Customer Reviews

Cuisinart 7BSO-34 Stainless 13-1/2-Inch Oval Buffet Servers

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At its present price of just under forty dollars at Amazon (with free shipping if you're an Amazon Prime member), this is an extraordinary buy. And the 4-for-3 promotion just makes it even better.

Even at a higher price (sixty dollars, maybe?), it would be well worthwhile.

These servers are petite, lightweight (i.e. easy to carry), sturdy and elegant-looking. The ability to cook either on the stovetop (we have an induction stove, and it works beautifully for these) or in the oven is a huge plus, so that you bring your food already warm to the table and skip any messy transfer between pots and servers.

The fact that our guests can see through the pretty glass top of the server to identify what they want seconds on before opening all the servers makes it even nicer.

With four of these servers, I can serve a hot brunch with eggs, bacon/sausages and two sides, and I don't have to worry about keeping these dishes hot while also plying guests with green salad, cut-up fruit and baked goods. For Thanksgiving, I can have turkey/dressing in one, mashed potato in another, and 2 separate vegetable side dishes, all nicely warmed (with just some means of keeping gravy warm to worry about!). :)

Each server holds 2 1/2 quarts -- approximately 20 traditional 1/2 cup servings or 10 large full-cup servings. Non-liquid dishes can mound up just a bit in the center to hold a bit more than 2 1/2 quarts and still be covered by the slightly domed lid. These are not massive items. Don't confuse them with huge buffet servers. If you want to serve 5 quarts of food, use 2 servers, or refill your server halfway through. They're very easy to refill -- just pick up the lightweight pan with or without the lid, take it back to the kitchen to add more food, and then return easily to the table where the pan will slip gracefully into its rack, no problems.

The servers were beautifully packaged, with the glass lid separately wrapped and protected. Setup took about 8 seconds. The rack is pretty and graceful, letting most of your tablecloth, runner or polished tabletop surface show beneath it. Six tealights are included (the server uses two), so you are stocked up for three events before you have to go buy more tealights (which are easily purchased almost anywhere and extremely inexpensive).

Unlike the porcelain servers with tealights we used previously, these servers are stainless steel and diffuse the heat easily across the entire base, so we don't have as much of a problem with hot spots or scorched food on the bottom.

They also clean up beautifully, as do all the Cuisinart pans from the Classic Stainless Steel line, which these match perfectly. Note: while the classic stainless steel pans are best handwashed, they are technically fit for the dishwasher: just don't use a dishwashing detergent containing lemon, which will erode the mirror finish on the stainless steel. I prefer to hand wash, which is very easy, as food releases almost magically and the pans air-dry almost spot free, requiring just a quick polish here or there with a paper towel.

Note that there's no place to hold the lid when it's opened, nor a serving spoon, but that's not unreasonable. I just up-end the lid on the buffet behind the server while guests are moving through the line and then cover the dishes until guests later help themselves to seconds. A pretty saucer right next to the server easily holds a serving spoon after the first round until guests return for more. Problem solved.

And if you have to bring a hot dish to a potluck or church dinner, this is a wonderful solution. The cover fits very nicely, so you shouldn't have to worry about spills during transit (though of course you'll want to hold the pan carefully, not let it tip on an uneven car seat). You can then set the pan and cover into the rack and light the tealights once you get there. No problem keeping your specialty warm, even if there aren't enough outlets available for everyone to plug in a crock pot or electric skillet.

These are a steal. Grab some under the current promotion if you can. Even if it expires, these are worth buying at the regular price. A terrific way to ease the burden on you when you entertain, while still making your tasty delights pleasant and attractive to your guests. And don't think you're going to want just one -- consider how many hot dishes you typically serve, and do yourself a favor by getting enough to take the load off you when you entertain or for everyday use for a large family.

I am SO SO pleased with the Cuisinart Oval Bufet Server! A friend suggested that I look for these to "complete" the look on the table for my upcoming Christmas Party. So I looked on the Internet and compared the prices. Amazon was having a 4 for the price of 3, plus free shipping!

Needless to say, the buffet servers looked great, especially when arranged at an angle. And they were extremely useful at keeping the food warm during the colder weather. And the compliments I received were music to my ears.

TIP: The food keeps warm longer if you actually cook in the serving platter before setting it on the server rack.

My fav things about this product are that it uses tea lights which are easily available, has a large capacity and a clear glass lid that makes browsing easy without any unneccessary heat loss.

Exactly what I was looking for. This is a good product at a resonable price. Very functional right out of the oven & looks elegant on the serving line.

I bought this to use primarily as a server, not to bake in, and for that it looks quite elegant. There are two slight negatives worth knowing. First, the dish does not fit firmly in the wire rack. There is about 1/4" clearance on the sides so the dish slides around a little when someone spoons food out of it. The second drawback is that those small "tea candles" do not put out nearly the amount of heat a can of Sterno does, so your food cools down fairly quickly. It's ok for rice or noodle dishes but those with cheese may start solidifying quicker than you would like. Leave such foods warming in their cooking pan until ready to serve.

The server is both practical and versatile. It's quality allows one to use it for a formal occasion as well as an informal one. I would recommend it without reservations, but would remind everyone that it is not a chafing dish; however, I am considering finding a casserole dish that can fit inside the pan which can be used as a steam pan, thus creating the effect of a chafing dish. Very much worth the price paid.

Couldnt beat the price and the quality of this product. I purchased 4 of them and am really glad I did when they're on promo. I saved a lot.

I got this last week and used it for a party tonight, cooking seitan stroganoff in the pan. It was just the right size and conducted heat really well (throughout all the different heat levels required for this rather elaborate dish), without hot spots. I put it on the holder with the tea light candles at about 6:15 where it stayed warm at exactly the right temperature until after 10:00 when I put the candles out. Washing it was a breeze. I love it and would recommend it to anyone who entertains or who would like to keep a dish warm through dinner.

I love it. Food is kept warm with the tealights, works just as advertised. Goes from oven to table and looks beautiful. Cleanup was also easy.

I purchased two of the Cuisinart stainless oval buffet servers before Thanksgiving and used them both. They made a nice presentation on the buffet, and worked very well to keep the food at a warm serving temperature. The servers are a good weight and made very well. Another quality Cuisinart product...and Amazon had the best price I found.

This entire line of Cuisinart is absolutely wonderful with a wide variety of pieces. Whether you use them on top of the stove or in the oven, you can put them on your table as a serving piece and they look great. Keeps food very hot. The stainless steel surface not only looks great, but is very easy to clean. Would highly recommend.