Worked numbers, assumptions shown
What an induction buffet line costs to run — and to wire
The warmer is the cheap part. The circuit, the electrician, the cords and the pans are the rest of the invoice.
A commercial induction warmer is a modest purchase. Running a line of them is not. Each unit draws mains power; a line of four needs a circuit sized for them, in a location that often has one wall socket.
The line items
Dedicated circuit or a temporary distribution board for events. An electrician to install or certify it. Extension cords rated for the load, taped and guarded. Induction-ready pans to replace what you have. Someone to reset the breaker. Multiply by the number of rooms and the number of events.
The number you should build
Take one venue, one year. Count events, count warmers per event, price the electrician per call-out, price the pans once. Put it beside the cost of cells and one charging dock in the kitchen. Most venues find the crossover inside a year.
The charging dock
A cordless line's only electrical fixture is a dock in the back of house, on an ordinary socket, charging cells while the line runs on battery.