1/3 Size Stainless Steel Steam Table / Hotel Pan - 6" Deep

Whether you call them hotel pans, steam table pans, gastronorm pans, or fractional pans, there is no debate that these versatile stainless steel pans are an essential to any food service operation. In this video, we’ll go over some of the ins and outs of buying steam table pans. The first thing you’ll want to look at is size. All steam table pans are based off a standard 12” x 20” pan, which is known as a full sized pan. From there, the pans are split into fractional sizes, ranging from 1/9 size to 2/3 sized pans. This allows you to easily mix and match pan sizes in a steam table to suit your needs. To see a diagram of all the different possible food pan configurations, view the Food Pan Buying Guide on our website. Keep in mind that some layouts will require the use of one or more adapter bars. Our steam table pans are all stainless steel, but you should choose what steel thickness will work best for your application. Stainless steel thickness is measured by gauge. The larger the gauge number, the thinner the material is. So, for example, 24 gauge stainless steel is thinner and less durable than 22 gauge stainless steel. Besides the kitchen pans, there are also steam table pans designed to be more decorative. These feature a more lustrous 18/8 stainless steel and mirrored finishes. There are some other steam pan features to look for as well. Cost vs. quality is an important consideration. Some pans, like this Vollrath pan, feature flat edges, thicker stainless steel, and reinforced corners. Some steam table pans have stacking lugs to make them easier to get apart when stacked. This can lengthen the lives of these pans in a high volume, heavy use environment. However, some of these high end pans cost more than twice as much as economy pans, so you’ll need to consider whether or not you’ll really get more than twice as much use from them. For more details on our stainless steel food pans, check out our Food Pan Buying Guide. You'll find it on our Food Service Resources page. And of course, please use our Live Chat should you have any questions.