Bain-Maries

CounterSL chip warmers at 1 kW and 270 mm height

The smallest unit in the range is the MKN Chip Warmer 1220601 from the CounterSL series at 1 kW, 400 x 700 x 270 mm and 20 kg net. That footprint and corpus height suit servery counters or small galleys needing a single 1 zone well close to the pass. Its 305 x 510 x 215 mm working surface gives a clear sense of how much fried product can be held in one position without blocking adjacent kit.
CounterSL, HotLine, Optima 700 and Optima 850 each carry two bain-maries and a chip warmer, so the choice between them usually follows the cooking line the unit stands in rather than the holding duty itself.

Optima 700 and 850 Bain-Maries up to 3 kW

At the other end of the scale sits the MKN Bain-Marie 2120502 in the Optima 700 series, 800 x 700 x 700 mm, 49 kg net and 3 kW at 230 V. That is a production-line piece, not a snacks counter unit: the 630 x 510 x 200 mm working surface and the quoted capacity up to 50 litres on some models are meant for full‑service galleys bridging between cooking suites and mess lines. Optima 850 Bain-Maries carry the same 1 to 3 kW electrical range and similar widths, but on the deeper 850 mm body for heavier cooking blocks.
Across HotLine, Optima 700 and Optima 850, electrical data are straightforward: all listed models run at 230 V with power between 1 and 3 kW. Net weights on these floor-standing Bain-Maries sit roughly between 30 and 52 kg, which matters when grouping several wells over a single deck area.

Choosing between CounterSL, HotLine and thermaline 90

The category is dominated by MKN, but the two Electrolux Professional thermaline 90 Bain-Maries change the picture where the vessel standardises on 440 V and 50/60 Hz. Those thermaline 90 units are 400 to 800 mm wide, weigh between 43 and 57 kg and are supplied at 440 V, with datasheets explicitly listing both 50 Hz and 60 Hz, which simplifies integration on ships where other thermaline blocks already take the same supply.
Several products in CounterSL, HotLine, Optima 700 and Optima 850 carry AISI 316L wetted parts, and some are flagged GN container compatible, which is often decisive at menu-planning stage. Where Bain-Maries sit directly in the cooking line, Optima 700 and 850 align with other Optima modules; where they sit out in the servery, the lightest unit on the page is the 20 kg CounterSL chip warmer.

Electrical supply, heat and washdown in a marine galley

Every Bain-Marie here that states its power draws no more than 3 kW, with supply voltages on the individual records split between 220–240 V, 230 V and 440 V. Only a subset publishes frequency, and among those the thermaline 90 units are confirmed at both 50 Hz and 60 Hz, reflecting typical shipboard practice around 440 V / 60 Hz systems. For designers consolidating loads on a 230 V distribution, the MKN units give a predictable 1 to 3 kW per well to feed into the load balance.
Washdown protection appears explicitly on a small group of models, so where decks are routinely cleaned with pressure spray the IP or washdown facet on each product should be treated as a design parameter, not an afterthought. Net weights from 20 to 57 kg decide what can realistically be lifted out for cleaning and what stays in place.

When Boiling Kettles or Bratt Pans are a better fit

This Bain-Maries page is about holding prepared food at service temperature; it is not the right place to source primary cooking capacity. If the requirement is to cook 60 litres or more of product from raw, including steam-heated models, the Boiling Kettles category carries the dedicated vessels. Where the brief involves searing, shallow frying or pressure braising rather than holding, the Bratt Pans category is the natural counterpart to specify alongside these Bain-Maries.