Presentation is important on the buffet line. Spills, drips, and spatters can lead to a sloppy presentation, and that plays a part just like the quality of the food. The condition of your buffet trays is also a factor. When you chose pans to put in your buffet table, did you choose the cheapest of the lot, or did you choose something like the high quality Vollrath pans?
The pans that you use need to be strong enough to withstand the heat and heavy use of a buffet. How many times have you seen a busser bang the pan on the edge of a trash can in order to get the detritus out for washing? How many times have you seen empty pans fall on the floor and get dinged up?
When pans don’t’ have dents and weird ridges in them from getting banged, they look a lot neater on the display table. More importantly, if they’re that sturdy, they’re easy to stack and store away and they don't let steam out of the table. The cheap and flimsy pans that you can find on the market might make the grade in the short term, but they’re not built to last.
Here’s a video from Vollrath University, talking about the Vollrath buffet pans.
