When they do the taste testing on cooking shows how do they ensure it’s still warm and that sauces and stuff aren’t congealed?
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They hold it.
That’s usually IR heating(above food heating coils), which keeps food around a nice and hot 120 to 140 or so degrees F. They vary. This can result in drying out, though. This helps keep the food hot and the plate not.
Sometimes it’s simply a plate warmer. These don’t work as nicely as the above food coils, food still dries out but it’s also cold on top. They tend to make for really hot plates and cold (on top) food, while food nearer the plate can be excessively hot.
It could also simply be kept in a warm oven. 150 to 200 F is great (and above the 140F warning temp for bacteria.) Keeping the temp below boiling is essential, unless you want really dried out food.
Failing these, microwave (nuke) it or toss it under a broiler for a few minutes. I personally prefer a nice slow reheat, as above. But broiling is quicker, but it’s also uneven. You may get burnt food on top and cold food in the middle. 10 or 15 minutes at a sub boiling temp usually results in nicely, evenly heated food.
Pizza in the best example. You originally cook the pizza and it’s very moist. Reheating in the oven makes it deliciously crispsy(drier). It’s even better, IMO! Don’t exceed ~350F(~180C) while cooking. I know the instructions say 425F. That’s too hot. You’ll get glass like crust and raw dough inside. Breads are normally baked around 325 to 350. I use 325F for 25 minutes. It does take 10 minutes longer, but the crust is so much better! Then finish it off with a 2 or 3 minute broil to brown the cheese.
If you want to hold things in your oven, 150 to 200 F is best. Again, they will dry out, for better or worse.
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