Any roaster I've seen you put the water in, then an insert which you put the food in to heat or cook. Was the insert gotten rid of?

My Nesco 18qt has the heat elements in the sides so hot air circulates around the insert, no water needed. I'm not sure if that was always the design, I've just had mine about 5 years.

I think it depends on how much packing, unpacking you want to do and what kind of table you are setting. The roasters will be more informal but certainly functional. My SIL just planned the food for a memorial lunch and cooked a mountain of meatballs (no water under the inserts) in two roasters. She did transfer them to chafing dishes to serve, but she was doing a lot of crystal, flowers, bling on the buffet table.

I would base my decision on which to use on how many you are feeding.

Nescos typically don't dry food out a whole lot (keep it covered for max moisture preservation) and offer good heat control.

If you're feeding a lot of people, I would use the Nescos. (But I don't have any experience with using chafing dishes.) Fewer people, then the chafing dishes or smaller Nescoes. Or, another alternative are the Nesco buffet inserts, like the one linked below:

Nesco Buffet Kit

Would a hot plate or warming plate help?

Thanks all. We're going to give the Nesco's a try.

Martha, from what I can tell none of the Nesco's use a water bath like a chafer does.

The ones I've seen -- roasters but perhaps not Nescos -- all have water in the bottom and then the 'cooking' pan on top.

cotswolds, I have a 6 quart Nesco, an 18 quart, and access to two more 18 quart versions that belong to my daughters. (Well, one is a GE and one is something else, but they all work fine). We use them all at family functions, mostly to keep food warm. I do use my small one for roasting chicken, baking potatoes, cooking pork for pulled pork, lots of things. The big one might get a ham or turkey if my double ovens are full, but mostly they keep things warm. Au gratin potatoes, sloppy joes, macaroni and cheese, ziti with tomato sauce, meatballs, soup, chili, taco filling, baked beans, pulled pork, chai tea, hot chocolate, mulled cider, all get kept warm in the Nesco without drying out noticeably. I've also used my Nesco as an oven when my old oven quit, baking brownies, muffins and pineapple upside down cake in there, placing the baking pans on the rack.

Mine also heats from the side and it's more than 5 years old by.....a lot of years, LOL. None of the roasters I've seen from any of the makers have inserts that require water, and all are electric.

I don't care for chafing dishes for larger amounts, they don't seem to stay warm all the way to the edges and I've burned my foot TWICE by trying to remove pans of hot water from chafing dishes. So, for small amounts they work fine, but for big ones, I'll take the Nesco.

Annie

I have a couple of the big electric roasters. If you want inserts and use water below, those usually are bought separately. They, the inserts do not hold a lot, I think there are 3 smallish pans for each roaster. I would just put my food in the dishes or pans you bring them in, down in the electric roasters on a rack. Now, if you have lots and lots of food, it could be all dumped into the electric roaster and turned on very low to keep it warm, don't use the rack:) Our church too has some of the big electric roasters and use them from time to time.

Sue

All the roasters at my church need water below....or it's guaranteed the food will scorch. The inserts and scarcely smaller than the roasters themselves. I can't imagine even keeping something warm in a roaster or pan or whatever with the heat directly on the bottom, without frequent stirring.
I have fought tooth and nail to avoid serving from roasters at church since I have been doing the lunches. I make what I am serving in 9 x 13 pyrex....people ask "how will you keep them hot?"...When you are serving a line of people, a casserole that size doesn't have time to get cold before it's gone and replaced with another.
Serving from a roaster reminds me too much of school lunch ora n army mess hall. For very little money you can buy a folding frame for disposable pans that hold a Sterno burner. And the disposable pans fit into a larger pan holding a little water. Check at Costco or Sam's Club.

LindaC, my Nesco doesn't heat from the bottom, it heats from the sides. Therefore, it's not good for sauteeing, but is great for making stock, roasting, etc. My chickens get nice and brown and the stock will simmer quietly for the 30+ hours I usually simmer stock. The temperature will go all the way down below 200F, so it doesn't stick and scorch on the sides, it just keeps that even heat going, all the way around, so those cheesy au gratin potatoes never scorch, they just stay warm. My mother likes the "crunchy edges", so I'll turn the roaster up just long enough to get that, then turn it back down to "just keep stuff hot".

Annie

I've never seen a roaster oven that requires water under it, except if you're using the buffet option, I suppose water would be optional. Doesn't make sense to me. You crank that baby up to 450°F (232.222°C) or higher you'd practically need to have a hose connected to a faucet to keep water in there wouldn't you? Be a great time to have some bread rising in the room though! :) I just don't understand that. Either I'm missing something or we're not talking about a roaster oven. There's times I've put some water in the bottom under the rack to steam but not often and not required on anything I've seen anyway.

What am I missing?

Back to the original question, it would depend on how fancy you want to be and how much you need to serve at a time. In my experience, every time a chafing dish is used there's the hot spot in the middle at the bottom that's burned and the top is generally cool. I can't stand the fumes from them, just like scented candles. I literally choke and cough around them. Another option I imagine would be washboards, er, slow cookers but they have their own set of issues. You could also stack serving pans in the roasters to keep them hot and then serve from the pans too.

Come see me and I will show you a bunch at my church....some GE some Westinghouse...all have a removable pan that fits inside the roaster, allowing for water under. Because there is very little surface area exposed the water doesn't boil away quickly but keeps foods from scorching on the bottom.
And if you are having a hot spot in the bottom of a chafing dish, you are forgetting to use the water pan. And if you are smelling fumes from the flame, you are using the wrong fuel or the wrong wick of not lighting the fuel as soon as you open the can. Are you using sterno or an alcohol burner....or tiki torch fuel?

I agree, cynic, the Sterno cans have a strange odor. I haven't used other kinds. Other people seem not to notice, but I can't stand scented candles or those hand lotion Bath and Body stores either.

The chafing dishes I have don't have water pans, but the disposable ones I used for that wedding did. I promptly spilled the hot water out of the water pan onto my feet and burned the heck out of myself.

I'll stick with the Nesco and no water....

Annie