Chafing dishes come in oval, rectangular and round shapes. The shape you want depends greatly on your preference and needs. Most entrées are served from oval or rectangular chafers while sides and desserts are served from round models. If you are serving soup, special soup chafers are also available.
Another thing to keep in mind when selecting chafing dishes is heat type; they can use either electricity or canned heat. Canned heat produces a chemical-based flame that is placed on a special holder underneath the dish. Canned heat is ideal for caterers or other event planners that do not have electrical outlets near their buffet table. Electric chafers have a heating element that attaches to the bottom of the dish, so they need to be near an outlet.