Chef Gilbert

Phi, Very good observation regarding the handles. The food is placed in a casserole dish which stays in when placed on the dining table. Designed to keep food hot while eating. If handles are on the bottom it would not be a good appearance, but, yes we had only a couple of accident until we did a demonstration on how to handle it. Then, no more problem. In a previous design, the reflective material was used and was effective. Thanks for the advice. Frank, I have done some testing with pre-heating the top cover part, yes, it was effective and solved the condensation problem. Thanks StringJunky, Yes, agree. See above with reflective material top and bottom. Thanks koti, Good thinking, but I need to keep things simple first that's why I am looking for a better insulation and avoid some serious cost. Thanks to all. Chef Gilbert

I would appreciate any advice on finding the best insulation material for my food carrier. I have been testing an insulated reusable/returnable one hand-held carrier design to hold freshly prepared food hot as to be delivered. It works, but the heat retention is insufficient. The temperature is good for 45 minutes. It is made of blow molded polyurethane. I want to improve the heat retention to as long as possible, two hours! I have tested ways to maintain the food for a fresh appearance. Numerous material were tested, money was spent and lessons were learned. High-density Styrofoam, low cost, in different applications had good insulation quality but required too many layers of protection inside the chamber and out as well. The inside layer was warping. My question: Is polyurethane the only insulation material to be blow molded and self-skinning? Here are the basic requirements: Material must sustain high heat on contact Material cannot warp The material must be the best insulation ( two hours!) The method/material must be self-skinning (blow molding ?) Lightweight as to be carried with one hand Cost-effective reusable/returnable Must sustain heavy commercial traffic Must be NSF approved. I am open to any suggestion and will answer any question. Thanks Chef Gilbert