ca/guides/restaurant-equipment-checklist) ## Shop the catalogue - [Soup Kettles](https://norpex.ca/products/soup-kettles) - [Food Warmers](https://norpex.ca/products/food-warmers) - [Steam Tables](https://norpex.ca/products/steam-tables) - [Holding Cabinets](https://norpex.ca/products/holding-cabinets)