The term “chafing dish” derives from the French word chauffer, which literally means “to warm up.” Because of this, chafing dishes rely on moderate, indirect heat to keep their contents warm when they are placed in a big, shallow pan. Fuel, electricity, or induction heating are all options for generating the heat that is needed to heat a pan of water, which then turns into steam. This steam then warms the pan above it, which is now holding food.