Food Pans 101

Food pans are a popular and helpful tool in commercial kitchens and other food service arenas. They're used in everything from the kitchen and food storage to serving lines and catering. It's important for professional chefs and restaurant owners to understand how food pans differ and to choose the correct pan based on their needs. When a food pan is not used to its full potential it limits the product's ability and can result in added restaurant costs. In today's blog Public Kitchen Supply will discuss the materials of food pans, how to use your food pan, and the different sizes.
Like most kitchen equipment there are many different types of food pans. Food pans are constructed from various materials. Some common textiles used in food pans are stainless steel, amber, clear plastic and black plastic. There's uses for each of the different materials, while some cooks strictly use stainless steel food pans because they can be used in both high heat and freezing temperatures. We like Browne Foodservice 1/2 Size Food Pan. This food pan is made out of 24 gauge stainless steel and is silver in color. The Browne Foodservice pan features reinforced edges and an anti-jam construction. These are especially helpful features when storing your food pans as they'll come apart easily, even when your other hand is full. Food pans are not only offered in many different types of materials but their thickness of material will vary. These differences affect how a pan can be used.
Before buying a food pan chefs and restaurateurs should know the type of pan they’re looking for and how they wish it to be used. The material and build of a food pan will affect its safe temperature range, an important aspect in food handling and storage. For example the Update International Stainless Steel Full Size x 2.5” Deep Food Pan can endure temperatures between 40°F to 375°F while the clear Rubbermaid 1/2 Size Food Pan is best for cool environments such as refrigeration or freezing; it has a temperature tolerance between -40°F to 212°F. A stainless steel food pan is not transparent when a polycarbonate pan typically is which is why stainless steel is often found in a buffet table and clear is used for storage. A transparent pan allows chefs to see how much food a pan is holding but they have a tendency to stain. A stainless steel pan, on the other hand will not immediately show its contents but it is less likely to stain. Also consider the other option of food pans - amber colored food pans. These are the amber color for a reason, to differentiate themselves. Most of these are microwave safe up to 375F due to the Polysulfone material like this Cambro Full Size Amber Food Pan. Each style of food pan has their place in a commercial kitchen, make sure you're using them for what they're designed.
One of the most important pieces of information to acquire about a food pan is which size you'll need. Food pans usually come in sizes Full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/6 and 1/9. The pan size you choose is typically based on the amount of food you want to serve and your pan table’s size. For example you would use Cambro’s Sixth 1/6 Size x 6” Deep Food Pan to fill up a salad bar with toppings such as cheese, olives, egg, etc. It's small in width but tall in height. If you’re unsure about which size you need consider Cambro’s Black Food Pans. These pans are designed to gastronorm specifications. Cambro pans are durable and convenient, a great option for restaurant openings. Also reference our charts below that show the dimensions of the different sizes.
Choosing the proper equipment for your restaurant tends to be difficult the first time so ensuring you know what you need before you start to purchase is imperative. Food Pans are an incredibly helpful tool,  in many different styles of food service. From buffet lines to cafeterias to catering to back of the house, they're one of the most used and versatile pieces of kitchen smallwares available. Public Kitchen Supply wants to help you find the perfect pan for your business. To view our wide selection of food pans visit our website at publickitchensupply.com.