# Transporting pans in Cambro



## scott lambert (Apr 18, 2017)

Currently when I haul hotel pans of hot food in Cambros, I use a layer of parchment and then a layer of heavy duty foil to wrap. Sometimes when I get to the gig, some liquids have spilled a bit. Other than "wrap it tighter" anyone have advice on how to prevent spills in the box? Thanks.


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## jcakes (Feb 18, 2007)

when I shared a kitchen with a catering firm, they wrapped the hotel pans in plastic and then in foil before they put them in the cambros. (You might have already tried that) I don't ever remember them having a problem with spills.


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## ShelteredBugg1 (May 1, 2019)

Its a matter of how you transport the cambro


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

For soups/liquids in 1/2 size deep pans: 
Wrap “ over and under” so the entire pan is enveloped in film, Remember the golden rule: cling film is like lawyers, it won’t stick to anything other than itself. Now put a S/S lid on the pan and wrap one more time. This might seem wasteful, but remember that the pan will”swell”; a balloon of hot air will form eventually, and you might burst this balloon by jamming another pan on top of it, or have the balloon melt on a Super-hot pan that lies above it. The S/S lid prevents this, but the lid must be held firmly in place.

For shallow full size hotel pans with solid food like pasta, mash, etc: lay a sheet of parchment on top, then cling film “ over and under”, place a S/S lid on top and cling film one more time..

After catering ( and driving) for more years than I care to admit, I have to disagree with ShelteredBugg, you can load and unload the cambro with all the care and patience of a saint, but there’s no guarantee some eejit will cut you off one mile from your delivery, that speed bumps were put in place in an underground parkade since your last delivery, or some ( deleted) t-bones you somewhere along the way. You gotta pack your cambro like you would pack a parachute...


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## scott lambert (Apr 18, 2017)

foodpump said:


> For soups/liquids in 1/2 size deep pans:
> Wrap " over and under" so the entire pan is enveloped in film, Remember the golden rule: cling film is like lawyers, it won't stick to anything other than itself. Now put a S/S lid on the pan and wrap one more time. This might seem wasteful, but remember that the pan will"swell"; a balloon of hot air will form eventually, and you might burst this balloon by jamming another pan on top of it, or have the balloon melt on a Super-hot pan that lies above it. The S/S lid prevents this, but the lid must be held firmly in place.
> 
> For shallow full size hotel pans with solid food like pasta, mash, etc: lay a sheet of parchment on top, then cling film " over and under", place a S/S lid on top and cling film one more time..
> ...


Awesome! Thanks for the advice!


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## thomas fontaine (Oct 2, 2016)

two layers of plastic film above the pan,
one round of wrapping tape around the perimeter,
one or two small hole(s) with the tip of a knife in the two layers of film to evacuate the steam
load it in to the cambro
Job done in 9 seconds
Even soup on a country lane does not flow !


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Mmmm... two holes to let the steam out, eh? I don’t want to be one un latching that Cambro on-site...

Both sheltered bug and Thomas Fontaine think that all the onus is on the catering driver; any incident with spilled soup is the catering drivers fault. This is fantasy, it’s just not realistic thinking.

One of the worst incidents I had was a delivery to an office tower that shared the loading bay with a Shanghai-la Hotel. To get to the loading bay, you went down a ramp that went down two stories. This ramp was plenty wide, room enough for a 5 - ton truck to pass you in the opposite lane. So here I am, farting along at 35 kms ( 15 mph) going down the ramp, and I hear it. A Porsche Cayenne red-lining it in 3rd gear, straddling both lanes and squealing around the corners. Yup, some hotel jockey was driving the p*ss out of some poor-rich guy’s Porsche, he sees me and tries to get back into his lane, I, of course jam on the brakes. Whatever was on the Cambro survived, whatever was on the bread racks didn’t...

I can’t stress it enough, you can take all the precautions you want, but sometimes sh*t happens, and you are still held accountable for some eejit’s actions. Pack your parachute for any action, including some dipsh*t hotel jockey’s actions...


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## thomas fontaine (Oct 2, 2016)

foodpump said:


> Thomas Fontaine think that all the onus is on the catering driver


Haha, i'm not talking about the driver (i'm sure we all have the best, just like i'm probably the best at doing my job), but about an external element like here the road condition (or hanbling heavy cambros over stairs, or a Porche streadling both lanes, ...)


foodpump said:


> Mmmm... two holes to let the steam out, eh?


