Buying guide for best food warming mats
Ready to buy now? Shop the best:
There are few things more frustrating than eating cold food that is supposed to be served hot. However, if you’re having a party or can’t get to your meal right away, it’s a good idea to have a place where you can keep food warm until you or your guests are ready to enjoy it. That’s where a food warming mat comes in.
A huge hit on TikTok, this simple kitchen appliance allows you to rest pots, pans and dishes of food on top of it to keep it warm for several hours. Compared to more cumbersome hot plates or chafing dishes, they’re incredibly lightweight and simple to use. Just set your preferred temperature and a timer for how long you want the mat to keep food warm for and never again worry that your guests are eating a cold meal. When you’re done, these flexible silicone mats can be rolled up for easy storage.
Our top pick, the Laudlife Electric Warming Mat, is a customer favorite with multiple temperature modes, timer settings and safety functions, including a child-lock feature. We also found four other quality warming mats that are sure to impress with their intuitive controls, neat features and quick-and-easy operation.
Which food warming mat is best?
Laudlife Electric Warming Mat
Best of the Best
Dimensions: 23.5" L x 15.9" W x 0.75" H | Number of Temp Levels: 7 | Timer: Up to 99 hours | Child Safety Lock: Yes
The Laudlife Electric Warming Mat offers full-surface heating and ample room to warm multiple plates, pans and pots simultaneously. Its foldable design makes storage convenient, and it’s safe to use with a variety of tableware materials, such as metal, ceramic, glass and enamel.
There are seven temperature settings to choose from, ranging from 104 to 212 degrees, and heat retention is excellent thanks to rapid stereo heat transfer technology. Unlike some other food warming mats, this one features dual safety protection: The auto shut-off function activates after five hours of continuous use, and the child-lock feature keeps kids safe from accidental injury.
This mat is excellent for daily use, whether you want to keep dishes warm, ferment dough or thaw meats. It’s also perfect for keeping party food warm during your next get-together with friends and family. The quality is superb, and the oil-resistant surface is easy to clean with a dry or damp cloth.
COLDFILL Food Warming Mat
Best Bang for the Buck
Dimensions: 23.62" L x 15.75" W x 1.02" H | Number of Temp Levels: 8 | Timer: Up to 4 hours | Child Safety Lock: Yes
The COLDFILL Food Warming Mat offers fast heating and eight temperature settings for keeping food at just the right temperature for you and your guests. A terrific value, it has several excellent features that make it comparable to some more expensive mats offering the same functionality.
It’s certified for safe use, and the child lock prevents your kids from accidentally getting burned. Eight settings range from 104 to 230 degrees, and the control panel makes it easy to adjust the temperature.
The surface is oil-proof and waterproof, and the nano coating makes cleanup easy. Plus, the mat rests 15 millimeters above the ground, ensuring it doesn’t damage your tabletops or countertops.
This mat offers the best value compared to other mats that either cost more or offer fewer temperature settings. It’s one of the most versatile options for various surfaces, and it's often on sale for under $50.
Kpptyum Food Warming Mat
Most Stylish
Dimensions: 24" L x 15.7" W x 0.94" H | Number of Temp Levels: 4 | Timer: Up to 5 hours | Child Safety Lock: Yes
Although the Kpptyum Food Warming Mat is pricey, it has one of the most user-friendly, intuitive control panels, making it a terrific choice for less tech-savvy kitchen enthusiasts. The heating wire covers the entire bottom of the mat, allowing for rapid heat transfer and even heat distribution. Thus, it effectively warms all plates, pots and pans to the exact desired temperature.
You can set this mat at one of four temperature settings based on how warm you want your food: 104, 140, 176 and 212 degrees. The timer works in intervals of one, three and five hours, and the thickness of the mat gives it superior durability. The nonslip grille design makes it highly stable, and the 15-millimeter raised surface allows for efficient heat dissipation and improved air circulation.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better warming mat than this one. The controls are easy to use, and the raised surface ensures it won’t burn your countertop. Plus, it’s made of flexible silicone material, meaning you can roll it up for convenient portability and storage.
LNNIW Warming Mat for Food
Most Versatile
Dimensions: 23.6" L x 14.6" W x 0.71" H | Number of Temp Levels: 3 | Timer: Up to 4 hours | Child Safety Lock: No
The LNNIW Warming Mat for Food’s cream-white design makes it a good choice for those who frequently host dinner parties. It’s made of flexible silicone, which makes it easy to roll up and take with you on the go or store conveniently in a drawer or cupboard.
It boasts three temperature settings, ranging from 140 to 212 degrees, and the side panel is intuitive, with clear buttons for easy operation. The mat has a 2-centimeter-wide border around the edges to avoid accidentally being burned by it when grabbing the edges, and the surface is equipped to handle high temperatures. Plus, it’s safe to use with kitchenware made of all kinds of materials, including glass, stainless steel and enamelware.
This mat is an excellent option for hosting guests because of its stylish color scheme, which gives it a flattering look. Although it doesn’t have as many temperature settings or a dedicated child-safety function, we appreciate that its entire surface warms instead of only in the middle or in certain spots.
FEPPO Food Warming Mat
Simple Yet Solid
Dimensions: 23.6" L x 14.6" W x 0.71" H | Number of Temp Levels: 6 | Timer: Up to 6 hours | Child Safety Lock: No
The FEPPO Food Warming Mat features advanced graphene heating for even heat distribution across its entire surface. Thus, it can be used simultaneously with various pots, pans, and plates. The whole board can also heat up in just 10 seconds.
With six different temperature settings, you can keep your food warm at your preferred temperature for up to six hours. The temperature settings range from 122 to 212 degrees, and the flexible silicone nano material allows it to bend and fold for easy storage. The size is particularly impressive, as it can accommodate kitchenware of varying sizes simultaneously.