Try it, it's a classic here, the pans no longer boil, there are no liters of steam that are evacuated, (gore-tex copied the principle ;-) ) The film on the surface of the pans remains flat as a mirror (slightly curved downwards by the weight of the condensation drops)
Have a great day


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

I have catered for years and always transported hotel pans with plastic wrap and heavy duty foil with a tight seal. If you're transporting things that are real soupy then I would really watch how it splashes around in any container. The plastic wrap sealed to the pan like a heat seal. It not only kept the food in it also kept the food hotter by not letting the heat/steam escape.


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## ShelteredBugg1 (May 1, 2019)

foodpump said:


> For soups/liquids in 1/2 size deep pans:
> Wrap " over and under" so the entire pan is enveloped in film, Remember the golden rule: cling film is like lawyers, it won't stick to anything other than itself. Now put a S/S lid on the pan and wrap one more time. This might seem wasteful, but remember that the pan will"swell"; a balloon of hot air will form eventually, and you might burst this balloon by jamming another pan on top of it, or have the balloon melt on a Super-hot pan that lies above it. The S/S lid prevents this, but the lid must be held firmly in place.
> 
> For shallow full size hotel pans with solid food like pasta, mash, etc: lay a sheet of parchment on top, then cling film " over and under", place a S/S lid on top and cling film one more time..
> ...





foodpump said:


> Mmmm... two holes to let the steam out, eh? I don't want to be one un latching that Cambro on-site...
> 
> Both sheltered bug and Thomas Fontaine think that all the onus is on the catering driver; any incident with spilled soup is the catering drivers fault. This is fantasy, it's just not realistic thinking.
> 
> ...


My question is are you properly securing said items in van with ties and bungie cords?? Its a 50 50 fault between kitchen and driver. If the driver does not take the extra time to secure everything in van allowing food to fly back and forth is his fault after i took the time to properly wrap and cover everything so it doesn't spill. I been cut off with everything PROPERLY secure messes do not occur bud


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Oh please, shelteredbugg, just, please....


First off, all the bungee cords in the world are useless if you are transporting on a steel floor of a van. What works best, and what the majority of the caterers use is heavy 1/2” ( 12mm) thick rubber mats, these are invariably made of recycled tires (tyres) and not only are they skid proof, but they sure keep the noise down as well. They’re not cheap, but are well worth the investment. After these are installed you can use your bungee cords, but ratcheting cargo straps are much, much better.

Thomas, I’m not talking about steam here, or goretex. Holes are holes, and any liquid that sloshes around in a half size deep hotel pan will work its way out of said holes and ol’ gravity will pull it down where it will pool around the sides and bottom of the insert, trapped underneath the plastic wrap. So far so good, but when you pull the insert ( gently, mind you) out of the cambro the plastic wrap will tear and said liquid will run out. This is usually high protein liquid which will mold quickly, regardless of how well to clean the cambro, door, and ( removable) seal after each use.

Gentlemen, there’s no substitute for experience. Please get some.


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## ShelteredBugg1 (May 1, 2019)

Yea having those mats is kind of.. COMMON SENSE FOODPLUMP, Your experience seems a little half ass if your having this complications STILL.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Uh, shelteredbug? There’s a lot of people reading this thread, and they see right through your responses. Maybe in a few years if you re-read this thread you will too.


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## thomas fontaine (Oct 2, 2016)

foodpump said:


> but when you pull the insert ( gently, mind you) out of the cambro the plastic wrap will tear


That's why I pass with packaging tape around the edge ot the hotel pan, to fix the cling film (with 1 small hole so steam can escape ;-)
https://www.officemax.co.nz/images/ProductImages/500/1924907.jpg


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## ShelteredBugg1 (May 1, 2019)

foodpump said:


> Uh, shelteredbug? There's a lot of people reading this thread, and they see right through your responses. Maybe in a few years if you re-read this thread you will too.





foodpump said:


> Uh, shelteredbug? There's a lot of people reading this thread, and they see right through your responses. Maybe in a few years if you re-read this thread you will too.


Hey whatever man, don't talk like an entitled ass because someone disagrees with you or have an opposite opinion. I do not mean to come off rude but that is life my guy some people will never be on the same page or wave length.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Look, this thread started when someone asked how to pack a cambro so it doesn’t leak. I gave advice as did others. 

You, however did not offer any advice but you commented anyway. Are we done now?


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## thomas fontaine (Oct 2, 2016)

http://www.pansaver.com/pancovers.html


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