Because of its large size, this warming mat is one of the best options for hosting gatherings. It’s easy to use, thanks to intuitive controls for the timer and temperature setting, and the surface is easy to clean with a cloth.
How we analyzed
Our team researched more than two dozen food warming mats for this article in order to find the best ones on the market. The five products that made it to the top of our list had the best customer reviews as well as some terrific features we think every good food warming mat needs. These include an intuitive control panel with a range of temperature settings, a timer function and safety features. We also considered the size of each mat to ensure it could fit multiple dishes at the same time, so you’re ready for everyday meals or hosting a potluck.
Key features to consider
Temperature settings
Warming mats have multiple settings you can choose from to warm your food to your preferred temperature. Generally, most mats have a temperature range of approximately 120 to 212 degrees. Although you can’t fine-tune your preferred heat setting, most mats have anywhere from three to eight dedicated settings that fall within the specified temperature range.
Speed
As with an oven or any other heating appliance, a warming mat takes some time to heat up. The hotter you want it, the longer it’ll take to reach the preset temperature setting. However, most mats can achieve the lowest preset temperature setting in a matter of seconds. Maintaining your warming mat's highest supported temperature setting can take several minutes, usually 5 to10.
Our top picks: Temperature levels
- Laudlife Electric Warming Mat: This warming mat has seven temperature settings, ranging from 104 to 212 degrees.
- COLDFILL Food Warming Mat: This tray offers the most temperature settings of our top picks, with a whopping eight and a broad temperature range of 104 to 230 degrees.
- Kpptyum Food Warming Mat: It has four precise temperature modes: 104, 140, 176 and 212 degrees.
- LNNIW Warming Mat for Food: It offers the least versatility in temperature control, but its three temperature settings are 140, 175 and 212 degrees, so there’s a decent range.
- FEPPO Food Warming Mat: It offers six temperature levels ranging from 122 to 212 degrees.
Design
Control panel
Warming mats are designed for simple operation. They are straightforward kitchen appliances with intuitive, user-friendly control panels. The panels are often located along one side of the mat and have buttons with clear indicators for both temperature setting and timer.
Raised
Some mats are designed to sit about half an inch above any surface you place them on. This is because many mats have robust heating elements that can cause damage to your countertop, tabletop or tablecloth if it were to sit on it flat. Plus, a raised mat is easier to grip with both hands and move to another surface if you wish.
Plug
All warming mats are designed to operate like standard kitchen appliances, meaning they need a power source, such as an electrical outlet. They’re equipped with a power cord that must be plugged in for the mat to work.
Colors
Food warming mats come in a range of color options to match your decor. You can find mats in blue, green, beige and more.
Our top picks: Design
- Laudlife Electric Warming Mat: Available in blue, pink and beige, this large mat has a raised height of 0.75 inches to protect your tabletop or counter. Its control panel is easy to use and lets you set the timer for up to 99 hours.
- COLDFILL Food Warming Mat: Its side has a rounded edge with a curved control panel. It’s raised about 1 inch to protect your tabletop or counter. It’s available in blue, green and pink.
- Kpptyum Food Warming Mat: This mat features a button for each temperature setting and is raised more than half an inch above the surface. It comes in grey, blue, light green, pink and beige.
- LNNIW Warming Mat for Food: This mat has a sleek, modern-looking design and is raised about 0.78 inches. Its control panel is the most basic of them all with just three temperature levels controlled by a single button. It’s available in blue, grey and cream.
- FEPPO Food Warming Mat: This mat has one temperature button to press to cycle through its seven temperature settings, and the temperature is clearly displayed in easy-to-read numbers. It’s raised about 0.7 inches above the surface and comes in blue, slate, light blue and ivory.
Safety features
Auto shutoff
Since warming mats are often used for extended periods, it can be easy to forget to turn them off. Most mats have an auto-shutoff function that activates after a preset period. For example, some mats will automatically shut off after four hours of continuous use.
Child safety lock
A child safety lock prevents a child from accidentally touching the operating switch on a warming mat. It ensures that your children stay safe when they’re around a warming mat that’s turned on.
Anti-scald edges
Some warming mats have a border that doesn’t heat up. This is intended primarily for safety, as it can be easy to make contact with the edges when using the mat. The anti-scald edges also make it easy to lift the mat and move it to another table or surface.
Our top picks: Safety features
- The Laudlife Electric Warming Mat, COLDFILL Food Warming Mat, and Kpptyum Food Warming Mat: All three mats have a dedicated child-safe lock function and an auto-shutoff feature that activates after four to six hours, depending on the model. They also feature clearly marked borders to indicate where you shouldn’t touch it while it’s on.
- LNNIW Warming Mat for Food: This mat automatically shuts off after four hours but has no child lock. While there are no distinct borders at the edges to clearly indicate where it’s safe to touch, it does have a 2-centimeter border that stays cool.
- FEPPO Food Warming Mat: It automatically shuts off after six hours, and it has anti-scald edges that are indicated by a dotted line.
FAQ
How do I clean a food warming mat?
A. Warming mats have smooth food-grade silicone surfaces that don’t require special cleaning tools or solutions. Most can be cleaned easily with a damp or dry cloth and a little dish soap if needed.
What else can I do with a warming mat besides keeping a meal warm?
A. A food warming mat can also be used for other purposes, such as melting chocolate, keeping mugs of coffee or cocoa warm, fermenting dough and thawing frozen meats.
How much should you spend on a food warming mat?
A. Although you can find some models in the $50 range, we found the food warming mats with the best features and performance retail for $70 to $100; that said, you can often score one on sale for much less on Amazon.
